I bet you were lazier than some of us this weekend, because let me tell you, we took on quite a challenge, but we made it!
Sunday was the day. Equipped with lots of water, snacks and some caffeine we were optimistic to reach our goal: Hiking the Grouse Grind.
I mean, I’ve read about it before, heard from others how hard it was, but really I didn’t believe it. I got proved wrong. It turned out to be one of the more challenging hikes I’ve done so far. Not that I’m a professional, but I thought I’d be fitter. š The hike is about 2.5 kilometres long and has an elevation gain of 800m with a total of 2,830 stairs! That’s pretty tough.
The hardest part for me was the beginning, because you go up and up and upā¦ and there seems to be no end. Then, finally a sign! It tells you that you reached the 1/4 mark. Pretty demotivating to me. But it turns out none of us is a quitter, so we kept going, reached half way and kept going! From that point it was clear, there’s no way back down now.
On our way we saw a lot of people struggling, which made me feel a little better, because I knew I’m not alone. Of course we also saw people passing us with such lightness, but I told myself “they’ve probably done this many times before”. I also think the actual challenge was not the hike itself, but the fact that you want to be faster than others. You try to pass people, or at least not lose sight of them. You try to make it up the mountain in less than the average time of two hours, which makes the hike even harder than it already is.
After seeing the 3/4 mark I felt motivated to reach the top. I could feel I’m in the homestretch and I increased my pace. The feeling of finally reaching the top was incredible. Since the weather was very cloudy, the view was very limited, but at least the air was nice and cool, perfect for a workout like this. After everyone arrived we had some food and drinks at the Chalet before we went exploring the mountaintop a little further.
We tried to spot the two grizzly bears Grinda and Coola, who reside at Grouse mountain, but they were asleep. On our way back down with the gondola we got lucky and had an amazing view over Vancouver. All in all, I’d say it was a pretty successful day.
Would I do the Grouse Grind again? – Maybe.
What about you? Have you done it? Or is it on your list? Was your weekend active? Or lazy?
Tell me more about it next Pub Night, 7pm at Sailor Hagar’s in North Vancouver! It’s only a short walk from the sea bus and has a beautiful view over Downtown Vancouver. Plus, it’s a real neighbourhood pub, as Canadian as it gets. š
See you all there!
Cheers,
Laura š
After a couple more drinks my highlight of the evening startedā¦the BULL RIDING. Some of you guys said itās a ritual for the new ones to do it so I had no choice but Iām glad I tried it. Letās stick with ātriedā because I wasnāt really good at it, although I guess it is the thought that counts – right? š
Unfortunately the Yale Saloon didnāt give me the chance to say goodbye to the one and only bull, but I am sure our love is strong enough to overcome the distance.
This week we went to the Two Parrots. They had reserved a whole gallery by the windows for us and created a new sort of space for us ā a circular table setting in which many of us started out with some great food and drinks. Having become a dark beer enthusiast lately, I tried a Stanley Park Brewery special which had the greatest taste ā a combination of the typical dark beer flavour, stripped off the extreme bitterness some dark beers might have, in addition with a nice taste of sweetness. Lovely, especially in combination with the very Canadian dish of Poutine!
INTERNeX Canada 