Squamish Hikes – Mount Crumpit

Squamish Hikes – Mount Crumpit

When you visit Squamish, there are some obvious hikes like the Chief or the Sea to Summit trail. But there are sooo many other fun (and easy) hikes nearby! Marc and I explored Mount Crumpit partly because we loved the idea of climbing something called Mount Crumpit(!) But also because Marc has been working soooo hard, that I wanted to find a hike that wouldn’t be too exhausting. This trail was perfect! There are some steep sections that provide a bit of a challenge, but it is not a huge amount of elevation gain, so not too hard. Plus, you can finish the hike in a few hours, grab a yummy pie from Golden Crust in Squamish and then relax all afternoon. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need a snack after thinking about crumpets all morning!

Although google maps, and my 105 Hikes book both spelled this “Mount Crumpit” The local signs mostly said “Mount Crumpet” So I guess either spelling is acceptable. However you spell it, I was dreaming about crumpets dripping with butter while we did this hike. Canada does not have enough crumpets.

Mount Crumpit trail map

Mount Crumpit – the basics:

Distance: 8 km (although I think our version was a bit less)
Elevation Gain:
 270m
Highest Point: 325m
Time:
 3-4 hours
What to bring: Walking boots. Plenty of water and food. We didn’t bring poles for this walk.
The 10 essentials.
Facilities: There aren’t any loos, so stop at the Chief or Shannon Falls to use the toilet before you get here.
How hard is it? 
The steep sections could be pretty slippy on a rainy day, but they don’t take long. As the whole walk is pretty short, it’s not very hard at all.
Parking:
Try to park in a way that doesn’t inconvenience the people who live on Cherry Drive, by Crumpit Woods. If there are lots of cars, there is a small car park, a little further down the road on Westway Avenue.
Extra tips:
– Lots of this walk follows cycle routes, so keep your eye out for them and move to the side of the path when mountain bikers zoom past. 
– This walk goes in a loop, but make sure you climb Mount Crumpit near the start of your walk, rather than finishing with it. We met a few hikers who had been lost on the bike trails for a couple of hours before they could find the path to the mountain, so they had to climb in the heat of the midday sun, just as we were relaxing into our return journey through Crumpit woods. Just follow the directions in the 105 hikes book and you’ll be fine.

Summer Flowers

This hike starts by heading straight into Crumpit Woods, but then you soon reach a path along a clearing called the “flicker pass.” As there is plenty of sun and grass along this section, we got to see loads of colourful flowers.

Who names cycle paths!?

Whenever you see maps of cycle routes in BC, they choose some really interesting names! Our path started on the “S&M connector”, then quickly went off to “Deep Ends.” Those aren’t too strange, but later in the walk we went past routes called “Sweeter the Barry,” Spencer’s Big Gay Ride” as well as “Three Virgins.” I guess mountain bikers like raunchy-sounding trails!? They might also like hairy things as I spotted a “Hairy Barry” and a “Hairy Bomber”. There was also a “Farside”, a “Fatherside”, a “Lost loop” and a “Really Lost loop” These all made me smile.

Anyway, as soon as you step onto the Deep Ends trail, the path heads uphill quite steeply. We soon found ourselves scrambling up rock faces and using tree roots to help gain our footing. It was really fun! There are quite a few places where you can look out to the surrounding valleys and mountains. You don’t have to wait for the top for a view!

I loved the way so many of the rocks were covered in fluffy moss. There was one gorgeous view point that looked up to a moss-covered cliff. You can see the way up Mount Co-Crumpit.

Mount Crumpit’s silence

The little residential area below is where we parked. We were also treated to a gorgeous view of the Stawamus Chief (it’s only a few minutes away by car.) However, unlike the hike up the Chief, this walk was really quiet. At this point, we had only encountered one trail runner. We did meet a couple of groups of hikers later, but this trail seems very empty if you are used to the more popular BC trails!

The views from the top of Mount Co-Crumpet are not that amazing, as the summit is hidden in the trees. You then have to descend quite a long way, before heading back up the “Stairway to Heaven” path. This section was so steep that it was quite hard to stop and catch your breath! I mean, standing still can be quite difficult when the gradient is so steep!

Mount Crumpit View Points

After one of the stairway to heaven steep sections, we found this amazing view-point. This rock drops off with an almost vertically into the woods below. As long as you don’t fall, the views are gorgeous.

The viewpoint also has excellent views of the Sky Pilot Mountain (that awesome looking pointy peak) as well as the Chief.

Keep going!

Despite the views, that wasn’t the top! We climbed over a busy log – there are both flying ants and walking ants all hard at work when we walked past! It’s easy to miss these cool mini ecosystems, so keep your eyes peeled. There are some lovely views over to the Tantalus range of mountains too.

There were a couple of different view points at the top if Mount Crumpit. First we took the path to the left (there is a sign saying this is the North Face.) This gave us a lovely view of Mount Garibaldi. However, we decided to have lunch on the South Face, as the views were even more impressive.

Steep Descent

So, the way down Mount Crumpit might not be fun if you are scared of heights! The views are fantastic, but look how blooming steep it is!? I climbed down sitting on my bottom to stay safe! I imagine this would be really slippery on a soggy day, so be careful!

