Fannin Traverse, North Vancouver, BC

A year and a half ago I dreamt up a point to point route across the Fannin Range in North Vancouver that I dubbed the Fannin Sweep. As a part of the local annual peak baggers challenge (thanks to David Crerar & CFA), people get water taxi dropped at the end of Indian Arm in Deep Cove, to bushwhack up to Dickens Peak and back. I thought, what if instead of approaching it as an out and back, I was to go point to point, topping as many other Fannin Range peaks as possible along the way. So the idea was a start and finish in Deep Cove, water taxi out, and then return over the mountains via the hardest possible route. The line looked to be in the 20'ish mile range, with up to 15,000ft of climbing, depending on how many peaks you could hit along the way, and much of it would be bushwhacking or on goat path caliber "trails". In late October 2018 I booked a water taxi departure & then promptly got sick for a few weeks, and winter arrived shortly thereafter. This idea had been in the back of my mind ever since though.
In June of 2020 I was chatting with a friend and somehow this topic comes up, and low and behold we ended up with a group of 4 committed to the idea within just a few days. At 5am on Wednesday, July 15th, myself, Jeremy Burrows, Wing Taylor and Steve Fassezke hopped onto a water taxi and into the unknown. We'd planned for a 15 hour return outing over the Fannin Range, after the water drop...for just 20 miles of terrain.
We ended up going Dickens, Fannin Lake (for a swim of course), Presbyter, Deacon, Bishop, Vicar, Curate, Rector, Elsay, Seymour, Tim Jones & Pump.
After 19 hours of slogging it out in the Fannin Range, we arrived back in Deep Cove to complete our version of the Fannin Traverse. There were so many highlights that I don't even know where to begin, but spotting the Neowise comet, having Jeremy's incredible wife Liza stash some cans of coke for us to find on Mt. Seymour, and just spending an incredible & incredibly challenging day with such a great crew has left me filled with a sense of joy and accomplishment. It's so fun to spend hours looking over maps & terrain, and to then find a way to bring that vision to life.
Final = 23 miles w. 13,000 feet
Steve Fassezke was kind enough and talented enough to piece together a stellar edit of the day. Huge thanks to him for producing this nice recap of our memorable outing. Give Steve a follow on KZbin via / @treetosky
Also, thanks to my sponsors for their incredible gear and food that helps fuel all of my outings.
Salomon, Suunto, Drymax Socks, Princeton Tec Headlamps, Squirrel's Nut Butter, Trail Butter, Endurance Tap.

[@belowtwenty]

Bagging 10 peaks in 1 day is seriously insane. Glad you guys hit your fitness goals too lmao.

[@silencenhikes6692]

Amazing journey. I have been to a couple of these peaks but never knew you could do such a trip. Nice shot of the comet neowise. 👍

[@VOYTE]

Its beautiful. I went as far as Cates Park. :) This is great. Im gonna go there soon. Beautiful British Columbia. LOL GTA5 "Wasted" effect. That was funny. Great video guys.

[@erictheredone]

My feet hurt watching this! Amazing hike! Thanks for sharing!

[@andyaitch3038]

5:18 Ha ha, it's literally right behind you!! Awesome video, that first climb is the real coast mountains experience!

[@GaryRobbins]

😆

[@AVetterWorld]

What an amazing cinematic experience! I don’t even have to hike the ridge since I feel like I was there! Well done by all who played a part in this exceptional piece of outdoor film.

[@GaryRobbins]

😆 thanks for the huge compliment!

[@MountainsPassionPetrDakota]

Beautiful place ! 👍 ...the mountains, rock, snow, forest, water and clear sky...what else would someone wish for a great day out ! 👌😉 I love mountains and early mornings...sunrises ! Glad I found this channel, great content 👌 Subscribing to see your next videos. All the best and greetings from the mountains of Scotland ! 🌄 🏕 🙂 Petr

[@KerryWard]

Nice to vicariously share the fun there, guys. Well done. Pat and I joined your trail from Clegg/Klegg and followed your footprints from Bishop onwards a few days later. It was funny knowing whose prints we were chasing. Great work putting the footage together and editing, Steve.

[@GaryRobbins]

Ha, nice. Agreed on the fact that Steve knocked it outta the park with this edit!

[@GoodKarmaGuy]

This is awesome. 👍 Tougher than your average route apparently. Good job with the added special effects. Lol

[@GaryRobbins]

ha, thanks Brent!

[@DOdermdoc]

Really enjoyed this - what a beautiful area you live in! Well shot, fun editing and music. Thanks so much for taking us along on your adventure!

[@GaryRobbins]

Thanks Bryan! :)

[@lindsaynewell6319]

fantastic, inspirational video that really captured the adventure experience and took the viewer along for the ride (and run, hike, bushwhack, swim, bootski...). At 3:40 I was thinking "there you go again, giving Laz more ideas for 'improving' the Barkley course"

[@lucaspano1205]

What a cool journey! So many peaks within a short distance, amazing 👍

[@PushAdventures]

Awesome accomplishment finishing the route you planned. I enjoyed the footage and video editing.

[@marcohoffmann9454]

Funny video and beautiful landscapes

[@GaryRobbins]

Glad you enjoy it :)

[@StridesandSummits]

This is wicked! Well done and solid capture of the traverse - I thoroughly enjoyed this! 👍

[@GaryRobbins]

Glad to hear that! Wish I possessed half of Steve's editing skills! :)

[@StridesandSummits]

@@GaryRobbins I was going to comment that your editing style took a sudden shift! 😄

[@kk9033hh]

Oh man... can i join your hike! Havent seen this part of NorthVan before🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@TheDonkeyboy82]

Someone upped there KZbin game!!! Everything about this is awesome!!!

