I’m not entirely sure when I decided that this travel item had to go on my bucket list. In fact, I lived in Vancouver for an entire year during university and the thought never crossed my mind. Yet, years later, I was getting really into fitness and I thought — hey, what if I did the Grouse Grind? I was in my best shape thanks to a combination of cardio & weight training and while my knees have never been my friend thanks to genetics, they were in decent shape. So, it went onto the bucket list.

The climb is about 280 flights of stairs, clocking in at 2830 stair-steps. While the Grind is technically open all year, it will occasionally close for wintry conditions. If this is on your bucket list as well, then make sure you check in advance.

For me, the opportunity to check this off the bucket list came with a two-day business trip to Vancouver. It was a quick 36 hour turnaround trip, but the morning of my flight home, I had until 1PM. That meant I could get from my hotel by BC Place to the Grouse Grind trail with a taxi ride, arriving fairly early in the morning.

If you’re planning to do the Grind, I have to warn you – take the warnings seriously. Make sure that you’re in good shape, and also that you’ve been doing some very specific exercises, namely stairs. When you start the climb, the first bit has a few normal stairs, and then nature takes over. That means that the lift to get up to the next step isn’t as easy as you’d expect.

If the weather is looking rainy and slippery, consider pushing off your walk to another day. The trail might be nature’s stairs, but that also means they can be incredibly dangerous. Even though it wasn’t raining the day I went, the forest would still occasionally shift under my feet. Squats, lunges, and anything that works on the glutes, hamstrings, and quads are desperately necessary to strengthen your body for the work ahead.

Even though I’d been going to the gym three-four times a week, when I did the Grind, my heart rate reached levels it never has before (or since). I had set a goal to complete this within two hours and was happy to accomplish that by clocking in a time of around an hour and forty-five minutes (which is fairly slow, especially when you know that the record time for climbing is just over 23 minutes).

I had to check my ego and pride a little when I was being passed by multiple people. It’s even more humbling when several were older folks, who likely did this climb more frequently. It was still worth it to stop and catch my breath. After all, that’s how I was able to admire the incredible views that make you realize you’re climbing a mountain. That moment came for me halfway up the mountain when I stopped and through the brush I could see the gondola ascending and the ocean below. That said, it also wasn’t a very crowded trail. I did the hike around 9AM on a Tuesday, and only ran into about two dozen people on my climb.

If you are planning to do the hike, here’s a couple of other tips:

• Bring as much water as you can feasibly carry. Don’t forget that whatever you’re bringing with you is going to weigh you down. While it’s tempting to bring a backpack with a lot of water, that also means that you’re going to have to carry that extra weight up an already difficult climb. I’m a big fan of the flip belt for things like this. The belts let you to tuck away all your necessities and clip on a water bottle
  
• If you’re planning to do this solo, let someone know that you’re planning to do it. I had let some of the hotel staff know, just in case. I also made sure that my phone was well-charged for both music and for the ability to call out in an emergency
  
• You’ll also need some money (see below about the gondola), so make sure you have cards or cash on you

Once you’re victorious and you’ve conquered all 2830 steps, you can admire the view from the top as long as you like! You’ve definitely earned it.

When you’re ready to go, you won’t be going back the way you came. Instead, you’ll take the gondola down, but you’ll have to pay for it. Make sure that you have some form of payment on you, whether it’s a phone or a card (or even cash). You also get the chance to shop around the gift shop at the top. This is perfect if you want a shirt or another piece of merchandise to commemorate your incredible accomplishment!

Is the Grouse Grind incredibly hard? Yes. Did I think, multiple times, about giving up? Absolutely (but there is a point of no return where you can’t go back down, so keep that in mind). Was it worth it? 100% yes. It’s an accomplishment I’m still proud of to this day and if you’re in the right physical shape, it’s worth every laborious step.

If you want more details on the Grind or Grouse itself, you can check out the FAQs on their website here. And if you’re ever in Vancouver and want a challenge? This one will be an uphill climb — literally.

---