Looking for an adventure off the beaten track? Our one20percent ambassador Myriam Beauge shares one of her all-time favorite trail running routes on Vancouver’s north shore. This 24km+ loop has it all – old-growth forest, creek crossings, 600m+ of elevation gain, and the infamous “Stairs of Hell”. Seriously, what are you waiting for?
A veteran of multiple marathons and endurance trail races including the North Shore Knee Knacker and a trip to Chamonix to take on the Mont Blanc Marathon, Myriam is no stranger to endurance trail running. We checked in with her recently to find out what her training looks like at this time of year and where her “go to” local training loop takes her.
Myriam tells us that this is the time of year when she “re-sets the timer to zero” and starts building up endurance with base “shuffle-pace” trail runs. One of her favorite Vancouver routes is a 24km loop starting on the Diamond Trail off Lillooet Road in North Vancouver, just past the Capilano University parking lot. (Link to full route and elevation profile, below).
Myriam says this one is all about continuous running, with a few ups and downs, and just over 635m of elevation. In her words:
“From the Diamond trailhead, you run toward the Baden Powell, down to the 30′ pool and up the so-called “Stairs of Hell” to the Varley Trail. Then it’s onward along Lower Lynn Loop Trail, Cedar Mills to the Third Debris Chute, then the Headwaters Trail to and across the Norvan Falls bridge, and finally to the Hanes Valley turnoff. Then I just pivot and head back the same way I came. For added kilometers, I can tag on a loop after the Varley Trail and go up the Baden Powell to Fromme via Baden Powell and St. George’s, then head back down the road to the Baden Powell and Lynn Headwaters).
Besides the varying terrain and some fun creeks to cross, particularly when it’s pouring buckets, this route allows me to get into a nice sustainable rhythm. I’ve also found it to be a perfect route to meditate or listen to a podcast as I enjoy a solo run. Love it!
Myriam has put up a link to her full route, with elevation profile, on Gaia GPS: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/d4e0ca31-d287-4abe-a5ef-24d48190c1fc/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterMeters
We thank Myriam for sharing her favorite training run with us! Look for her at the WAM 55 start line next year and be sure to follow her adventures on IG @TheRunningScribe. Hope to see you out on the trails!