Oh my goodness this session almost killed me. I literally thought my legs were going to leave my body and jump off the mountain. Last weekend Andrey and I, met up with Mandy and Greg at the absolutely stunning Hanging Rock State Park in NC located right off the Virginia border. It took us about two and a half hours to drive out from Raleigh, and as soon as we got there I wanted to pitch a tent and stay the weekend!

This post will serve as a warning to all those that want to trek up to the Hanging Rock because it was not so easy. It may be gorgeous, but something I did not find from other photographers that have taken clients up there is the reality of it.

It is a 1.3 mile severe uphill hike, and we just happened to plan this on the hottest day of the year. We all were not quite prepared for what we had in store. Most of the hike was a nice wide dirt path, but the last half a mile was the roughest. It was wooden/dirt stairs and rocks to climb up and it was an intense leg workout. I wished many times I had brought my dogs who would have pulled me easily up the mountain!

Here are some tips for you and your clients surviving the hike:

1. Bring lots of water and Gatorade (Don’t forget it like the four of us did!!!!)
2. Wear athletic gear and shoes for the hike up and then have your clients change at the top.
3. Bring make up for touch ups. Your gonna sweat, just bring it.
4. Give yourself lots of time to get to the top and back down. You don’t want to rush.
5. After your done, go to one of the many waterfalls, take a nice cool dip and take some fun shots.

I shot this session with such a wonderful couple as well! Mandy + Greg were recently married last October and Ohio Natives (!!!!!!!) Mandy is a elementary school teacher and Greg is a graphic designer. We spent the 45 minutes it took us to get up the trail to get to know each other which was great!

It was so worth the trip though! I am hoping I will have another chance to shoot out there again! Thank you Mandy + Greg for taking this adventure with us!