Can you recommend a guided adventure tour for hiking and backpacking to the Grand Canyon and Phantom Ranch?
I’m 22 and looking for a group suitable for my age. D. Cetlin, Potomac A. With a desert climate and cliff-side switchbacks that can make even the most experienced hiker queasy, a descent into the Grand Canyon can be a challenging venture. Many trips require that you rough it, with tent camping, no shower facilities and simple meals. And after all of that, you still have to hike back up. For an undertaking of this sort, youth helps, but fitness level is much more important. For its five-day “Ultimate Hike” through the Grand Canyon, AOA-Adventures (866-455-1601, http://www.aoa-adventures.com/ ) of Scottsdale, Ariz., says participants must “feel confident” walking 10 miles daily. Guides lead you on a descent past the Navajo and Havasu falls and onto land inhabited by the Havasupai tribe. Cost is $1,625 per person double. Phantom Ranch — said to be the only spot in the Grand Canyon where hikers can cross the Colorado River — is explored as part of a five-day backpacking trip through the
