It seems impossible to describe the beauty of The Wave in words. Its lines, curves, shapes, and colors—every detail is etched in our minds, but even more so in our hearts. There is no doubt that this natural wonder will remain one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen in the world.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
When Nature is so beautiful and fragile that it must be protected at all costs. And that cost is luck. Incredible luck, almost unfair. The luck of the lottery. Every day, hundreds of people hope to visit The Wave. But every day, only 20 permits are given out. 20 permits. What are the odds? That evening, however, the miracle arrives in the form of a simple automated email. “Congratulations! You were successful in the Coyote Buttes North Daily Lottery!” On the first try. Without even believing it. As I said, sometimes luck is almost unfair.
Friday, October 7
After discovering Antelope Canyon, we arrive early in Kanab to pick up our precious ticket. It comes in the form of a piece of paper to attach to the backpack. But the ticket isn’t enough: we also have to attend a desert survival training. Venomous desert snakes, tarantulas, extreme weather, risk of dehydration, heatstroke. We are advised to carry 4 liters of water per person. How can you tell if a snake is venomous? Assume they all are!
There’s also orientation training, because to reach The Wave, there are no trails or signs. We are given a few photos of the route with brief descriptions. The landmarks to follow are natural features, like striking rock formations. No joking around! Fortunately, Rémi reminds us he scored 20/20 on the orientation test in high school. We’re counting on him 😜
Saturday, October 8
Our permit is clearly attached to Rémi’s backpack. We sign the register at the start of the hike. We have plenty of water, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen. Yet, when we start hiking at 8 a.m., it’s still quite cool. But as the sun rises higher and higher in the sky, we shed our layers one by one.
From the very first steps, hesitation. Rémi, map in hand, recommends continuing along the river. Mom and I think we should turn right immediately. We inspect the map, the photos, the brief description. Finally, we go with Rémi’s advice. After all, he scored 20/20 in orientation in high school! 😁
The desert is vast, hot, and dry. We are alone. As expected, there’s nothing to guide us. We walk sometimes on crumbly rock, sometimes on soft, fine sand. All around us, as far as the eye can see, the landscape is breathtaking in its harshness. Sculpted over millennia by wind, rain, sand, and water, the rock formations rising toward the sky leave us in awe. We walk like this for 2 hours and 30 minutes, under a heat that grows ever more intense.
Finally, we are here. After a long climb through loose sand, we slip between two hills. And there it is. Shy, impressed, admiring, and amazed, we step into The Wave.
It’s another world. A masterpiece shaped by nature, more beautiful than anything humans can create, whose beauty needs no words. A world of grace, made of harmonious lines and curves sculpted by erosion since the Jurassic era. What beauty! Alone in the middle of The Wave, we realize more than ever how lucky we are to be here, today, all together.
We were instructed not to step in the puddles scattered across The Wave. These puddles are home to very rare and fragile prehistoric shrimp. Curious, we approached them in search of these delicate shrimp from an ancient world. And there they were! They are actually tadpole shrimp thriving in the rainwater pools. How did they end up in these fully enclosed puddles? We have no idea!
We spent several hours taking photos and admiring every corner of The Wave. There is no doubt that this place will forever be etched in our memories, yet we still want to capture these magical moments. The Wave isn’t very large, but it is full of nooks, canyons, and corridors, each more beautiful than the last. Rémi is hard at work while my mom and I wander between the curves of the wave.
We then go for a walk beyond The Wave. Indeed, out there in the desert, there are other curiosities to discover. There is even a second, secret wave, which you have to search for and find on your own. We walk over the millennia-old rock formations, which sometimes take on funny shapes. All around us, the desert offers varied and incredible landscapes, far from the sand dunes we had imagined.
On the way back, as we trudge through burning sand under a scorching heat, we realize our luck. We crossed paths with about twenty people. What an incredible chance to have been part of it! Halfway through, we meet two rangers, accompanied by the sheriff! They ask to see our permit and check that we are properly registered. Luckily we are! The fine is $100,000 for anyone tempted to come here without a permit, along with a prison sentence! Americans take this seriously: The Wave is a fragile treasure that must be protected.
They check that everything is in order, then make sure we are not in trouble, that we haven’t seen anyone suffering, and that we have enough water for the return trip. When they learn that we got our permit on the first try, they can hardly believe it! “You have to go to Vegas!”, exclaims the sheriff.
Sheriff, it’s planned 😉 And starting tomorrow!
I can’t end this article without warmly thanking Rémi, without whom my mom and I would still be wandering in the desert, wondering if “The rock pyramid” is that rock formation over there on the right or the one on the left, and laboriously trying to convert 2 miles into kilometers to better estimate the distance to cover. My little heart, your 20/20 in orientation at the baccalaureate, which was the running gag of the day, was well deserved, no doubt about it!
