Yosemite Grand Traverse 8-Day Hike

Experience this unforgettable 8 day hike along the Yosemite Grand Traverse trail in the famed Yosemite national park in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

8 Days

Jul - Sep

High

Intermediate

Description

On this incredible 8-day hiking adventure in the renowned Yosemite National Park, we will guide you along the famous Pacific Crest trail. However, we're going to take you through the more remote parts of the trail, and give you a chance to admire and appreciate the unforgettable scenery without having to worry about crowds of people.

There is so much to see throughout the Yosemite National Park that it would be difficult to find anybody who can claim to have seen it all. It is a massive place, with an area of over 3,000 square kilometres, and the list of highlights within the park is absolutely staggering. There is everything in Yosemite from mountains to glaciers, giant sequoia tree forests, granite cliffs, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and streams.

The park is a dream come true for anybody who thinks of themselves as a nature lover. And even when you're on a set trail, you still feel like you're gloriously lost in some of the most stunning wilderness landscapes you've ever encountered. By the end of this trip, you will have hiked almost 100 kilometres! But I have no doubt you will have no regrets because every kilometre will feel like a new adventure.

However, because of the extensive hiking you will have endured, participants on this trip should be in excellent physical condition. Also, participants should have multi-day backpacking experience as well. A true wilderness trip on a true wilderness trail. This 8-day hike is the kind of adventure you reflect on years after it has ended. It is the kind of adventure you tell your grandchildren about while seated around an open fire.

That is because on this trip, on the Pacific Crest National Park trail in Yosemite National Park, you are not just seeing nature at its best, but you're immersing yourself within it. If you want to join us, all you have to do is send us a request.

Price includes

Accommodation included
Guiding fee
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Transport during the trip
Permit and entrance fees
Tents
Sleeping pad
Cooking utensils
Sleeping bag
Trekking poles
Snacks
Clean drinkable water

Price details

Along with the guiding fee, the price includes meals, any necessary equipment, as well as camping equipment.
Included:
Accommodations:
1st night’s lodging at Fairfield Inn & Suites in Fresno
6 nights of wilderness tent camping (permits included)
Transportation
Day 2 private shuttle from Fresno to starting trailhead
Day 8 private shuttle from ending trailhead to Fresno
Gear
All group gear including stoves, cookware, water filters, group first aid kit, etc.
Personal backpacking gear provided by request: backpacks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, trekking poles, and tents
Food
Starting with breakfast on Day 2 and ending with lunch on Day 8
Backcountry gourmet meals including trail snacks
Hot tea or coffee served each morning
not included:
Personal clothing & footwear
Dinner on the first night in Fresno
Recommended 10%-20% gratuity for guides
Trip Insurance (strongly recommended)
Airfare
Evacuations

Meeting point

Yosemite national park.

Itinerary

Day 1: Meet your guide in fresno, CA

Your trip begins in Fresno, CA at the Fairfield Inn & Suites across from the Fresno airport. You can check in at the hotel anytime after 4 pm. At 6 pm you will meet your guides and group for a trip orientation, where you’ll do a final gear check and discuss the details of the trip. Dinner tonight is on your own at the hotel.

Day 2: Hike to knoblock meadow

After an early complimentary breakfast, our shuttle will meet us at 7 am to drive about 3 hours to the remote trailhead (7,100′). The hike to our first camp will be roughly 6 miles to Knoblock Meadow. This evening there may be time to explore while your guide(s) prepare dinner. We’ll end our day with astronomy and stargazing.

*6 miles, Elevation: +1800’/ -300’*7 am

Day 3: Climb isberg pass & camp at lake 10k

We’ll pack up camp early this morning with our sights set on Isberg Pass (11,100’). After passing through a high lake basin, we’ll surmount the pass itself, which marks the official border of Yosemite. In the evening, we’ll enjoy a lakeside camp at the headwaters of the Merced River, surrounded by picturesque 11-12,000-foot peaks.

*8 miles, Elevation: +2300’/ -800’*12,000-foot

Day 4: Descend along the merced river

Today’s hike is a grand downhill, through the creek drainages that eventually form the mighty “Wild and Scenic Merced River”. Views of the Clark Range are abundant and there are plenty of beautiful meadows, waterfalls and swimming holes to distract us. The day’s hike drops us 2,500′ over roughly 7 miles and we’ll camp along the Merced River.

6.8 miles, Elevation: +150’/ -2,300’

Day 5: Hike to sunrise creek

This morning we’ll continue following the Merced past the famous high camp and into Echo Valley. From there, we’ll regain our lost elevation as we traverse large granite ridges enjoying spectacular views of Little Yosemite Valley along the way. The trail eventually leads to the Sunrise Creek area.

10.5 miles, Elevation: +1565’/ -1385′

Day 6: Summit clouds rest

We’ll be up and out of camp early to begin making our way to the top of Cloud’s Rest (9,926). We’ll reach the summit by late morning, and will have plenty of time to enjoy the stunning views of our route and of Tenaya Canyon 4,000 feet below. The peak itself is a side trip off of the main trail, 3.6 miles round-trip, which we will complete without our full backpacks. In the afternoon we’ll continue on to our camp at Sunrise Lakes where we will have time to relax, clean up and enjoy camp.

8-8.5 miles, Elevation: +2746’/ -1591’

Day 7: Hike the John Muir trail to cathedral lake

Our second to last day we’ll connect with the famous John Muir Trail in the Tuolumne region of Yosemite. We’ll pass some stunning alpine meadows and otherworldly glaciated peaks on our way to what many guides call “the most beautiful spot in Yosemite,” Cathedral Lake (9,600′). We’ll have time in the afternoon to explore the area via one of several off-trail routes, or just relax and enjoy the swimming and stunning views from the lakeside camp.

6 miles, Elevation: +1322’/ -896′

Day 8: Exit backcountry via tuolumne meadows, return to fresno

After breakfast, we’ll pack up camp one last time and head out the remaining 4 miles to the trailhead at Tuolumne Meadows in Northern Yosemite. We’ll be meeting our shuttle here mid-morning for a scenic drive through the park back to Fresno. Expect a 5-6 pm return to Fresno.

*3.7 miles, Elevation: +230’/ -1293′*mid-morning

Details

Accommodation

1st night’s lodging at Fairfield Inn & Suites in Fresno.
6 nights of wilderness tent camping (permits included)

About the guide

Southern Yosemite

4.7

(45)

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What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

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Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

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