How To Conquer The Dangerous Hike At Zion National Park

Grab onto the chain, and don’t look down!

On paper Angel’s Landing doesn’t sound that bad. A strenuous hike that is just under five and a half miles total with about 1,500 ft in elevation change that should take four hours. Even the map description makes it not sound too bad: “Long drop-offs. Not for young children or anyone fearful of heights. Last section is a route along a steep, narrow ridge to the summit.” The hike begins with a series of twenty-one switchbacks called Walter’s Wiggles, named after Walter Ruesch, the first superintendent of Zion National Park in 1926. The switchbacks quickly whip across the mountain bring you to Scout Lookout. Tiring, but not horrible. The only issue was that such a rapid increase in elevation makes your fingers swell a little. As a whole it doesn’t sound that bad right?

However, upon completing the switchbacks and approaching the last narrow ridge it becomes real. The only route up to Angels Landing. The path becomes solely rocks and chains. Only a half mile of climbing shouldn’t be terrible, but then the warning signs pop up with large lettering looming over your path to finish the hike. “Since 2004, six people have died falling from the cliffs on this route,” However, this sign had not been updated in years as a 13 year old girl allegedly fell to her death February 2018. Only a month before I showed up at the same spot to try and conquer this insane hike myself.

The hike is named Angels Landing as someone once claimed it to be so high that only angels could land on it. Ironically enough the day before I had completed a hike that was 2,000 feet higher in elevation, however, hiking that was easy compared to Angels Landing. When you’re only standing on a slab of rock five feet wide with 1,400 feet of drop off on either side of you and your only support being a chain you really begin to question your sanity. Especially as you feel the wind whipping through your hair and the sign clearly stated the route is not recommended during high winds. I thought my death would soon be in sight.

It was not.

I survived the trail round trip with no fatalities, only a misfooting where my shoe skidded on some sand hurling me towards the chain I was desperately clenching. That’s when I was pretty ready to get down. But I did it. I had conquered Angels Landing and god there is no way to describe it. The thrill, the terror, the stress of the growingly crowded trail. But it was a bucket list item that I could now gladly check off. But I can see how so many people get into trouble on Angels Landing.

It will sound simple, but the real way to survive a hike as treacherous as Angels Landing is to just not be stupid. Trails are placed where they are for a reason. Feet aren’t meant to be dangled over the edge. People aren’t meant to free climb in non-designated areas. Although people have lost their lives on Angels Landing oddly enough most were because they went to the extreme to get a photo. They were walking too fast and hit some sand on a rock, much like could have been me and I was being cautious. Or they were impatient and decided not to use the chain to freestyle it themselves. They were all fatalities due to natural selection, and incidents that easily could have been avoided.

Angels Landing is by far one of the best hikes I’ve ever done. As terrifying and exhilarating as it was I think I still need some time to decide if I want to do it again. But it is a hike worth taking. Just bring your water, your hiking boots, grab onto the chain, and don’t look down!

Emma Hoskins

Contributor

Emma is a Chicago native currently studying environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon. You can typically find her going on spontaneous road trips, eating good food or hiking.