Vancouver BC Hiking
South Chilcotin Wildflower Heaven-
7-day Backpacking Tour†
from CAD $3136* for hike-in
*$3599 (fly-in) or $2899 (hike-in) + 3% booking fee + 5% Goods & Services Tax
The South Chilcotins have been identified as the most important unprotected area of wilderness in southern British Columbia. The Chilcotins have been carved by glaciers, shaped by time and decorated by nature. A magnificent mixture of valleys, flowered meadows, alpine terrain, and abundant wildlife, coupled with a low level of visitors, make this appealing to those looking for solitude and remoteness.
†This tour is provided by our sister company, Sea to Sky Expeditions
- HIKING DAYS: 5.5
- TRAVEL DAYS: 1.5, including the float plane ride
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RATING: CE7abcfg — Very Strenuous
See our Detailed Hiking Trail Rating System
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Dates And
AvailabilityBook Your Tour Now
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Itinerary
Itinerary
A complete itinerary along with maps, clothing and equipment list, will be issued upon registration.
Included: Transportation from the point of origin and return, national park user fees, camping fees, cooking gear, camp stoves, tents, meal preparations, tarps, major first aid supplies, meals/snacks/beverages on the expedition, emergency radio or satellite phone, and professional guides. Meals: All meals while on the backpacking portion of the trip.
Excluded: Transportation to point of origin, transfers, accommodation and food other than included in the itinerary, and personal equipment.
Gratuities are not included. Our guides make every effort to ensure your holiday is all you expected and more. Recognition of a job well done is always appreciated; $10-20/day per guide is recommended.-
Day Zero
Arrival in Vancouver. This denotes the day or days spent in Vancouver before the listed start date of the trip.
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Day One
We will leave Vancouver for our five hour drive to our starting point, north of Pemberton. The drive, along Howe Sound and the Coast Mountains, is an extremely scenic one. We will stop at Whistler, renowned ski resort for lunch. We will then enjoy a scenic floatplane ride to Warner Lake and then make our way to Trigger Lake.
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Day Two
Today, we will enjoy an amazing day-hike up to Deer Pass. The way up and down is a mix of forest, grassland and wildflowers growing alongside the small creeks. Deer Pass is a window between two mountain ranges – in one direction lie the snow-covered Coast Mountain Range and in the other the rust and ochre colours of the interior.
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Day Three
Spruce Lake is our destination today. We will pass by Hummingbird Lake and then traverse some unique grasslands, mixed with whispering Aspen trees and lots of flowers.
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Day Four
We use today as another great day-hiking opportunity as we climb the hills behind Spruce Lake. The view at the top offers a fantastic taste of the surrounding lands. And of course there just might be some more wildflowers along the way!
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Day Five
Today (with lighter food bags!) we climb up and over Windy Pass into the High Country. We have a couple of options for camp tonight; we might go over a second pass to Taylor Basin or we might stay in the Eldorado Basin in an Alpine meadow. These upper meadows give us a second chance at seeing wildflowers if they have already bloomed at lower elevations.
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Day Six
Today, our last full day in the area, we will combine moving to our last camp with a ridgeline hike in the afternoon.
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Day Seven
Our final morning hike will take us down, down, down towards our van and the drive back to Vancouver .
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What's Included
Included Not Included Transportation from and to the departure location (pick up and drop off) Your transportation to the departure location (from your home) All park fees and camping fees National Park entry fees (may change as Parks alters their policies) Professional guides Hiking Boots (should be less than 5 years old) All meals (except on travel days) Some food (on travel days and special options) Tent (shared)* *A single tent may be substituted for a supplemental charge. Single travellers that cannot be placed in a shared tent will be charged the single supplement charge. Hiking Boots (should be less than 5 years old) A substantial preparation guide Backpack (available for rent) Gear rental options Sleeping bags or mats (available for rent) Gratuities are not included. Recognizing your guide for their hard work and care is always appreciated; $10-20/day per guide is recommended. -
Getting There And
Where To StayGetting There
If you are travelling into the Vancouver, Victoria, or Nanaimo area from afar, you should arrive at the departure location (in Nanaimo) for your trip the day/evening prior to the trip start date and plan to leave the day following trip return.
You can fly to Vancouver (airport code YVR) or Seattle (airport code SEA) then connect to Vancouver Island using ferry, bus, or air, or arrange flights directly to Vancouver Island.
Flying to Victoria (Airport code YYJ)
Flying to Nanaimo (Airport code YCD)
Nanaimo Airporter shuttle service.
Servicing all of Vancouver Island from airports to ferrys to cruise ship terminals. Tel: 1 250 758-2133BC Ferries 1-888-BC FERRY (1-888-223-3779)
We will let you know the ferry to take for travelling to Vancouver Island, but if you want to check out times, you can go the the BC Ferries website at:
www.bcferries.com/schedules/Where to Stay
Naniamo Pick up & Hotels
Pick up: Departure Bay, Duke Point Ferry Terminal, or the following Accommodations:
Days Inn Harbour View Nanaimo
Address: 809 Island Hwy South, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, V9R 5K1
Phone (250) 754-8171
Website: www.nanaimohotel.com
Best Western Dorchester Hotel
Address: 70 Church, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, V9R 5H4
Phone: (250) 754-6835
Website: www.dorchesternanaimo.com
Painted Turtle Guesthouse
Address: 121 Bastion Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia CANADA, V9R 3A2
Toll Free: 1-866-309-4432
Phone: (250) 753-4432 -
Preparing
Preparing For Your Trip
How you prepare for your adventure is important. Being well prepared will enhance the quality of your experience. Because we are travelling in wilderness, it is very important for you and for the rest of your adventure group that you are fit enough to handle the level of difficulty and demand with no problems. Our guides know how to minimize the impact of these demands as much as possible, but they cannot remove them. The depth of your experience can only increase if you have made sure that you have prepared well.
Your preparation will be different for different activities. Preparing for a kayak trip is different from preparing for a hiking trip. We have provided some basic information that can be downloaded through the following links to pdf documents.
Use the links below to download some of the preparation files for this hiking or kayaking tour. When you book your tour, we will send you a complete preparation packet to help you get ready.Please take this seriously. Most people are unaware of the demands of a coastal environment, particularly with keeping dry and warm. Your preparation will really help make your coastal hiking or kayaking tour a great experience. -
Gear Rental
Need Gear?
We have gear available to rent if you don't want to buy a particular piece of equipment, or need to travel without it.
Look over the following list to help you decide whether you want to rent. If you decide to rent gear, you can tell us on the phone or book it online with your tour.
Item Price (per day) Backpack Rental $6.50 Sleeping Bag Rental $6.50 Thermarest Rental $2.25 Gaiter Rental $1.67 Hiking Pole Rental (one) $0.90