Last week a couple of good friends of mine told me that in preparation for their Mt Kilimanjaro climb this coming fall they are going to do regular hiking here around Vancouver and area. Their first major hike was The Lions. These are a couple of very large rock structures that resemble sitting lions when seen from the city of Vancouver. The bridge between Vancouver and North Vancouver bears their namesake (Lions Gate Bridge). The Lions are at about 1500m (5000ft) above sea level, and the start of the trek to reach them begins in the village of Lions Bay (BC, Canada). The return trip is about 15km. I recommend the guide book “103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia” for more details.
I did this trail a couple of times in the past, and my friends’ hike reminded me that I had some videos. My videos are from a September hike. Take a look at the approach to the Lions in my short video below (about 3 min):
This is a challenging hike, especially if you plan on climbing one of the Lions. The final approach to the base of the Lions is completely exposed. You will need to make your way over and around some large boulders, and in the summer it’s a sizzler! Bring plenty of water. The short video below (about 2 and a half min) shows what you can see when you reach the base of the Lions (spoiler alert!):
Take a look at some of my photos from the hike:
-
- Howe Sound, looking Southwest
-
- Lions Bay, below and behind the trees
-
- Looking Southeast, Capilano Lake, North Vancouver, and so on
-
- Looking West, Strait of Georgia
