The Grouse Grind is a brief, however steep mountaineering path climbing 853 m (2800 ft) vertically from the bottom of Grouse Mountain. This steep path in Grouse Mountain Regional Park is simply 2.9 km (1.8 mi) lengthy. Being notoriously grueling this one-way path up the face of Grouse Mountain has been nicknamed “mom nature’s stairmaster”. For a lot of, the Grind is extra a health problem than a hike. Some goal to beat Grouse Mountain as soon as, however for a lot of match Vancouverites and avid hikers, it is a good spot for coaching. Assembly the problem of doing the Grouse Grind was considered one of my favourite energetic issues to do in Vancouver.
Ebook your Grouse Mountain Admission Right here!
When is the Grouse Grind Open
The Grouse Grind Path is closed through the winter months when there may be snow or ice on the path. The path is open from Could to October if circumstances permit. See Metro Vancouver for the newest data.
Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain rising 1250 meters ( 4100 ft) above the town is usually referred to as ‘the Peak of Vancouver’. The Mountain will get its title from the sooty grouse, a species of forest-dwelling grouse (a fowl) generally discovered all through the mountain. Grouse Mountain Resort is a fast journey from Stanley Park and different highlights.
Situated solely quarter-hour by public transportation from downtown Vancouver the mountain has grow to be the town’s outside amusement park with a variety of actions and leisure for all seasons open the entire 12 months. In winter on Grouse Mountain snowboarding, snowboarding, ice skating, snowshoeing, and extra winter actions are very talked-about. There’s a vary of actions for summer season corresponding to disk golf, chairlift rides, paragliding, and naturally the well-known Grouse Grind hike up the mountain. There may be additionally loads of leisure obtainable all 12 months together with a 100-seat mountaintop theatre and a wildlife refuge.
Grouse Mountain Excursions
North Shore Day Journey from Vancouver – A number of the highlights of Vancouver. Get pleasure from spectacular views strolling over Lions Gate Bridge and the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Go and discover the highest of Grouse Mountain – Grouse Mountain Skyride included, Spherical-trip lodge transport.
Get there your self, solely need a Grouse Mountain ticket? (consists of the Skyride)
Lodging in Vancouver
Extremely rated lodging in Vancouver with an excellent location.
Grouse Grind
The Grouse Grind is a legendary mountaineering path in North Vancouver famend for its issue. It deserves this fame climbing simply shy of 3000 stairs with an unimaginable 800 m elevation achieve over solely 3 km, sure it’s steep, the common inclination is 28º, with the hardest part at about 40º! The path is primarily used for mountaineering and working. Many of the climb is stairs, however some sections have massive tree roots and rocks on the path. The Grouse Grind will get tremendous crowded with greater than 100 000 individuals climbing it in a season in response to the official Grouse Mountain web site. This path solely goes one route, UP. Descending is just not allowed on the path, hikers take the gondola down, a $15 journey.
I loved mountaineering Grouse Mountain, however it’s undoubtedly not the perfect mountaineering path in Vancouver, being brief, steep, and crowded with restricted viewpoints. On a transparent day, you do get some good views. It’s wonderful as a exercise with many locals doing the Grind repeatedly. The hike is a pleasant day tour in Vancouver for vacationers, a difficult stroll with lots to do when reaching the highest. We price the path as a reasonable issue resulting from its size, despite the fact that it’s steep it’s not a really lengthy hike, taking about 2 hours. For knowledgeable hikers strolling up the Grouse Grind and exploring a number of the different backcountry routes on Grouse Mountain is an effective choice. There are many well-marked routes corresponding to Dam Mountain, Little Goat Mountain, Goat Mountain, and Thunderbird Ridge are described right here. Crown Mountain.
Take a look at our Information to the Finest Hikes in and Round Vancouver
Grouse Grind Value
Climb Grouse Mountain is free. You aren’t allowed to hike down the Grind, to come back down with Skyride prices $15 together with the shuttle journey again to Canada Place in downtown Vancouver. The one free choice down is to hike down the BCMC path.
