We Broke the World Record for the World’s Biggest Hike
Huffing and puffing, I pulled myself up a wide gravel trail in the intense summer heat. As I paused in the shade to catch my breath, a huge crowd passed me in a wave of multi-coloured hiking attire. People stopped to rest and snap photos to commemorate this moment—a new, unprecedented achievement for the outdoor community in Vancouver, British Columbia.
On Saturday, August 30th, my partner Tavis and I joined an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most people hiking simultaneously, organized by Kathmandu and presented by MEC and Oboz.
We arrived at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, where organizers told us that the event had sold out online—registration for free tickets had reached 2,500—but people could still register on-site. I wondered: would everyone show up? Would we break the world record?
The previous record for the most people hiking at once was 815 people in Kurdistan, Iraq in 2023. As we gathered with hopeful crowds, the excitement was palpable. We listened to a land acknowledgement and Squamish Nation led us in prayer and song. Kathmandu introduced the adjudicator Tina Shi, and we organized ourselves into lines of ten to help with the official count.
And then we were off! The trail was immediately steep and exposed. To reduce environmental impact, and to ensure there would be enough room for over a thousand people, Kathmandu and Cypress Mountain planned a route that would avoid environmentally sensitive areas.
We hiked up the scree-scattered four-kilometre access road, gaining 490 metres of elevation, from the base to the Sky Quad summit, following a ski run under the chairlift. Tavis and I chased shade on our way up, sweating through our clothes and suntanning beneath our t-shirts.
I was surprised by how challenging the hike was, and as I started fading in the hot sun about halfway up, I was reinvigorated by the outdoor enthusiasts around me. I received water and snacks from both of Kathmandu’s tents along the way and noted the first-aid station. I took in the magnificent views and stopped to snap pictures of wildflowers.
There were people of all ages on the trail—I spotted five-year-olds energetically chatting with their parents and white-haired seniors moving at a brisk pace with trekking poles. I even saw a person hiking barefoot in nothing but a kilt and another wearing a giant orange traffic cone costume labelled “Detour.”
Although I wouldn’t typically go hiking in this type of traffic, I focused on what this was really all about—being part of a passionate community of outdoor enthusiasts; being part of something larger than myself.
We hit the final stretch of uphill and heard music blasting from a DJ booth. At the finish line, we were greeted with high-fives and “whoops” of congratulations.
After waiting in line for a photo at the scenic viewpoint and taking two chairlifts back down, we learned that the world record had been shattered: a total of 1,566 hikers had tackled the trail together.
The event also raised over $25,000 in donations for local charities: BC Parks Foundation, North Shore Rescue and Take a Hike Foundation.
