It was a long trek back as our muscles were screaming at us and our knees were feeling every step. Luckily we made it down safe and the rain didn't last much longer. I was terrified of slipping off one of these ladders and falling to the bottom or slipping and going right over the edge. The problem is that EVERYTHING becomes EXTREMELY slippery and there is no cover from the rain pelting you in the face. Upon our decent, we reached the 3 ladders straight down and the skies opened up and started to pour. Which was just as intimidating as the way up was. The clouds were coming in so we decided to head back down. We decided that was far enough and not to continue to Callaway Peak. I was determined and we finally made it to McRae Peak. One missed step and you're gone over the edge of a HUGE cliff. Once you get toward the top, there is lots of areas that are super sketch. I suggest one at a time as it's hard when someone behind you is wiggling the rope trying to climb up too. It gets slippery when you're sweaty or it rains. The hand ropes weren't nearly as hard as I thought they would be. Some are straight up and some have a bit of a lean. They are secured well into the rock and seem sturdy. The ladders are all slanted a bit to the left or right, making it feel off. The ENTIRE trail is a mix of scaling rocks, climbing up ladders, using hand lines to climb up and balancing. the first rope area and ladders are just to get you into a false sense of accomplishment. Its straight up and over rocks to get to a trail. This trail gets you right from the start. I was almost in tears at times because of fear (especially when it started to rain) I'm not in the best shape, but amaretto active in kayaking and outdoor activities. This was the longest, most terrifying 2.6 miles of my life. It's mine and my husband's 25th anniversary and we decided to have an adventurous week. I'm not a young person anymore and knew it would be a challenge, but wanted to attempt it. Wasn't sure if icould make it with all the ladders and rope pulls. With all the dust in the air, it would have been nice to get a drink halfway through.I looked up reviews and information on the hike to Gallaway Peak. Only improvement I could suggest would be to provide a bottle of water at the top of the hill for each guest since personal bottles and packs are not allowed on the trail. There are two port-a-potties in the parking lot that were clean and well stocked with TP and hand sanitizer. The parking lot is gravel on a fairly steep slope, so be prepared for that when you arrive. They provide wet wipes at the end to wipe your face and hands down, which was very much appreciated. You will get very dusty, so wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Our UTV had some gunk clogged in the radiator fan and Austin went above and beyond to clear out the gunk to ensure our UTV didn't overheat.
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He did a great job explaining how everything worked before we got going, then would pause on the trail before the more extreme sections to give us tips on how to safely navigate each section. Our guide, Austin, did a fantastic job ensuring we had the most fun possible while still keeping safety as the top priority.
My wife and I had a great time driving a UTV for the first time, and definitely recommend High Country UTV Tours.
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