The West Lion via Howe Sound Crest Trail: Hard
Details
Quite difficult and challenging day, but doable for those with relative fitness and hiking experience (not including the final scramble up the summit). 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 overall, Class 3-4 Scrambling up The Lion *Optional
*There are ropes to climb and descend, though most of the Class 3-4 scrambling will be done without ropes
*In the event of rain, we will not be climbing up The West Lion
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 (Park in parking lot 3B. After 6pm, parking lots 1A, 1, and 2 are closed down, and you won't be able to drive out when the gates are closed)
Transit Access: No
Carpool List: (Accessible on PC, or on phone with MS Excel or Google Sheets)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DZLx1k-_kATaziqtxnxe5ED210J-qs4Ap2Fe2NOzYqo/edit?usp=sharing
Recommended Gear:
- Hiking Boots or Hiking Shoes
- Hiking Pack or Backpack
- 5-6 or more liters of water + Lunch + Snacks + 2nd Lunch + 2nd Snacks
- (Optional, if sunny) Sun Glasses, Sun Screen, and Hat
- (If raining): Rain Jacket
- (Optional, if raining): Waterproof Pack Cover, Rainpants
- Headlamp + Spare Set of Batteries + Fully Charged Cellphone