Summary
I can’t say the 3rd attempt was a charm, but I finally was able to set a new self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) in 5d 10h 24min for 6x Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim (R2R2R) double crossings. According to my watch, that added up to 264mi and about 67,000ft of elevation pain. No one had done 6x R2R2R thus far. As of Oct 2024, the self-supported FKT for 5x R2R2R is held by Brandon Worthington in 3d 21h 51m 9s. Paul Hooge holds the supported FKT in 4d 16h 17m 7s.
Prelude
As opposed to the first two attempts (1st, 2022, 2nd, 2023), I showed up without any spreadsheets. For my first two attempts, I had the goal to also beat Brandon’s 5x R2R2R FKT, which turned out to be somewhat a “mission impossible” goal. This time, I decided to take it leisurely with the simple goal to finish: I gave myself 6 days and aimed at completing at least one R2R2R within 24h. In whatever many hours were left, I would eat (mostly mayonnaise), drink (mostly beer), sleep, and rest. If I was faster, great, but if not, that would be fine. As you will see below, lowering my expectations led to a dramatically better experience in every aspect. Joy was my new motto. And OREO really helped with that too.
My 2023 attempt was cursed. I had my basecamp at the Mather campground on the south rim, then used a bike to get to/from the rim. But biking added too much time and effort. So this year, I decided to set up my base camp again at the north rim (as during my 2022 attempt). I deliberately picked a start date after the north rim facilities closure (Oct 15) so there would be less chaos.
Unfortunately the weather forecast for the first three days was so terrible that I nearly canceled. Some early winter storm was supposed to dump up to 8″ of snow. I wasn’t too worried about the trail but more so about getting stuck on the north rim for days because the park service might close the road.
I flew into Las Vegas, rented a minivan so I could sleep in it, filled the van with (unhealthy) edible and drinkable supplies for 6 days ($257.98!), including mayo and beer, plus 6 cup cakes that would serve as a reward and counter for each R2R2R, and headed to the north rim.
As I got closer to the rim, the rain set in. At that point, it was too late to change plans or to call NOAA to modify the weather.
How hard was this adventure going to be? Well, it’s all relative, as they say. Yet, as the visualization below shows, from a distance and elevation gain perspective, 6x R2R2R is not actually that hard. There are definitely harder races and FKTs. In my own experience, 6x R2R2R is more a mental rather than a physical challenge.
Double-crossing #1: R2R2R
I left the north rim in the dark on 12:12am on Fri, Oct 18, 2024. The rain had ceased for now, but I had packed enough gear to survive a 44mi-ish run in the rain and cold, if necessary. I knew my way, so navigation was not going to be an issue.
I felt good on the descent and surprisingly also good on the first South Kaibab climb. I reached the rim before sunrise in 6h and 27min or so. The time felt rather motivating, but I was certain I would slow down dramatically on the next traverses. The water spigot on the rim was on, so I refilled and started the first descent into the abyss again. If you’ve done the South Kaibab trail, then you know what I’m talking about. It’s hard to describe in words.
It took me 12h and 56min to wrap up the first R2R2R, despite a rather heavy pack. I ate my first cupcake and went to sleep. I didn’t even set an alarm and planned to sleep as long as my body would want to.
When I woke up, it rained rather heavily. The rain then turned into snow, just as the weather forecast had predicted. I figured my best bet was to head out and get to lower elevations before things got gnarly. Perhaps I could somewhat dodge the storm by being in the canyon.
Double-crossing #2: R2R2R2R2R
I headed out in what felt like a blizzard. The snow was blowing so hard that I couldn’t even see the trailhead sign from the parking lot. There was already an inch or so on the ground. This time I carried even more gear than the night before and the pack felt rather heavy. But safety comes right after joy.
As I made my way down into the canyon on the North Kaibab trail, I encountered numerous hikers and runners who were utterly unprepared for the inclement weather. Some wore trash bags, others didn’t even have a rain jacket. Several were at the brink of hypothermia and had trouble moving. I offered caffeine tablets, gels, and water to those in need. But must just needed some encouragement, although for many I couldn’t say “you are almost there.”
The snow turned into rain below the Supai tunnel. I was bundled up in full rain gear, including a poncho because that is pretty much the only way to stay dry. It was obvious that this 2nd R2R2R would take me a lot longer than the first one.
When I reached the south rim, there were about 2 inches of snow on the ground as well. Thankfully the trail was not frozen over, but the snow and rain made everything very slippery. The park service had closed the Desert View Drive over night because of snow and ice.
I headed back to the north rim as quickly as I could. There was no reason to stop in this weather. The trail from Supai tunnel to the rim was rather muddy and slippery, but not frozen, so no microspikes were necessary. It had stopped snowing for now, but there were several inches on the ground.
It looked like this might have been the end of the storm, but it wasn’t. But first I ate and slept again.
Double-crossing #3: R2R2R2R2R2R2R
It was raining cats and dogs when I woke up. The weather forecast was undecided, it seemed, what would happen next. I ate some more and waited some more, but it did not look like the rain would stop anytime soon. So I read my e-mail and graded some assignments on my laptop. Finally, I geared up and headed out again. There wasn’t really much else to do.
