Running the Ridges: A Dance with Vancouver Island’s Mountains
There is a rhythm to moving through the mountains that cannot be taught in a classroom, nor fully captured in the mechanical act of climbing. It’s something more primal, an instinctual conversation with the terrain. Long before ropes and gear enter the picture, before belay commands or anchor systems matter, there is movement. And if you want to move well in the mountains, you start with the ridges.
Not the sculpted trails of the lowlands, nor the tangled bushwhacks that force a slow, deliberate approach, but the sweeping, open ridgelines of Vancouver Island, the kind that rise steep and sharp from deep valleys and demand full attention. They don’t just teach you how to climb. They teach you how to move.
Mountain Running and Scrambling on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island’s high country is built for this. The alpine ridges, left raw and exposed by glaciers, form natural corridors of motion. Granite blocks, stacked like forgotten steps, beckon with possibility. Narrow spines of shattered basalt demand balance and precision, and where the rock has broken loose, talus runs pour from the summits like rivers of stone.
To move well here, you cannot hesitate. You cannot analyze every step. You must commit.
The Art of Moving Through the Mountains
The first time you run talus, it feels reckless. The instinct is to pick careful steps, to test each rock before shifting weight. But hesitation is the enemy. The key, counterintuitive at first, is to trust momentum. To move faster, not slower. To let speed carry you lightly over the rock, adjusting mid-stride instead of stopping to think.
It is a dance, and the mountain sets the tempo.
The ridges demand a similar awareness. Scrambling across their fractured spines is more than just fitness; it’s problem solving at speed. The easiest path is never obvious. Loose rock lurks where you least expect it, demanding quick reflexes. The wind catches at your balance. A misstep does not always mean a fall, but sometimes it does.
There are lessons here, absorbed not through instruction but through movement itself. The sure footedness that comes from hundreds of foot placements. The ability to read a line up a complex ridgeline without stopping. The quiet confidence that builds with every successful descent.
These skills matter. They separate the mountain traveler from the technical climber who only understands movement when a rope is involved. They create a fluency in rock that makes the transition to more technical terrain seamless. They allow for freedom, the kind that defines true mountaineering.
The Best Ridge Running and Scrambling Routes on Vancouver Island
The best climbers to move through these landscapes are not those with the most gear or the strongest legs. They are the ones who understand the rhythm of the mountains. Who know when to slow down and when to move fast. Who have trained their bodies to trust rock, to read terrain in motion, to make decisions in real time.
They are the ones who started, not with ropes, but with ridges.
Because here, on Vancouver Island, the path to becoming a mountaineer does not begin at the base of a climbing route. It begins with movement. It begins with trusting the rock beneath your feet. And sometimes, it begins with nothing more than two words
“Follow me.”
Explore Vancouver Island’s Mountains with VIBE
At VIBE (Vancouver Island Backcountry Education), we specialize in teaching movement and mountain skills tailored to the unique terrain of Vancouver Island. Whether you’re looking to improve your scrambling technique, gain confidence on alpine ridges, or prepare for bigger mountain objectives, our courses and guided trips are designed to help you move efficiently and safely in the mountains.
Interested in learning more? Check out our upcoming courses and guided trips here.