Crumpit Woods

Once you are down from the steepest section, the rest of the walk is really easy and pleasant. Crumpit woods are lush and green, but the trees allow sufficient light to allow flowers and ferns to rule the forest floor.

We followed the “Woodpecker” trail, followed by the “Fatherside” trail. We meant to take a long route back to the car, but we accidentally turned back on to the “S&M connector”. So we found ourselves on the home stretch a little earlier than we originally intended. (Oops!) It is really easy to get lost on the cycle trails, even if you have a map. I did have enough phone signal here to work out our location on googlemaps.

Despite finishing a little early, I really enjoyed this walk. Especially because it was so quiet and relaxing. If you fancy an easy hike with gorgeous views near Squamish, this is a really good option.

We actually started our day by visiting the amazing Shannon Falls. If you do this hike in spring or early summer, I totally recommend dropping by to see that too, as it was amaaaazing.

If you liked the sound of hiking and crumpets, pin away! 🙂

  

37 thoughts on “Squamish Hikes – Mount Crumpit

  1. I’ve just had my breakfast but reading this has me craving a toasted crumpet! I’ve yet to try out this hike but that’s a great view of the Chief.

    1. It’s a good one to save for a day when you’re feeling lazy (it’s much easier than the photos of walks you have posted recently!!)

      Do you know anywhere that you can buy crumpets here? I asked in cobbs bakery but they had no idea. 🙁 Marc tried making them, and they were good…but not quite as holey or thick as the crumpets back home!

      1. We’ll save it for one of those days – we’re not always into tough hikes 🙂 Sometimes you just need an excuse to get outside.

        We’ve occasionally seen crumpets in Safeway and they’re passable but not great. Choices and Whole Foods sometimes sell them too, though they’re often buttermilk versions which don’t taste the same.

        1. Oooh I hardly ever go into safeway or choices. I’ll take a peek next time I cycle past. We do pop into whole foods occasionally so I can totally check there too! 😀 Thank you!

  2. This looks like a great hike – and I, too, was amused throughout this whole post by the name of Mount Crumpit. You should have brought some tea with you to have at the top!

    1. Lol I would have loved that! Although I am a bit particular about crumpets…If they are not hot and oozing with butter, I’m less keen.

      It might be a bit much to bring a solar-powered toaster up a mountain. I wonder if solar powered toasters even exist!

    1. When i googled it most of the Mount Crumpit photos seemed to be from the Grinch! This is close to loads of famous hikes, but it’s not a very famous mountain. None of my colleagues who live here had heard of it(!)

  3. Looks just wonderful, it seems you get a decent view of the Valley and other mountains from there…it also looks very do-able for lots of people…cool!

    1. Yeah, this one is totally doable for less hike-y folks. Plus the pie nearby was so, soooo good, so it’s possible to tempt friends out 😉

  4. I love that there is an actual Mount Crumpit! It makes me think of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Hehe. 🙂 My husband and I went to Vancouver in June this year, and I really wish we had the chance to hike in Squamish. I think we will just have to go back again soon!

    1. Squamish is sooo pretty, and not too far from Vancouver at all. If you guys come back let me know. We just got a car a few weeks ago, so I am only just starting to explore this area!!

    1. I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking about baked goods when i should be thinking about mountains/trails!!

      There is a place near here called Garibaldi, and I can’t go there without thinking of garibaldi biscuits!!

  5. I love this post so much, such a great read! Hiking Mount Crumpit not only sounds funny but looks amazing, that view is insane! Great that it’s a quiet hike, that would be such a welcome day out to get away for some peace. Thanks so much for sharing!

  6. This was such a great read! The view from Mount Crumpit look incredible! Thanks so much for sharing!

  7. I love the views on this hike! What a funny name though – I definitely think it’s worth climbing just for that haha I do think an easier hike is nice sometimes just because you can enjoy the views more if you’re not working as hard!

    1. I like both, I mean, normally the harder hikes give you amaaaazing views but sometimes it’s nice to relax at the weekend eh!?

  8. Wow! Beautiful photos <3 I love detailed posts like this that outline how long trails are, how long they take, etc. Super informational!

    1. Yep, we still have plenty to do though! 🙂

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting. We love your book sooo much! I hope you don’t mind that I keep linking to it!

  9. This hike starts in a residential area where parking is an issue. By popularizing hikes like this you further antagonize the local population to the burgeoning number of tourists visiting squamish. We already have tense relations between locals and tourists regarding parking in several popular hiking, biking, and climbing areas such as the smoke bluffs, the chief, the Pia ave trailhead, and the powerhouse springs road. Increased use has lead to increased garbage and human and dog waste in these areas. The locals are becoming restless.

    1. Thanks for pointing this out Chris.

      While we were there there were a few cars parked in the residential street (mostly for folks with bikes) We did see a better parking spot a little further up the road, so I’ll add that information to this post when I get home.

      I always advocate the ‘leave no trace’ style of walking, but if that doesn’t seem clear, I can add an extra comment about that too. We always carry an extra bag to pick up litter if we see any. I don’t think I found much on this trail, possibly just a couple of wrappers.

      Squamish locals are lucky to live in such a beautiful place. I certainly don’t want my teeny blog to upset anyone as I LOVE visiting this gorgeous area.

      I wouldn’t worry too much about my blog popularizing this trail though. I don’t have many readers at all, and most of my blogging friends live too far away to join me for hikes.

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