Metro Vancouver's top 7 most death-defying hills to avoid in the snow
This story was originally published in December 2022 and has been updated.
It’s not often that you have to think about physics when you’re commuting to work, but when it snows in Metro Vancouver, and your destination is at the top or bottom of a hill, chances are you’re calculating the slope and the likelihood you and your 1997 Mazda are going to make it in one piece.
These are some of the worst hills to take during a Metro Vancouver snow day.
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Boundary Road, Burnaby/Vancouver border
There were a few spots along this incredibly busy route that have brought back PTSD for drivers, but one particularly long hill keeps many of us up at night. You start the climb at Marine Way, and you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat, gripping the steering wheel all the way to Kingsway and likely beyond.
#Vancouver #Burnaby
Don’t come through boundary road kingsway in the south direction. A lot of cars are struggling uphill and some are sliding backwards due to the snow pic.twitter.com/OG77ieLNb9— ㅎ⁷ (@Iil_hyun) January 13, 2020
It’s not so much the steepness of this hill that is the problem; it’s that this route is used by all kinds of vehicles of different shapes and sizes, and it hits between two jurisdictions for road clearing, making it a long, stressful journey north from South Vancouver on a bad day.
Oak Street at 6th Avenue, Vancouver
You shall not pass! Road closed and solid ice at 8th and Oak in #Vancouver. pic.twitter.com/4robQktGDC
— Ben Hadaway (@hadawayben) January 4, 2017
This hill is famously steep and can cause an out-of-control driver to head straight into busy 6th Avenue traffic at the bottom of it on a snowy day. It’s so bad that the City of Vancouver closes it to motorists when the flakes fall or are even threatening to fall, which must be annoying for the people who live in this Fairview area just north of Broadway.
The Cut, North Vancouver
A multi-vehicle incident on December 18 in North Vancouver at the Cut forced the closure of the Upper Levels Highway. (Drive BC)
The cut in north Vancouver tonight. No plows, no salt, people spinning out everywhere. My #1 rule done stop #NorthVan #Snowpocalypse2020 #thecut pic.twitter.com/5E5l0pJqgH
— kirsten (@dollystevens70) January 13, 2020
Hwy 1 WB trying to get through North Vancouver is a disaster right now. Avoid. Holy crap avoid this. I’m stuck here for a while! 15 spunout cars trying to get to Mtn Hwy. #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/xZUdn0Qbmb
— Brad Atchison (@Brad604) December 18, 2022
When you are listening to the traffic reports in Metro Vancouver, this spot is mentioned constantly and is blamed for travel woes on the North Shore. When one or two vehicles, sometimes big semi-trucks, cannot make the climb or spin out, it leads to a nightmare. Plus, there are few detours, so many drivers are stuck waiting for the mess to clear before they resume their journey.
Oxford Hill, White Rock
White Rock Oxford Street hill on December 19, 2022. (Tyler Patrick)
With a rumoured 23% slope, this hill feels like you are driving right into the ocean.
It’s so steep that there’s a good chance you will be stuck if you take this hill on a snow day.
Google Maps
Luckily, the city is quick to prevent drivers from taking their fate into their own hands, and crews close Oxford Street at Thrift Avenue to traffic typically ahead of a big snow event.
Pictures and video show what the hill looks like on a sunny day. Can you imagine adding ice to the mix?
Gatensbury hill, Coquitlam to Port Moody
Google Maps
As you pass downhill from Coquitlam to Port Moody and from higher elevation to sea level, one of the most stressful routes is Gatensbury Street, which turns into Gatensbury Road. This hill snakes its way around impossible blind spots between Como Lake and the 7A. It’s enough to make you carsick, and your ears pop from the elevation changes.
Seriously, not for the faint of heart or those without snow tires.
Who in their right mind would’ve attempted Gatensbury 430p yesterday. I have 4wd, great snow tires and i said noway
— Rod MacBeth🏴 (@Rod_MacBeth) February 7, 2017
Cariboo Road, Burnaby
At 6PM Road conditions at Cariboo road Burnaby Road and near 16th ave #BCStorm #BCSnow pic.twitter.com/0m4kaeW5a5
— sherepunjabradio (@SherEPunjab600) November 30, 2022
Near the New Westminster/Burnaby border, Cariboo Road serves as a connector route to the Trans Canada Highway and is stressful to drive even on a nice day.
File/Google Maps
This winding hill serves as a busy route for drivers. It has frequent stops for buses, as well as a pedestrian crossing right at the bottom, which catches many speeding drivers unaware and has had tragic consequences as a result.
East 4th Street Hill, North Vancouver
Google Map
While most of these streets are unbelievably steep for visitors to this mountainside community, even the locals can’t be trusted to navigate certain spots. The City of North Vancouver has straight-up closed some stretches due to safety concerns. Among them is East 4th Street Hill, which is in the midst of the residential area between Sutherland Avenue and Heywood Street. Another spot that gets closed when the snow falls is East 19th Street Hill.
❄️Update on Snow Clearing in the City:
Priority 1 roads – 90% plowed and salted
Priority 2 roads – 40%
Local streets – 10%
Multi-use path/Bike facilities – 60%
Road closures: E. 4th St. hill🙌 Big thanks to our hardworking crews – more updates to come later today. pic.twitter.com/FCo85zlFrH
— City of North Vancouver (@CityOfNorthVan) December 19, 2022
Other not-so-honourable mentions include Marine Drive to 49th Avenue in South Vancouver or 4th Avenue to Blanca in West Point Grey.
Which hills did we leave off the list? Let us know in the comments below.
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