I look forward to this every year.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Backpacking on Vancouver Island, Canada
Backpacking on Vancouver Island: The Essential Guide to the Best Multi-Day Trips and Day Hikes, was selected top guidebook at the 2024 Banff Mountain Book Competition.
Author Taryn Eyton.
I’m spending most of the year on Vancouver Island myself and can heartily recommend the destination and this guidebook.
In fact, the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island is our #1 hike in the world.
NEW book – “Hike It”
Hike It: An Introduction to Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking through the U.S.A. Hardcover – June 25 2024
… fully illustrated book is the perfect introduction to enjoying America’s great outdoors.
Explore 20 National Parks with incredible trails that take you past snow-capped mountains, along stunning coastlines, and through ancient forests, and discover the majesty of nature with glorious artwork throughout. …
Young adventurers 7+ will learn about:
• Navigating, and what to do if you get lost
• Essential hiking equipment
• How to leave no trace and protect the environment
• Pooping in the woods!
• Staying safe in the heat, snow, and rain
• Fire safety and setting up camp
• Encountering wildlife and safety
• Locating the North Star and understanding the night sky
British Columbia Hikes NOT Requiring Reservations
British Columbia is a fantastic hiking destination. BUT campgrounds and some of the best hiking areas require difficult-to-aquire permits — most famously, the West Coast Trail.
Happily, Taryn Eyton, author of Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia, details many great hikes that DO NOT require permits:
Vancouver Island
- Juan de Fuca Trail in Juan de Fuca Marine Provincial Park near Port Renfrew (requires backcountry permits)
- Wild Side Trail on Flores Island near Tofino (requires a water taxi to reach the trailhead)
- Forbidden Plateau Core, Bedwell Lakes, Elk River Trail, and Arnica Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park (All require backcountry permits except Arnica Lake.)
- Nootka Trail on Nootka Island near Gold River (requires a water taxi to reach the trailhead)
- North Coast Trail, Cape Scott Trail, and San Josef Bay in Cape Scott Provincial Park near Port Hardy (requires backcountry permits, North Coast Trail requires a water taxi to reach the trailhead)
- Raft Cove in Raft Cove Provincial Park near Port Hardy (requires backcountry permits)
- Carmanah Valley in Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park (requires backcountry permits)
Interior and Eastern B.C.
- Trophy Meadows in Wells Gray Provincial Park near Clearwater (requires backcountry permits)
- Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park near Keremeos (requires backcountry permits)
- Okanagan High Rim Trail near Vernon and Kelowna
- Spectrum Lake in Monashee Provincial Park near Cherryville (requires backcountry permits)
- Gwillim Lakes in Valhalla Provincial Park near Slocan
- Kaslo Lake in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park near Nelson (requires backcountry permits)
- Earl Gray Pass in Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park near Kaslo
- South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park near Lillooet
Northern B.C.
- Hunlen Falls in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park near Bella Coola (requires backcountry permits)
- Monkman Memorial Trail in Monkman Provincial Park near Tumbler Ridge
- Wokkpash Valley and McDonald Creek in Stone Mountain Provincial Park near Fort Nelson
- Mount Edziza in Mount Edziza Provincial Park near Dease Lake
Backcountry permits are not reservations. And they don’t sell out.
Taryn has more advice for hikers in this post:
How to Go Backpacking in BC Without Reservations
related – 37+ BC backpacking trails that do not require a reservation
$24 ➙ Gaia GPS Premium and Outside+
I’ve had a free Gaia account since 2018 — but have used, instead, a paid AllTrails account as it seemed to be better in my home region.
But with Gaia Premium and an Outside+ bundle at 60% off, I’ll compare these two hiking apps again for the coming year.
I’ll download both for offline use, and compare.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
#10 best hiking region in the world is the …
Indian Himalaya ➙ BUT if you want to argue The Dolomites, we won’t disagree. 😀
India is vibrant, chaotically mad. But you can easily escape to the tranquil high mountains and have them to yourself.
