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Is West Coast Trail For You?

[Parks Canada beaver logo]
[title: parkscanada.gc.ca]
[two hikers walk along a forested trail]
Narrator: Travel in the backcountry is a great way to immerse yourself in an environment...
[a group of whales swim in the ocean]
Nar: ...with wildlife and nature all around...
[a couple looks out at the scenery]
Nar: ...you.
[a bald eagle perches in a tree]
Nar: It’s a chance to challenge yourself! Test your...
[hikers travel along the West Coast Trail]
Nar: ...survival skills! But you also need to be prepared to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

[hikers speak about the West Coast Trail]
Hiker 1: The trail is full of surprises.

Hiking Couple: The West Coast Trail was just wild. We got off the...
[a man picks his way through a forested trail]
HC: ...boat and I said, 'We're in the wrong place.'...
[a hiker speaks about the West Coast Trail]

Hiker 2: The trail is really...
[a woman carefully steps on stones to cross a creek]
H2: ...challenging. There are a lot of creek crossings with strong...
[hikers trek along a boardwalk in the forest]
H2: ...currents and slippery boardwalks...

[boots squelch in mud]
HC: And we suddenly got into this dark rainforest, just a quagmire of mud... [hikers climb steep hills]
HC: ...and then straight up hills...

[hikers climb a steep ladder]
H2: ...steep sections, lots of ladders, so it's been challenging but at the end of the day it's really rewarding...
[title: What are the challenges?]
[hikers trek through a forested trail]
Nar: The West Coast Trail is for hikers who are able to hike long distances through rough terrain with a heavy pack, who are prepared for 6 to 8 days isolated in the... [a tree towers overhead]
Nar: ...wilderness. On the West Coast Trail, you’re in a temperate rainforest which gets...
[water droplets hang from a moss-covered branch]
Nar: ...drenched in 3 meters of rain every year.
Natalie Verrier: Well, of course on the west coast we...
[Natalie Verrier, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve talks about weather in the park] NV: ...get all kinds of weather but mainly big storms...
[large waves crash against a rocky shore]
NV: ...come in with a lot of rain. It can happen in the winter and the summer w e get big storms coming through.
[Natalie talks about weather in the park]
NV: It’s not necessarily specific to the winter...
[waves lap against a sunny shore]
NV: ...season. But we also get some beautiful...
[wild grass and flowers move with a gentle breeze]
NV: ...sunny weather year round...

[hikers cross a wooden bridge]
Nar: Parks Canada has built bridges,
[a hiker walks by a cable car]
Nar: ...cable-cars, ladders and...
[hikers traverse a boardwalk through a forest]
Nar: ...board walks to reduce the danger of traversing this rugged landscape.
[a hiker stands with her partner on a beach and talks about ladders on the west coast trail]
HC: ...I have an incredible fear of heights and climbing those ladders the first time I saw one of those- [hikers climb a steep ladder]
HC: ...tall ladders with like 75 rungs on it and it was about a 100 feet tall, followed by...
[ladders seem to ascend, unending through a forest]
HC: ...another one and another one and being able to do it and actually getting used to it by about the third day into it...

[boots walk along a narrow path]
Nar: This combination of a challenging rugged trail and wet weather also creates very slippery conditions.
[mud squelches beneath hiking boots]
Nar: There’s lots of mud,...
[hiker on a muddy boardwalk]
Nar: ...slippery wooden structures...
[a hiker picks through wet rocks]
Nar: ...and rocky shorelines.

[a young man talks about experiences on the west coast trail]
Hiker 3: I can remember being in a mud hole just on some roots and just stepping off...
[mud squelches beneath hiking boots]
H3: ...and kind of slipping and getting frustrated...
[hikers step over roots in a dense forest]
H3: ...and at the same time I just had this sort of moment of clarity and looking back at the people I was with and they kind of had this agonizing look and I looked at my friend and we both...
[the young man smiles as he remembers]
H3: ...smiled at each other and I kind of realized I would rather be nowhere else in the world…

[a woman examines a brochure]
Nar: When you attend your West Coast trail orientation session, you will learn how to read the tide tables to plan your route.
[a hiker watches waves crash against the shore]
Nar: It’s important to follow your tide table to avoid crossing...
[waves in a narrow channel rush towards the viewer]
Nar: ...surge channels and to avoid being...
[hikers walk along a foggy beach]
Nar: ...trapped or cut off by high tide when walking along the beach.
[title: What can you do to prepare?]
[Park staff post a sign warning of a bear in the area]
Nar: Parks Canada provides hazard and risk information to help you make the right choices for an injury free...
[a hiker travels along a pebbled beach]
Nar: ...trek. Staff also monitor trails...
[Park staff converse]
Nar: ...and warn of hazards.
[hikers put on backpacks on a log-filled beach]
Nar: But hikers need to do their part too.

