Grand Canyon hiker dies attempting to trek from south rim to north rim in single day
A Grand Canyon hiker has died while attempting to hike rim-to-rim in a single day at the national park. A Grand Canyon hiker has died while attempting to hike rim-to-rim in a single day at the national park. Ranjith Varma -- a 55-year-old man from Manassas, Virginia -- was attempting to hike from the Grand Canyon’s south rim to the north rim in a single day on Saturday when the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received an emergency call at approximately 1:55 p.m. of a “hiker in distress” on the North Kaibab Trail, about one mile south of Cottonwood Campround, according to a statement released by the National Park Service (NPS) on Monday. MORE: Wild otter attack leads to woman being airlifted to hospital, 2 others treated for injuries The trail is notoriously difficult and few people who visit the park take on the challenge. "For the hearty souls who are willing to work for it – less than one percent of the Grand Canyon’s five million annual visitors – the real mag...