In 1958, climbers Dave Ganci and Rick Tidrick made the first technical ascent (using ropes and other mountain-climbing equipment) in Grand Canyon, reaching the top of Zoroaster Temple. During the decades since, climbers have made technical and non-technical ascents of some 150 of the canyon’s peaks, including Vishnu and Shiva Temples. (Harvey Butchart is said to have climbed 83 summits, making 50 first ascents.) Even more daring are routes scaling walls, faces, and features like the pinnacle in Monument Creek.

Many of the Grand Canyon’s rock layers are limestone and sandstone, notoriously “rotten” surfaces, and researching routes is essential for a safe climb. There are no official climbing routes, but you can learn about Grand Canyon climbs by connecting with the climbing community in nearby Flagstaff.

Local climbers Aaron and Pernell Tomasi wrote Grand Canyon Summits Select, detailing dozens of their canyon routes. The book is currently out of print, but the authors offer information by subscription through their website (www.arizonas-vertical-web.com).

Canyoneering, an increasingly popular pursuit in the Southwest, combines climbing, boulder hopping, hiking, and wading or swimming in order to descend and ascend canyon routes. Scores of tributary canyons lead to the Colorado River, many of them originating on the Navajo reservation and Kaibab National Forest to the east, and the Hualapai reservation to the west. (Permits are required on reservation lands.)

In wild tributaries like Rider Canyon, South Canyon, Kanab Canyon, and Diamond Creek, pourovers, pools, chockstones, and boulder fields create obstacle courses for canyoneers. Some canyoneering routes are on official trails, while others are explorations requiring route-finding skills and a lot of trial and error.

The rugged terrain presents many dangers, foremost among them the possibility of catastrophic flash floods. But if you are experienced and prepared, canyoneering can take you to wild and enchanting places seldom seen.

A few of the hiking trails profiled in the previous section offer climbing and canyoneering opportunities as well.

• North Canyon
• Silver Grotto
• South Canyon
• Eminence Break
• Travertine Canyon