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Spring/Summer 2013

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Inside Grand Canyon

Article and Photography by: Raj Walia – Paparaji Photography

Hualapai Hilltop, the starting point for the 8 mile hike to the Havasupai Indian Villiage descending 3,000 feet (910 m) in elevation

10 mile hike to Navajo, Havasu & Mooney Falls located in the south rim on the Supai Indian Reservation

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avasupai is a term that translates to people of the blue and green (turquoise) waters. Havasu Falls is a gorgeous oasis in a remote part of the Grand Canyon. It is fairly difficult to reach by foot and requires a drive to Hualapai Hilltop followed by a 10 mile hike to the Falls. You travel through the tiny village of Supai which is 2 miles from the falls. For those not up to the long hike, a helicopter ride to Supai can be a good option, followed up by a

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The Havasupai Bible church in the villiage

As you make your way down, the canyon walls draw closer and the surroundings become more grand

The way leads to the heli-pad and the town square. There is also a restaurant and the general store

Continue hiking past the village, you will see the first two amazing waterfalls that were created when the flood in 2008 changed the course of the creek. They’re temporarily named New Navajo Falls and Rock Falls, but the Tribe will decide their official names. Unfortunately the old Navajo Falls, a favorite among visitors, is now extinct due to the flood. But the newly created Rock Falls offers ample swimming and photo opportunities

Rock Falls / Lower Navajo Waterfall

The helicopter at the bottom of the Canyon where it picks the visitors and drop them back at Hualapai Hilltop

Havasu horses and vegetation at the bottom of the canyon. Water tanks above the village, supplying water pressure for plumbing

horseback ride to the falls. You will need to purchase an entry permit, and, unless you're a hardcore trail runner, book a night at the Havasupai Lodge or campsite.

The trail starts with a steep descent down the face of the box canyon to the valley floor by way of a series of switchbacks. Once you reach the valley floor, the trail bends to the north for 8 miles into the Indian town of Supai. Along the way, the canyon walls draw closer and the surroundings become more grand. You get a sense of the true size of the canyon walls hundreds of feet straight up as you make your way down the canyon.

At the end of the slot section, which starts at about 7 mile you will hear the water for the first time. It comes into view as you enter the heavier vegetation. The town of Supai is nearby. Stop by at the Supai Post Office to mail yourself the postcard as it is the only one of the two in the US that still moves the mail by mule. Follow the trail through town as it leads past a few ranch properties and begins the descent along the creek to the falls.

Navajo Falls is about a 200 foot wide wall where there are bunches of thin falls interspersed with tons of green vines hanging down the wall.

Havasu falls, about a half mile from Navajo Falls, and less than half mile above the campground, is a gigantic waterfall that falls into a beautiful pool of blue water.

Mooney falls is bigger than the Havasu falls and is only accessable by climbing down the side of the canyon next to the falls. You have to climb down through two caves and down some “steps” that have chains next to them to hold on to. This is somewhat of a scary climb, because the steps are wet due to the mist of the falls.

A must go trip for hikers, adventurors and waterfall lovers.

Havasu Falls is a picturesque waterfall of magical blue-green water that hurls itself off the edge of the jagged red rocks into a sparkling pool of turquoise water below – and all this in the middle of a desert

To get to the bottom of the Mooney falls, you must cling to the chain and various handholds and walk down the canyon wall

Mooney falls is actually on the edge of a rock wall and the only way to reach Mooney Falls is to climb through narrow tunnels dug into the rock. You have to carefully climbed through the tunnels and on the other side reached a large metal chain that is strung down the canyon wall. Next you reach a regular ladder leaning against the wall and once you get to the bottom, you’re standing in front of a 200 foot waterfall surrounded by blue green pools of water

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Horseshoe Bend at sunset

orseshoe Bend, a 270 degree bend

in the Colorado River as it passes through Glen Canyon is located a few miles southwest of Page, Arizona. It is surely one of the most spectacular river bends you are ever likely to see.

The overlook is 4,200 feet above sea level and the Colorado River is at 3,200 feet above sea level making it a breathtaking 1,000 foot drop. It is a short quarter of a mile hike from US Route 89.

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An awe-inspiring Grand Canyon experience

Looking down from heaven

The Horseshoe Bend

Article and Photography by: Raj Walia Paparaji Photography

Horseshoe Bend at the sunset

This is the vantage point where you need to be to shoot the full view

of Horseshoe Bend. There are no barriers so be careful as you peer over the edge; winds can be very

strong around this area.

The bend is easily accessed after a short 15-20 minute hike. The white spec in the center of the picture are the people walking towards the edge of the cliff

There is a well marked trail that leads to the overlook. However, the trail consists mostly of loose desert sand and it can be a very strenous hike. Carry lots of water or other fluids to keep yourself well hydrated.

As you walk down the trail, loose desert sand gives way to sandstone rocks that date back to the early Jurassic period. Over millions of years, wind and water have eroded these rocks to create fantastic and awe inspiring shapes and patterns.

Once you get to the overlook, you will be greeted by a rocky ledge of different heights with no guard rails, no paved viewing platform to traverse to capture the best view; just the rough edge of a thousand foot cliff. You can get parts of the view standing back a few feet, but to see the full curve of the river, you do need to get right up to the edge.

