#Vancouver is Not Flat

While waiting to be shown an apartment…

I prefer public transit and/or walking. Same was true in Chicago, and it’s a necessity here in Van since I don’t have a car. Unlike Chicago, though, Vancouver is not flat.

That seems obvious, given its geographic location and surrounding mountains. Surrounding mountains, though, suggests Vancouver is a valley and thus flat.

It’s not. Calling it hilly doesn’t do it justice either as that implied slopes, gentle slopes at that. Rolling hills. Vancouver terrain is jagged. Mountain peaks and valleys, like a stock market graph. The only reason to get a gym membership is to avoid working out in the rain.

It’s raining today.

This subject actually came up at the office yesterday. I was hunting for some advice on apartment hunting, and bemoaning the total lack of apartment finder services. There is no equivalent to Chicago Apartment Finders or Apartments.com in Vancouver. Your options are:

• Craigslist
• Walk around the neighborhood and look for signs

Unless, of course, you’re looking to buy. Then there is no shortage of real estate agents. If you’re just looking to rent, however, you’re on your own. I don’t have a problem doing things myself, but apartment hunting is becoming one of those times where I’d be perfectly happy to hand over the reigns. I find myself being slightly envious of those moved by large corporations with vast networks of real estate and housing agents.

But Vancouver, yeah, it’s not flat. Not that I don’t know what hilly or “mountainous terrain” is, but driving through it or seeing it from above is different than walking it every day. Going to end up with some nicely define calf muscles this year. And running has been a bit of a challenge. When I can run up Yew, which is near vertical, without stopping, I’ll be in fantastic condition.

And apparently there’s some kind of trail/mountain run, kind of like the race up the John Hancock building, only its up a mountain. First things first though: the Vancouver 10K Sun Run.