Round 3 of the Bucket List Battle is on the books and we’re ready for the final opening round battle. Round 4 features a battle of the North American canyons. The choices are a nine day Adventure Tour of the Copper Canyon in Mexico or a seven day rafting trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.
First, let’s take a look at the results of round 3. We had a journey on the Trans Siberia Railroad through Russia going head to head with being a spectator through the full 2014 Tour de France cycling race.
The Trans Siberia Railway won the battle convincingly with nearly 73% of the vote. The classic rail tour joins round 1 winner, a week in Venice, Italy and round 2 winner, Iguacu Falls. Round 4 is the last of the preliminaries before the final four face off to determine two finalists.
I have to think that round 4 will be the closest of the opening four rounds. I personally have no preference to the two options. I simply want to do both and have no greater desire to one over the other.
Copper Canyon, Mexico
The Tour
What we’re looking at is a nine day, eight night package through Canyon Travel. The tour company has many options and we’re choosing the Adventure Tour. Typically, this package costs around $3,500 per person, not including flights from your home.
The tour starts in Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. After a couple days of play in Cabo, we fly across the Sea of Cortes to El Fuerte. El Fuerte is where we catch the train but there’s a full day and two nights to enjoy the tequila before hopping on the rails.
The actual train trip up the canyon on the El Chepe train takes three full days on an out and back journey. Once back at El Fuerte, it’s time for the return flight to Cabo.
The Canyon
Actually a group of six distinct canyons, Copper Canyon is located in Northern Mexico in the State of Chihuahua, surrounded by the Sierra Madre Mountains. The Canyon is larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon. All the rivers at the bases of the six distinct canyons funnel into Rio Fuerte which empties into the Sea of Cortez.
Copper Canyon is a collective name for the group of canyons. The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico (the train) follows the main crack in the earth called Canyon Urique. There are 405 miles of railway. Construction on the tracks began in 1900 but was not completed until 1961. The railway climbs 2,400 metres or 7,785 feet.
Grand Canyon
The Tour
In the Grand Canyon, we’re taking a seven day rafting trip down the Colorado River with Western River Expeditions. The trip covers 187 miles and is available from April to September. Typically, the tour costs $2,925 per person.
Included are 60 sets of rapids, hiking on shore, all camping equipment and all meals. There is an option to fly in to the start location directly from Las Vegas, Nevada. At the end of the rafting, exit from the canyon is via helicopter before transferring to an airplane back to Vegas.
The Canyon
The Colorado River travels 277 miles or 466 kilometres through the Grand Canyon in North Central Arizona. At its widest, the canyon is 18 miles or 29 kilometres wide. At its deepest, the canyon is 6,000 feet or 1,800 metres down. Pictures and video will never do the vastness of this natural wonder justice. You simply have to experience it in real life.
