The West Lion: Hard
Details
Quite difficult and challenging day, but doable for those with relative fitness and hike experience (not including the final scramble up the summit). 3-4L of water is recommended per person. No water sources at all. The scramble is quite hard and requires you to use the supplied ropes to abseil/climb down mini cliffs a few times. You need to be able to pull yourself back up. There are a few very exposed sections of rock to climb up. Apart from that, ensure you take your time going up and if you’re at all tired or sore, I would not attempt the summit at all, it’s quite sketchy and you need your wits about you.
This is a tough one among the popular hikes in Vancouver area. The hike stats look reasonable, but the multiple steep rope-assisted climbs make it very tiring. It takes some people over 10 hours (moving time plus breaks). Make sure to budget extra time and start early. There are no water sources at all and some people run out of water on the way back.
*Class 1-2 Scrambling, Class 3-5 Scrambling up The Lion *Optional
*There are ropes to climb and descend
Difficulty, Distance, and Elevation:
Hard, 18.2km trail (out and back), 1408 meters of elevation gain
Meeting At: Cypress Creek Lodge (at the back closer to the trails)
Parking: Yes
Transit Access: No
Carpool List: (accessible on a PC, or on a phone with MS Excel or Google Sheets)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q7-JafT1IIW3HnfbUkRhgjhY8gULYLcYAst_V3IH_5c/edit?usp=sharing
Recommended Gear:
- Hiking Boots or Hiking Shoes
- Hiking Pack + 8-10 bottles of water (4-5 liters) + Lunch + Snacks + 2nd Lunch + 2nd Snacks
- (If raining) Rain Jacket
- (Optional: if sunny) Sun Glasses, Sun Screen, and Hat
The West Lion: Hard