With 800 miles of brutal terrain behind them, author Kevin Fedarko and photographer Pete McBride have joined less than two dozen others in completing a sectional thru-hike of the Grand Canyon. It took the pair over a year; they finished听earlier this month.
鈥淗iking through the Grand Canyon is the closest to hell that I expect to come before I get there when I die,鈥� Fedarko told 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听in August,听after pulling out of 105-degree weather to rest. He wrapped up the hike on November 18. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no exaggeration. That鈥檚 not hyperbole. It鈥檚 absolutely the most physical challenge that Pete and I have endured in our lives.鈥�
Fedarko, 51, and McBride, 45, have a certain amount of expertise in connection with the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. McBride paddled down the length of the 1,450-mile river for the book .听Fedarko, a former editor at 国产吃瓜黑料 and river guide in听the canyon, wrote , the story of the fastest boat ride ever down the 277-mile-stretch of river during the flood of 1983. (The two previously worked together in 2006 for 国产吃瓜黑料 covering the raucous听nature of Everest Base Camp.)
鈥淗iking through the Grand Canyon is the closest to Hell that I expect to come before I get there when I die.”
Established in 1919, Grand Canyon National Park is now set to a host of development threats poised to harm the crown jewel of America鈥檚 national park system. A uranium mine has been proposed just north of the park; developers have proposed a multi-use development on the Navajo Nation that would include a hotel, RV park, and a听tramway from the rim into the canyon itself; and in the unregulated Helicopter Valley to the west of the canyon, between 400 and 600 airplane flights each day produce noise that鈥檚 disruptive to the park鈥檚 ecosystem.听
In September 2015, with funding from National Geographic, the journalists set out to explore and expose these issues. They hiked the canyon in eight stages; each one took them between one and a half and three weeks. At times they were helped along by听backpackers and hikers they happened upon. 鈥淲ithout them, the navigational complexities alone would have stopped us in the first 72 hours,鈥� Fedarko said.
Fedarko and McBride climbed shale ledges and used ropes and harnesses to descend down to the river to collect food caches placed by friends (who located them via GPS). One of the longest descents required seven rappels down 150 feet of rock. At other times they carried miniature inflatable rafts to paddle along the river. 鈥淭he terrain here is difficult,鈥� Fedarko said in August. 鈥淭here are no trails, and you鈥檝e got 50 pounds of supply and gear on your back in temperatures that extend from 100-degree heat waves to sub-zero mornings, when the entire canyon is blanketed in nine inches of snow.鈥�
Fedarko and McBride pulled out of 105-degree temperatures in March and cooled their heels until October. They have since released short films and about the trip for National Geographic. Most recently, they were nominated as some of听the magazine's annual . (Voting for the People's Choice version of the award until December 16.)
鈥淭he best and worst moments were braided, interweaving of continuous pain mixed in with sublime wonder,鈥� Fedarko said. 鈥淭here was a delicious moment at the canyon every single day when we finally stopped walking. The camp was set up.听There was nothing to do but lay back and look up at the stars and watch the evening turn into night. That鈥檚 a process that happens in the Grand Canyon unlike anywhere else.鈥�
鈥淚n many ways, the real鈥攖he harder journey鈥攂egins right now for McBride and me,” Fedarko said.听“We finished the walk. Not we have to figure out how to tell the story.鈥