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Address: Top of Capilano Rd., 6400 Nancy Green Way North Vancouver BC V7R 4K9
Tel: 1 604 980-9311
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| "Grindingly Great!" |
by Dana (from Calgary)
October 2007 - The Grouse Grind Trail is indeed a grind, particularly for someone as unfit as myself. But possible, satisfying and rewarding it is also! Attracted by the idea of a pleasant stroll up a mountain for a great city view, we were a little disheartened to realise that it would be a constant steep grade of rock and dirt stairs. Some really beautiful sections of forest kept us going, although our quivering legs wanted to stop. It's a really popular trail, almost a constant stream of people passed us during the 900-metre or so climb. Many of them seemingly on the verge of heart attacks, obviously trying to beat a personal record. I must admit I was a tad put off by this, I prefer communing with nature in relative solitude. The climb took us one and a half hours, the sign at the bottom giving us up to two. YEAH! The 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 marks were obviously signed and appreciated, and suddenly reaching the top was pure elation. The view is astonishing, I'm guessing you can see most of Greater Vancouver from up there. The large hikers' lodge at the top of the trail provides restaurants, toilets, shops and large decks from which to admire the view. Paved walkways lead you to the various mountain-top attractions, such as the Lumberjack show area (something strange was going on there involving blind-folded lumberjacks trying to knock each other off a floating log), huge wooden carvings, and the highlight for me: the Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. Two huge, beautiful bears were happily frolicking (behind a tall fence!) in their large pond and it was thrilling to see them so close, in such a natural environment. There is also a wolf sanctuary near the start of the trail by the car-park. We caught the crowded cable-car back down the mountain which was excellent value at $5, compared to the return trip which would have cost $30!! It afforded another incredible view, including a birds-eye look at the wolves. Grouse Mountain was one of my favourite days during our Vancouver stay.
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| "Grouse Grind" |
by Angee (from Calgary)
July 2007 - On a recent visit to Vancouver, a friend and I decided we would test our physical abilities and try the Grouse Grind. The trail seemed easy at first, and in retrospect, we should have paced ourselves much more than we did. After 1/4, it got slightly more difficult and the 1/2 point marked a more steep and challenging trail. Finally, 3/4 of the way up, we were literally on all fours, in some instances using our legs and arms to pull ourselves up. As challenging as it was, each distance marker was a source of pride for continuing on our way up. Upon finishing, we saw a bit of the wildlife the mountain has to offer. A deer greeted us as we made our way to the vantage point. I was exhausted, but couldn't help continuing to explore the scenic, paved trails atop the mountain. The views were well worth the climb up and the satisfaction of knowing I had come up on my own, rather than on the Gondola, were a great source of pride. There were a number of climbers who also trekked the trail on their way down, but my partner and I decided we deserved a treat and paid $5 to take the Gondola back to the base of the mountain. This was an experience to remember and I can say with confidence that I will frequent Grouse Grind trails a few more times!
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| Note about Grouse Mountain Reviews: Please note that the above reviews about Grouse Mountain reflect the subjective opinion of individual readers and not the opinion of ReviewBlue.com or its affiliates. If you represent the Grouse Mountain and wish to comment on any of these reviews, we encourage you to use the management response feature. |
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