2 Pro Zion National Park - Angels Landing

[MPone]

This would have been a perfect location to launch a drone!

Angels Landing, known previously as the Temple of Aeolus, is a 1488 foot tall rock formation in Zion National Park. A renowned trail cut into solid rock in 1926 leads to the top of Angels Landing and provides panoramic views of Zion Canyon. It is rated as a difficult 4.8 mile (round trip) heavily trafficked trail with 1500 feet steep elevation gain. Angels Landing has been recorded as one of the most dangerous public hikes in the United States.

 

[rustysteel]

Yep, except for that pesky little National Park no fly rule...

 

[Jubjub Bird]

Very well done.

I've been up Angel's Landing twice. Your video is the best thing I've seen at giving people a real sense of what it's like to hike up there--the trail, the panoramic views.

Would you mind telling us what equipment you used? Video camera on a gimbal, clearly. And either it had the ability to zoom, or you added that in post?

I think the danger part is overplayed. The most dangerous areas have chains to hang onto, and even they are not strictly necessary. One year, when training to run the Grand Canyon, we stopped in Zion and ran up Angels Landing. I made it a point never to touch the chains, and had no trouble. On another hike, I waited on top until dark so that I could downclimb in darkness. Again, no need for chains.

It's a great trail! I'd recommend it to anyone reasonably fit and not overly afraid of heights.

 

[MPone]

Very well done.

I've been up Angel's Landing twice. Your video is the best thing I've seen at giving people a real sense of what it's like to hike up there--the trail, the panoramic views.

Would you mind telling us what equipment you used? Video camera on a gimbal, clearly. And either it had the ability to zoom, or you added that in post?

I think the danger part is overplayed. The most dangerous areas have chains to hang onto, and even they are not strictly necessary. One year, when training to run the Grand Canyon, we stopped in Zion and ran up Angels Landing. I made it a point never to touch the chains, and had no trouble. On another hike, I waited on top until dark so that I could downclimb in darkness. Again, no need for chains.

It's a great trail! I'd recommend it to anyone reasonably fit and not overly afraid of heights.

Thanks for the compliment. I use the DJI Pocket 2. Most of the zooms are done post processing using Davinci R.
You must be an avid hiker. I would choose to hold on to the chains. Especially at this part of the trail in this photo.

 

[spamgnome]

I've had the pleasure to hike this as well. I *guess* one could do it without holding onto the chains, but yikes! The day I was there, a hiker fell when he stopped and the guy behind him....didn't. He had some pretty bad facial wounds and his backpack took the short way down. I'm sure it's still there.

 

[Torque]

Beautiful hike. Got to the top several years ago and there was a woman with a leashed and harnessed cat! She said the cat walked part of the way, rode on her back the rest of the way.
But yeah, there are places where a slip or stumble could result in a 1000 foot fall. If you suffer from vertigo - do not do this hike.
14 deaths from falls in the past 20 years, but considering the trail has 4-5 million visitors hiking it each year, the odds are with you.

 

[MPone]

I've had the pleasure to hike this as well. I *guess* one could do it without holding onto the chains, but yikes! The day I was there, a hiker fell when he stopped and the guy behind him....didn't. He had some pretty bad facial wounds and his backpack took the short way down. I'm sure it's still there.

Good thing it's only his backpack and not him that went down.

 

[Jubjub Bird]

Thanks for the compliment. I use the DJI Pocket 2. Most of the zooms are done post processing using Davinci R.
You must be an avid hiker. I would choose to hold on to the chains. Especially at this part of the trail in this photo. View attachment 144827

Thank you for the info.

Yes, I do a lot of hiking and climbing. But I've found it hard to convey my hiking experiences to people who weren't there. So I'm very impressed with what you've done in this video--you made a video that placed viewers in the hike, as if they were there. I'll attribute part of this to your equipment, but most of it to your filmic technique. Well done!

I recall the stretch of trail in your still image. The first time I went to Angels Landing, there was a line of people waiting there to use the chain. I found it quicker to move to the side and just scramble up the rock. If one takes a look at the rock behind the fellow in the blue shirt, it's not all that steep. Imagine that section of rock sitting in a flat field of sand--it's not all that steep or difficult. That vast, open maw behind is what gives people the willies and gives this stretch the illusion of steepness.

In a climbing course I took decades ago, the instructor told us to differentiate between "risk" and "exposure." Risk could be rationally analyzed and steps taken to minimize it; exposure was an emotional summation of risk plus other things that don't actually threaten us, such as a dramatic sight line.

The Angels' Landing trail has risk, to be sure. But what it has more of is exposure. This can make the Angels Landing trail, make it feel more dangerous than it is.

 

[Sky Wombat]

Nice colours you have there MPone and what an easy way to see Angels Landing.

 

[MPone]

Beautiful hike. Got to the top several years ago and there was a woman with a leashed and harnessed cat! She said the cat walked part of the way, rode on her back the rest of the way.
But yeah, there are places where a slip or stumble could result in a 1000 foot fall. If you suffer from vertigo - do not do this hike.
14 deaths from falls in the past 20 years, but considering the trail has 4-5 million visitors hiking it each year, the odds are with you.

Interesting! Cat on a hike ...

 

[MPone]

Thank you for the info.

Yes, I do a lot of hiking and climbing. But I've found it hard to convey my hiking experiences to people who weren't there. So I'm very impressed with what you've done in this video--you made a video that placed viewers in the hike, as if they were there. I'll attribute part of this to your equipment, but most of it to your filmic technique. Well done!

I recall the stretch of trail in your still image. The first time I went to Angels Landing, there was a line of people waiting there to use the chain. I found it quicker to move to the side and just scramble up the rock. If one takes a look at the rock behind the fellow in the blue shirt, it's not all that steep. Imagine that section of rock sitting in a flat field of sand--it's not all that steep or difficult. That vast, open maw behind is what gives people the willies and gives this stretch the illusion of steepness.

In a climbing course I took decades ago, the instructor told us to differentiate between "risk" and "exposure." Risk could be rationally analyzed and steps taken to minimize it; exposure was an emotional summation of risk plus other things that don't actually threaten us, such as a dramatic sight line.

The Angels' Landing trail has risk, to be sure. But what it has more of is exposure. This can make the Angels Landing trail, make it feel more dangerous than it is.

Angels Landing did made an impression on me. Especially after the first ascend from Scout Lookout, I looked at how steep and narrow the other side is, I had to think three times on whether I should attempt the climb. And besidesI have to hold the video camera which I ended up didn't and not filming this part. Just needed two hand free. The video would have been better with footage at this part.

 

[MPone]

Nice colours you have there MPone and what an easy way to see Angels Landing.

Thanks and yes. Davinci Resolve is a great color and editing tool.