Start and Finish Instructions

Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/29289638.

Download GPX File: vk14-gladiator.gpx

Start: The VK begins at the start of the Coliseum mountain trail on the intersection with the Norvan Falls trail (See Image #1). Start at the signpost indicating the start of the trail up the mountain.

Finish: The VK finishes on the summit cairn at the very top of Coliseum mountain. (see Image #3)

Navigation: The Coliseum mountain trail is the only route up the mountain so if you follow the estabilished trail looking for flagging and route markers along the way you will be fine. There is one fork that you must stay left on. After 800m of climbing, you will open out into a meadow as the forest canopy ends temporarily. Pay attention to the fork (see Image #2) (going right will take you down to Paton peak toward the Seymour valley and is currently heavily marked with pink flagging tape. If you start going down and you come to a boulder field, you have gone the wrong way. Turn back to the intersection 200-300m behind you. The correct way is staying left/straight will take you straight up the climb in front of you. A few minutes later the trail meets quite a difficult scramble point (you will know it when you get to it), but if you step back and go around to the left there is an easier and faster way up. As you ascend up toward Coliseum mountain it can be hard to route find up on the rocks as you can't easily follow a trail as you do on dirt. Look for flagging tape to lead you on the way to the summit. Watch the video if you are unsure and need an example of what you will see on the trail.

Description

Beginning at Norvan Falls in Lynn Valley, competitors will have a long warm-up (and a long day awaits them) as they tackle the trail up to the summit of Coliseum Mountain. This course is quite technical in parts and reasonably slow times are expected, but presents a strong challenge to those trail runners with exceptional technical skills.

Map

View course map at Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/V891

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