The Ideal Summer Thrill Seeking day from Vancouver
So, you want to get the adrenaline pumping? Thankfully, the natural beauty that surrounds Vancouver is ideal for the best thrill seeking fun in the World. This is the perfect, almost impossible, jam packed day, filled with wildly different activities so you can get your adventure fix! Perhaps we’ve tried to pack to much into one day, but if you’re a true thrill seeker part of the fun will be trying to complete it all! Some the activities we suggest are truly life endangering, and so please be responsible…
Photo credit: photodreamz | Flickr
7am – 9:30am: Kiteboarding from Jericho Beach
Get your kiteboard out (or rent one the night before), drive down to Jericho Beach, and hit the water. There are few better ways to start the day than getting a little salt in your hair and enjoying a few deep breaths of the fresh sea air! The water might be a little chilly, but that part of the thrill, right? The setting is something few other places in world could complete with… The city to your east, the steep Howe Sound mountains to the north, and the biggest in ocean on the planet to the west. Enjoy the water, and when you are ready, head back to the beach and jump in the car. We’re just getting started!
10:00am – 1pm: Grouse Mountain Ziplining and Paragliding
Grouse mountain is the stage for the next two activities. First is a mountain jumping Zipline tour at heights of 200ft. For 2 hours, along 5 separate ziplines you’ll zoom through the Rainforest at adrenaline-pumping speeds up to 80km/hr! You can even make your journey up to grouse mountain a little more exhilarating by riding the top of the gondola up there, the resident grizzly bears are pretty cool too but don’t jump in their den or you’ll miss the next stop of the day! Be sure to take a moment to soak up the phenomenal views of the city.
After the ziplining, head back up the gondola and head to the flight centre for paragliding. Paragliding this close to an urban centre is one of the most unique experiences in the world, let alone a skyline as beautiful as Vancouver’s. Expect to hit a thermal vent and rocket up into the sky, or your instructor may surprise you with a downward spiral…. This one is not for the faint hearted!
1:30PM – 3:30PM: Lions Bay Cliff Jumping
From Grouse Mountain you’ll need to head onto the aptly named Sea-to-sky Highway to Lions Bay, this shouldn’t take you more than half an hour or so. Park just off the highway at the Kelvin Grove exit and walk south along the railway until you reach the unmissable cliffs. These cliffs are the best I’ve ever seen, partly due to the incredible vistas but more because there’s are enough cliff tops for everyone to set up a home base and a spot to tan. Heights vary from the huge (and quite frankly ridiculous) 15m rope swing, down all the way to sea level for kids. Maybe take 5 to eat a sandwich or two and figure out who in your group is the biggest chicken! If the sun’s shining there’s a chance you’ll get stuck here into the late evening, but we’ve got to get moving after a few hours and make tracks for the Cheakamus River.
5:00PM – 6:00PM: Whistler Bungee Jump
The last challenge is found just after the turn off to Garibaldi Park at Whistler’s Bungee Bridge. No matter how many times I bungee jump, the few minutes before jumping and that moment when you’re staring at the gorge below are the most terrifying. Thankfully there’s an inch-wide cord that eventually pings you back toward the sky but those few seconds of slight uncertainty, when you feel that the rope may not pull you back, are thoroughly thrilling.
7:00PM – late…: Pitch your tent and tell ghost stories around a fire
A good day adventuring in B.C. would not be complete without a night camping in a tent by a campfire (be sure to check the B.C. fire advisory before striking a match). If you’re not all thrilled out after your chock-a-block day of adventures then crack open a few cold ones, get creative, and share the most horrifying ghost stories you know. After a long day of exhilarating fun, I’d be surprised if you’re not desperate for some shut-eye, but sleep preventing stories are the goal here! There’s loads of awesome campgrounds in and around Whistler, but my personal favourite is the more isolated Cal-Cheak campsite. You’ll be arriving late in the evening so be sure to book at least a week or two in advance.
Our ultimate adventure day will test your mettle. We’d love to hear from anyone who attempts or succeeds in completing this challenge. If you do start the challenge, be sure to film it and tag us. There will be a special prize for anyone that does! Be sure to comment any activities we could add or, better yet, submit your own thrill seeking 24hr challenge and we’ll share it with the world!
