Canada - Day 3 (Vancouver to Whistler)

We decided to bid farewell to Vancouver by taking on the (aptly named) "Grouse Grind" - a 2.9km gut-busting ascent of one of the peaks overlooking the city. This was STEEP and unrelenting and mostly made up of giant uneven stairs (which were probably perfect stepping height for Ryan, but a bit of a challenge for the rest of us mere mortals...). There was a timer system set up (which you had to pay for)(we didn't), and Ryan had already scouted their website to find out the best time of the morning (50-something minutes). He probably would have come close, if it wasn't for me pausing to take frequent photos (as an excuse to allow my palpitating heart some respite). In the end, we puffed our way to the top in 1hr 7min.

It starts off friendly enough

And then goes straight up...

And up...

The top of the mountain was clouded in, so no views to reward our effort. We did, however, enjoy watching the 2 resident grizzly bears in their enclosure on the peak (contained by not much more than a wire fence)(which allowed us to get enticingly close)(I'm sure the bears were thinking the same thing). The walk was one-way, so we took the mandatory gondola ride back down (filled with the aroma of a dozen other sweaty walkers), catching glimpses of the city between the clouds along the way.

Looks kinda cute till you see his claws

By this method, Ryan has determined that he could probably take on a black bear, but a polar bear might be a bit much...

We enjoyed one last lunch with Frank, then loaded up the rental car and bid him farewell. To Frank (if you happen to read this) - you are one of the most generous and hospitable people we have ever had the pleasure of staying with. Thankyou for sharing your home (and your city) with us :-)

Because the Grouse Grind wasn't punishment enough, we also had our sights on climbing "The Chief" - an imposing stone bluff overlooking the town of Squamish which we would drive past along the way to Whistler. We tackled this in the afternoon - another lung-searing 3.5km climb (and 3.5km descent - no gondola this time). There were three peaks to climb (each being successively higher and further away), with most people ascending the first. We walked all the way to the base of the second, then found a series of questionable-looking ladders and chains leading up the rock. I quickly lost my nerve and decided that I wasn't particularly keen on falling off the side of a mountain that day, but Ryan carried a bit further along enjoying spectacular views over Squamish.

More climbing

Squirrel of the day

The sign at the base of the second peak clearly warns that the ladders are not "official" and that it would be your own stupid fault if you died while trying to climb them...

We then backtracked and climbed to the top of the first peak (involving much more solid-looking ladders and chains and a final scramble up the steep granite face). This peak afforded panoramic views of Squamish and the valley below. We also marveled at a couple of dogs that made the climb up with their owners (I think it's awesome that dogs are allowed in a lot of the parks in Canada)(I would totally have a hiking dog if I lived there).

The view is alright I guess...

Looking over at the second peak from the first

Pretty cascade on the way back down

This is what happens when Ryan gets bored waiting for me to finish messing around with the camera (nice photo though)

Feeling decidedly more weary, we completed the rest of the drive to Whistler and checked into our hotel, then rewarded ourselves with a dinner of bison steak and peanut butter pie :-)