Chattanooga, TN

Rim to Rim to RIm

Hey Everyone!

I am putting together a small adventure team to tackle the Grand Canyon on the first weekend in May. I have to be in Phoenix for work until the 4/30 and then will be running rim to rim to rim on either Friday or Saturday.

Have any of you run this before? I have a great book on the trails but I am looking for more inside information from someone who has been there first hand.

Thanks, Eric
www.siriusultrarunner.com

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Permalink Reply by kris whorton on January 13, 2010 at 4:02pm

Hi Eric,
Randy and I have done it twice (well the full once and a 3/4 version the 2nd time). The first time was mid-October and the 2nd time mid-May. It will be warm, so you'll want to plan on a fair amount of water although all the water faucets will be on and you can fill up. We did Bright Angel out and back both times (and stayed in the cabins the first time). It's awesome. Let me know what kinds of questions you have/answers you seek and I'll tell you what I can.
Welcome to the team!
Kris

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Permalink Reply by John Schultz on January 25, 2010 at 1:55am

I'm planning doing my 5th R2R2R run on May 1st. We have a rather large group of interested folks at the moment- could be 20 - 40 people altogether with some doing rim to Phantom Ranch and back, but a bunch doing the whole 48 miles - over and back. Fastest folks could be in the 11-12 hour range and on up to 20 hrs or so for the hike/run-some crowd.

My biggest word of advice, aside from making sure you're in darn good shape, is to manage your diet. Everyone is different, but you gotta get it right or you can bonk - HARD. Ask me how I know - ha!!

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Permalink Reply by Eric Charette on January 25, 2010 at 9:01am

Thanks for the replies.

It now looks like this will get pushed off until the summer; dreaded heat!

Starting May 1 we are going to run the entire Pinhoti Trail (325 miles through Alabama and Georgia) looking for a speed record.

John, is it feasible to fly on the first day, drive up, camp, run the second day and fly home the third? We would run it in about 10-12 hours. I am thinking about doing it over 4 days for travel just in case we get 1 bad weather day we can shift the run.

Thanks, Eric

John Schultz said:

I'm planning doing my 5th R2R2R run on May 1st. We have a rather large group of interested folks at the moment- could be 20 - 40 people altogether with some doing rim to Phantom Ranch and back, but a bunch doing the whole 48 miles - over and back. Fastest folks could be in the 11-12 hour range and on up to 20 hrs or so for the hike/run-some crowd.

My biggest word of advice, aside from making sure you're in darn good shape, is to manage your diet. Everyone is different, but you gotta get it right or you can bonk - HARD. Ask me how I know - ha!!

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Permalink Reply by John Schultz on January 25, 2010 at 1:20pm

Definitely. A lot people are doing that. Flying to Phx on the Friday morning/mid-day, driving the 3.5 hrs North that afternoon, sleep for a couple hours, get up at 3:00 a.m. or whatever on Saturday, spend all of Saturday running in the Canyon, get up Sunday morning (if you're able to walk!) and drive to Phx for a flight.

I would caution doing it in the Summer though - the inner canyon can EASILY reach 110+ degrees. Basically if you look at the forecasted high in Phoenix for any given day, it's usually within a few degrees of the inner canyon temps.

If doing it in the Summer, I'd honestly want to start at midnight or no later than 2:00 a.m. to make sure you beat the heat coming back.

I've done one Bright Angel (S Rim) to N Kaibab (N Rim) in mid-July and by the time we got close to the North rim around 2:00 p.m. it was freakin' hot.

Eric Charette said:

Thanks for the replies.

It now looks like this will get pushed off until the summer; dreaded heat!

Starting May 1 we are going to run the entire Pinhoti Trail (325 miles through Alabama and Georgia) looking for a speed record.

John, is it feasible to fly on the first day, drive up, camp, run the second day and fly home the third? We would run it in about 10-12 hours. I am thinking about doing it over 4 days for travel just in case we get 1 bad weather day we can shift the run.

Thanks, Eric

John Schultz said:
I'm planning doing my 5th R2R2R run on May 1st. We have a rather large group of interested folks at the moment- could be 20 - 40 people altogether with some doing rim to Phantom Ranch and back, but a bunch doing the whole 48 miles - over and back. Fastest folks could be in the 11-12 hour range and on up to 20 hrs or so for the hike/run-some crowd.

My biggest word of advice, aside from making sure you're in darn good shape, is to manage your diet. Everyone is different, but you gotta get it right or you can bonk - HARD. Ask me how I know - ha!!