NV: Of course, just to educate themselves...
[Natalie talks about park safety]
NV: ...on the trail itself, the length of it, what is required in...
[water bottles, sleeping bags and more sit in the sun]
NV: ...terms of camping equipment,
[hikers pack their backpacks]
NV: ...to do some practice hikes, definitely to...
[a hiker speaks with Park staff]
NV: ...speak to people who have done the trail, to speak with Parks Canada Staff, but mainly to...
[someone packs up for a hike]
NV: ...equip themselves with the proper gear and the knowledge of what the...
[a tent sits on a rocky shore, overshadowed by a forest]
NV: ...conditions can be like, so that when they do are faced with...
[hikers trudge along the path in the rain]
NV: ...a week of straight rain, they have the proper equipment and they know how to take care of themselves.
[hikers squelch through mud]
Nar: Even if you are well prepared, you can put yourself at risk by pushing yourself too...
[hikers climb a steep, rocky path]
Nar: ...hard. Accidents often happen when hikers are...
[a woman carefully steps along a rocky shore]
Nar: ...tired, rushed or hiking too late in the day. So take your time. It’s normal to spend...
[a couple treks along a foggy beach holding hands]
Nar: ...6 or 7 hours each day hiking the trail.
[a bandaged bruise ankle]
Nar: Sprains.
[a man examines a woman's ankle]
Nar: Fractures. Dislocations. These are all common injuries...
[boots splash through shallow water and mud]
Nar: ...hikers face after slipping on wet terrain. About 200 hikers each year end up limping off the trail. Others are less fortunate.
[a rescue team bustles around someone on a stretcher]
Nar: More than 100 seriously injured hikers are evacuated from the West Coast Trail every season. When an emergency...
[a Park staff member speaks into a radio]
Nar: ...hits, Parks Canada search and rescue staff are ready to help.
[a staff navigates a boat]
Nar: Access is not always easy and most rescues are by boat...
[a helicopter flies overhead]
Nar: ...or helicopter. They ensure...
[the rescue team carries the stretcher through the forest]
Nar: ...injured hikers are evacuated quickly and safely to medical help.
[a rescue team pulls a cable]
Nar: But rescues are expensive and increase the costs of...
[two people hang from the cable over a rocky creek]
Nar: ...operating the trail. Don’t let this happen...
[a hiker packs her bag and checks that it is not too heavy]
Nar: ...to you. Be prepared. Inadequate gear, poor footwear and excessively heavy packs all lead to injury.
[hikers travel along the West Coast Trail]
Nar: If you’re not in strong enough shape or bad weather hits, the risks only increase.

Nar: Although the trail is challenging,
[a couple gets into a cable car to traverse a body of water]
Nar: ...if you plan ahead and come prepared then you can also expect a rewarding and memorable experience.

H2: It’s just exciting to...
[a young lady talks about the rewards of hiking the west coast trail]
H2: ...see a lot of people at the end of the day come in weary and...
[a group of hikers relax around a campfire]
H2: ...tired, maybe join others by the campfire, but...
[young lady talks]
H2: ...just focusing on surviving and maybe enjoying...
[two hikers set up a tent]
H2: ...their time with nature. It’s not like you have...
[young lady talks]
H2: ...time to sit around and watch TV, you’re...
[clothes hang on logs to dry]
H2: ...worried about drying your clothes,
[someone adjusts the flame on a tiny camp stove]
H2: ...preparing your meal, setting up your tent just in...
[young lady talks]
H2: ...case the weather turns. You’re really in touch with nature and it is definitely a humbling experience and something that I think is crucial.

[title: You're watching a series of videos on...]
[title: ...The West Coast Trail]
[title: parkscanada.gc.ca]
[title: Parks Canada/Parks Canada government logo]
[title: Copyright - Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by Parks Canada, 2010]
[title: Government of Canada logo]
[end]

Is West Coast Trail For You?

View video in MPG format

Hiking in the backcountry of the West Coast Trail is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the nature and wildlife of Pacific Rim national park Reserve. It is a chance to challenge yourself and test your survival skills! But you also need to be prepared to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

Parks Canada... Real. Inspiring.