Getting a picture of the entire bend is definitely a challenge and risky. I also obliged others by taking pictures for them using their cameras.

The Colorado River wraps perfectly around the center rock creating one of nature's greatest views. I fell in love with the green and blue water mix combined with the red orange rock.

For photographers, you need a fish-eye or an extreme wide angle lens to be able to shoot it all in one frame. The best times to shoot are in the morning (sunrise) and the evening (sunset). The reason for this is the sky looks at its best and has the most beautiful color at these times. It's almost magical!

Another gorgeous angle for the best view of the Horseshoe Bend is from the bottom. Visitors can setup camp at the bottom and enjoy this breathtaking view all day and the star lit skies at night!! These sites are accessible by floats and kayaks.

Do not miss this opportunity while in Page. Admission is free. In an upcoming issue — the secret world at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Supai, Arizona.

Standing at the edge of a cliff looking down at the iconic & beautiful image of horseshoe bend and the Colorado river wrapping around it

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Me posing with Native American Aldo Ray Koiyaquaptewa and his two sons Mehcal & Kyle, at one of the many local shops in the middle of "nowhere"

Campers with their kayaks at the bottom of Horseshoe Bend

Driving through beautiful landscape to Horseshoe Bend

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The Antelope Canyon

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ntelope Canyon, one of the Mother Nature's greatest

natural phenomenon, is located in the heart of the Navajo land near Page, Arizona. The awe-inspiring mystic beauty of these Canyons can leave visitors with the impression of a vast and serene art gallery with surprising masterpieces of colors set in stone.

Being a slot canyon it has exceptionally narrow passages, much deeper than they are wide and it is up to 150 feet tall. It is cut into the earth and has been formed over thousands of years by water rushing through the rock, primarily due to flash flooding that still occurs here. This makes it an artwork still in progress, exposing more exquisitely shaped and curved sandstone formations constantly over time. Wind too has played a part in eroding and sanding this majestic canyon making the corridors deep and smooth to form the swirling shapes.

Antelope Canyon is split into two sections. The Upper Antelope Canyon is called "Tse' bighanilini" by the Navajo people which means "the place where water runs through rocks". The Lower Antelope Canyon is known as "Hasdestwazi" or "spiral rock arches". These canyons are only accessible with a permit, and is a source of tourism trade for the Navajo on whose homeland it stands.

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One of the planet's greatest natural art galleries

Antelope CAnyonDelve into the Gorges

by Raj Walia

All photos by: Paparaji (Raj Walia)

Narrow passageways of Antelope Canyon get narrower as you get further into them

Entry into Lower Antelope is through a narrow slot in the ground where you squeeze down and onto the first of many ladders and gradually descend to a total depth of some 70 to 80 feet

It is easy to get mesmerized by the shapes and colors of the rocks inside the canyon. Looking up from the bottom of the canyon

The Upper Canyon is the more frequently visited as its entrance and entire length is at ground level and is a relatively easy walk. Some sections of the Upper canyons are wide and bright, while others are narrower and more cave-like, with no light reaching the sandy floor.

The “V” shaped Lower Canyon is longer, deeper and narrower with more swirly rock formations than the Upper Antelope Canyon. It requires more flexibility to transverse some of the tight canyon walls and must be climbed using several flights of metal stairways making it more challenging. Sightseers here can stretch out their arms and touch both sides in some places. Despite these limitations, the Lower Canyon draws a considerable number of photographers due to its towering carved translucent sandstone walls softened by reflected sunlight and punctuated by isolated sunbeams. It’s cathedral like atmosphere enlightened by nature, invokes a sense of the harmony and spirituality attributed to these canyons by generations of Navajos.

Antelope Canyon really is a photographer's dream for amateur and professional photographers alike. It also presents difficult challenges due to the way the light enters the area, the large differences in light levels, and the wide exposure range caused by light reflecting off the steep canyon walls.

The shafts of light burst through the roof of the slot canyon onto the curved sandstone walls allowing sunlight to bounce off it, constantly changing patterns and shadows and illuminating its rich colors, bringing to life its hidden beauty. Beams occur most often in the summer months, as they require the sun to be high in the sky and the angle of its rays to be just right. The summer months themselves offer two different types of lighting, according to the time at which they are witnessed. The phenomenon does not happen so often in the winter, and during the winter season, the colors are slightly more muted, though no less magnificent.

Finally to summarize this experience - these immense canyons can undoubtedly envelop you in their swirling beauty and leave you with a tranquility that will entice you to come back for its transformative experience. These visual delights fit easily into the domain of art. They seem to be the idea of an immense painter, working with light and rock instead of with oils and each rock surface is a canvas for nature's own compositions.

In an upcoming issue – the natural beauty of Horseshoe Bend, Page, Arizona.

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Every bend has fascintaing shades of light

Rock formations like these are common inside Lower Antelope Canyon

People walk up a series of metal stairs in order to exit the canyon. Markings on the left are from the water flow that occurs during flash floods

Dipti Ghosal and Raj Walia – overwhelmed after exploring the natural beauty of the canyon. We actually had to walk up more than 125 feet to get back to the surface. This picture was taken at the top of the canyon’s exit 104Spring/Summer 2013