From here we headed down to Granville Island where we did a bit of sightseeing and strolled around the water. Interesting area which is known for its arts and crafts markets among other things. More photos were taken as per usual.
We took in a bit more of downtown Vancouver after Granville Island.
It was approaching lunch time...so what better way to celebrate the middle of a day...than to go for Yum Cha. Aiming to try a better place than last weekend...the menu this place provided looked much better. The food was served in a timely fashion, but also not all served at once which was another positive. We ordered most of the classics and few new dishes to keep it interesting. Overall the food was very good and it provided for an enjoyable lunch.
From there we headed to Grouse Grind which is a challenging hiking trail. It is located on Grouse Mountain which is one of the North Shore Mountains of the Pacific Ranges in North Vancouver. The mountainous trail climbs 853 m over a distance of 2.9 km, with an average grade of 30 degrees.
With my lack of any real hiking experience in the past...I was a little unsure of how to tackle the climb initially...so I just started out by doing what I do best...walking! Now the thing with this hiking trail is that its a constant climb...there are no flat patches...no rest stops...just constant climbing...and i mean constant! I was barely 5 minutes in and I was already huffing and puffing and I was actually a little worried I wouldnt make it up to the top...until I past a few "fit-looking" people and they were blowing even more than me...so this gave me the confidence I needed to push harder!
Now there are four markers on the trail to mark the 1/4 marks. I reaached the first marker in 14 minutes. At this stage I was a bit concerned again since I was hoping to reach the top in under 50 minutes. But the good news came at the half way marker which I hit at the 24 minute mark...at this rate I was going to hit the top in under my target. But that was when I hit the 3rd quarter...probably the toughest in my limited opinion of the hike. Some very tough climbs ... but I reached the 3/4 mark at 36 minutes...I had 14 minutes to hit my target! One interesting thing in this stage was the fact that this was the only quarter where I had someone actually pass me. The whole way to this point I had been charging past other people, no worries...and no one had passed me...until this stage. Now you probably would be thinking that the kind of person who would pass me is some buff fit guy who has guns the size of tree trunks...but the reality was that the person who overtook me was actually a slim chinese guy...I would guess in his 50's. And I he didnt just pass me...he blazed away from me...leaving me in his dust!!
The last quarter was tough from a fatigue side of things...but again I pushed on ... no rest stops. I finally reached the top..looked at my timer and it read 46 minutes and 36 seconds! I took a well earned rest before heading down courtesy of the cable car they have up top...but this begs another question. There are signs all along the hike saying its prohibited to walk "down" the trail due to the dangerous nature of this. BUT...there is no other way down the mountain apart from taking the cable car...which is all fine...except for the fact you have to pay for it when you reach the top. So what happens if you hike up without taking any cash? You get up there and cant come down cos the only mode of transport down requires payment!! Im guessing you have to work in the kitchen for a while before they let you go down.
This was my last day in Vancouver before heading off to Toronto...so again I must say that I'm loving Canada..having an awesome time! But I must admit too that I miss something in Melbourne...but I will be back soon =)
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