Ready To Climb Up Angel’s Landing?
That’s my wife’s hand. Wait until you see what it took to get this shot!
Welcome to Zion National Park – one of the world’s most beautiful – and terrifying parks…because see this picture?
We are heading to the top of that peak! And if you want to do it now, you will need a pass!
Time For The Angel’s Landing Lottery!
I found this posted online, and for those who love dangerous hikes – and Angel’s Landing is America’s most dangerous one – you will now need a pass – and the lottery opens today!
My wife Alex and I hiked this treacherous path a few years back – before passes were needed – and I’m going to show you why passes are a great idea…see what the note says above about the “narrow chain section?”
That would be THIS!
You see, what stunned us when he hiked up Angel’s Landing is that chain: the ONLY thing that keeps you from falling 1,750 feet to your death – which sadly has happened more than a dozen times in the past decade…
Let me show you where you can find this exhilarating hike – time to head to Zion National Park in Utah…
The map is just the beginning of the incredible adventures that await you at Zion National Park in Utah…when you are standing at the entrance, you are wowed with sights like this all around you:
This National Park has never-ending views and hiking trails to enjoy, but nothing is as dramatic – and dangerous as “Angel’s Landing”, where more than 13 people have died in the past 20 years!
Alex Points To The Heavens!
My wife Alex read up on this dramatic hike – and the highest part of the mountain on the right is where we are headed – almost a mile high and a 5 mile roundtrip trek!
Angels Landing, known previously as the Temple of Aeolus, is a 1,488-foot tall rock formation in Zion National Park.
The trail begins as a wide, gently sloping upward path before you get to the best part – when the trail is actually cut into solid rock!
This happened in 1926 – allowing adventurous hikers to climb all the way to the top of Angels Landing for a spectacular view of Zion Canyon.
Now The Climbing Begins!
This is a strenuous hike….you can stop all along the way to look down and see what you’ve already achieved….
The higher you climb, the more beauty is unveiled, and on the right is the trail we’ve hikes so far, and here is what’s ahead:
As you can see, we have gone quite a ways up, and there are NO guardrails of any kind…and you just keep going up and up and up:
After close to an hour, and many stops to catch your breath, you reach a flat area that makes you think you are getting close to the top:
In fact, it’s just a pause before you hit the most grueling aspect of the hike:
Welcome To Walter’s Wiggles!
I found this picture online for some perspective, because after that sort, flat break, you get to what is called “Walter’s Wiggles”, a series of TWENTY-ONE VERY STEEP switchbacks: called that because they are short burst of steep climbing, with no guard rails at all!
Here’s what it’s like to hike it – excuse the camera work but I didn’t stop – so many people behind me!
Look at the tiny specks a various levels, all the way up to the top of this picture…those are hikers! It’s exhausting as you hike back and forth to the top of this rock face…and this is what you see as you climb!
Welcome To Angel’s Peak!
Close to two hours into the hike, you reach Angel’s Peak, and this is the view of the valley floor below…simply stunning views like these:
Alex Is “Wonder Woman!” Me, I’m NOT “Superman…”
We are literally .4 miles from the summit of Angel’s Landing…and here’s the line of people waiting to go ahead of us:
It was crowded…in fact, two weeks later we read there was a FOUR HOUR WAIT just to make the hike!
Alex decided to give me another nickname! And yes, the worst was yet to come!
See those trees in the middle of the shot, just to the left of that jutting out rock? Those are people at the top of Angel’s Landing, which you can see from Angel’s Peak, and it was time to press on!
It was slow going, because there is only one path, so people are climbing DOWN while you are climbing UP!
That led to a lot of starting and stopping, and with a backpack on, I didn’t feel balanced at all! After one tenth of a mile straight up, we had to stop to wait for others to come down, and we rested with our backs flat against the mountain, a small ledge to rest our feet on – this is the shot I got:
This is where I told Alex I just didn’t feel comfortable doing the last .3 of a mile…so she trudged on and I turned to go back down, and here was that view as I began my descent:
I hope you understand, it was scary! It’s hard to take photos because you have one hand on the chain link at all times, and you really have to focus on your feet! Here is a shot of what the last part of the climb up to the top of Angel’s Landing looks like:
My wife bravely pushed on, and she actually made it to the top – and got this shot as she pressed against the mountain wall!
She IS “Super Woman!”
Nothing was going to deter her, and the view from the top are exhilarating – that’s the Virgin River at the bottom of the peak:
Alex had the most spectacular view of all – and here’s a shot she got of the other who made it to the top of this very small landing:
And this was her view coming back down! I filmed her as she returned as well, and you can see how narrow and crowded this path is – remember there is nothing to break you fall if you take a wrong step and let go of the chain:
I got some spectacular views from Angel’s Peak as well, along with a shot of one of the many small Chipmonks who run around to scrounge any food they can find:
I will say that this was one of the most exciting, terrifying and satisfying hikes I’ve ever done, and the incredible beauty of the park all around you is worth the effort!
Don’t forget: now you need a permit to go to the top of Angele’s Landing, so get going!
We did this hike just one day after we hiked in the Virgin River at the place called “The Narrows”:
Yes, miles of this hike and through the fast-moving river, and it leads you into canyons that are spectacular!
Click here to see our entire hike!
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Categories: Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Sports, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
Zion is spectacular, your photos are amazing! But I’m so glad you recognized when it was time to stop. Alex is indeed superwoman!
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Bless your hearts. Such marvelous views but I am too old for this hike…..thanx for sharing this adventure. chuq
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Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Those permits to reduce visitor numbers have to be a really good idea. It’s such a dangerous looking place! Shared on Twitter, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, it was becoming like Mt. Everest – just one long line trudging up in single file – thanks for the comment!
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