Our work speaks for itselfTake a look at a selection of our recent projects, crafted with care and designed to make an impact. Each one tells a story of creativity, collaboration, and results.
Cactus to Clouds: 11,000+ Feet of Pure Vertical Endurance
I’ve always wanted to tackle a truly massive, single-day endurance hike. You know the type—the kind of day that pushes your limits, requires a headlamp start, and leaves your legs burning in the best way possible.
Since I was in the Palm Springs area recently, I realized I had the perfect opportunity to test myself on one of the most legendary day hikes in the United States: Cactus to Clouds (C2C).
If you love pure uphill grinds and pushing your endurance boundaries, this is the ultimate trail. It is a proper mountain climb from the ground up—literally starting on the desert floor and ending at the sub-alpine summit of Mount San Jacinto.
Here is the raw data from a massive day on the trail, along with the strategy that got me to the top.
📊 The C2C Beta: By The Numbers
Total Distance 25.8 miles
Elevation Gain 11,427 feet
Total Moving Time 16.5 hours
The Timeline 3:00 AM start – 7:30 PM finish
⏱️ The Pacing Strategy: Staying Ahead of the Burn
When you are staring down over 11,000 feet of vertical gain, pacing isn’t just a recommendation—it’s survival. Before this, the most elevation I had ever tackled in a single day was around 8,000 feet. I hadn’t tried anything over that, and thought the best way was to pace myself.
My strategy was simple but strict: take a 10-minute break every single hour.
This kept my heart rate managed and allowed me to consistently refuel. Once I cleared the brutal desert section and made it up to the Long Valley Tram Station, I took a full one-hour lunch break where we purchased some snacks and food. This reset was crucial before tackling the final summit push.
Seasonality Tip: We tackled this in the late autumn window (October/November), which is arguably the perfect time of year. The desert floor isn't dangerously hot yet, but the summit trails are generally clear of heavy winter snow.
🧠 The Mental Game (And Having the Right Partner)
It had been a while since I’ve had a massive, multi-hour endurance day like this, and let me tell you—the summit push definitely takes a while once the elevation kicks in.
About three miles from the summit, the fatigue hit hard. The psychological weight of the climb caught up to me, and I was genuinely ready to call it a day and turn around. Thankfully, Louis was there to talk me out of my temporary insanity! 😆
Having a partner to give you that gentle mental nudge when your brain is screaming “we've done enough!” makes all the difference. We pushed through, and standing on that summit made every painful step worth it.
🏔️ How It Compares: High Altitude vs. Massive Vertical
Reflecting on the hike, I found the physical comparison fascinating. In terms of sheer elevation gain, C2C actually feels quite similar to gaining 3000 6000 ft in a day.
Because you start so low, the terrain is incredibly sustained. It isn’t necessarily harder or more technically complex than high-altitude mountaineering routes—it is simply longer. A sustained test of of endurance capacity and mental stamina.
🚠 The Ultimate Reward: The Tram Descent
Perhaps the greatest feature of the Cactus to Clouds route is that it is a one-way trip up, unless you opted for the Cactus to Clouds to Cactus option, you can save your knees and take the tram down!
After finishing at 7:30 PM, we didn't have to face a knee-shattering 11,000-foot descent back down the mountain. Instead, you hike back down to the Mountain Station and catch the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway back to the valley floor.
The last tram leaves at 9:30 PM (make sure you double check ahead of time!), giving us a comfortable two-hour buffer. Sitting in that tram car, watching the mountainside drop away, was the perfect ending to a day that is definitely going down in the books.
Hungry as we were, we went to Panda Express, my favorite fast casual Chinese restaurant and to our delight - they were closing for the evening and loaded us with extra food. Yesss.
If you are an endurance junkie looking for your next big challenge, put C2C on your radar. Just start early, pack a partner who won't let you quit, and embrace the grind!