To take the Skyride up and city prices $47.97 together with a number of actions, purchase your ticket right here
Grouse Grind Path Statistics
The reported statistic of the Grouse Grind is as follows – distance: 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles), elevation Acquire: 853 meters (2,800 ft) from 274m to 1127m, Summit: 1,127 meters (3,700 ft), Complete Stairs: 2,830
Measuring my hike up Grouse Mountain with my Garmin Fenix 5 GPS Watch gave me the next measurements:
Distance: 3.27 kilometers (2.03 miles)
Elevation Acquire: 785 meters (2575 ft) from 287m to 1076m
Summit: 1127 meters (3,700 ft)
Time: 1h13min
The quickest time for the Grouse Grind is 25:01 (the lads’s file was set in 2010) and the ladies’s file is 30.52 set in 2014. Avid hikers usually purchase a Grind Timer Card that incorporates a radio frequency chip to trace their efficiency and see how they rank in opposition to different Grouse Grinders.
The Grind Route
Mom Nature’s Stairmaster is well-marked with indicators exhibiting distance, elevation, and the way you might be progressing.
Markers on the Grouse Path – there are 4 completely different sorts of markers on the path;
small orange markers simply mark the place the path goes
giant markers point out what portion of the path you could have accomplished e.g. 1/4 or 1/2 means, these markers point out the progress in elevation not distance, as a result of the path is just not very steep initially it takes a very long time to succeed in the 1/4 mark.
40 smaller marker plates on the timber which measure path distance. They’re labeled with “GG” and are numbered from #1 on the backside as much as #40 on the prime so marker No. 10 is 1/4-way, no. 20 is midway, and so forth.
orange spray-painted markers on the timber point out the precise path distance.
At the start line, there’s a path info board and a Grouse Grind Chip timer to begin counting the time for normal grinders that personal a chip. There are bathrooms within the parking zone if it is advisable to make a cease earlier than the path begins. The path begins simply to the suitable of the Grouse Mountain Gondola beginning if you cross the gate and a small bridge. The route begins climbing from the beginning, however it’s not too steep to start with, it took us 20 minutes to succeed in the primary quarter mark clearly proven with an indication. In case you are struggling earlier than the primary quarter of the hike it is likely to be a good suggestion to show round. We reached the midway level at about 700 m above sea stage 1.9 km from the start line about 38 minutes after starting the hike. Whenever you attain midway in response to the elevation indicators (the massive indicators) you might be previous the midway mark distance-wise, with about 1.4 of three.2 km left (GG plate #23).
The final half is the steepest and took longer than the primary half despite the fact that the space is shorter.
The common time backside of Grouse Mountain is about 1h30min to 2 hours to succeed in the highest of the Grind.
You should buy a ticket for the Gondola journey down for $15 on the Grouse Mountain Chalet on the highest. There was an extended line on the Gondola, nevertheless it went pretty shortly. We have been shocked at how busy the mountain was on the prime, however clearly, many individuals don’t hike up taking the gondola each methods. If you wish to hike down you are able to do so with the BCMC path.
The BCMC path Different Hike on Grouse Mountain
How will you hike down Grouse Mountain? – take the BCMC path. The BCMC Path is positioned simply east of the Grouse Grind and affords a much less busy path to hike up the mountain, it’s attainable to stroll down utilizing this route. The path is about the identical distance because the Grind and begins on the similar place branching off onto the Baden Powell path, then left on the junction up the steep hill to the Grouse Mountain chalet. The junction to the Baden Powell path is a few meters after passing the gate. We didn’t hike down this route.
Mountaineering down the BCMC path is just not advisable as a result of the path may be very steep and slender, and has a really laborious technical descent. It’s nevertheless attainable and repeatedly accomplished by Grinders, skipping the $15 gondola payment happening.
Issues to do on Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain Resort has many thrilling actions which might be obtainable all 12 months spherical; the Skyride, Mountain Ziplines, Grizzly Bear Wildlife Sanctuary, Theatre Within the Sky, and Eye of the Wind.
