So it all started with a shuttle bus trip to Flagstaff, after a few very memorable days in Sedona with Tony and his friends.. Which involved all this Sedonain from healing Votices, great food and some Diggeridoo in an under ground tunnel.. Awesome stuff!! i highly recommend it all!!!
Anyways back to the case in hand.. the Grand HIKE!
I got the Flagstaff, and had an uneasy feeling about signing up to a Grand Canyon trip, so i decided to head out to buy a phone card, to ring home so that i could touch base with them. When i got back into the Hostel, there was Roser, (pronounced Rosa) writing me a note, sayiong she wanted to hike the Canyon if i was up for it!! So i of course jumped at the chanch.. not at all knowing what i was getting myself into. So Rosa and i decided that this was a great idea, an we would hire some tent and sleeping bags etc, and head out first thing in the moring after the hire shops were open. After some twoing and frowing around shops in Flag, we managed to locate two sleeping bags, and hired rucksacks and got a lend of a tent from a fellow hosteler and we were all set for our big adventure!!
So off we set for the Canyon. I must admit i knew it was going to be big but nothing prepared me for the Awesomeness of the canyon... ITS HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!
So we dubiously head of down South Kaibab trial. Which i must admit offers the most awesome views of the whole Canyon... It is steep as hell though, and both of us were thinking of the next mornings hike back up agian with little fondness. So as you can see from our photoes we took many of the beautiful views on the way down... Roser and i got talking to Jerome on the way down who works at the base camp "Phantom Ranch" in the utilites section. He and us trecked our way down meeting a group of texan cyclists who were trecking into the Canyon for a week.. impressive stuff! So as the hours wore by, the rucksacks felt a lot heavier and we were starting to feel a little daunted by are camping ahead of us. We had borrowed a tent from a fellow hosteler and yet neither of us had ever put up a tent before... Nervousness started to settle... So in our own unique cheeky way we asked Jerome his advice on tent making and to cut a long story short, he kinding offered us a bed in his beautiful lodge at teh bottom of the canyon where he has worked and lived for over 10 years... Perfect or what.. Even better.. gues what he had.... Not only a flushing loo, but also a SHOWER!!!! boy did he make friends with us fast! So myself and Roser though all of our birthdays had come together and were so excited about bumping into just the right person on the trail down. In truth, i truely belive the Jerome, was heaven sent to both of us, as we were turely out of our depth, dwont there camping and not to mention, very unprepared!
So myslef and Roser, decided to brave the elements and sleep outside on his deck and watch the stars... of which i have never seen so beautiful.. They all twinkled so brightly, that it took my breath away. So there we spent our night under the stars.... Admittedly neither of us slept well as we were both shitting it about our climb back up in the morning.....
So after a shower and breakfast complements of Jerome.. (Thank you again!) we sent off on what was to be the hardest, hike/walk/excercise i have ever undertaken....
the views were amazing, yet i must admit, 1 hr and 1/2 in, i was begining to painc,as my definite lack of fittnes was really showing as all of my was hurting in particular my Calf muscles. So needless to say were we reached half way (3-4hrs later... i was really feeling the BURN!) Literally i would NOt recomend this to anybody! Then we saw the Mules coming in bringing with them there passangers who ride the way dwona nd back up again... i muat admit, feelings of jelousy and hate were rife in my system.
After a short lunch break, of blue corn tortia chips and fruit bars..(yummy i know!) we set of again (on what we were told was the easy half of the hike..... someone was lying) All i can say is OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!
Never again!!! and thank you god for Roser who was a constant support and brought me back for the brink on numerous occasions. So needless to say it took me hours to get to the top, with my clothes, 3 liters fo water, half a tent and what felt like the heaviest sleeping bag ever invented!
So 3/4 of the way we decided to go at our own pace, as i was tryong to keep up with Roser and nearly dying as she is sooooo much fitter than i am. So we parted ways and se went on ahead, and i percivered behind her. So eventually when i got the the top at around 4.30 (we left the base at 7.45) Roser was nowher to be found... thus panic insued in me... I waited around for her for a while, and then got nervous for her, and decided to head back to the car to see if she had gone on ahead of me.... So on the 20+ min journey back to the visiters center, i was totally in panic and very emotional as i was sooooooo exhausted. to find the visiters center closed and my mobile not working. So i went into the book shop and ther found Steve. My second Gaurdian Angel of the Trip. So after so tears, and a hug, he managed to get out of me that i had lost my friend and my phone couldn't work to contact her etc. So her tried to contact her with no avail. He assured me that i woudl find her at the car, and there was something in his voice, that i knew God was speaking through him, so i trusted him. In the mean time he had offered myself and Roser a place to stay that evening instead of heading back the flag that night! So i hobled back to where the car was parked and there it was gone.... Can you imagine my phase... Delote is an understatement! Then sho do i see walking towards me... Roser! She had gone to pick up the car fast after finishing the trial not knowing i actually was only a shourt time behind her and we had just missed each other at the bus stop! Typical! so thankfully we were reconnected and both Safe!
so the moral, of the story! Is to Trust, and no matter how hard the climb may seem, if i got to the top and found Roser, you can achieve anything!!! and if your lucky you might even get an unexpected bonus of a free nights accomadation on top of it!!!
