Your line about day hikers smiling on the way down is the funniest line ever. They have no idea what they have signed up for. Lol. I’ve seen many happy smiling faces on the way down but then on the way back up, people don’t even want to talk to you as you pass them. No greetings, no smiling, no happy faces. 🤣

You are an asset to the hiking 🥾 community. Thank you for your service.

Great review. Obviously you're referencing a single day hike across, so carrying minimal gear. A day hike across is no small feat, but if you take 4 days to cross as I do, (camping out) there are other considerations. The initial drop onto the trail from either trailhead will happen carrying a heavy pack, since you're full of water and food, so the stress on your quads and knees is significant! I would not consider doing it without hiking poles to ease the endless drops down the "steps" along the trail. I've found that the South Kaibab Trail is particularly hard on knees since that's the way the mules climb out. The mules go down the Bright Angel Trail and come up the South Kaibab Trail. As those metal horse shoes climb the South Kaibab Trail, they've formed a series of "steps" which may be a mule stride, but they certainly are not a human stride! If you're doing a Rim to Rim 3-4 day hike passing through Phantom Ranch, you can still make meal reservations at Phantom Ranch for dinner and breakfast! That will take a meal or two out of your pack! Also, going North to South, leaving Phantom Ranch, you'll be facing the Devil's Corkscrew. I always reserve the EARLY breakfast (yes, there are two seatings!) so I can get through the corkscrew before the sun hits it. While I admire the stamina of those going Rim to Rim in a day, I love having 4 days to see the sights down there. In a world of day hikers, and Rim to Rim runners, someone carrying a backpack is almost an oddity these days. My ego did enjoy it when we "summited" on the South Rim at the Bright Angel Trailhead with my group of 5. After taking our photo at the trail sign, someone walking past asked us where we'd come from. We got to point across the canyon to the North Side, and say, "over there." That almost made everything stop hurting. Almost. Everyone be safe out there.

You’re a beast! Rim to rim to rim! All just to educate people on the right way to hike the trail. That’s why you’re one of the best on KZfaq. Thanks!

Agree with many other comments, this is the video you first timers need to watch. Very well put together sir! Very informative without much fluff. Very pleasant voice and pacing of the hike. Went north to south on my 60th bday almost 3 yrs ago. Have watched many videos before and since. This one right here is imo, the best.

As someone who's done this hike now dozens of times - both (usually) "North to South" and "South to North" - my simple advice is: TAKE YOUR TIME. Our usual itinerary, done in the early Fall, is a five-day trip: "North Rim .. Cottonwood .. Bright Angel .. Indian Gardens .. El Tovar." TAKE THE TIME to fully appreciate each place. But, if "R2R" is not in this year's plans, consider hiking down the South Kaibab Trail, overnight at Phantom, then up to Indian Gardens, then out. The two trails are completely different: SK hikes down a ridgeline with excellent views, while BA works up through a canyon. (Indian Gardens offers a not-to-be-missed sunset hike to Plateau Point.) Let me now just add one more critical thing: "Gookinaide!" An electrolyte powder that you add to the water in your canteen, to replace the minerals that you sweat out. The first time we did this hike, we were zapped by muscle-cramps. "Electrolyte replacement" made ALL the difference. I prefer to put it in every bottle; my wife prefers "half and half." To each his own. TAKE YOUR TIME, AND HAVE A =WONDERFUL= TIME!

Your guide is hands down the best guide I’ve seen or read. You deserve more subs! Thanks for the info!

Breathtaking views ! Thank you

Your videos are outstanding, perfect amount of important information, landmarks, and tips, without being dull or overbearing. Very well done and enjoyable.

Thank you for all the work you do on these videos! I am really enjoying them!!👍👍🥾⛰

Perfect just perfect !

Thank you so much for giving in depth details.

What an incredible resource, thank you very kindly

Great video! I am planning to hike the rim to rim next year and this broke it down very nicely for me. Thanks!

WOW - Thank you, thank you and thank you! Great information - really apprecaite you taking the time and making this AMAZING video!

Beautiful. Good combination of visual, word and song!!

This is SOOO beautiful. Thank you very much for making it. I was overwhelmed with emotion, remembering how wonderful it was living out West, decades ago.

Thank you for this. I’ve done this trail but just all the way down to the river. Will plan to the full hike soon. 🤙🏼

Incredible!!

Excellent video! Thank you!

This is a great guide Cris. Have done N to S and SK to BA each in a day, they are both great hikes with some really nice areas. A couple of my kids comment that the worst thing for them was the stupid squirrels at Indian Gardens and the people feeding them there. I know you are not emphasizing fitness for this vid, but it can't be over emphasized how important it is to be fit and train for these hikes for them to be enjoyable.

