Grand Canyon Backpacking - Adventures in Climbing, Backpacking, Kayaking and Hiking

Our most popular adventure trip!

To get to know the Grand Canyon, it's best to immerse yourself in it. Hike into it; spend a couple of days or so there; get the canyon's red dirt under your fingernails, in your eyes, on your teeth and in your veins. Lie at night beside 2-billion-year-old rock as you gaze into the eternity of the heavens. Backpacking in the canyon is a journey of body and mind, so if you're lucky you'll come out both a little more lean and a little more wise.

Climbing Director Mark Lowe who has spent 25 years traveling extensively throughout the Grand Canyon will be your guide to one of the most hidden and spectacular places in the Grand Canyon. Mysterious Anasazi Indian passageways, rare shaman petroglyphs, a giant natural arch, waterfalls and pristine springs are just a small part of this trip.

You'll also be learning wilderness travel techniques, minimum impact camping skills, geology, astronomy, Native American history and culture. This trip is pure route finding - no trails!
3 days and two nights.

Highlights: Strenuous hike to the most mysterious place in the Canyon, spectacular cliff views
Near:Pasture Wash Ranger Station (abandoned) Grand Canyon, AZ
Scenery: Excellent
Distance: 14 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 4000 ft
Hike Time: 7 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Trail Condition: Hazardours, but a few easy spots
HikeType: Out and Back

Ages: 21 - 55
Cost: $425
Dates: See below
Note: Previous extreme hiking experience required

**Level of Difficulty**
We rate each of our trips as "Easy", "Moderate", "Challenging" and "Strenuous" based on the level of physical ability and prerequisite skills required. This rating system is designed to help you decide which trip is most appropriate. Some trips may be a combination of different activity levels. In these cases we do our best to approximate the general difficulty level for the entire trip. Our trip ratings are subjective and relative to fluctuating environmental conditions as well.
	easy	moderate	challenging	strenuous
description	most days involve fairly easy travel and easy activity, if required at all.	these trips combine a moderate level of activities for both "off the beaten track" and basecamp exploration	these trips are physically challenging and usually set in remote and rugged wilderness regions. challenging terrain encountered.	these trips involve strenuous activity in remote and rugged terrain and encounters with wildlife, loose footing, rough seas, extreme weather, etc.
activities and weather	day hikes, 4wd, flat-water kayaking, average weather conditions	trekking. sea kayaking, white water rafting, camping, single pitch rock climbing, moderate weather conditions	backpacking (light loads under 35 pounds), sea kayaking, multi-pitch rock climbing, cold or hot weather conditions	backpacking (heavy loads over 35 pounds), sea kayaking, multi-pitch rock climbing
experience required	no experience required	some experience required	previous experience often recommended	previous experience strongly recommended and sometimes required
fitness required	good	very good	excellent	excellent
activity per day	4 - 6 hours	6 - 8 hours	6 - 10 hours	8 - 12 hours
highest altitude	5,000 feet	6,500 feet	9,000 feet	13,000 feet

Our instructors are all active climbers, kayakers and backpackers.
Our staff are among the best in the Southwest.
They become full instructors after one year of rigorous training, testing and field work during which they learn ACAS's safety procedures, curriculum, process, technical standards, interpersonal/educational methods, and low impact backcountry techniques.

The majority are former instructors or graduates of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and/or Outward Bound School! Their years of climbing and teaching have made them unequalled in safety and experience. Climbing and wilderness adventures are more than our business, it's our way of life!

Physical Fitness
Except on a few trips support vehicles, rafts or kayaks carry all our gear. We do, however, recommend that you be in good physical condition to enjoy our trips to the fullest. If you are not optimally conditioned, we recommend that you start a training program at least 3-6 months before departure, gradually increasing the intensity and duration. We further advise you to check with your doctor before undertaking any new fitness program. For our more difficult trips, we also require a doctor's certificate of good health.


march 2008	Dates: 23 - 25
april 2008	Dates: 17 - 24
may 2008	Dates: 1 - 3
september 2008	Dates: 25 - 27
october 2008	Dates: 21 - 23
november 2008	Dates: 1 - 3

	Arizona Climbing and Adventure School is a unique opportunity for individuals to experience the spirit, courage and exploration of the West. It is an initiation into the unexpected, a chance to accomplish something very exciting and to discover strengths you never knew you had. Additionally, the Arizona Climbing and Adventure School provides education in wilderness skills and working effectively with others. It is a well known fact that a wilderness experience can effect one person so deeply that it profoundly alters his or her view of self and reality to the positive, changing a person's life for months and sometimes years after the experience. The skills you must learn in order to safely and ecologically negotiate the terrain, climate and altitude in which our courses are offered include: • safety skills for travel through rigorous terrain. • how to pack a backpack. • physical fitness • competence with map and compass, gps, route selection, navigation. • rope use and knot tying, bowline, water knot, square knot, clove hitch, half hitch, figure eight • basic first aid so that every student can handle reasonable emergencies and recognizes and aid in treating illness related to altitude, hypothermia, fatigue. • rescue preparedness • rock climbing, backpacking, hiking, rappelling • campcraft including minimum impact camping, ecological considerations, wilderness cooking, food selection and nutrition. • water purification, hygiene and sanitation. • care of equipment, ropes, clothing, packs, climbing shoes. • environmental stewardship and Leave No Trace techniques. • safety from storms and lightning.

To sign up for an ADVENTURE call or email us to check availability. If a course is open click on the On-line Application Form or go to our application and map (meeting point) site, print out both the Application (PDF), Map and Waiver. Fill out the application and fax or mail it to us (don't fax the waiver, just bring it the day of your course).

Note: September thru May ADVENTURES start at 8:00 a.m. at the designated pick-up point. Call us the day before your course starts to verify. .

course cancellations
While it is unlikely, if the Arizona Climbing and Adventure School cancels a course due to insufficient reservations or conditions beyond our control (weather, etc.); alternate dates or refunds will be given as preferred. If you cancel within 14 days prior to your session, rescheduling your course can be expected. There are no refunds on gift certificates. If you fail to show at the designated meeting place at the appointed time you will be charged for the course - there are no exceptions. If you would like to reschedule within 48-hours of the course's starting date, you may do so. To receive a full monetary refund (minus a 20% handling fee), 14 days notice is required (expect a refund within 2 billing cycles or 60-days of your course date). You may also want to purchase travel insurance due to cancellations – click here for more information.

liability
Although we spare no effort to assure a safe program, we can assume no responsibility for your safety or loss of personal equipment. In a sport of this nature an element of risk is inherent and beyond human control. A signed release (waiver) will be required of all participants. A parent or guardian release is required for students under the age of 18. These can be obtained in advance by contacting our office or downloading from our website.