Brunswick Mountain
Brunswick Mountain, standing at 1,788 meters, is the tallest peak on the north shore of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Trail is a round-trip 14.3 km, elevation gain 1,546 meters trail.
Standing on the tallest peak of the north shore, you have 360 degree view of all the nearby mountains and landmarks on a clear day. You can see mountains like the lions , Harvey, Hat, Hanover, Howe sound, some lakes and some other mountains that I can’t even name.
The trail shares the same parking lot and the first 2 km with the other trails in the region, like West Lion, Mount Harvey and Tunnel Bluffs. Talking about West Lion, it is a good test for your readiness for Brunswick Mountain if you can comfortably hike the West Lion trail. That is because Brunswick is a little bit taller than West Lion even though they share some of the trail. Elevation gain for West Lion from the same trail head is 1,439 m. Remember that elevation gain for Brunswick is 1,546 m. Brunswick Mountain is more demanding in terms of your physical strength, your ability with scrambling and rock climbing. If you have a hard time hiking West Lion, it would be very tough to complete Brunswick.
The trail starts ascending right from the beginning and never end until you reach to the peak. Take your time to take breaks as often as you need. You will need the strength once you are close to the peak. There are 2 obstacles in the last 1 km or so of the trail. The first one is a very steep rocky hill that you need to climb, often on all four. This rocky hill is longer and steeper than those in West Lion, if you have been to West Lion. The second obstacle is a couple of narrow “no fall” ridges that lead you to the west peak and the east peak respectively. At the peak, you will be awarded with 360 degree view of surround mountains, ocean and landmarks as far as the eyes can see.
You will need a lot of water during your hike in the trail. I brought 2.5 L of water and consumed every drop of it.
Parking is a nightmare. The main parking lot, which is next to the trail head, only has 15 spots. You need to come before 7 AM on a busy weekend to have a good chance to park in the main parking lot. There are additional parking lots at least 500 meters (and up to 1 km) from the trail head. All of them are paid parking.
