Cholla Trail

One of my favourite hikes in the US is the Cholla Trail on Camelback mountain just outside Phoenix, Arizona.

This week I stretched back into the archives for a story I wrote a couple of years back about one of my Cholla Trail hikes.

Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of climbing the 4.3 km (2.7 mile) trail a half dozen times.

It never disappoints!

Each visit to the Cholla Trail was during a different season and different time of day, so lots of variability to both the trail and the natural environment.

Chilly in winter, blazing hot in the summer and when it rained… super slippery!

However, the one constant from these visits was the sheer natural beauty of the trail and the stunning views from the top of Camelback mountain…

They are out of this world!

One of the most interesting climbs was late in the afternoon.

By the time I exited the hotel it was close to 5:00 pm, quickly stopping at the Concierge to ask what time sunset was. I estimated that I needed about three hours before it would be completely dark.

I definitely didn’t want to be caught on a mountain trail in the dark, and so feeling pretty comfortable that I could make it back in time I headed out with two bottles of water.

The afternoon was hot and even at this late hour the temperature hovered around 34C (93F).

A hot, dry breeze teased the air as I walked over toward the Cholla trailhead, which was about a kilometre from the hotel.  By the time I arrived at the trailhead I was sweating.

Peering up at Camelback Mountain I noticed a number of people ahead of me on the trail. This gave me comfort as I wouldn’t be the only person on the trail at this hour.

The Cholla Trail is a composite of dry hard packed desert sand with sections of loose rocks, tumbleweed, and an assortment of the tall Saguaro cactus.

The further I climbed up the trail the larger the boulders became.

For those of you that have climbed on this trail, it’s basically broken into three distinct sections.  The first third is a pretty easy climb to the top of a small peak before you have to transverse a long ridge spur climbing as you go to a helipad.

The final third of the climb is rather steep with a number of places where you have to use your hands to climb over and between large boulders.

There were a few occasions where I had to backtrack, as the trail seemed to just peter out into dead ends.

I guess I had my head down taking photos and missed the obvious trail markings…

As I summited Camelback the views were absolutely spectacular.  Gulping my first water bottle and taking in the breathtaking 360 degree view the hike had been well worth every step.

It was a perfect place to sit, reflect and take a moment to just take it all in.

As I closed my eyes the warm breeze softly caressed my sweat-soaked body which was rather cooling!

Fortunately, I’m fairly fit and so the physical exhaustion quickly dissipated.

After another drink and an explore to all four corners of the summit I decided not to press my luck any further and head back down.

There was only a couple still on the summit as I began my descent down the boulder field.  I’m sure they were happy with the solitude!

It was beautiful to look out at the twinkling lights of Phoenix and the surrounding towns in the distance as I began my climb down.

Fortunately, I didn’t encounter any wild animals or have an mishaps on the way down.

By the time I got back to my hotel it was close to dark…

If I did it again at this time of day, I would likely take a headlamp with me to ensure I could navigate the last bit of the hike with a little more light.

Overall, the round trip was approximately 2:40 min.

I must admit that I stopped frequently on both the way up and down to take photos so could have easily completed the round trip in less than 2.5 hours.

Over the course of my late afternoon hike I ended up taking over 150 photos.  Not a bad haul considering I kept up a fairly solid pace throughout the hike.

I would strongly encourage you to make the hike if you’re ever in the Greater Phoenix area.

The Cholla Trail, particularly the top portion is not the easiest of hikes, but with a little strength and determination it is worth every step.

Remember to watch the weather and take water, hat, and sunscreen if the sun is out.

If you’re heading up there in the summer keep a sharp eye out for rattlesnakes and other critters.

Enjoy the hike!

Until next week

Ciao!