Take the trial of the trail

Adventurers come from all over the world to hike the West Coast Trail on Canada's Vancouver Island.

After a few hours on the rugged 77km trail, I was convinced every one of them has to be insane.

Case in point: The few wild animals you may encounter are those most likely to eat you — bears, wolves and cougars.


The path is often treacherous, the weather notorious and every year about 100 hikers are reported with injuries.

Treacherous trail

Yet the West Coast Trail (WCT), born out of a lifesaving trail created alongside the Graveyard of the Pacific (where over 1,000 ships have been wrecked due to bad weather), is regarded as one of the best hikes in the northern hemisphere.

Vancouver Island, a beautiful 90-minute ferry ride from Vancouver, is about two thirds the size of England.

The WCT runs inside the Pacific Rim National Park from Bamfield to Port Renfrew, far away from civilisation.

On the lookout

Park rangers patrol in helicopters and boats, looking for wounded hikers, who often fall prey to sprains, slips and hypothermia.

Given that six inches of rain can fall in 12 hours, the trail can become a quagmire of thick mud, sharp rocks and slippery boardwalks.

With a 25kg pack, I joined a group of seven hikers, allocating our supplies according to our body weights.

All our trash would have to be burnt or carried to the end while lunch would consist only of gorp (granola-oatmeal-raisin-peanut) mixes and energy bars.

At the end of the first hour, I was already thinking about how to signal for an evacuation. The rain was holding but the path was streaked with roots, rock hazards and knee-deep mud pools.

Then came the wooden ladders, some of which climb as high as 80 feet. The pressure from my pack had me reaching for the painkiller and by the time I stumbled into camp 14km later, I was ready to collapse.

The key was preparation and my group had all the essentials — walking sticks, gaiters, camel packs, dehydrated food, good tents, a water pump. We built a campfire, a wooden bench from the driftwood and bathed in a freezing stream.

All food has to be locked in bear lockers. One morning, we awoke to find fresh wolf prints near the campsite.

In good spirits

I was surprised to meet more women on the trail than men and hikers from as far away as Germany and Japan.

Everyone shares information on the trail ahead, pushing their limits in good spirits.

Tidal pools housed glowing starfish and anemones while the coastline of sandstone cliffs, sea arches, waterfalls and caves was spectacular.

Each day we walked between 11km and 17km but creek swims and relaxation always rewarded a hard day's walk.

After six days, I trudged along the final 12km to the end. Everyone was smiling, haggard, dirty and sore and I finally understood.

The appeal of the WCT is its adventure, beauty and the chance to push oneself to the limit.

Robin Esrock is the co-host of the Nat Geo Adventure series, Word Travels. See www.wordtravels.tv
for details

Walk on the wild side

The West Coast Trail is open between May and September, with only 60 hikers permitted to enter each day. Booking ahead is essential.

Park fees cost about Dh450, including two ferries and reservations.

The hike is strenuous and not for beginners. It is typically completed in five or seven days.

Buses to the trailhead run from Victoria, accessible by ferry or flight from Vancouver. For more information, visit www.britishcolumbia.com/parks