In Spring, Summer season, or Fall you possibly can benefit from the Lumberjack Present, Birds in Movement Demonstration, Disc Golf, the Tremendous Skyride, Paragliding, and Chairlift Rides.
In winter that is an incredible venue for Snowboarding and Snowboarding, Evening Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Ice Skating within the coronary heart of the town.
Attending to Grouse Mountain
Renting a automobile is unquestionably the simplest approach to get round. For automobile rental, I like to recommend utilizing Uncover Automobiles to search out the perfect deal.
Grouse Mountain is positioned at 6400 Nancy Greene Manner in North Vancouver. Parking is out there should you arrive by automobile. In the summertime, a Common Admission ticket features a switch from Canada Place in downtown Vancouver to Grouse Mountain and again. If you happen to do the Grind and simply take the Skyride down for $15 you possibly can take the free shuttle again to Canada Place in Vancouver. Purchase your ticket right here: Grouse Mountain ticket
Get to the Grouse Grind by public transport
Take the Seabus from Waterfront Station, positioned adjoining to Canada Place, to the Lonsdale Quay and join with Bus #236 on to Grouse Mountain. To return to downtown Vancouver, take Bus #236 from Grouse Mountain to the Lonsdale Quay and journey the Seabus to Waterfront Station.
Pack for the Grouse Grind
For the Grind a Garmin Fenix 5 GPS Watch is a good device for mountaineering measuring velocity, elevation, coronary heart price, mapping, and extra.
Mountaineering sneakers, boots, or path runners will all work to hike Grouse Mountain.
For superior path runners attempt the Salomon Males’s Speedcross 5 Path Trainers Girls mannequin Salomon Speedcross 5 path runners.
We at all times carry mild rain jackets with us, the North Face for women or North Face Resolve for males
Fast dry trekking pants are nice for mountaineering Columbia mountaineering pants for males and Columbia mountaineering pants or yoga stretch pants for women.
Girls mountaineering shirts the women lengthy sleeve working shirt or women brief sleeve T-shirt is good. I wish to hike in long-sleeved Columbia mountaineering shirts, they dry shortly and supply most solar safety whereas mountaineering.
Cap/hat – For solar safety sporting a fast dry sports activities cap, or a wide-brim hat is essential.
Sun shades – sun shades for mountaineering go for top UV safety and polarized lenses.
I at all times pack a BUFF Multifunctional Headwear – for solar and wind safety (doubles as a face masks).
Trekking Poles – nice if in case you have knee or ankle issues, additionally useful within the mud or whether it is slippery on the path, TrailBuddy Mountaineering Sticks
Extra Superb Mountaineering Trails in Canada
Being surrounded by lovely mountains and the ocean, there are some incredible weekend breakaways round Vancouver.
Garibaldi Lake Nationwide Park is dwelling to some nice mountaineering trails for at some point or in a single day trails. The Chief mountaineering route in close by Squamish is a brief drive from Vancouver and rewarded us with spectacular views. In case you are searching for a backpacking problem don’t miss the West Coast Path on Vancouver Island, this demanding 6-day path follows the coast all the best way. It’s a very talked-about path that have to be booked upfront. The Juan de Fuca path, additionally on Vancouver Island, can be an exquisite path alongside the coast however is a little more versatile since it’s simpler to do solely a part of this path. Vancouver Island is simple to succeed in from Downtown Vancouver and affords much more than simply mountaineering, it’s nice for whale watching, seeing orcas, and browsing, and has an exquisite city, see our assessment of issues to do on Vancouver Island. For unreal day hikes I might advocate touring north in Canada and visiting Banff Nationwide Park in Alberta with an enormous number of unreal trails for day mountaineering.
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The robust half of Stingy Nomads, a nomadic aquaman that might be comfortable to spend all his life within the water diving, browsing and spearfishing however usually has to compromise with Alya and go mountaineering as an alternative. Campbell is liable for all our marine adventures and following them with write-ups. He loves touring, braai (BBQ in South Africa), pink wine and spending the day in a wetsuit.
