Description
Location: Strathcona Provincial Park
Distance: 33 kilometres
Duration: 3 days
Intensity: Moderate
Objectives: Adventure, learning
Staging area: Ralph River, BC
Group size: 5 guests max
The Flower Ridge Trail provides an efficient approach to some of the best views in Strathcona Provincial Park. Our objectives will be experiencing an incredible adventure, practicing wilderness navigation, and learning about backpacking in a mountain environment. In 2019, we will offer two trips. Itinerary and side-explorations are dependant on team desire and weather.
Who is this trip for?
Our goal is to build strong teams and best match our guests to a specific trip. Our Flower Ridge Trail guided trips are best suited for:
- First-time backpacker with a high level of physical fitness; OR
- Enthusiastic novice backpackers with a high level of physical fitness; OR
- Strong intermediate backpackers; OR
- Advanced backpackers wanting to learn / refine skills or experience an adventure with all of the logistics taken care of; OR
- Returning guests who have joined us previously on a multi-day Strathcona Park backpacking trip.
Definitions of experience levels:
- First-time backpacker: You have done some day-hiking, but have no overnight backpacking experience.
- Novice: You have completed some short backpacking trips.
- Intermediate: You backpack often on established trails or have participated in guided backpacking trips in the past.
- Advanced: You backpack often on established trails and off-trail in remote areas. You have solid wilderness navigation and wilderness first aid skills.
Additional considerations:
- Look forward to challenging obstacles such as steep slopes, washouts, seasonal overgrowth, exposure, loose scree, elevation gains and loss, landslide zones, and rugged terrain.
- Be comfortable hiking and carrying your loaded backpack for 8-10 hours per day.
- Expect to hike and camp in all weather conditions (wet, cold, heat).
Why join us?
Beautiful scenery, incredible wildlife, and a life-changing adventure are guaranteed. We encourage and empower our guests to become a part of the adventure. You will experience your trip the way an outdoor professional does. Our Flower Ridge Trail guided trips feature:
- Beginner friendliness. The Flower Ridge Trail is a unique opportunity to learn hiking and backpacking skills, while exploring the mountains of Strathcona Provincial Park. If desired, we can practice wilderness navigation with maps, compass, and digital tools.
- Guiding excellence. Mike is a certified ACMG Hiking Guide and passionate about creating and sharing beautiful wilderness adventures. He has discovered a love of teaching and strives to offer the added value of personal coaching to all his guests.
- Experiential learning. All of our trips are rich in experiential learning. Immerse yourself in learning and gain the confidence and skills to apply to your own trips. Coaching starts on the day your registration is confirmed and continues for the duration of the trip.
Thanks Mike and Lara for sharing your wealth of knowledge on backpacking, wilderness navigation and knowledge of wildlife and flora during the 3-day Flower Ridge Trip. I am so grateful about the recommendations on gear. This would save me lots of time in the preparation of my West Coast Trail Trip in September. I also enjoyed discovering new, good and nutritious food. I will make Nomad Nutrition part of my next adventure. Including the miso soup. This trip was managed efficiently from start to finish. The preparation list was complete, making the preparation and packing process so easy for myself. You are very professional, approachable and so much fun to be around. I would not hesitate to recommend both of you to anyone wanting not only an adventure but learning new skills. Your excellent tutorial on Wilderness Navigation and various options on navigation tools has given me confidence to go solo hiking and discovering new trails. Many, many thanks. See you in 2019 for another great adventure!
– Silvie, Chemainus
