Outside Mag calls an urban vancouver trail “most dangerous” top 10 hikes in the world

[James holden]

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/The-10-Most-Dangerous-Hikes.html?utm_campaign=facebookpost#gallery-photo-6

Grouse Grind, Vancouver

There are dozens of beautiful hikes around Vancouver, British Columbia. The Grouse Grind isn’t one of them. The short trail gains 2,800 feet in just 1.8 miles, including 2,830 stairs, making it one of the steepest trails anywhere. Which is why mountaineers and fitness freaks use it for training. The problems come when the unprepared take on the Grouse.

Since 1999, three people have died on the trail, and a big percentage of the 80 technical rescues the North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services performs each year take place on the Grind when winded hikers take a tumble, poop out, or lose their way as night falls. The trail is so grisly it often takes 12 rescuers to get a hiker off the mountain.

for those that dont know … the Grouse Grind is in urban metro vancouver … it has a groomed staircase, gondola ride down, nightly patrols, cell phone reception, hordes of school kids running up it, a chalet at the top for a cold beer, etc

you pull into the parking lot … and get your yuppie latte before the hike …

if you want you swipe yr time token to keep track of yr ascent time

theres BIG SIGNS all over the place

people do it in yoga pants and tank tops on the nice groomed stairs

bunch of schoolkids on the 3 min approach to the grind about to go up it …

when you get to the top theres a nice bar for you to "hydrate" at …

the "descent" is taking a gnarly gondola down …

DEADLY !!!

;)

[Stephen Barber]

Hmmmmm. Probably need ice axe, crampons, and several hundred feet of good climbing rope to make it safely up, eh?

Like any "wild" place real near a large metropolitan area, I'm sure it attracts more than its fair share of unprepared (mentally, physically) people. We have some places like that in SoCal too, but I don't think we get that many rescues per year. Twelve seems pretty high.

[Dena Kelley]

LOL. A month ago someone named an urban hike called "Rover's Run" in Anchorage one of the most dangerous. They were using a bear attack from a few years ago as their basis.

[Desert Dweller]

What an artificial fantasy theyve created up there….That ain't nuthin….if you want a dose of reality come on down to the USA/Mexico border and dodge mexican cartel drug runners, illegals and coyotes (not the animal) and Border Patrol all while hiking from 5,500 feet to 9,200 on the Arizona Trail. The bears and mountain lions and Mojave rattlers are the least of our worries….:-P
Last month hubby and I found an illegal with two broken legs in the most rugged part of our mountains, she fell in the dark and smashed her head and face and broke her left leg in two places and her left ankle and her right knee. It took fifteen very brave, skilled men from border patrol and SAR to get her out to the hospital six hours after we found her…..your tax dollars at work.

[Ozzy McKinney]

"your tax dollars at work"

Compared to many other current destinations for my tax dollars, helping some who is injured and afraid? I'm good with that.

We had a search and rescue operation on the "Little Mountain Trail" in a neighboring town. If you get off trail there, 100 yds in any direction leads to a road. And they weren't off the trail. Some people can turn anything into a "crisis" :P

[Dave T]

"…your tax dollars at work."

What a sad thing to say.

[Nick Larsen]

"Compared to many other current destinations for my tax dollars, helping some who is injured and afraid? I'm good with that."

Helping a criminal get out of a situation they put themselves in during their criminal activity. Not exactly where I would hope to be spending tax dollars…

Regarding the OP, agreed the "most dangerous" designation is kind of rediculous, but it does sound like an awesome spot. Get your morning excercise in, enjoy a nice beer for an early lunch, then enjoy the views on the way down. Doesn't sound like a bad way to start your Saturday, if you're not on the trail of course.

[Daniel Pittman]

"your tax dollars at work."

Oh yeah? Sounds like a better use of my tax dollar than paying for wars in Afghanistan, Syria, and who knows where else. And it's not like the money disappeared; it was spent in the US to pay wages to US workers and buy products made and sold here. I understand your point of view may be skewed because you live near the border, but your comment was insensitive and short-sighted.

[Charles Grier]

"she fell in the dark and smashed her head and face and broke her left leg in two places and her left ankle and her right knee. It took fifteen very brave, skilled men from border patrol and SAR to get her out to the hospital six hours after we found her…..your tax dollars at work."

Good Lord, what were they thinking! This was probably a hardened criminal and a likely terrorist. They should have just shot her and left her body to rot as a warning to any others who might think of making an illegal border crossing. Wait! Did I say shoot her? Hell, us taxpayers would have to pay for that ammunition with our taxes. Should have just let her writhe in pain until she died. We certainly would not want anyone to think of Americans as being even slightly compassionate would we?

[Art …]

Vancouver sounds like a dangerous place.

