Add this one to your bucket list! The Crunch is a challenging fitness trail that starts at the base of Westwood Plateau and climbs 2.2 km to the summit on Eagle Ridge Dr. You start by climbing a set of more than 400 stairs followed by an uphill hike. The entire loop takes approximately 1-1.5 hours to complete. The trail is open year round and is free of charge, also with free parking off Lansdowne Dr.
Insider Tip: Alex Bell is founder of the Coquitlam Crunch Diversity Challenge
For one, it’s accessible for nearly all levels of fitness. For an extremely intense workout, you can run or walk just the stairs as many times as possible. If you want an endurance workout, you can walk or run the entire length as many times as you want. Or, if you have fitness or mobility challenges, you can skip the stairs altogether and walk the more gentle slope to the top.
The Crunch is right in the city limits. There is no long drive out of the city. For people farther away you can get there by SkyTrain and a short bus ride. This makes it an all-weather trail as, even in winter, it can be accessed every day.
I like the wildlife and plant life along the trail that changes with the seasons. I have seen bears, owls, coyotes, rabbits, snakes, deer, raccoons, eagles, hawks, humming birds and numerous other birdlife.