Arches National Park

The main reason for traveling to Moab was Arches National Park which got its name from the huge stone arches. Interesting enough it seems arches like that are quite common in the sandstone of this region, but the highest 'density' of arches you can find here in this national park close to nothing else then desert... and Moab of course.

The variety is quite big, ranging from simple holes in a wall to long spanning delicate arches like the 'garden arch' on the left. A good portion of this arch collapsed in 1991 leaving only the upper part of it. But the best known arch is the 'delicate arch' a good one hour hike up on a plateau on the edge of a huge crater.

And this huge crater is quite steep on one side while on the other side people waiting to enjoy the sunset on the arch. To get to the other side of the crater one guy tried to clime the crater wall and got stuck. He was so terrified that he couldn't move and spent more then three hours in that wall. Even the arriving park ranger couldn't talk him down so he had to wait for the mountaineer which I meet on my way down. Oh boy, this guy has a story to tell when he is back home ;-)