Walk the Skywalk

Another attraction has been added to the Grand Canyon. A glass bridge called the “Grand Canyon Skywalk” on the west side of the Grand Canyon gives you the feeling of walking on air while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the gorges, and is now open to the public. Located on lower ground than the main Grand Canyon attractions, it is only 2 hours away from Las Vegas.

The slogan for the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which opened on March 28, is “Walk the sky.” The Grand Canyon is famous for its gorges that were carved out by the Colorado rivers, but from Flagstaff, Arizona, where the rim (main tourist attraction) is, it was hard to see them. This was because you had to observe them from an observation platform installed on the outskirts of the canyons.

The new Skywalk now makes the view as clear as glass. It was designed so that tourists are able to look down from the suspended facility, and structured so that the glass-floored bridge protrudes 21 meters from the canyon rim. If you stand on the bridge, you will be able to see the side of the cliffs, and 1220 meters below, the Colorado River. All this with the feeling of walking on air.

Anxiety about the glass breaking should be put at ease. The bridge can support 71 Boeing 747s and earthquakes of 8.0 magnitude within a radius of 80 kilometers. The plated, tempered glass floors can endure up to 160 km/h in aerial currents. The number of tourists it can hold at one time is 120 persons, and you must hand over all possessions and wear shoe covers in order to avoid scratching the glass.

With this special feature, there are now 3 places to visit in the Grand Canyon. The South Rim, which features the rounded fringes of the canyon, the North Rim, and now the Skywalk on the west side of the Grand Canyon.

Just a decade ago, cars were the main means of transport that tourists used to get to the Grand Canyon. The starting point was Phoenix (Arizona), Los Angeles (California), or Las Vegas (Nevada). Now things have changed. A lighter-than-air plane is the trendy way to get there these days, lifting off from Las Vegas and covering ground that would have taken 3 days by car in just one day. The west side of the Grand Canyon is also accessible by plane. But cars are also recommended, because of the side’s proximity to Las Vegas (194 kilometers), half of the 395 kilometer distance to the South Rim.

The Grand Canyon Skywalk website is www.grandcanyonskywalk.com, and the fee is 25 dollars. A tour guide package costs 50 to 200 dollars. Lighter-than-air plane tours take off from Las Vegas three times a day. Along with the three main tourist attractions, you can also see Monument Valley. Through the Korean website (www.grandcanyon.kr, www.flyvision.co.kr), you can book a reservation from Korea.

sol@donga.com