Grouse Grind record tied, not broken

A 24-year-old man trying to break the record of Grouse Grind ascents inone day was forced to abort his grueling hike yesterday, settling for a tie.

Colin Pither spent 22 hours climbing the Grouse Grind a popular three-kilometre trail located on the steep and wooded slope of Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver and had hoped to set a new record of 16 ascents in a single day.

Last night, he managed to tie the existing world record of 15 climbs before his body gave out.

"I was dehydrated, I was shivering, hypothermic, I just couldn't do it," Pither told CBC News. "My knees are seized up, my ankles are seized up, I'm destroyed."

The effort raised $1,800 for BC Children's Hospital, where Pither often visited as a child suffering from severe asthma.

"I had quite a few health problems when I was little and BC Childrens was really good. They helped me get over a lot of things and overcome a lot of barriers," he said.

"When I was little, no one would have thought I would have been able to do something like this."

Pither said he was determined to break the Grouse Grind record, but would have to spend a few weeks recovering before he made another attempt.

Every year, more than100,000 people hike the Grouse Grind trail.

On average, it takes up to an hour and a half to complete the hike. For novice hikers, two hours is recommended.