This is Nepal, but without “teahouses” packed together on every popular trail.
Indulge your spirit of adventure and trek the spectacular Indian Himalaya. First-timers and seasoned trekkers alike can experience the region’s rich blend of cultures, religions and dramatic landscapes … LP
As you know, the weather is fickle. The infrastructure undeveloped. You need be confidently independent at altitude or sign on with a reputable guiding company. People die in the Himalaya every year of altitude sickness.
Personally, sadly, I’ve hiked very little in this region. I’m still kicking myself for not trekking to Kangchenjunga when I had the chance in the 1990s. I stood on a ridge in Darjeeling looking at the third highest peak in the world, and decided to head to the beaches of Goa for Christmas, instead. Doh!
The best future destinations for serious hikers, I think, are the Indian Himalaya and Bolivia. (Bhutan, as well, if it ever opens to independent travel.)
More information on our new Indian Himalaya information page.
The best guidebook is Lonely Planet Trekking in the Indian Himalaya. But more inspirational is Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya (Trekking & Climbing Guides) by Harish Kapadia. (It can be difficult to find a copy.)
Leave a comment if you have your own favourite trek in the Indian Himalayas. We’re looking for advice.
Banff Mountain Festival 2023 – Full TRAILER
I wait all year for the next Banff Festival video.
So skillfully done. So entertaining.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Wanderlust: A Hiker’s Companion by Cam Honan
I finally got my hands on a copy of Cam’s excellent coffee table book from 2017.
It’s only available in hard copy. Inspirational.
Highly recommended as a gift for a hiker.
Wanderlust: A Hiker’s Companion
It includes 32 of the BEST HIKES from around the world. A quick summary. A starting point for those planning future adventures.
I’ve done all or parts of 19 of those 32 — and found the description very accurate.
The list in this book is a mixed selection of some of Cam’s favourites. It includes thru hikes like the Appalachian Trail and Great Divide Trail. Some classic multi-day hikes like Laugavegur and Walkers Haute Route. And even some shorter walks like Zion Narrows and Tongariro Crossing.
In my opinion, Cam Honan is the greatest hiker of al time. He’s done more of the BEST HIKES in the world than anyone else.
I interviewed him in 2015.
2023 Banff Mountain Festival – Teaser
The 2023 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is in Banff, Alberta, from October 28 to November 5.
… 84 films from 13 countries.
Online film screenings during the Festival are also back, bringing on-demand films to your homes in Canada/USA from October 28 through November 5, plus some award-winning films online from Nov. 6-8.
Get your tickets for events in Banff or your Online Film Pass today 👉 https://www.banffcentre.ca/film-fest
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
#7 best hiking region in the world is …
NEPAL
UPDATE. BAD NEWS. As of April 1, 2023 the Nepal government required that major treks can no longer be done independently. Hiring a guide is mandatory. The obvious alternative is the Indian Himalaya.
A trip to The Kingdom of Nepal may well be the best hiking holiday of your life. IF you want to hire a guide.
It’s the abode of the Gods.
The exotic Buddhist and Hiindu culture is as fascinating as are the world’s highest peaks.
Most trekkers are set on Everest or Annapurna, but there are many other great choices, especially if you sign on with a trekking company that can get you into restricted areas like Mustang.
Tourism is important to the Nepalis. Foreign hikers feel welcome as soon as they arrive. And hiking in the world’s highest mountains can be “easy” on “tea house” treks where you stroll with just a day pack.
Or, if you want the full mountaineering experience, sidetrip up, up, up towards the clouds.
The weather and conditions are much milder than you might expect. Best months to trek are Oct-Nov (post-monsoon) and April-May (pre-monsoon).
More information on our Nepal information page.
Our favourite hike in Nepal is Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes.
Some feel Annapurna is in decline as roads and motor vehicles are degrading the Circuit. That won’t happen to the Mt. Everest region. Check out the Nov. 2009 16-day Everest trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles.
besthike.com 