Finally, the sun rose on 29th November 2015, and after a sumptuous breakfast, Meera and I set about scaling Angels Landing. The bitter morning chill was not enough to douse our enthusiasm to climb the majestic outcrop of red and brown rock in front of us.
We parked at the Grotto in Zion National Park, and started the hike. The first few minutes of the hike were characterized by adjusting our gear to find every degree of warmth possible. Our fingers were freezing, and our noses flowing. Fighting the bitter chill, we moved gamely up the imposing ferrous doted rock.
Mercifully, soon the Sun god spread his warmth and light over us, and the hike began in earnest. In about 1 hour, we were at Walter's Wiggles, a set of switch backs designed by its namesake to assist climbers like us to the summit.
Till the end of the Walter's Wiggles, Angles Landing is a mundane hike with some pleasing views of the Virgin river, that seems to be omnipresent in the Zion Valley. But, the enormity of the task of reaching a precipice only Angels are supposed to scale hits you when the first sight of sloped surfaces with chains to hold on to.The first stretch is an unassuming climb when the next phase comes into view. What stands next is a ledge 3-5 feet wide, with sheer drops of 1000 plus feet on either side. It is mix of trepidation and adrenaline that consumes you.
My wife has a fear of heights, and it took a tremendous leap of faith for her to decide to move on, and cross this treacherous landscape.
Once we got past the jagged cliffs threatening to take you down to the valley floor, the landscape opens up to reveal the Angels landing. Its a picturesque view as the high plateau towers over the ZionNational Park below. The view is breath taking, and the treacherous climb feels worth the effort to witness the landscape from this vantage point.