[Anonymous]

"Last month hubby and I found an illegal with two broken legs in the most rugged part of our mountains, she fell in the dark and smashed her head and face and broke her left leg in two places and her left ankle and her right knee. It took fifteen very brave, skilled men from border patrol and SAR to get her out to the hospital six hours after we found her….."

It also took a pretty brave, and desperate, woman to attempt that route in the first place.

"your tax dollars at work."

If you feel that way, why did you even bother to call SAR when you could have just left her there and saved a few of YOUR tax dollars. What the he!!, she was just another illegal anyway. As for my tax dollars, I'm delighted to see a few of them go to save a fellow human being rather than bring death and destruction to innocent people in other parts of the world.

[BlackHatGuy]

I should know better. Sorry.

[Jason Elsworth]

Can this go to chaff or a special Eric C forum please.

[Nick Larsen]

"If you feel that way, why did you even bother to call SAR when you could have just left her there and saved a few of YOUR tax dollars. What the he!!, she was just another illegal anyway. "

Because it's what any decent human being would do. Doesn't mean you have to like it. Like giving medical aid to prisoners of war. Just because I was trying to kill you a second ago, doesn't mean I won't tend your wounds now that you're no longer a threat. I know, it's a hard idea for some people to understand.

Oh, the ever flawed Native American analogy… Europeans came and conquered a land and took it from the natives. It's happened to every continent and country on this earth, boohoo, cry me a river.
If Mexico attacked us and won, hey, that's how it goes now we have to live by their rules. But that is not what is happening. People are breaking the law, AKA criminals, by coming here, then the average citizen has to pay out of pocket for all the things related to an illegal being here.
Not in anyway similar to being attacked and overthrown by another group of people. Unless of course you compare it with our initial insinuation that we would live peacefully together, then turned on the natives. Then it sounds REAL similar. Have we not learned our lesson from our own history?

But I digress, this is so fatmr off topic now, it'll end up deleted.

[Kattt]

"If Mexico attacked us and won, hey, that's how it goes now we have to live by their rules. But that is not what is happening. People are breaking the law, AKA criminals, by coming here, then the average citizen has to pay out of pocket for all the things related to an illegal being here,
Not in anyway similar to being attacked and overthrown by another group of people."

"Criminals"for crossing the border to go work where the resources are?
Our southern border is the only 1st and 3rd world border and people will move.
Breaking a law is enough to make you a criminal now? Next comes dehumanizing; merely referring to these people as illegals or criminals is getting close to that. After dehumanizing comes permission to do whatever you want to them.

Nothing learned from history.

[Dave T]

"to a special Eric C forum please…"

I love this idea.

That way every time I need to find a random "a person got lost in the woods and rescued" article from somewhere on the internets, or need a daily dose of "hawt girl in MEC puffay beats one in dead bird!" or a string of posts saying "BPL spreadsheet hikers don't use all that shiny gear anyway" I would have it all there in front of me.

Best idea of the week.

[Ken Thompson]

+1 bet yr ass

[Nick Larsen]

"Breaking a law is enough to make you a criminal now?"

Lol. Amazing, just amazing…
This my friends, is exactly why our country is heading downhill so fast.

Here, let me spell it out for you:

Main Entry: criminal
Function: noun
Date: circa 1626
1 : one who has committed a crime 2 : a person who has been convicted of a crime

Main Entry: crime
Function: noun
1. An act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it and for which punishment is imposed upon conviction.
2. Unlawful activity: statistics relating to violent crime.

Yes, 'cause we routinely abuse our prisoners… free food, housing, cable TV, gym, oh the humanity! /end sarcasm

Calling someone who breaks the law, a criminal, is not dehumanizing, as only humans can make and break laws.
And no, we will not just do what we want with them. We will do what the law says we should do with them.

Some people.

[Kattt]

Yes,
People like me are the reason this country is going down hill so fast.

Laws……like those that had people sit on the back of the bus, or not be able to vote?

Thank goodness for some criminals that had it in them to show us all how some laws are just plain wrong.

[Dave T]

Looks like one more entry for the "Do Not Hike With" list.

[Ryan Smith]

Not trying to pick on you Dave, but I think that stance is more of what is wrong with this country than illegal immigrants or being compassionate for those from another country. Two parties disagree on something so therefore we cannot be friends or be civil to one another? Everyone is entitled to an opinion and someone's opinion rarely makes them a bad person. There is too much of that on both sides of several issues now days, such as immigration and gay marriage rights. Love thy neighbor! I promise it is much less stressful if you do.

Ryan

[Ken Thompson]

only one?

[Kattt]

I think you'll find me on the "criminals" list. Ken, you might be on there too.

[Ken Thompson]

It's a fun crowd and good company. All the good stories.

[spelt with a t]

Agreeing to disagree on the existence of their humanity might not seem mutually beneficial to the dehumanized. I can't imagine why, though.

[Author]

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