Rider Canyon 3AII, Grand Canyon National Park

Feeling a bit dried up and hazy from the previous night, we come to a crack in the wall with a climb down steep enough to keep feet sliding on ball-bearing-like gravel. The sun slowly bakes the face of Rider Canyon — mid April and this place must be an inferno in summer months. About a half hour from North Canyon, we reached the trailhead with great campsites near the rim.

The descent took almost 45 minutes — around 1,000ft of elevation loss through a crack in the wall. We hit the Supai immediately and made our way down into the more interesting sections. Less boulder hopping than North Canyon, shorter in length, with the Supai making it feel like walking a highway.

Made it to the Colorado River 1,700ft below where we started — the final down climbs opened to the great river and rapids below. The upper section has a 170ft drop we didn't have time for. Back to the car in 4.5 hours. A great weekend — North Canyon the first day, Rider Canyon the second. Back to Vegas.

🎒 Gear for this: Sterling Canyoneering Rope · Petzl Grigri+ · Petzl Vertex Helmet · Petzl Canyon Harness