It ended up raining more or less nonstop until the next morning. Thanks to good gear and decent experience with wet and cold conditions, I stayed dry and warm. Not everybody I met on the way did.
The low point of this crossing was when I realized in the Box that I had just lost my GoPro with a lot of irreplaceable footage. I knew where I had used it last and marked the stretch where it could be found, so I could actively look for it on the next few traverses. I also asked all runners who passed me if they had seen a GoPro, but nobody did. I started to think this would probably be a real loss. No big deal, that means I could buy a new camera and had one less movie to make.
The weather started to improve significantly on the way back up on the North Kaibab trail. Things were looking up, literally and figuratively. Well, minus the GoPro.
When I reached the north rim, it was hard to imagine that I would still have to do three more traverses. This was mentally the hardest moment. You are halfway done, but there are still so many hours and miles in front of you. And it would be so easy to just bail and go home. For some reason, I didn’t.
Double-crossing #4: R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R
After a good sleep and some more food and beer, I headed out on the 4th traverse. The weather was now looking perfect for the next few days and I could go a lot lighter because of less gear. I decided to stick with my night moving approach. Just before or after sunset I headed out, then moved through the entire night. When I reached the south rim, I would usually get caught in the R2R2R runner frenzy, which was both annoying and motivating. Most runners would pass me on the South Kaibab trail, but I would then pass many of them again on the North Kaibab trail after they had exhausted themselves, trying to run all the downhills and the flatter parts. And then the sun hits and things heat up, and when they reach the north rim, they have no idea how they will get back. The trail really does have a tendency to eat runners alive.
I spent extra time on this crossing to look for my GoPro, but couldn’t find it. I figured that it probably tumbled into the river. On traverses 4-6 I then carried my phone so I could take at least some pictures.
On all traverses I enjoyed seeing wildlife, especially the ringtail cats and the bighorn sheep. Some of the ringtails were surprisingly curious and approached me when I sat still. Over time I learned where their dens were. I also ran into two skunks. Thankfully they didn’t spray me.
Two herds of bighorn sheep were hanging out on the south rim. It’s not always great to see them because they tend to knock down rocks. But I’m always flabbergasted by how nimble they move in extremely steep and exposed terrain.
The 4th traverse was quite good overall, perhaps because I started to see the light and the end of the proverbial tunnel, or canyon, I should probably say. I was also getting into a routine, which was helpful.
Double-crossing #5: R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R
So out I went again…on my 5th R2R2R. I felt that I had somehow tamed the south rim climb. Every step seemed familiar and I had broken up the climb into distinct segments that helped me better tackle the challenge mentally.
It was a gorgeous night and the moon was still so bright that I could sometimes turn off the headlamp.
Not sure what else to say about this traverse. It was pretty uneventful overall and I made it back mentally and physically more or less unscathed. I ate my 5th cupcake to celebrate this achievement.
Now the end felt more near than ever! I was very eager to get this done, but I nevertheless decided to get some good sleep and to not fall back on my calories and fluid intake. Because if you do, that tends to bit one back…
Double-crossing #6: R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R
I headed out before sunset so I could enjoy it on my way down into the canyon. The evening light was gorgeous and I was quite excited to go into anther peaceful night.
When I reached the south rim, my watch showed 121h and 39min. It was just before 2am. I turned around and started to follow a few runners that had passed my on the way up. I would catch several of them later on.
Someone had told me that I looked like I could do 7x R2R2R. I said that the look doesn’t necessarily reflect how I feel. It would have been hard to do 7 because my mind was fixated on 6. In addition, I didn’t have enough supplies. So that extra challenge was clearly off the table.
The morning was gorgeous and I was looking forward to my last climb on the North Kaibab trail. I had begun to really like that climb. It’s less intimidating than the south rim wall and provides more visual variety.
The rest was pretty uneventful. I reached the rim and my car was still there. The last cupcake and a beer were in order. My watch had logged 264mi and about 67,000ft of elevation pain. It had taken me a whopping 5d 10h 24min for 6x Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim (R2R2R) double crossings. Not exactly a competitive time, but I finally got it done after failing in 2022 and 2023.
I packed up my sh#it and started my drive back to Vegas. When my caffeine levels were worn off, I had to pull over and sleep some.
When I reached my hotel, I took the stairs to the 4th floor just to proof to myself that I still got this. Then I slept like a marmot.
Post mortem
The canyon has a unique way to humble almost every hiker and runner. I met many amazing folks who inspired me to keep going. The many conversations I had and the stories I heard were a great part of this challenge, and in large parts the reason why I finished. Thanks for sharing and for all the encouragement!
Throughout my life, I have so far completed 2 single R2R crossings and 15 R2R2 double crossings. That seems like enough for now. I left ample room for improvement for someone eager to go after my 6x R2R2R time (see visualization below). I will come out of the Grand Canyon retirement only to attempt 8x R2R2R if someone does 7. A few R2R2R is cheaper than therapy.
Full report with more pics at https://www.christofteuscher.com/aagaa/report-self-supported-6x-r2r2r-grand-canyon-crossings-fkt-r2r2r2r2r2r2r2r2r2r2r2r2r