The Grouse Grind

Nicknamed Mother Nature’s Stairmaster, the Grouse Grind climbs straight up the southern face of Grouse Mountain with almost no flat ground from bottom to top. It was built in the early 1980s by two local hikers, Don McPherson and Phil Severy, and has become a Vancouver ritual: on summer mornings you will find first-timers gasping at the quarter mark and regulars who run it before work in well under an hour. The official figures are 2.5 kilometres and about 800 metres of elevation gain, with some 2,830 steps built into the steepest sections; other measurements put it slightly longer and higher.

There are no views on the way up, just dense second-growth forest of cedar, hemlock and fir, rock and root steps, and quarter markers to count down. The reward is at the top, where the trail emerges beside the Grouse Mountain chalet with the city, the Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park and the Strait of Georgia spread out below. Most people take two hours or so; the official guidance is about two to two and a half hours for an average hiker.

The trail is one-way. Hiking down is not allowed because the descent is hard on knees and dangerous on the steep, wet steps, and descending hikers clog the narrow trail. Everyone rides down on the mountain’s Skyride or gondola, which requires a download ticket.

Getting there. The trailhead is at the base of Grouse Mountain at the top of Capilano Road in North Vancouver, beside the Skyride base station. Take the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay and bus 236 to Grouse Mountain, or drive and use the pay parking. From downtown in summer, the Grouse Mountain shuttle from Canada Place is another option; check its current schedule.

Permits & tickets. The hike is free, but you must buy a download ticket for the Skyride or gondola to get back down; buy it at the top or in advance online. Prices change; check Grouse Mountain’s official site. The trail is part of a Metro Vancouver regional park, which sets the opening dates and hours.

Good to know:

• The Grind is closed in winter and early spring, typically from about November to April or May; opening dates depend on snow and trail conditions. Check Metro Vancouver’s trail status before you go.
• When open, the trail has set daily hours, and hikers must start early enough to finish before it closes.
• Dogs are not allowed on the Grind.