Day Zero

Today is a staging day, the West Coast Trail Express will pick you up in Victoria and transport you to the beginning of the trail in Gordon River where your guide will meet you. You will be camping this night and we will go over packing, logistics, and signing waivers. You will have your Parks Canada Orientation meeting.

Day One

Gordon River to Thrashers Cove 7km

Day Two

Thrasher’s Cove to Campers 8km

Day Three

Campers to Walburn 9km

Day Four

Walburn to Cribs 11km

Day Five

Cribs to Tsusiat 17km

Day Six

Tsusiat to Michigan 13km

Day Seven

Michigan to Pachena Bay 12km

Transportation back to Victoria via West Coast Trail Express

The West Coast Trail is a challenging, multi day hike with over 100 ladders, mud and other obstacles. Guests should be prepared for long days and have decent physical conditioning. The best thing to do to prepare for the hike is to walk with a pack!

Guests will be required to carry a portion of the food and the group gear (cooking equipment, tarp, axe or saw), and we carry our food for seven days, so the packs start heavy!

The distances may seem small for some of the days, but with the challenging terrain and unpredictable weather, they are more than enough!

Mandatory Personal Gear List

(Guest will need to have these items with them during the zoom meeting to show their guide)

• Wool and/or Synthetic Socks

• Base Layer Top and bottom – Synthetic wool or Silk –for cold days

• Mid-Insulation Layer Top – Pile(Fleece), light synthetic fill or wool sweater/jacket

• Hiking Pants – Synthetic multipurpose pants

• Weather Layer Top – Gore-Tex or other waterproof breathable material

• Weather Layer Pants – Gore-Tex or other waterproof breathable pants

• Warm Outer Jacket – Down or Synthetic for cold days

• Toque – Wool or Synthetic Hat (ski cap)

• Brimmed Cap or Sun Hat

• Light Gloves

• Personal Medicinal Drugs/prescription drugs – pain, cold/flu, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory etc.

• Headlamp or Flashlight – spare batteries

• Sunglasses

• Sun and Lip Cream

• Water Bottles/camel pack 2 litre min.

• Blister kit

• Hiking Boots – Must give good ankle support and have previously been worn to assure comfort.

• Hiking Poles

• Water crossing shoes (crocs or light runners you don’t mind getting wet)

Recommended Gear

(we recommend you have the following gear, but it is not mandatory for the hike)

• Light Wind Shell – Windproof, water resistant layer for high aerobic activity

• Gaiters – For wet weather and muddy trails

• Shorts or convertible pants (For warm weather hiking)

• Extra Clothing – Socks, underwear, top and bottom base layer

• Wash kit – Soap, towel(face cloth size), brush, toothbrush, paste.

• Insect Repellent – optional but worth it.

• Ear plugs – optional

• Reading Material – optional

• Writing Material – optional

• Camera – optional

• Mosquito hat

• Pack approx. 60 litre

• Sleeping Bag and Liner

• Sleeping Pad

Group Camping Equipment (Provided by us)

• Tent

• Cup, bowl, eating utensils

• Light Tarp for cooking shelter

• Multi-purpose cord

• Stove and repair kit

• Pots

• Fuel

• Lighter and Matches

• Cooking Utensils

• Pot lifters

• Water Filter

• Cleaning Scrubby and Soap

• Group food

• Food Hanging Set up

• General Repair Kit – To repair packs, tents, clothing, etc.

• Saw or Axe

• Fire Starter

• Map and Compass

• First Aid Kit

• Emergency Contact Equipment

* If you need to purchase any personal equipment and have any questions feel free to contact us via email or call us

*We have a zoom meeting prior to the trip departure to ensure everyone has the right equipment and to help with gear packing

Recommended Gear List

• 1.5 litres of water/person

• Rain gear

• A warm layer

• Long pants or zip offs (even if it is warm in town when we gain elevation it can cool off significantly)

• Hiking boots or good quality trail hikers or trail runners

• Gloves and a Toque (beenie/ski cap)

• Sunglasses

• Sunscreen and mosquito repellent

• Hiking poles (optional)

• Your lunch and a snack

If you are missing any of these items please contact us and we can try to bring you some extra gear as needed.

Your guide will be equipped with a bear spray and the proper knowledge of how to use it. The guides are also used to travelling in the backcountry and have knowledge of how to minimize encounters with wild animals. Food and anything else that smells enticing (even toothpaste) is stored for the evenings away from camp. Travelling in groups helps and the campgrounds have other groups staying in them.

All guests must sign a waiver prior to joining us on any tour. You can see an example of the waiver here.

Waivers

We will sign them in person when we meet.

Guests should be prepared to carry a 15kg pack for the first few days. As we eat our food your pack will get lighter!

We do our best to provide light weight nutritious meals to our guests. Simple dietary requests will be accommodated for an extra $15/day.

For private day tours we can accommodate children.

For the West Coast Trail, guests must be a minimum of 13 years old and have prior backpacking experience.

We retrieve our water as far from our campsites as we can. Water is treated with a filtration system or boiled.

We can’t control the weather and you should expect all of it on your hike! The West Coast and Vancouver Island is known for it’s wild and rainy environment so guests should be prepared. Following the gear list will allow you to be prepared for whatever weather comes our way.

Payments

• All prices are listed in Canadian Dollars

• Prices do not include 5% Goods and Services Tax

• You must submit a booking request form, we will then issue an invoice which you can pay directly through the link you receive or by calling us with your credit card details.

• We accept Amex, Visa, and Mastercard and Etransfers

Cancellation and Refund Policy

• $500 non- refundable deposit/person at time of booking for West Coast Trail

• Final balance is due 45 days prior to trip date, this is non-refundable once paid

• If booking is made 45 days or less prior to trip date, complete payment is due with no option for refund

• We attempt the trip no matter the weather forecast! 

• We reserve the right to cancel trips due to unforeseen circumstances. We will inform guests as soon as possible. Examples of this are damages to the trail or emergency situations

• Any trips cancelled by us will receive a 100% refund