Really appreciate such detailed guide

Super video. Such an epic adventure for those that are prepared. I did this a few years ago…. a great hike which took all my willpower to finish. Thanks for sharing. Two thumbs up.

Awesome video. Trail look so cool..Amazing..

Thank you for posting this. Especially for those of us that won’t ever be able to hike it but wonder what it’s like. Very good video!

Well done video and appreciate the time spent in explaning the complete hike and locations along the way. Thanks for taking the time to make it.

Thanks for letting me experience this vicariously. I won't be able to do it myself at this stage of life, but FANTASTIC to see what it is like! THANKS!!

Thanks a lot for make pefect guide. Was very Informative and helped me in planning my hike.

Thank you for the great videos! Just did the R2R hike and the information you shared was extremely helpful as a solo hiker. I will definitely visit the support page.

Very detailed and informative video! Thanks!!!

I did the North Kaibab to Bright Angel route back in mid-October 2019. It was the last day the shuttle that takes you back to the North Kaibab trailhead did 2 runs for the season (morning and afternoon); after that, I think they only do a morning. The lodgings on the North Rim had closed for the season the day before I started my hike so I slept in the trunk of my SUV that night. I drove from southern California and got to the trailhead at 2 AM. I started the hike shortly before 7 AM after trying unsuccessfully to get some sleep; it was too cold at 26 degrees. At the bottom of the canyon, it was 97 so the temperature spread was 70 degrees which makes layering essential. I was originally planning to do it in one day, but at the last minute I was able to get a one night stay in one of the multi-person cabins at the Phantom Ranch. I was told, if you can, try to spend the night down there since the stargazing is amazing. However, I don't recommend spending the night at the Phantom Ranch if you're a light sleeper. The dorms are divided into mens and womens dorms with about 6 (maybe 8) people per dorm. The one I was in had a couple guys who snored and I didn't get any sleep that night either. As for the stargazing, it was practically a full moon that night so I didn't see many stars. The food was great. Dinner was a steak the size of my face and the lemonade was truly refreshing. One word of caution about refilling your water at Phantom Ranch. The water has been treated with chlorine and lots of it. It was so strong I suspect I could have done my laundry in that water with no detergent. As a result, I drank very little of the water when I did my hike out of the canyon making it especially rough. I got back to the Bright Angel Lodge 18 minutes before my shuttle was scheduled to leave. If I hadn't made it, I probably would have had to sleep on a bench because lodgings on the south rim at that time of year are always sold out. Another word of caution if you drive the North Rim at night (which I did both coming to and leaving) there are lots of deer and they love to jump out in front of your car when you're whizzing by. Take it a little slower since hitting one is going to kill the animal and probably destroy the front of your vehicle and possibly take you out in the process. If that doesn't put a little caution into you, there are herds of bison that would look perfectly at home in Yellowstone. They will definitely mess you and your car up if you don't give them the respectful distance they desire.

Chris. Thank you for doing this. I live not far away from the GC and because of my health I am unable to do what you did. My only way is to stay on the south rim and walk the trails on the rim. This video is just like being there on the trail. I watched every minute of it and only wish I was 20 years old again and could walk it. You made my day watching this and I WILL be sharing it with my friends. Kingman, AZ.

I wish I could go again. Not long ago we took the short walk as seniors and flied with a helicopter, which is one of beautiful trips. It is enough for my physical capability. From your great video I really admire you guys.

Thanks for the video. Very inspiring.

Great information, thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks for this tremendous content!!! We always love your So. CA hikes. But this Grand Canyon hike footage and info is spectacular.

Awesome video.. thank you so much! Very authentic way to see just how beautiful the grand canyon is once you hike into it.

This is a SUPER VIDEO, thank you.

Beautiful scenery. Thank you for taking us along. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the commentary

Great video - so informative!

Great video, thanks. Doing R2R N to S with 1 night at each CWC, BAC and HGC and this really helped ❤

I just wanted to drop in and say how amazingly well put together this video was. We backpacked rim to rim to rim just last week, and this would have been a wonderful video to watch before the trip. But instead, for me it was a great reminiscent video. We took our time and did it all in 5 days. South Kaibab to BA campground. BA to Cottonwood. Cottonwood to the North Rim back to Cottonwood. Cottonwood to BA. Then took Bright Angel Trail back to the South Rim. It was my first time to ever see the canyon, and it was absolutely amazing. Even more amazing than I imagined it would be. Thanks again for the amazing video!

Great Vid. It was like I was with you , riding on your Pack !!! Thank You...

OMG! What a great video.

This video and commentary is absolutely superb. Thank you.

Hey Hiking Guy, OMG you hit this one out of the park! Great advice on the hike, appreciate the turn-by-turn and the scenery is just sublime. Your best production for sure. This one is definitely now on the bucket list and I can't wait to take it on. Thank you and keep up the great work of there!

