The Arbutus Routes - Howler (Advanced) route

This route is a simple guide, directions can change with interpretation. If you're unsure about directions or difficulty we highly encourage you to grab a guide on one of our daily Singletrack Tours.

Directions to Howler; a great trail for those looking for a sustained climb and technical fast descent. (Advanced)

Head left onto Blackcomb Way road and then immediately take a right down the ‘Blackcomb Way Valley Trail’ Follow this left under the Lorimer Road bridge. Take the next two left turns taking you over the Fitzimmons Creek Bridge- follow the Valley Trail a short way north until you see the entrance to Fitzimmons Trail- take this right turn and follow the trail north taking the directions straight at all the junctions until you pass the Nick North Golf Course. Follow the trail as it passes along the side of Green lake all the way to the Alpine traffic lights. Cross over here and head up Alpine Way across all the junctions until you reach the turn around area and the beginning of the FSR Ricks-Roost.

From here you will begin a fairly tough climb to the top. Take the Right hand turn a short climb up the Ricks Roost FSR onto the Cultured Climb switchbacks. On exiting the Cultured Climb it returns you back onto the FSR take the right follow this as it meanders 2 large bends and several KM. You will eventually meet with the ‘Rainbow-Sproat Flank (North)’ Keep heading up staying to the right. Staying on the ‘Rainbow-Sproat Flank (North)’ you will eventually cross a large wooden bridge and be met by a Gate. The gate indicates 1 of 3 possible descending points depending on your level of fatigue at this point.

*There is the first option here to take a right hand turn down the ‘Lower Howler Access’ avoiding the steep climb and the upper section of Howler- Joining it a little further down the decent and below some more steeper sections.

From the Gate you head straight to climb a steep section of trail and giving you the choice of two more drop in points.

**At the top of this steep section of climbing is the second drop in point taking you down some of the more technical and steeper parts of the trail where you will find some sharp switchbacks and fairly loose trail.

***If you continue on you follow the trail as it climbs up and back on yourself to give you the third and final drop in point, descending from the top of the trail which is now on your left- this point will collect up the other drop in points as you descend.

Descend Howler making sure you are aware of the hiking trail as you cross this further down, you will find some really fun rock features and corners meaning the trail can be ridden in most conditions.

Once you have descended through the crack in the rock and have completed the last little climb- keep descending across the first FSR to take you into ‘No View’, at the exit of the trail take a right turn leading you back onto ‘Valley Drive’ from here navigate to ‘Chalet Drive’, ‘Mountain View Drive’, ‘Parkwood Drive’ and finally onto the Valley Trail past meadow Park sports center. Follow the Valley trail until you have the opportunity to pass ‘Nesters Market’ crossing over ‘Nancy Greene Drive’ and looking for the turning right to join the ‘Fitzimmons Valley trail’ to the right of the Bridge. Follow this back the way you came.