The Grouse Grind

The Grouse Grind

The Grouse Grind® is a 2.9-kilometre trail up the face of Grouse Mountain, commonly referred to as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.”

This trail is very challenging. Keep in mind that there is a wide range of mountaintop trails that might better suit the average hiker.

For trail hours, check Today's Schedule.

Trail Facts

Length: 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles) 
Elevation Gain: 853 metres (2,800 feet)
Base: 274 metres above sea level (900 feet)
Summit: 1,127 metres (3,700 feet)
Total Stairs: 2,830 
Statistics: Annually, over 150,000 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.


Grind Timer Program

A Grind Timer Card (previously, the Summit Seeker Card), containing a radio frequency chip, from Grouse Mountain is a great way to track your training. Swipe your card at the Grind Timer at the base of the Grouse Grind, and again at the top of the trail, and your name and time will appear on the monitor at Alpine Guest Services in the Peak Chalet. Your results may also be printed for you at Alpine Guest Services, or you can check them online.

The Grind Community on Facebook

The Grouse Grind Facebook page is a great place to meet and keep in touch with other hikers. There is a discussion board, photo albums and link uploads where our fans can share information. We will also be sending out Facebook updates to all fans with changes in hours of operations and other important news about Vancouver's favourite trail.

Grind For Kids

Step up for BC's sick kids. Use your Grinds to help raise money for BC Children's Hospital. For more information, visit the Grind For Kids page.

VPG Realty presents the Grouse Grind Mountain Run

VPG Realty Inc. presents the 27th-annual Grouse Grind® Mountain Run, taking place on September 16th, 2017. This Vancouver classic is the true test of your season's training. Whether you are coming out to set a new record for the fastest Grouse Grind time, to just enjoy the trail, or to raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital, this is an excellent celebration of the Grouse Grind season. 

Course Records

The official course record to date for men is 25:01 held by Sebastian Salas set at the 2010 BMO Grouse Grind Mountain Run®. For women, the record is 30:52 held by Kristin Størmer Steira and set at the 2014 event. Unofficially (that is, a record set outside the annual Grouse Grind Mountain Run®) the course record is a blistering 23:48 that is also held by Sebastian Salas. He set this time on August 24, 2010. The previous record of 24:22 stood for six years and was set by two-time World Mountain Running champion Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand. Jonathan set the record in June of 2004 while visiting Vancouver. The renowned runner has also participated in the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games.

History

Hikers were first recorded on Grouse Mountain in 1894 when a hunting party shot a blue grouse bird and named the mountain in the bird’s honour. It wasn’t until the 1920’s and early 30’s, however, that Grouse Mountain saw the first big wave of adventurous hikers. Several thousand people flocked to the face of the mountain each year looking to reach the cabins located in the Grouse Mountain village at the foot of what is now known as The Cut ski run. 

Today's Grouse Grind® was first developed in 1981 by mountaineers looking for a challenging, convenient aerobic workout to sustain them for their longer hikes. Seeking a steeper route than the British Columbia Mountaineering Club trail, they began following well-worn animal paths in the rough, completing the new trail in the winter of 1983.

Modern-Day Revival

A revival began in the early 90s, when the trail was appropriately named the Grouse Grind® in conjunction with the first ever Grouse Grind Mountain Run®, now Western Canada’s premiere trail challenge. The trail has become part of the fabric of Vancouver with more than a hundred thousand hikers a year taking on the challenge of the rugged terrain and steep climb, up an approximate 56 per cent slope (30°), which starts at the Valley Station of Grouse Mountain and finishes at the Peak’s plateau. In 1996, the original cast of builders, along with a number of enthusiasts from the B.C. Federation of Mountaineering Club and Grouse Mountain, rebuilt the trail ensuring optimum safety and enjoyment for the high volume of hikers while maintaining the highest level of environmental protection from erosion.