Groan...the Grind. One of 10 most Dangerous

With the Grouse Grind recently proclaimed by Outside Magazine as one of the “World’s Most Dangerous Hikes”, it’s no wonder I spent the last 6 years doing everything in my power to avoid it.

But it’s not that I don’t love a little adrenaline, lest we forget some earlier entries.  It’s that I don’t really like hiking. I definitely don’t love stairs. I prefer not to share nature with hoards of people, and I try to avoid obvious acts of conformity…well, that’s what I tell myself, anyway.

With a vertical climb of 2,800 feet in only 2.9 km, the Grind is really a Stairmaster masquerading as a hike. It’s no wonder the unprepared falter, requiring a 12 person rescue team to get them off the hill. For the rest of us, it’s a rite of passage. A fundamental Vancouver experience.

Perfect for a first.

(Preparatory stretch)

There are 3 groups of people that  do the Grind.

Group one - the tourist. The ones who have no idea what they are in for, merrily moseying up in high heels. Please reference the 12 person rescue team.

Group Two - the active whenever possible resident. 

(Self identified Group Two-er)

Their experience goes something like this: you find yourself nose to bum in a conga line of people plugging away up the side of a mountain. Sweat dripping from everywhere, legs a-shakn’ , regulating your breath and your step, digging deep and just praying to make it to the top. And as you self-talk your way through the pain, your world is punctuated by Group Three. Enter the hard-breathing, technical clothe-wearing super-local, whizzing by you in in a blur of lulu and water bottle belts, racing to beat their best record yet.

Which, by the way sits at 23min:48sec. Yours truly was proud to finish in a time of 1hour:40something minutes:whatever seconds. And yes, you can sign up for official Grouse Grind time keeping.

The cynicism and stereotypes aside, I was actually REALLY pleasantly surprised. The day was gorgeous and we crested over the top as the sun was falling behind the hills. The rocks were ablaze in last light and for the most part, the people on the trail were happy to be there, to share it and to encourage each other up to the top.

Truthfully, I was left a little more appreciative of my fellow Vancouverites. A really nice by-product of what was meant to be a “check-it-off-the-list-so-you-can-say-you-did-it-when-the-rite-of-passage-thing-comes-up”.

And physically, I thought my body would hate it what with hip surgeries and herniated discs of days past. I have avoided most all forms of mountain walking with this assumption in mind.

(I did it!!!)

Life lesson number 2 and grand closing statement: assumptions really do hold you back. Turns out I like my fellow-local more than I thought and my body is an amazing thing I should maybe throw up a mountain more often.

The end.