The West Coast Trail in Canada is our #1 hike in the world.
This 27min video may convince you NEVER to attempt it.
Click PLAY or watch part 1 on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipNKNvDcvO4
(via Scenic Travel Canada – Are You Fit Enough to Hike the West Coast Trail?)
besthike.com 
That’s bizarre. Who is this guy? Why is he so keen on describing in detail his inadequacy and incompetence? The video wasn’t about the fascinating history or the terrific scenery of this great route, it was about himself. I could only tolerate a few minutes.
I ran it in a day about 7 years ago; very high reward to effort ratio: fun route and quite easy. Had time for a swim and found a good restaurant for a nice dinner with wine before it got dark.
Whether the guy gets on your nerves or not, you must be confused about which trail this documentary is about. The West Coast Trail on the west coast of Vancouver Island is 77km (50+miles) long and takes between 5 to 7 days to complete. I know of know one who describes it as “quite easy”.
I was hiking this taril a couple of years ago (I have done it 4 times so far) and I saw 7 people running this trail. YES in 1 day! They are crazy, but I am jealous of their skill and fitness. I would love to be able to do that and bow down to those trail runners. Way to kick butt!
This guy must be so unbelievably weak. In 2009 I did the WCT…the first hike of my life! I was 58 years-6 months old. I did the trail from Port Renfrew to Pacheena Bay. Hardest to easiest route. Was it hard? Yes. Was it a killer? No. My shortest day – 5k. my longest day 21k. I was so thrilled and enjoyed it so much, I decided to do it again…So July 17, 2010 I got myself ready for a second time through paradise. But…I wanted to make the hike special, do something out of the ordinary (in trail-speak)!
My decision – I’ll do the WCT again…the same way…hardest to easiest…really, the only way to really enjoy the beauty of this incredible trek. But…instead of starting at Port Renfrew…I’ll start at Gordon River – hike the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail (47k) and then go into the WCT!
It took 9 and a half days. 4 on the Juan de Fuca…and 5 and a half on the WCT. I wasn’t sure how long it would take…so at the start I was geared up for twelve days. The JdFMT is a much more difficult and gruelling trail than the WCT. So doing it with the weight of the two trails on my back almost did me in.
Why did I continue instead of quiting or shortening the trip? This was my summer holiday! I just couldn’t not do my plan. My shortest day – same as last year…2 days of only 5k. My longest this year…24k! in 8hrs.40min.
Several cuts and scrapes…nothing serious. One pulled upper thigh muscle that almost derailed me!
3 or 4 blisters on toes of each foot. Total distance hiked…about 140 k. That includes Juan – 47; WCT – 75; 5k from end of first hike to start of second hike; and several k’s of wrong turns or turn-arounds because of high tides.
I did not treat the trails as a challenge. I looked at it this way…If you go to europe…you fly, if you go visit people back east…you may take a train, you may go into the back country by 4×4, atv, or horse-back. I chose to use my body as the vehicle to get to where I wanted to go. I took care of my vehicle, fuelled it properly, rested it when necessary. This way I was totally free to enjoy the beauty, the grandeur of these great trails. And, one more thing…I took no freeze-dried food. Almost all my food was fresh and/or organic…such as baby cucumbers, green onions, chorizo (sp) sausage. Powdered whole milk, powdered whole eggs, oatmeal, etc.
So There!
i have heard of ultra-marathoners running the trail in a day or two..
anyways, as for this story, looks like it was filmed for CBC news and the journalist clearly went for a light hearted approach, not sure why foiks are being so critical of it. it was entertaining.
doing the WCT this summer for the first time and really looking forward to it.
dwayne m’ginch
This is a bit farfetched, me and two buddies did this trial 2 weeks ago, never done a camping trip or hiking trip before and we finished in 6 days. We are 3 healthy 21 year old males all in good shape. I am not trying to pursuade people to tackle this trial, but this reporter makes it seem so much worse than it is. My recommendation is to do this trial in a number of people so your carrying load is ligher, as my pack started at 50lbs. This post was made to show that this reporter is a baby and needs to get some mental strength, its an amazing hike and worth every dollar. ENjoy and dont listen to this podcast.