One of the things Grindaholic hopes to achieve in 2018 (and beyond) is to inspire people to push their limits in outdoor adventures outside of hiking.
Yes, the brand was born from a love of hiking, with the Grouse Grind being ground zero. But the concept of Grindaholic can apply to a wide variety of other activities and adventures that take place in the great outdoors. And guess what? You’ll find that by expanding your horizons, the benefits will come back full circle and end up helping you become a better hiker, and all-around Grindaholic.
Now here’s some even better news. By being an avid hiker, you’ve already got a head start over an average Joe or Jane who has aspirations to become hardcore enthusiasts in any given outdoor activity.
Today, we detail a some of our favorite outdoor “sports” where having a pedigree in hiking will serve you well. Perhaps in identifying them, you will be encouraged to give them a shot. Alternatively, those of you who are not already hikers but in fact participate in the activities below may start hiking to improve performance.
FOUR OUTDOOR SPORTS AND ADVENTURES THAT CROSSOVER WELL WITH HIKING
ROCK CLIMBING
This one is obvious. Rock climbing is essentially an evolution of hiking. There are some pretty challenging hikes around BC where elements of rock climbing can be found at the vertical sections of trails (i.e. Stawamus Chief). Both call upon the development of advanced breathing techniques at higher elevations, and incorporate many of the same muscle groups, and require a similar level of fitness. If you’re a hardcore hiker and looking to elevate your game, it may be time to scale that big ol’ chunk of granite you’ve been passing by over the years.
SNOWBOARDING / SKIING
Once again we see where being acclimatized to high elevations as a hiker can serve you well elsewhere. Snowboarding and skiing will have you navigating down some serious peaks, and your cardiovascular fitness will be well primed for it. In addition, you will have better knowledge of mountainous terrain, and if you end up snowboarding in the same region you hike (i.e. Grouse Mountain), you will know your way around a lot better, and have less to be worried about should your board/skis inadvertently take you out of bounds.
Then of course there is the culture. One look at the apres ski scene around the local lodge and you’ll see boarders, skiers, and hikers alike sharing stories (and a few pints!) from the day’s adventures.
SURFING
The crossover appeal here may not be as transparent, but it’s actually quite strong. Surfers travel the world to surf new and uncrowded waves. Hikers travel the world to trek through new and uncrowded trails. But there’s more than a shared spirit of globetrotting adventure.
Many of the world’s best surf spots require quite a bit of effort to get to. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not all coastal highway access. In fact, backcountry surfing (as it’s affectionately known to some) is appealing to many core surfers as they know most people won’t go through the effort, which equates an empty saltwater lineup upon arrival. Some people don’t want to navigate through one to two hours of forest or jungle when the waves may not be great on any given day. But for the truly adventurous hiker-surfer, the journey can be the destination.
There are some amazing hike-to-surf spots up and down the North American west coast, from Northern BC, up through Washington State (i.e. Shi-Shi beach), into the sea cliff laden coastline of Oregon, and into Northern California. We won’t be naming any of these secret spots (although Shi-Shi is fair game) as trying to figure it out on your own is a big part of the fun.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
We are grateful for all of our followers who send us photos while wearing Grindaholic gear on their hikes! Now we want to call on all of you to remember to bring your Grindaholic shirt with you on your climbs, powder sessions, surf trips, mountain biking adventures, and whatever else it is you do, from skydiving to base jumping and beyond. Simply share your photos at @vangrindaholic on Instagram and/or email them to us directly here.
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