Grouse Grind record tied, not broken
Colin Pither is raising money for BC Children's Hospital
A 24-year-old man trying to break the record of Grouse Grind ascents in one day was forced to abort his grueling hike yesterday, settling for a tie.
Colin Pither spent 22 hours climbing the Grouse Grind — a popular three-kilometre trail located on the steep and wooded slope of Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver — and had hoped to set a new record of 16 ascents in a single day.
Last night, he managed to tie the existing world record of 15 climbs before his body gave out.
Trail Facts
Length: 2.9 kilometres
Elevation Gain: 853 metres
Base: 274 metres above sea level
Summit: 1,127 metres
Total Stairs: 2,830
"I was dehydrated, I was shivering, hypothermic, I just couldn't do it," Pither told CBC News. "My knees are seized up, my ankles are seized up, I'm destroyed."
The effort raised $1,800 for BC Children's Hospital, where Pither often visited as a child suffering from severe asthma.
"I had quite a few health problems when I was little and BC Children’s was really good. They helped me get over a lot of things and overcome a lot of barriers," he said.
"When I was little, no one would have thought I would have been able to do something like this."
Pither said he was determined to break the Grouse Grind record, but would have to spend a few weeks recovering before he made another attempt.
Every year, more than 100,000 people hike the Grouse Grind trail.
On average, it takes up to an hour and a half to complete the hike. For novice hikers, two hours is recommended.