IF you're heading out into the woods for a six-hour hike, it helps to have a sizeable group of buddies along with you.
Click on the Outdoor Activities tab of the West Vancouver Seniors Activity Centre website, and you will be greeted with a list that includes cycling, hiking, pitch and putt, skiing and snowshoeing.
Among those activities are two hiking programs that regularly attract large groups of participants.
The Ramblers are a hiking group that meets for eight-to 10-kilometre hikes and monthly bus trips. There is also another hiking group that meets for 12-to 25-kilometre hikes during May to October. These longer hikes can last up to nine hours, and, not surprisingly, participants must be active and in good physical condition.
Caroline Brandson, a coordinator with the District of West Vancouver, notes that the hiking groups at West Vancouver Seniors Activity Centre have been popular for many years. Participants enjoy the challenge, the activity, the camaraderie and the safety that comes with hiking in numbers.
For those who prefer to whizz around town on two wheels, the centre also hosts a number of cycling groups. Depending on the group, cyclists venture forth for rides of varying lengths, for which a helmet is mandatory and a spare tube, light, pump, bell and mirror are recommended.
Experienced cyclists get together in the Norwest Cycle Club for rides of up to 50 kilometres.
Whether they are hiking, biking, swimming, skiing or snowshoeing, North Shore seniors are not just staying active, they are seeking out fun and challenging activities that take full advantage of the outdoors.
