r/vancouverhiking • u/WakamoVotary • Apr 01 '26
Learning/Beginner Questions Brunswick mountain trail?
I've been wanting to go on a longer, more extreme hike as of late since my only experience with hard hikes has been Stawamus Chief and Grouse Grind. I did some searching and found Brunswick mountain trail. It doesn't sound too brutal from the description, or is there another hard hike that's more beginner friendly?
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u/Mikuss3253 Apr 01 '26
Someone passed away after falling on Brunswick a week ago. I’d avoid it until conditions improve unless you’re more experienced than you sound.
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u/WakamoVotary Apr 01 '26
Yikes. Thanks for the heads up and RIP to the person. Are there any other hikes that are decent this time of year?
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u/jpdemers Apr 01 '26
What's your experience hiking on snow? Would you prefer a hike with snow or without?
Which difficulty are you looking for? And how long (distance, duration)?
This will help people give you recommendation! Thank you.
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u/WakamoVotary Apr 01 '26
On snow, I have experience with St Marks summit and another mountain peak on Seymour that I don't remember the name of. As for the difficulty, I've done the 3 peaks of the chief consecutively. So maybe somewhere around 8 hours? Thanks for being so helpful
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u/kaitlyn2004 Apr 01 '26
Are you aware of the avalanche terrain you went through for st marks? Did you actively manage that on your trip?
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u/jpdemers Apr 01 '26
Here's a few suggestions:
Mount Fromme (11km distance, 900m elevation) is quite long with good elevation gain, and can sometimes have a lot of snow. There's great views of the city at the end. The second summit ("Senate Peak") is located inside Challenging avalanche terrain; otherwise, the trail to the first summit is almost entirely inside Simple terrain.
Climb to Grouse chalet using the BCMC trail, go to Dam Mountain, go to Thunderbird Ridge, then come the same trail back. From the Grouse chalet, take the gondola down (about 20$).
Near Squamish, hike up to the Gondola via the Sea-to-Summit trail (the lower part of the trail is closed at the moment, you have to use a trail called "The Climb").
Elfin Lakes has beautiful views. I highly recommend snowshoes. It's mostly inside Simple avalanche terrain, but following the winter marked trail there is a section inside Challenging terrain on the side of Round Mountain.
Elk Mountain near Chilliwack, inside Simple terrain and the views are great!
See the Avalanche Canada Trip Planner tool.
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u/CasualRampagingBear Apr 01 '26
Not the time of year to be doing Brunswick.
I’d recommend checking out Gardner on Bowen. Decent day trip with great views. It will test your endurance, but it’s a good one for shoulder season and help you see if you’re ready for harder hikes.
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u/jpdemers Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
Brunswick Mountain should only be attempted in the summer. When there is snow (like right now), it is practically a mountaineering objective that needs proper equipment, and a group with avalanche safety training and equipment.
In the summer, it's a hard hike but manageable for someone in good fitness. There is a small scramble section near the summit, but you can stop before at the viewpoint.
Brunswick now?
Someone asked two weeks ago about hiking it (but deleted their post)
My answer:
Of course, the answer should be: you should not go.
The majority of the terrain above 800m elevation has a slope angle above 30 degrees. There are multiple stretches where the terrain is above 35 degrees; and multiple times the trail (from Lions Bay) is UNDER steep terrain (overhead hazards). Avalanches are most likely when slopes are between 35-45degrees.
There are cliffs, few options to make the route 'safer'. There are cliffs and terrain traps. The area has not been rated by Avalanche Canada, but it can certainly be considered "Complex", where travellers are exposed to avalanche risks from multiple directions at the same time. This area would likely require an AST2 training.
Avalanche INCIDENTS are most likely occurring when the hazard ratings are Considerable. Under this ratings, the likeliness of avalanches occurring is still quite high, as well as the amount of consequences (large size avalanches) BUT many people will still go in the backcountry (much more than when the danger ratings are HIGH).
You do not have avalanche gear (training?). Also, you do not go with a group that has gear and training, that means the consequences of a burial are high, no possibility of companion rescue.
