“Next time I’m picking the vacation,” was all loving husband could say to me on day three of our adventure hiking the West Coast Trail.
I am not sure what compelled me to drag him (and I) on the infamous backpacking trail that skirts the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island.
Yet, here we were. On a breathtaking trail, with mud under our feet, thunder and lightning in the sky and rain coming down because Mother Nature decided today (our 17-kilometre hike day) was the day we needed to experience the real west coast.
Yes, I love hiking; yes, it’s rated as one of the most beautiful hikes in the world; and yes, I love challenges, but camping is not what I do. It’s an activity that I have successfully avoided my entire life.
I stand firmly in the belief that roughing it is a hotel without a gym. However, here I was in the pouring rain, hiking six to eight hours a day for seven days, with my life on my back and a tent as my home.
To make matters worse for those in my closest circle, I also dragged along a good friend of ours who has since vowed to block me from his email.
To prepare for the hike, there are some essential things you need to do.
First, the obvious: get your body ready for a 75-kilometer hike. This means hiking prior to, and with weight on your back. Hiking with 42 pounds on your back (which is what I started out with) is a whole new ball game, so start hiking with weight at least three months before you go.
When in the gym, focus on the most obvious muscles: lower body and core, with an emphasis on the glutes. I was amazed at how much my glutes worked during the trip.
I also recommend balance training. You’ll need to do a ton of balancing on the trail. Whether it’s on boulders, skinny pieces of wood as you jump from one mud hole to the next, or rickety bridges and logs, you need to be able to balance – and balance with weight on your back.
Second, pick which end of the trail that you are going to start hiking. We started north (Bamfield) to south (Port Renfrew). This is the recommended route, because the first part of the trail is the easiest, giving you time to get your hiking legs and lighten your pack as the trail progresses and gets harder.
However, on the trail we actually encountered more people doing it the other way around. Their theory is that they get the hard parts done first.
Personally, I am glad that we did it from easy to hard. I think I would have cried doing it the other way. It’s tough.
Once you figure out your route, you can go online and reserve your place, or head to the Parks Canada headquarters (located at each end of the trail) and enter by standby.
During high season (May 1 – Sept. 30), Parks Canada only allows 50 hikers a day with reservations, and an additional 10 spaces for standby. And, be forewarned, there is a standby list.
When we finished, we chatted with one group of men and they had been waiting two days to get on the trail. So, I suggest reserving your spot online and in advance.
Third, head to the Parks Canada website, check out the recommended gear and follow that checklist. Borrow from friends, keep an eye on Craigslist, and watch for sales at MEC and Atmosphere.
Hiking the trail can get pretty expensive, awfully quickly. We were lucky and borrowed half of the equipment that we needed because I knew there would never be a chance in hell that I would camp again.
I also suggest some of what I call “PJ-essentials” to make your hike and camping a bit more bearable: body wipes (there are no showers on the trail), dry shampoo (I used it more to mask the smell of campfire in my hair than anything else), moisturizer (no one wants dry, tired-looking skin on the trail), Twizzlers (you need a treat at the end of the day, because dehydrated food leaves a lot to be desired), glasses (sun and regular, if you wear them), feminine hygiene products (according to the most popular book about the trail, Blisters and Bliss, this is the most requested item at Chez Monique’s – a wonderful and magical spot on the Indian land of the trail where Monique and her family offer up hamburgers, pop, treats and alcohol. This is the only place in the world where you will happily pay $20 for a cheeseburger.).
I also recommend bringing a ball cap to hide the hideous-looking hair you will have by the end of the week, more toilet paper than you think you will need, biodegradable soap, a micro-fibre towel, two hiking poles (I only took one and wish that I had brought the other one), a bathing suit, Starbucks VIA instant coffee (however, take twice as many as the days you are hiking as I found it takes two packs to make one good mug of coffee), Baileys (to make the mornings, and the instant coffee, more bearable), and electrolyte replacement (this will not only replace all the minerals lost from sweating, it will also mask the taste of the water purifying tablets – because guess what? There is no running water on the trail; you have to seek and purify your own.)
I also suggest bringing cash to purchase the amazing seafood at the first ferry crossing, and for a cheeseburger at the infamous aforementioned Chez Monique’s – this was a $70 day for us after burgers, pop, chocolate and rum.
When hiking, be ready for any weather and condition, and for lots of mud too.
In fact, I am considering designing an online fitness program for the trail, and one of the workouts would consist of step-ups while standing in three feet of mud for seven hours straight.
What else will you be encountering? Well, ladders for one – over 70 of them, with some of them over 30 feet high. You also have four cable cars and 130 bridges to cross, and a section of bouldering that makes your ankles wish that they stayed back home.
But, what do you get in return? Some of the most stunning views in the world, a chance to reconnect with yourself, the opportunity to share an experience of a lifetime with a loved one (think loving husband), the satisfaction of completing something both physically and mentally challenging, and a whole new appreciation for running water and Wi-Fi.
PJ Wren is a local personal trainer and writer in the Delta are who can be found around town right now filming season 6 of Fitness with PJ with Delta TV.
