This past weekend six of us (Mark, Debbie, Shin, Jorge, Kathy and I) camped at Zion and did the Subway on Sunday , the 7th. I rank this hike up there with Half Dome in Yosemite and Havasupia to the Colorado River. The scenery was unbelievable and the hike was super fun.
That being written this is not a hike to be taken lightly. There are many serious obstacles: a couple very cold water swims, four rope assisted down climbs, and very tricky route finding. Kathy and I had wet suits, the others did not and they were very cold. I was never cold even though my hands were in cold water. Weird. I normally have a very tough time with my hands. The water is always cold and you will have to get into the water several times. This is also a fairly long hike taking at least seven hours, though you could spend much more time looking around and taking photos.
You need to bring at least 60 foot of rope or webbing and the rope should be at least 8 mm. You will be hanging off the rope at times. It's pretty serious if you are the first one down. This photo shows the 12 vertical feet you have to hand line down and it's wet. Most rappel the final wall; we used a handline. The hike is actually called Canyoneering. Check out the video below of our hike.
Facts:
You need a permit to hike the Subway
No camping in the Subway, only day hiking
A car shuttle is a must
You can't do this hike during cold weather
You need a GPS or go with someone who knows the route very well
You need a wet suit. You can rent them from Zion Adventure Company. They have everything to make for an enjoyable adventure
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