You did great !!

Very nice video. Planning our trip there this spring.

thank you for sharing this beautiful video with us, now I know I won't be able to do this but at least I could see it.Thank you so much

Excellent video.. probably the best I've seen on KZfaq for the rim-to-rim hike..so much information! Thanks for the step-by-step video guide. I really appreciate it since I am considering doing a rim-to-rim hike in the near future.

Thank you sooooo much love your videos ❤

very helpful! thank you.

The most detailed and professional video I’ve seen so far. Great job! Ya got my subscription. Thank you.

This video is the best I have seen. I've done these hikes and this video discusses almost everything, truthfully, and has wonderful video. Great job.

Great videos! You really explain in detail all trails and their different variation and alternatives! Thanks great work!

nice views ! on my bucket list.

Absolutely the best video I've seen of this hike! Looking forward to getting stuck into the website guide tomorrow. Thanks Cris for so much amazing content & inspiration!

Fantastic video, one of your best!

Excellent video.

Thank you

cris, this is the best video ive seen on hiking the canyon it gives the inexperienced hiker insight on what its like to go down there . surprised by the quality of your video . Gopro did a great job. you are the man !!! top notch , top notch !

I really enjoyed this video the scenery and trail look so cool! I’m glad I found your channel and enjoy your commentary. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

Nice video. Thanks!

This is the BEST video I've seen. I'm doing North Kaibab to Bright Angel next week and feel much better with your explanations and video. THANK YOU!!

Did R2R NK to BA this last Saturday and I just wanna say THANK YOU for this video. I lost count of how many times I watched it to get ready for the hike and it was so so so helpful. Looking forward to going back and doing SK to NK.

I have viewed dozens of videos on the subject of hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim. this is the very best five stars out of five stars! Thank you!

Thanks a lot, Cris! It's on my bucket 🪣 list, and I'm realizing that I got to train more, lot more, before tackle this R2R2R.

This is awesome video. We’re doing north to south at the end of September.

what an excellent video !!!! now i wont need 2 go !!!! lol really , makes me anxy to go !!!!!!!

Great video,so nicely shot with so much information for us wanna be future r2r2r folks, thanks.

Very informative and well done. New sub.

In awe of the views and absolutely terrified of the idea of hiking down and up the GC.

Liked… That’s for the tips and video.

Watching this right now.

a must look video for rim2rim2rim hike. Thanks!

great video quality

Excellent job on this! Thanks for taking all the time to put it all together with such great info, content, pointers, and videography. I can't imagine all the hours it took to put this together. It should be mandatory to watch, prior to hiking in the canyon! I began backpacking there with our family in 2007. Started running R2R, in 2015, and have 8 runs across now, plus 2 rim-2-rivers (S. Kaibab to Phantom, Phantom to B.A. and to the top). Love it there. Heading back Oct.24 with my daughter to get another rim-to-river in this year! It blows my mind to see all the people down in the canyon, unprepared with insufficient/inappropriate gear, clothing, training, young children, lack of knowledge, lack of awareness of where they are, lack of electrolyte hydration and correct nutrition, and on and on. I typically have at least 1 save, per trip. Hundreds of vids on KZfaq, giant signs all over the trail heads and in the transport busses, and the park website is full of more warnings and information......and yet here these people are, 24/7, as if they're going for a stroll in a city park. Folks: This is one of the most dangerous and probably THE most difficult places to hike (or run) in the country...maybe the world! Please show up well trained, and properly equipped, not only with the right gear/nutrition/hydration, but with the minimalist amount of it, so that you're not too loaded down. Please leave your young children at home unless you are an athletic family, and they are absolutely little beasts. And even then, consider leaving them at home. It's one thing to take the punishment of 10,000 log steps for mules, on the initial downhill, on fresh legs, in cool early morning temps. It's a completely different situation on the climb out, in the soaring temps and direct sun, on destroyed legs. Avoid June and July here. The temps are absolutely unforgiving. If you're doing this in a large group, stick together the entire time. In the snap of a finger, someone can roll an ankle, fall, become sick from the heat or exertion, and it can become a very serious situation, with no help available, very quickly. There is no cell service until 3mi house, so take your safety seriously!

Grand Canyon je kus krasnej zeme ,na vichutnanie narocnej turistiki ,podla toho kto ako sa na to citi.je to kraj tak z nadhernou faunou a florou ,krasnymi vodopadmi ,ci chodnickami kazdou stranou ,no videjko je nadherne a poucne pre tych ktory miluju takyto druh adrenalinu spojeny s turistikou a vizitim tej tak nadhernej krajiny aj spodnebim.dakujem ,ze som mohla nahladnut vdaka vam ,tak nadhernej krajiny ako je grand canyon ,co je moja srdcovka na oddych a relax .no urcite sa tam vratim a budem ho preskumavat dalej roznymi turistickymi cestami a uzivat si to.vdaka ,je to super.

