2011

Grouse Grind Saturdays

Grouse Grind Saturdays
You know the weather is starting to improve when one of Vancouver's best known hikes is open for Summer.  That being said, keep in mind that North Vancouver summers aren't necessarily dry ones.  This past Saturday myself and four friends made our way to the North Shore of Vancouver to have a go at the Grouse Grind.

[caption id="attachment_2836" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="From Left to Right: Jason, Cesar, me, Lenny and Jimmy (pre-Grind)"] [/caption]

This was our first go at this historical hike and leading the pack was Cesar with an impressive 46 minutes, next up was myself with 50:20, then Jimmy with 50:25, followed by Jason at 52:55 and Lenny with a cool 57 minutes.  What is very disturbing, yet very motivating at the same time is that the Grind time record is 25:01 --- how crazy is that?!  I mean come on, that guy could do it twice in the time it took me to do it once.  Whoa!  We've all committed to working on our times and by the end of the season we'll compare how we improve.

This Saturday marked the first of many ascents of this awesome grind of a hike.  The Fitness Town crew is committed to continue hiking the Grind every Saturday for the season .  And to make every Grind count we are raising money for BC Children's Hospital, Grind for Kids campaign.

We plan to meet at the trail entrance every Saturday at 8am, so please let us know if you'd like to join us.  The more the merrier and any fitness level welcomed.  Just remember this one little tidbit, "always keep moving" one foot at a time and you'll be at the top before you know it.

Of course, after finishing the Grind, we did what all Vancouverites do... we re-hydrated at one of our favorite watering holes --- Americanos a la Starbucks on me!

[caption id="attachment_2844" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="From Left to Right: Cesar, Jimmy, Jason, me and Lenny (Post-grind)"] [/caption]

If you haven't heard of the " Grouse Grind ", please note that the name is very, VERY appropriate.  Here are a few interesting facts:

  • Length: 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles)

  • Elevation Gain: 853 meters (2,800 feet)

  • Base: 274 meters above sea level (900 feet)

  • Summit: 1,127 meters (3,700 feet)

  • Total Stairs: 2,830

  • Statistics: Annually, over 100,000 people hike the trail.

  • Average Time: On average it takes up to an hour and a half to complete the hike. For novice hikers, two hours is recommended.

  • Participants: Hikers range in age from 7 to 90, with an equal male/female split.

  • AKA: The Grouse Grind is a 2.9-kilometer trail up the face of Grouse Mountain, commonly referred to as “ Mother Nature’s StairMaster .”


 
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