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North Shore Rescued – A Multi Grind Story – June 2025

For the 3rd consecutive summer solstice, I am taking part in the Grouse Mountain Multi Grind Challenge with the goal of hiking up the Grouse Grind trail as many times as possible in 19 hours and fundraising for North Shore Rescue. Previously I completed 13 Grinds in 2023 and 17 in 2024, however this year I am just thankful that I will be able to complete 1 Grind let alone multiple after I was involved in a serious scrambling accident on September 30th, 2024. North Shore Rescue responded to my call for help and extracted me from the mountain. This is the story of what happened that day. 

Around 8:00am on the holiday Monday, the weather was clear and dry as I began hiking up from Lions Bay. My plan was to complete a loop of 4 peaks: Mount Harvey, East Lion, West Lion, and Unnecessary Mountain. I had previously summited 3 of these peaks numerous times, however the East Lion was still on my peak bagging list. There is a common route up the West Lion, but the East Lion is rarely attempted. I estimated this loop would take about 12 hours, which was similar to a loop I had completed a few weeks prior in Squamish where I summited Mount Habrich, Sky Pilot, Copilot, and Goat Ridge. I was feeling very confident in my technical abilities and fitness level after a successful summer race season where I set new personal records on the Grind and completed my first ultra marathon (Knee Knacker). I was carrying only a small running pack with food and water in order to minimize weight and move quickly. 

I opted to try a scramble route up Mount Harvey called the North Ramp. It required some trial and error navigation and took longer than anticipated. Eventually I reached the summit, and then continued along the Howe Sound Crest Trail towards the Lions until I reached the turn-off point for the East Lion. There is no actual trail here, but I had done my research and followed a GPX track around to the base of the East Lion on the east side where the known scramble route begins. The initial scramble was steep and exposed, followed by “The Great Thrash” of bushwacking with no obvious route markings. As I moved upwards, I could feel the element of danger increasing, and the track was difficult to follow on the steep slope. It seemed there was no clear route, only a few old ropes that led straight into thick vegetation. My stubbornness persisted and I eventually made it to the top, although my energy was depleting due to the fact I had done 9 Grinds the day before in pursuit of an elevation goal for the year. 

It was now about 1:00pm and I knew I had to keep moving in order to complete my loop, so after a quick snack and some photos I began the descent. It was equally difficult to find my way down despite my best efforts to retrace my steps. Slowly but surely I made it about half way down the face, but the series of ledges and vegetation made everything feel like a dead end. I became frustrated and impatient as I paced back and forth looking for a way down. Ultimately I decided to push through a heavy bushwhack and out onto an exposed section of rock. The next ledge of vegetation was a few metres below. I turned around to face the rock and lowered myself down. I soon realized that the footholds and handholds were not adequate, and part of the rock had moisture leaching from vegetation. As I attempted to reposition, my foot slipped and I wasn’t able to catch myself. The last thing I remember is trying to grab a branch but it slipped through my hand. 

I woke up with blood on the leaves directly in front of me. I was slumped in a bush as I came to my senses about what had just happened. My vision was blurry, ears ringing, and I was spitting out blood with bits of teeth. Surprisingly I wasn’t in much pain as the adrenaline kicked in and my body went into survival mode. I looked for the source of the bleeding and found a gash on my upper lip, and a larger gash on top of my head. My neck was very stiff, but I had full control of my limbs. I tried to stand up, but only lasted for a few seconds before the dizziness got to me. Using timestamps from my photos, I figured that I had been knocked unconscious for about 10 to 20 minutes. I realized that I was in no position to continue the down-climb with an apparent head injury. Despite losing my sunglasses and headphones, I miraculously still had my phone with full service. I placed the call to 911 who relayed it to NSR, as I had seen done in the Search and Rescue TV Series. The NSR dispatcher contacted me to confirm my location and injuries, and then all I could do was wait. 

Luckily the weather was slightly overcast and there was plenty of daylight ahead. I repositioned myself to a more open area so I could be seen by the helicopter. I had a spectacular view of Capilano Lake, Grouse Mountain, and Cap Gate where I knew the rescuers would be convening. The wait became excruciating as the adrenaline wore off, but then to my relief I heard the sound of the helicopter approaching, less than 2 hours after I had placed the initial call to 911. The helicopter spotted me and moved in close overhead, which created an incredible amount of downdraft and noise. They lowered two rescuers (including an ER doctor) plus an aerial rescue platform (ARP). Everyone and everything had to be anchored, which was challenging given the steep slope. The helicopter circled while they bandaged my head and secured my neck with a brace, and then I crab-walked into the ARP. The helicopter returned for the extraction and hoisted us up, then we made the short flight back to Cap Gate. I was transferred to the waiting ambulance, which took me to Lions Gate Hospital where my family was waiting. After being assessed at the hospital, I learned that none of my injuries would be life altering, and that I would likely make a full recovery over the next few months. I had suffered a brain contusion, concussion, 2 broken neck bones (spinous process), broken nose, 2 broken ribs, skin abrasions, and wounds to the top of my head and upper lip requiring stitches. Despite the injuries to my face, I managed to devour a pizza delivery which curbed my hunger after a long day. I was well taken care of by the doctors and nurses at the hospital where I spent the night before returning home the next day. 

I missed 3 months of work while I rested and recovered at home. Everything healed well, except to this day I am still dealing with some symptoms of post-concussion syndrome (PCS) which will keep healing over time. I was very fortunate that I could return to low-impact hiking at Grouse Mountain just 2 weeks after the accident, which significantly helped me mentally and physically throughout the healing process. 

There were a lot of takeaways from this experience. I was overconfident and developed the “it won’t happen to me” attitude. I was too minimalistic and should have been carrying all of the essentials, including backup communication and first aid supplies. I should have been wearing a helmet for risky scrambling even if there were minimal rockfall hazards. I should have gone with someone experienced with the route (or lack thereof). I shouldn’t have fatigued my legs by doing an excessive amount of Grinds the day before. I should have started earlier to avoid feeling rushed. I won’t let this accident stop me from continuing to push myself and fulfill my passion for exploration, but I will be more careful next time. Don’t pick a fight with a Lion! 

In preparation for the Multi Grind Challenge, I have been frequenting Grouse Mountain and Sea to Sky Gondola to ramp up my vertical training as much as my head allows me to. Recently I surpassed 1200 lifetime ascents of Grouse Mountain. The Multi Grind Challenge is really the perfect event for me this year, and I am excited to see what is possible with the new Blue Gondola in action. 

I would ask that you please consider donating any amount to North Shore Rescue. I now have first-hand experience of how tirelessly these volunteers work to keep our mountains safe, and I am so appreciative that they were there for me when I needed them the most. They do not charge for rescues and rely on donations for their operations. Thank you for the support, and I will give it my all on June 20th. 

CBC News article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/shrubs-save-climber-1.7336964

North Shore Rescue task debrief: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1End5zyy1U/

North Shore Rescue website: www.northshorerescue.com/

Grouse Grind info: www.grousemountain.com/grousegrind