GC veteran. Train train train. Do not attempt the R2R if you’re not prepared or confident in your backcountry skills. Make sure you know the weather. Be cautious of heat stroke and dehydration. Bring electrolytes.

Thanks!

great Video! headed there in a week to take on the Rim to Rim to Rim!

Thanks for the video. Considering how far away from the Grand Canyon I live, I'll never go there, so at least I know what I'm missing. Fortunately, we have similarly beautiful treks in Europe... If you ever have a trip overseas, I recommend the Canary Islands.

Thanks for the video, very informative. We will be doing Rim 2 Rim in Sept, 2021 in 3-days, (North Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails) with camping at Cottonwood and Indian Garden campgrounds.

I've done s-n once and n-s 6 times. A long time ago when I lived in Flagstaff. Will do n-s for my 65th birthday in a few months. I really appreciate this. Very professional and informative. Am jealous that there were no tourists in flip flops blocking your hike. My concern for this upcoming hike is the crowd of oblivious walkers with no clue about etiquette the closer we get the end. I have stories about that. Thanks.

Putting my application in as we “speak”! Keeping my fingers crossed ❤ that i will be accepted. This is a superb video. You nailed it! Congratulations!

Very nice trip. Thx for sharing. Sub right now. Cheers 😃

Awesome video! I did the rim-to-rim-to-rim for 10 straight years with an overnight at the North Rim Lodge until Covid interrupted the streak this past year. This is the best and most informative video I've seen. Looking forward to doing it again this September!

Hello Hiking Guy ! I loved your video. Very informative. Can you tell me what time of year you took your trek and the temperatures you experienced?

The best Rim-to-Rim video bar none! Alas, my bucket list will remain unfulfilled and I would need TWO days to rest at Phantom Ranch given my advancing years. Of course, even during the pandemic securing a reservation at Phantom Ranch is totally up to luck and one would have to settle for the campground if available. Thank you for taking the time to describe in great detail so many different things that are of interest even to a casual viewer let alone a hiker. You video puts all the other videos to shame because they are not in same class as yours. You are serving your viewers not ego thumping because all the map details you provide make the hike "safer" and more enjoyable. Warmest regards, Sir! P.S. Please consider publishing, if you haven't already, a guide on preparing oneself for such a hike - physical, mental and other training.

Thank so much for this amazing video and all the information. You should change your channel name to the hiking angel because most of us ( hikers ) look into the paths you lead for us . Best wishes for you and Happy New Year 🎆

For anyone who is doing this as a multi-day hike and staying overnight at Phantom Ranch or one of the campgrounds, it is worth taking the short hike to Ribbon Falls. From my recollection it is only a mile or so off the main trail and quite scenic. Otherwise, like the video says, save your energy for those last few miles of switchbacks.

I hope you do Death Valley, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon and Arches. I know it’s a lot but those parks are really amazing!

Great video. Appreciate the time you put into the hikes in both directions as well as the great information provided along the trail. Am looking for times on the hike from North to South Rim. What time did you start, get to stops along the way and when you got to the South Rim. Thanks in advance!

THANKS CRIS! June 6 just completed my first Rim to Rim, north to south and its because I took your advice and tips seriously. Check out his website and stay tuned, he KNOWS what he's talking about!

I'm so glad I found your website. So much information! We will doing Rim to Rim in May... starting at the north rim and going south. I was curious why we should go up the Bright Angel trail instead of the South Kaibab? Mileage wise the South Kaibab is shorter :).

Don't take too long of break at the bottom. Muscles get cold and you have to get warmed up again. Even experienced hikers can bonk. Met a hiker only 1.5 miles from North Rim who had R2R several times but just had a bad day that time and was awaiting a mule. Another time I was passed while doing N2S R2R by a man from Sante Fe who was completing his 60th R2R2R! Not young by any means. They're out there.

Great video! Your shared experience and tips are extremely helpful! My wife and I are planning a rim to rim to rim much like your video. Our trip is schedule for Sept 2024. South to north. Spend the night in a lodge. Then head back the next day, north to south. Once question that has not been commented on is - do you need a park pass or ticket, etc. to do the hike. Like many others, we plan to start early (i.e. 4am ish) and want to be prepared. Thanks in advance for your help, and thanks again for all your content!

Awesome, great stuff! Do a guide for Humphreys Peak north of Flagstaff, AZ, one of these day!

Excellent. Thanks for taking us along. I'm sure it would have been much more pleasant for you if you weren't filming it for us. Thanks.

Thank you for the guide!! After visiting a few weeks ago, I can't wait to get back and try this. 🤩👍