Forms of personal identification accepted in Vancouver: Driver鈥檚 Licence, Social Insurance Number, Library Card, and Grouse Grind Time.
The Grouse Grind. A 2.9 kilometer, outdoor staircase taking you 853 meters straight up the face of Grouse Mountain.
By no stretch of the imagination is it scenic or gentle. It is gruelling, steep, takes a lot longer than you think, and there is no view what so ever until you get to the top.
It is a rite of passage for us Vancouverites and recently my husband and I decided to introduce our kids to this iconic fitness challenge. Why would two reasonable adults think it a good idea to take three children under the age of 10 on a trail known as The Grind?
To be fair, we had been doing some hiking with the kids previous to their first Grouse Grind experience. There are plenty of beautiful, less strenuous trails on the North Shore and we have done many of them as a family. We felt the timing was right. It was a beautiful day and for once, there was no baseball game or practice to rush back for.
We loaded up our packs with trail mix that included Smarties, Skittles and gummy bears -- otherwise known in the family hiking community as a bribe. We set our expectations low (there would be no personal best times today) and headed off.
Despite warning our young charges to stop running, stop doing parkour moves, and stop bugging your sister, our first break came approximately four minutes and 30 seconds into the hike. We had barely reached the official trail head.
The kids were already wondering how far until we reached the top.
We took a moment to consider our options. Turn back now or strategize and climb all the 2,830 steps -- right here, right now?
We chose the latter. My husband went ahead with the boys, as I and my daughter moved at a slower yet steady pace.
Eventually, my daughter and I met up with the boys on the sunny rock at the summit. We were only 20 minutes behind, and my sons cheered their sister as she arrived at the top.
There were loads of happy hikers. Young and old. Sweaty and tired. Every single one had a bit of a smile on their face, even the super-serious, fast grinders. I could sense the pride my kids felt being among these 鈥渟ummit seekers.鈥�
So why bother? Why bribe the kids to do this hike in particular? Why did this feel so important?
For us, the Grouse Grind marked a turning point for our family fitness routine. Finally, we could do something together that was challenging for all of us. The kids can now stop fighting about who looked at whom the wrong way and they can each take it out on the mountain.
It won鈥檛 be long before they start challenging their parent鈥檚 personal bests from years gone by, and it also gives us adults something to strive for. Don鈥檛 let the kids beat us!
It will be quite a few years until my kids get their driver鈥檚 licences, but they already have their Grouse Grind times to flaunt as Vancouverites.
Darnelle Moore is the co-founder of Eastside Fitness. She believes fitness is for every body. Reach her at
