Fenn Gallery of Contemporary Art

Grand Canyon?

I am going on trip to the Grand Canyon and I am taking the nine any suggestions on what to do to train to do it?
Ok hope this makes more sense
I am going on a trip to the Grand Canyon with a whole bunch of people and I am doing Nine MILES and I need ideas on how to get in shape for the hike I am skinny like I am just right I am not overweight so that is not an issue but everyone says that it is hard

Nine miles? Would that be down the Bright Angel trail to Indian Gardens and back?

When hiking in the Grand Canyon, distance is not so much of a factor as elevation change. Most canyon trails have very few level stretches… you are either going up or down and often at a pretty steep rate.

Different people are impacted different ways by the climbing and descending. If you are overweight or not in good cardiovascular shape, than going up is tough because it take more energy. However people with joint problems (ankle, knee, lower back) often have more problems going down because it requires more muscle and joint control.

As for training…
You want to build your leg and lower back muscles and strengthen the areas around your joints. Because hiking the canyon is a feat of endurance, you want to make sure you do plenty of long cardio workouts rather than just short, intense workouts. If you do most of your workouts in a gym, than I would recommend heavy time on the treadmill and stair-steppers combined with deep-knee lunges, squats, stepping up and down on a block, and speed skips (high step marching in place). You also want to build good stomach and lower back muscles with sit-ups and stomach crunches. Some people prepare their legs by going up and down long flights of stairs numerous times.

Perhaps more importantly, if there is a convenient place nearby that has a real dirt trail (preferably with some uphill and downhill), try to get in some good multi-hour sessions there. While the main central trails in the Grand Canyon (Bright Angel and Kaibab) are good maintained trails, they are no sidewalks. It will be uneven with rocks and retaining logs to step over and occasional ruts. You want your knees and ankles to get used to long distances over uneven terrain (this is what often gets people who did all their training in gyms and on stairs).

The most recent issue of Backpacker Magazine (May 2007, which should still be in newstands) has a whole section dedicated to leg exercises that you might want to check out (“Hike Farther, Hike Stronger” by Evelyn Spence). It has a whole series of exercise (most don’t require any special equipment) for building strong hiking leg muscles.

A few other things that can help when you are on trail… getting one of those stretchy Ace knee braces if one of your knees is a little weak. Also, I find that trekking poles (collaspable ski-pole looking things) make a tremendous difference by allowing your arms to take some of the strain off your knees. I use them regularly in the canyon to reduce strain on my knees and get a more well-rounded workout that exercises my upper body as well as legs.

And lastly, a few general suggestions about hiking the canyon… remember that going up is going to take much longer (and require more energy) than going down, wear good rugged comfortable shoes (hiking boots preferred), have a broad-brimmed hat and sunblock, carry high-energy (carbos) and salty snacks or electrolytes and – most importantly – always carry plenty of water (2-3 liters minimum).

The Bright Angel trail has drinking water at Indian Gardens (and often at the upper rest houses), but most canyon trails have no water between rim and river and temps in the lower canyon can often pass 100 degrees in summer. If you are going anytime between June and August, than I would avoid being on the trail during the heat of the day (11 to 4). If you are on the Bright Angel trail, Indian Gardens has lots of big shade trees and is a great place to rest.

Don’t try to go to the river and back in one day (especially during summer).

Have fun, bring a camera, and don’t get so caught up in going up and down the trail that you don’t stop to take it all in and enjoy all the little sights and wonders along the way! For example, just as you are heading down the Bright Angel, look straight up when you pass thrugh the little stone arch and you will see red prehistoric indian pictographs on the cliff just below the rim – hundreds of people pass there each day and only a few notice them.

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