Water, water, water! Bring at least 3 litters of water. You will not have any left over. It is a…read moretrue kickass hike! The last time I did it I was scrambling up a steep rock face, and there was a gentleman waiting for me at the top of the rock face who encouraged me by saying, "you are almost at the crash site!" When I told him that I knew because I had been there before, he responded in amazement and asked, "why the heck did you come back?!"
Yep, for many, it is that kind of hike! I believe it is rated at 4.8 out of 5 in difficulty, and by the time you finish the last half mile or so you will probably agree. Download a topographic trail (i.e. AllTrails) map on your phone, and you might need to bring an extra power source, because your phone may drain down searching for a cell signal while you lay down electronic breadcrumbs on the digital map. However, there are two places where it is almost guaranteed that you will miss a turn, and add some "bonus" miles. You definitely don't need "bonus " miles on this hike.
You pass through at least 2-3 biomes as you ascend and descend. It's an interesting hike, but be prepared to give yourself a pep talk or two along the way Up. Also, expect your legs to be shaky by the bottom. Decending is a lot of eccentric contractions, which only fire about half the muscle fibers as concentric contractions. You can fact check that yourself.
This is a hike to build up to. Remember - the best rescue is a self rescue! Have fun, be smart, and be safe.