Aspire issue 56 - May 2024

UTAH

M

y legs are trembling and I can feel my heart beating hard in my chest as a

stream of tears runs down my cheeks. I’d warned my guides that my emotions would likely run high, but I’m not sure anyone expected my sobs to reverberate across the canyon quite so loudly, the sound echoing for all to hear. I’m attempting the descent of the Hoodoo

Trail’s via ferrata in the grounds of luxury property Amangiri in Utah, US. Surprisingly, the way down is proving far more traumatic than the ascent, with a persistent feeling that I’m about to fall to my death (yes, I’m a very melodramatic person). I’m far from adventurous. Whatever the opposite

of an adrenaline junkie is, that’s me! Rollercoasters? No, thank you. Skydiving? Absolutely not. Going fast over a speed bump? Not if I can help it. So, when I told my family about the climb in advance of the trip, they laughed. Ûin mÞ Volli>}ÕiÃ ÜiÀi L>vyi` Ìo hear I’d accepted a trip that was on the periphery of being a bit daring. But, dear reader, you never turn down a trip to an Aman, especially Amangiri! So here I am, completely out of my comfort zone, climbing up and down metal ladder rungs, and following a series of cables around the rock faces of the Utah desert. At the top (120 metres above the ground), we’re informed of our next challenge: to walk solo over a metal bridge suspended across a 127-metre-long gorge. Knowing that I’ll wimp out if I’m forced to watch the others, I VÀoÃÃ wÀÃÌ >Ì Üh>Ì V>n onlÞ Li likini` Ìo > Ãn>il½Ã «>Vi° Halfway across, I pause for thought, desperate to take in Ìhi iÝ«>nÃi ov Ã«>Vi >ÀoÕn` mi° 7hin wn>llÞ Ài>Vh the other side, I feel elated. From the mesa Ìhi y>Ì]

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table-like top of the rock formations), I watch as the rest of the group clamber across the bridge (with far greater ease than I), the sun slowly dipping between them and the skyscraper-like buttes scattered across the landscape. These monolithic rocks rise up from the sandy ground like soldiers standing to attention.

Ultimate escape Local company Adventure Partners hosts all Amangiri hikiÃ] ÜiÌh ÀoÕÌiÃ ov Û>ÀÞin} `ivwVÕlÌÞ >Û>il>Lli >VÀoÃÃ the vast 900-acre estate. Thrill-seekers should opt for the Cave Peak Stairway route, a 120-step ladder bridge suspended 120 metres above the ground. When the time eventually comes to unclip my safety harness at the foot of the trail, I wipe away my tears, breathe a giant sigh of relief and hug everyone in sight. I faced a fear at Amangiri. I’m not

for the isolation this magical property affords them – a remote haven of epic magnitude

sure why or how, but this very special place makes you believe the impossible is possible. With my feet back on the ground, I head to the spa for a sumptuous and

grounding Navajo-inspired massage experience – the perfect remedy to help my battered limbs recuperate after hours Ã«inÌ Vlin}in} Ìo Ìhi ÀoVkÞ moÕnÌ>inÃi`i° wn` myself drifting into a state of meditation, something À>ÀilÞ wn` «oÃÃiLli Ìo >VhiiÛi LiV>ÕÃi mÞ min` iÃ usually a whirl of to-do lists. Amangiri has been on my hotel wish list for as long as I can remember, so perhaps I’m just living in the moment – casting all of life’s worries aside to savour this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Since opening its doors in 2009, Amangiri has achieved a devoted following among the elite jet set and celebrities. In fact, so taken by this wondrous slice of southern Utah (the neighbouring state of Arizona is just

PREVIOUS PAGE: Cave Peak Stairway OPPOSITE: FIRST ROW: Kayaking on Lake Powell; a Native American musician SECOND ROW: Sound Bowl Experience at the spa; writer Hollie-Rae Brader; Girijaala Suite THIRD ROW: Camp Sarika two-bedroom pavilion FOURTH ROW: Hollie-Rae conquers her fear; crossing a suspended bridge Credits: Amanresorts; Ken Hayden; Robert Rieger; Joe Fletcher Photography; Hollie-Rae Brader

66 ASPIRE MAY 2024 aspiretravelclub.co.uk

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