Ep109 — Rim to River on the South Rim’s Toughest Trail (Plus a River Rescue!)

About this episode

This episode covers a challenging winter hike on the New Hance trail and a real-time river rescue at Hance Rapid.

A winter rim-to-river on New Hance — steep, snow-covered, lightly cairned, and widely considered one of the South Rim’s toughest trails. What starts as a 13-mile descent through Red Canyon and boulder fields turns into something unexpected at Hance Rapid, where a real-time river rescue unfolds in front of us. This is a full day on one of the canyon’s most unforgiving routes — route-finding decisions, exposure, fatigue, and a reminder that the Grand Canyon doesn’t care how experienced you are. If you’ve ever wondered what New Hance is really like — this is it. ***** Our new hiking packs are here! Our signature Rim2Rim Pack is back, along with the new Canyon Elite 25, which takes the same features that made the Rim2Rim Pack famous — namely its front pockets and insulated hydration pocket — and adds a much-requested hip belt to make it even easier to dial in your fit. Find out more and order yours at hiKin.club . Supplies are limited, so be sure to check it out today. ***** Please join Hike Club Grand Canyon on Facebook by clicking here . This is the official group of the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show, and it's a judgment-free zone full of interaction, information, and…

People in this episode

Host: Brian

Topics covered

• hiking
• Grand Canyon
• trail challenges
• rescue operations
• outdoor adventure

Keywords

• New Hance
• hiking
• Grand Canyon
• river rescue
• South Rim
• outdoor adventure
• trail challenges

Sponsors

hiKin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hike Club Grand Canyon

Products: Rim2Rim Pack, Canyon Elite 25

Places: Grand Canyon, South Rim, New Hance

More episodes of The Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show

• Ep110: You're NOT Too Old Or Too ANYTHING To Hike Grand Canyon · June 10, 2026 · 44 min
• Ep108 — Called by the Canyon: An Aussie's Rim-to-River Story · April 8, 2026 · 45 min
• Ep107 — Surprise! North Kaibab is Reopening May 15 — But Should You Count On Rim-to-Rim In 2026?? · April 1, 2026 · 24 min
• Ep106 — Grand Canyon Rim-to-River Breakdown (Part 2): Bright Angel, South Kaibab & More · March 25, 2026 · 43 min
• Ep105 — Grand Canyon Rim-to-River Breakdown (Part 1): Choosing Your Route · March 18, 2026 · 44 min
• Ep104 — Life on the Grand Canyon Trail Crew: The Toughest Job You'll Never See · March 11, 2026 · 48 min