I had never hiked this particular Camelback trail before, so my reaction to the first sign on the trail reading “Extremely Difficult” conjured up many visions of what that might mean. I had a tee-shirt once that had that stamped on the front, but I think it meant an entirely different thing. The large steel handrail in the first third of the trail (I use the word “trail” loosely because sometimes it is not well-marked and you have to figure out where it went) was a surprise and I realized how glad I was I had not brought trekking poles because you need your hands for a good deal of this hike. This hand-over-hand rod maneuver ended up being my favorite part of the hike. On the way down I was trying to figure out how to ride it like a staircase banister but the large metal seams holding it together deterred this train of thought. This hike is really part hike and part mountain climb (minus the ropes and pitons) so keep your hands free to assist you. The Echo Canyon Trail is indeed a very difficult yet satisfying challenge not to be missed. The views are spectacular and you can cajole a lengthy massage out of your partner when you return home just from the photos of how you got there and back 🙂