Photo Credit: Clayton Perry Photoworks on Flickr
48 Hours in Vancouver is a weekly series appearing on Inside Vancouver featuring photos and information on interest-based itineraries such as food/wine, arts & culture and luxury travel; helping visitors plan the best Vancouver trip possible based on what they love. Today’s feature focuses on thrilling adventures for travelers who love to add a little spice to their vacations to make things interesting.
What You’ll Need for This Adventure:
• A vehicle (rented or your own)
• GPS/Map
• Surfboard/Kiteboard
• Snowboarding Gear/Clothing (Equipment can be rented on the mountain)
• Hiking Boots
• Warmer clothing for higher altitudes
• Mountain Bike
• Daredevil Attitude
Day One
Morning-8:00 am-11:00 am
Dust off your kiteboard or your surf board and push off the shores of Jericho Beach, located on the west side of Vancouver, only 10-15 minutes from downtown by car.
Unleash you inner adventurer as you take on big waves on your kiteboard or surfboard for three hours and beat the afternoon crowds. And for the cold water cowboys who want to do something different to make their vacations interesting, Jericho has even more to offer you.
Afternoon-12:00 pm-4:00 pm
Photo Credit: Clayton Perry Photoworks on Flickr
After a break for lunch on the beach, walk a little ways down Jericho until you arrive at the Ecomarine Paddlesport Centre. Kayaking not up to your expectations for doing something different on vacation? Why not give stand-up paddle boarding a try? Rent a paddleboard from the centre for 4 hours for a mere $49 or go for the daily rate of $79 and challenge yourself to stay upright while you’re paddling.
Watch the waves, they can sneak up on you before you know it and knock you off your board. Take a breather with this new sport before capping off Day One with a trip to the mountains.
Night-6:00 pm-10:00pm
Photo Credit: Cypress Mountain
In the evening, drive just over half an hour up to Cypress Mountain and challenge yourself by tackling new tricks in your snowboarding repertoire in all 4 of Cypress’s terrain parks.
Try out the 103 foot long box set up in the Patio Park, take the ramp up and try out a flip before landing on the air bag. Or take on the Bataelon Shore Front with the Comor Wall Ride in the District, Cypress’s main terrain park. Feel the adrenaline as you execute new tricks, master flips, twists and jumps and become a extreme snowboarder who thrives on learning the next big thing.
Day Two
Morning: 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Photo Credit: misiek2008 on Flickr
Tired of driving? Take a break and hop onto Grouse Mountain ’s free shuttle, available every half an hour at Canada Place. If you take the 9:00 am bus, you’ll be on Grouse Mountain in 25 minutes flat.
Warm up this morning by taking on one of Mother Nature’s toughest trails; the Grouse Grind. Avid hikers will endure 2.9 kilometers of rocky terrain with an elevation of 2,800 feet and over 2,800 stairs. Experts can take on the Grind in less than an hour, although an hour and a half is the average time. If you really want a challenge, see if you can beat the world record of 25 minutes and 1 second, set by Sebastian Salas in the 2010 BMO Grouse Grind Mountain Run.
Afternoon: 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
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After taking a break for lunch, get your blood pumping and heart racing again by taking on Grouse’s 3-Line Zipline Tour*. For $70, you can soar over 200 feet above the ground at 80 km/hour and experience jaw-dropping scenery of the skyline and old-growth forests as you whip by on the line. Take in the peaks of Grouse and Dam Mountains over 3 different ziplines. Rain or shine, you can strap yourself into the harness and feel the wind rushing past your face.
Once you’ve unstrapped yourself from the zipline and ready to leave, take Grouse’s free shuttle back downtown and be back in the heart of downtown Vancouver in 25 minutes.
*Book the zipline tour ahead of time by calling 604-980-9311
*Go to the base of the mountain 60 minutes prior to your scheduled time and proceed to the Flight Centre (located on the plateau) 15 minutes prior to your scheduled departure
Late Afternoon/Evening: 4:00 pm-6:00 pm
Photo Credit: Stanley XC Trail
Finish off your thrilling vacation in Vancouver by trying your hand at mountain biking in Stanley Park and challenge yourself by finishing the trail before dark. Named the Stanley Park XC Trail, you can take this trail from Prospect Point leading to the “Bridal path” gravel trail. Then you can take a ride when you reach “Rawlings Trail”, then a left onto “Thompson Trail. About 100m down “Thompson” Trail you will see a trail going off to the right. The trail is approximately 2 km long and takes approximately an hour to ride.
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If you happen to be spending 48 Hours in Vancouver in June, be sure you don’t miss signing up and competing in Tough Mudder Whistler ; a gritty no-holds barred team endurance obstacle course event featuring some of North America’s steepest slopes, toughest rocky terrain and perilous man-made formations.