[@GaryRobbins]

Ha, I just shot some of the footage, it was all edited by Steve and he did a ridiculous job with it!

[@constantinelcercel852]

Beautiful!!! Amazing scenary!!! Well done!!!

[@novakennak3835]

Nice video once again. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this!

[@GaryRobbins]

Glad to hear it! Thank you :)

[@tmcd4565]

An amazing day...and night. Thanks for taking us along for the adventure. This is my favourite kind of trail running video. Such a great video that I went back and looked at some of your recent stuff. All great stuff. Glad you are healthy again and still going strong.

[@grindpalm]

Damn Gary - seriously awesome! More of this please

[@connorhlane]

Love your videos. You are truly inspiring. I hope to see you completing the Barkley soon. True champ.

[@GaryRobbins]

🙏

[@beeclimbing9954]

LOVE this!!! Totally cool idea and love the footage and how @Steve Fassezke edited it, awesome job!!!! It's beautiful, entertaining and humourous (what more could I ask for from mountain running footage?). I particularly like the humour and quirky touches - so different from what sponsors themselves present video-wise. And I had wondered what that big cone of light was - it was the comet!!! Looks like such a brilliant outing, makes me long for NZ summer (still a few months away) so I can carry out my own version in our mountains ;-)

[@GaryRobbins]

Glad you enjoyed it and really appreciate the kind words 🙏 All the best to you as you head into your summer season 👍

[@m900sky5]

Wow Gary just wow man 💪 you don’t know how perfectly timed this upload was...looking like I’ll have to stop running hard due to OA in the neck but I can still hike! 👌 and what a way to start the ball rolling by watching that video!! Keep up the great work, love all that footage truly beautiful 👌💪👍👣👣👣

[@eagerunner1]

Well done 👍. great video editing and epic day.

[@garceau7360]

That was dope, We have some amazing mountains here in Quebec, but nothing with the size of west coast. Can't wait to visit one day

[@soupyruns9709]

Amazing scenery 😍

[@Meritumas]

Great adventure! Love it ⛰👏🏻

[@CLFurlong]

Mate! Gary this is AMAZING! Wow! Loved it

[@carlblanchet]

Awesome video and adventure! The timing of this video couldn’t be better, I’ve been planning an adventure of my own out to Mt Dickens so it’s nice to see the terrain I’ll be facing 😄👌 thanks for sharing 🤙

[@GaryRobbins]

Good stuff Carl. We ended up missing the path of least resistance and had a pretty heinous bushwhack. There is a better way, si ensure you do your research in advance 👍

[@carlblanchet]

Gary Robbins Cheers Gary! I had an epic time along the traverse! Such a beautiful area 😍 and indeed a hard trail to follow at times! If you’re ever looking for people to join you on adventures like this, feel free to send me a message over on Instagram @carlblanchet haha :p

[@stever2583]

Nice walk!

[@expatadventureturkey9324]

I’m only a few minutes into this and I’m like the video editing and beauty of the filming is awesome. Great job love the video

[@RedRiverRebel-wpg]

what a wicked accomplishment.... at this point (aug 27) 1 person disliked this... WTF is there to dislike? The fact that you weren't out there too?

[@GaryRobbins]

Ha, I had the very same thought. lol

[@AdventuresRUs]

Great video, love the music and editing!

[@GaryRobbins]

Thank you. I think Steve did an incredible job on this film!

[@Heikolampe]

@@GaryRobbins yeah ... someone had fun with the editing program

[@wingtaylor9175]

Fun times!

[@GaryRobbins]

Such a memorable day!

[@mindmy609]

would like to check out those territories next year don't know how far by the circle you would have to go because next year on my b-day is the solar eclipse

[@inkjob12]

Beautiful. Have to say that you are really getting your editing down. I think you guys should have brought the new Salomon Machete ! Even with Covid your getting some great adventures in...thanks for taking us along. What packs are those...look like the Adv 12 but larger...? Stay safe out there... ( Go Oilers !!)

[@GaryRobbins]

Ha, well Steve did the edit, and I'm still super amateur in that regard. You are correct re the pack, good eye.

[@gnomes0987654321]

Just awesome.

[@GaryRobbins]

thank you!

[@kvncrw]

Loved it.

[@cyruse7027]

What, you didn't climb Runner Peak? :P j/k awesome video and great work.

[@GaryRobbins]

It was the initial plan, but we were too slow and ran outta food 😄

[@cyruse7027]

@@GaryRobbins Well you guys certainly covered a lot of terrain! The Wigwam creek drainage looked like a good bout of bush thrashing. Probably all for the best that you made it onto the Mt. Seymour trail by the time it got dark.

[@michaelsesler1158]

remarkable

[@GaryRobbins]

thank you!

[@tmmidkiff17]

Awesome!

[@johndelosada5404]

Amazing

[@jefffski]

Awesome. I paddle up the arm lots and always wonder about the mountains that loom over me. Did you walk down the road from Seymour to Deep Cove, use the trails or get a lift?

[@GaryRobbins]

Mix of road and trails down to the cove. No cars.

[@jefffski]

@@GaryRobbins Wow.

[@ghostpos]

Epic

[@navjeetsharma7601]

10:13 xD