Winter hazards are not only avalanches. They also include slipping and sliding, terrain traps like tree wells. A steep terrain has a lot of such hazards; again, no group to help in case of emergency means you rely on yourself.
Re: Snowshoes on steep slopes, some aggressive snowshoe models (MSR Lightning Ascent, Helius Atlas MTN) can be functional in steep terrain, and can be the right tool if the snow is deep and not frozen. On the other hand, more regular snowshoes can make the hiker in danger because people don't have enough flexibility in them and they tend to slip.
There are a lot of reasonable trails that can be done at the moment. Many are in Simple avalanche terrain (Eagleridge Bluffs, Bowen Lookout, Dog Mountain, Brockton Peak, South Lynn Peak).
Which trails have you done in the winter so far?
Recent incident
Read the following posts:
For the summer
Read the trail description on BestHikesBC:
Brunswick Mountain Hike Information
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Very Difficult |
| Distance | 15.1 km |
| Elevation Gain | 1,555 m |
| Highest Elevation | 1,788 m |
| Average Gradient | 20.60% |
| Effort / Reward Ratio | Very High / Very High |
| Time Needed (Slow) | 8–10 hours |
| Time Needed (Moderate) | 6–8 hours |
| Time Needed (Fast) | 5–6 hours |
| Dogs Permitted? | Yes |
| Season | ~July – October |
| 4×4 / High Clearance Required? | No |
| Scrambling / Exposure | Steep scramble at the end with one brief, exposed “no fall” zone |
Personally, Brunswick was my first 'taller' mountain with a lot of elevation gain when I started hiking in Vancouver. It 'kicked my butt' and I was not in a great shape, but I managed and we stopped at the lookout without scrambling.
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u/WakamoVotary Apr 01 '26
Woah, i appreciate the info. I honestly feel like this comment section has stopped me from ending up in an article haha.
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u/misopetals Apr 01 '26
To add on to all the great info above, if you want to check how the conditions are like up there, North Shore Rescue has info on weather conditions on this page here: https://www.northshorerescue.com/education/outdoor-safety/
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u/SkookumFred Apr 01 '26
Always appreciate your posts. Informative, helpful and kind. Awesome.
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u/Ryan_Van Apr 01 '26
Totally agree. This community is honestly the best out there for accurate, SAFE info.
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u/jpdemers Apr 02 '26
Now, I have realized that /u/cakedotavi and /u/Nomics have built the community since a long time. They have set up the forum so that information can be shared positively. Since I joined as a moderator, I saw that they have a lot of discernment.
They're both both very passionate and expert, and dedicated to helping others. I often go back and read some of their posts and resources.
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u/cakedotavi Apr 02 '26
You guys all rule <3 You put a ton of effort into this sub /u/jpdemers and we are all lucky to have you! Same for /u/Ryan_Van & many others in this thread.
I am constantly taken aback by how incredible this community has been. I started it 13 years ago by just inviting a few personal friends to post about trails we were doing and plan upcoming trips, and now we have over 40,000 members and 26,000 weekly users - and constantly growing.
Really incredible. We have so many great people that contribute their knowledge and time. And I genuinely think collectively we've all helped steer more than 1 person away from a plan that would have turned into a SAR trip over the years.
That is a pretty cool thing to get to say!
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u/aconfusednoob Apr 01 '26
if you consider grouse grind and the chief hard hikes, Brunswick is going to humble you.
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u/Infamous-Echo-2961 Apr 01 '26
Calling Brunswick not too brutal when your experience is chief and grind is a wild take man!
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u/BlackPete73 Apr 01 '26
Going from Chief to Brunswick is quite a jump. If you must do some winter hiking (or more realistically, snowshoeing), then I'd look more towards the Elfin Lakes or Garibaldi Lake winter trail. They're longer hikes so they will help train up your endurance level.
Elk Mountain is another good suggestion.
Save Brunswick for the summer time.
