
challenging
7 hours (total); 4–5 hours hiking
Requires strong aerobic fitness, good balance, and experience on sustained uphill trails.
A full-day Sea-to-Sky experience that pairs a steep 11 km, 600 m-elevation hike near Squamish with hands-on landscape photography instruction. Expect rugged forest, waterfall viewpoints, and an hour at the summit to compose shots and rest.
You step into the van before dawn, the city lights of Vancouver shrinking behind you as the Sea-to-Sky Highway opens like a promise. The drive north is part of the day: sharp coastal mountains rising on your left, the ocean on your right, and a guide who talks gear and composition as naturally as trail pace. By the time the parking pullout breathes out its last car, the forest has already claimed you — cedar trunks slick with moss, a brook daring you to cross, and a trail that angles up with purpose.

Bring 2–3 liters of water and sip frequently — the climb is sustained and you’ll lose fluids even in cool weather.
Wear stiff-soled hiking boots and use trekking poles for the steep ascent and technical descent to protect knees and ankles.
Carry charged batteries and at least one spare memory card; the summit hour is ideal for long exposures and panoramas.
Morning departures avoid crowds at viewpoints and offer cleaner light for photography; weather tends to build in the afternoon.
Squamish has long been a travel corridor and resource area for the Squamish Nation; logging and climbing shaped modern trails and access in the 20th century.
Stay on marked trails to protect fragile alpine plants; group sizes are limited and guides emphasize Leave No Trace and pack-in/pack-out practices.
Support and traction for steep, rooty, and rocky sections.
Reduce knee strain on descent and help with balance on uneven terrain.
Essential for the guided photography instruction and summit shots.
Sustained climbing causes steady fluid loss even in cool coastal climates.
summer specific