On the Wisdom of Trekking Poles for Grand Canyon Backpacking
The Grand Canyon is an average of about one mile deep. Due to forces of geology and topography, South Rim trails generally experience about 5,000 feet of elevation loss down to the Colorado River, while North Rim trails are closer to 6,000 feet.
Even experienced Grand Canyon backpackers will note that descending a trail all the way to the bottom at the Colorado River can be a knee-jarring event. The shortest rim-to-river trails are still in the neighborhood of seven miles, translating to hours of physical punishment. Add to that the weight of a bulky pack, and you have the perfect recipe for shaky, unstable, and sore knees. Trekking poles help immensely to alleviate the lower body shock and pressures that result from a long descent. Your knees will thank you.
Conversely, trekking poles can be of great assistance for ascending out of Grand Canyon. When a hiker looks up at the rim a mile above, they take comfort in knowing that trekking poles can provide that extra boost when the going gets steep. For strenuous Grand Canyon hikes, sometimes that mental and physical advantage makes all the difference.