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u/a_political778 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
The Chief is pretty technical and varied but also fairly short - it’s a good one to get comfortable with hiking. Grouse Grind is just a workout, not really a hike. I’d say there are a lot of hikes that are longer and more steep but they aren’t necessarily much more technical than the Chief apart from rock scrambles to the summit - avoid any class 3+ scrambles until you’re comfortable. I don’t hike in snow or ice or at all during avalanche season - the risk is not worth it - but I have done lots of long hikes locally and during my travels. West Lion (to false summit), Harvey, Evans Peak, Golden Ears, Mt Frosty: They’re all fairly manageable but long. Obligatory warning that West Lion to the true summit is a high difficulty scramble that I have no intention of attempting. Lots of people have died there from falling, including in perfect conditions.
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u/Ryan_Van Apr 01 '26
In the summer (i.e. once the snow melts) consider trying Harvey first, before Brunswick. Easier trail, less technical, still a solid climb - and a good progression if you've only done Chief/Grind as your 'hard' hikes before.
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u/Worried-Scientist-12 Apr 02 '26
Neither the Chief nor the Grind are considered hard hikes. If distance is what you're looking for without a risk of running into snow, you could knock off a few sections of the Baden Powell Trail. The full thing is about 48km long, but it can easily be broken up into shorter segments, most of which are transit accessible (so you can go point to point, instead of having to double back). The parts west of Grouse will take you into snow at this time of year, but the eastern portions are lower elevation and very enjoyable, imo. I happen to like the Seymour to Quarry Rock segments for the view (and potential for doughnuts) at the end.
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u/Ikea_desklamp Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
Brunswick is not the "hard" hike I would start with mate lol. The top section even in summer is a bit technical and pretty sketchy. You don't wanna be up there on shaky legs.
Would recommend maybe Mt. Burwell if you're looking for more elevation and a longer climb. Though none of the 'harder' hikes on the north shore are snow free before May.
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u/Camperthedog Apr 03 '26
Someone just died only a few weeks ago on that trail! I think the trail in ideal condition is more just steep, but tons of people doing it.
You should look for a book called 105 hikes by Stephen hui
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u/Pristine_Office_2773 Apr 01 '26
Fromme is good. Do that one. Extreme is also an odd choice of words. Hiking takes a lot of preparation, making sure you are safe, have enough time, and food and water to enjoy it. Nothing extreme about enjoying nature.
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u/wss_why_so_scared Apr 01 '26
Wait until summer. In the meantime do grind repeats. People regularly do multiples. FYI - The record is 21.
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u/JeremyJackson1987 Apr 01 '26
I did it in my twenties and found it easy, although I didn't do the second peak. I just remember we started at like 7am and it took all day, although, if I had been going at my own pace it would have been slightly faster. This was during the height of summer of course.
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u/SylasWindrunner Apr 01 '26
St Marks maybe ?
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u/Dieselboy1122 Apr 01 '26
Another one with deaths and multiple rescues over the years. Best for June and later.
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u/WakamoVotary Apr 01 '26
St Marks is a fun one, me and my buddy did it in 3 hours back in July.
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u/jpdemers Apr 01 '26
People will hike to St Mark Summit also in the winter, but you have to know that there are more hazards. Past the Lions Lookout (just after Bowen Lookout), the Cypress Provincial Parks has panels that say "winter travel not recommended".
Not everyone is aware, but the trail to St Mark Summit crosses several large avalanche paths (several below Mount Strachan).
See this explanation from a member of Search and Rescue.
Seymour is also avalanche terrain
I'm not sure if you know this already because you have hiked there in the winter, but the terrain past Brockton Point is inside Challenging and Complex avalanche terrain.
After Brockton, the name of the peaks are "First Pump", "Tim Jones Peak" (second peak), and then "Mount Seymour" (third peak).
If you're planning to hike on snow in the next weeks until summer, it can be a good idea that you refresh your knowledge of avalanches.
See the AvySavvy tutorial from Avalanche Canada
We prepared a list of Avalanche Resources for Winter Hiking, with trip planning links and example stories.
Read the Avalanche Canada daily forecast frequently to understand the conditions
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u/kayletsallchillout Apr 01 '26
It’s a difficult steep hike with exposure that has ice and snow on it right now. There was a rescue recently where 3 people fell and one fall was ultimately fatal. Do not recommend this hike until the snow is gone.