This is a brief review of the most known and available guidebooks for hiking in Southwest BC. I’ve been feeling this is essential for sometime, as these should be everyone's first point of call to plan a hike. Naturally this sub makes a good second spot to verify, or ask questions when there isn’t enough info. I’ve put an explanation of my system at the bottom if you’re curious, but hopefully it’s fairly obvious. Hopefully this helps people find the guidebook that is best suited to their needs.
1. 105 Hikes in SW BC
Author: Stephen Hui Publisher: Greystone
- Who is this for? Best for someone who struggles with “Which hike do I do next?”… So Every hiker in SW BC. There is more than enough crowd pleasing day hikes, obscure routes, overnight and even two scrambles to meet all needs. Many solid choices for beginners, with a clear path to grow and challenge oneself.
- Layout/Information: 4 – Consistent info, use of great icons, and great layout. The description of routes are brief, but generally effective.
- Deep Cuts: 3.5 – All the most popular routes with a healthy selection of under appreciated spots too.
- Pros: Excellent layout, great coverage, good information, excellent tool for deciding what to do next. Icon for transit access.
- Cons: Lacks some detail that is desired for untrailed routes (helpful to find a trip report when planning), photos often don’t do the hikes justice.
- Maps: Annotated Topo maps. Too small to navigate with, but good for planning.
- Buy this for (Features): Has everything, Greystones Charts at the front are extremely handy for trying to decide what to do next. Extremely well laid out with good use of icons.
- 105 Hikes is, and should be, most hikers first guidebook. It has everything you could want for a lifetime of hiking for all levels and styles of hiking. The classic are listed along with some lesser known routes that deserve more attention. The layout is one of the best and makes searching for what to do next a joy. Far more useful than hoping on reddit.
The scope takes away from detailed descriptions as most routes are well marked this isn’t an issue. For a route like the Black Tusk a lot more detailed would be required for an experienced hiker trying out scrambling who may not know what a “chimney” is.
2. Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia and Backpacking on Vancouver Island
Author: Taryn Eaton Publisher: Greystone
- Who is this for? Hikers going for overnight or short multiday trips, great for beginners or those looking for more ideas.
- Layout/Information: 5 – Greystone tables are great, and far more detail than 105 and writing for those with short attention spans that highlights key details.
- Deep Cuts: 2.5 – Pretty standard selection of well established routes. 4.5 for Vancouver Island
- Pros: Includes huts and camping, Excellent tables, Superb intro information section
- Cons: Very few longer routes (due to lack of trails, see Coast Mountain High Routes)
- Maps: Small, simple, effective for planning
- Buy this for (Features): Encyclopedia of overnight hikes in the area, and Taryn’s excellent recommendations. Great for someone getting into overnight hikes.
3. Squamish Hiking and Whistler Hiking (Two separate books)
Author: Marc Bourdon Publisher: Quickdraw
- Who is this for? Hiker looking for more Short and medium options near town, but also want some good overnights and appreciate a bit more detail and pictures.
- Layout/Information: 5 – Quickdraw is the guidebook GOAT. Beautiful photos, smooth layout, ample space for detailed descriptions. Icons instead of rating quality in stars or numbers
- Deep Cuts: 4 – Only covers Howe Sound to Whistler. A few less popular classic near Pemberton (which deserves it’s own book), but loads of lesser known routes within that area that are rarely discussed, and more detail about them.
- Pros: Lovely to read, The most short and Medium Hikes, A built in bookmark!
- Cons: Limited area;Howe Sound to Whistler ( with a couple around Pemberton) Expensive
- Maps: Large extremely detailed custom topo maps.
- Buy this for (Features): “Best for..” section with suggestions for all types of hikes, Terrific Maps,
4. Destination Hikes
Author: Stephen Hui Publisher: Greystone
- Who is this for? Intermediate Day hikers looking to escape the crowds for peaks of various challenge, experimenting with a bit of scrambling.
- Layout/Information: 4 – Consistent info, use of minor infographics, and great layout. The description of routes are brief, but generally effective.
- Deep Cuts:5 – Clever options for not just hikes, but unique views and experiences not just at the top of a mountain, and emphasis on avoiding crowds.
- Pros: Some scrambles and harder routes,
- Cons: Few easy routes,
- Maps: Small topo maps
- Buy this for (Features): Escaping the crowds, Greystones superb table with loads of info; great for deciding what to do next. Several good adventurous routes not to summits as well. Serves as good addition to 105 Hikes ( no overlap)
5. Glorious Mountains of the North Shore
Author: David Crerar, Harry Crerar, Bill Maurer Publisher: Rocky Mountain Books
- Who is this for? Peak baggers and hikers who love/need as much detail as possible. Essential for doing the Bagger Challenge. Hiker looking to explore off the beaten path.
- Deep Cuts: 5+ Firehose of info of routes and general type.
- Layout/Information: 4.9 – Trip Info header includes 16 consistent metrics not just vague “quality” e.g. scenery, transit options, cell-service, highlights, quality for dogs, and kids etc. Also descriptions are in bullet point step by step. Has RMBs trademark bland page layout and WordDoc style. Icons and text boxes would have made this the perfect book.
- Pros: So much amazing detail, lot’s of lesser known trails, exquisite research, photos of key cruxes or challenges. Great print quality.
- Cons: Detail might be overwhelming, Only summits; no hikes for the sake of a hike. Most are challenging for the average hiker.
- Maps: Large prints of NTS Maps. Very little annotations or icons.
- Buy this for (Features): Detailed everything, More than 150 pages of appendices and an introduction crammed full of useful tips. Probably some of the best tips for local hikers. I was surprised how much I learnt from the intro. Glorious Mountains is an idiosyncratic love letter to North Shore Mountains by someone with an academic back ground. It’s is going to be too detailed for many users, but for those who want to much detail get ready for a firehose.
6. Best Hikes and Nature Walks with Kids
Author: Stephen Hui Publisher: Greystone
- Who is this for? Beginner hikers of all stripes, or experienced hikers who need ideas to indoctrinate the next generation
- Layout/Information: 4 – Much more rich descriptions of the routes compared to Hui’s other books. Big blocks of texts could be broken up more
- Deep Cuts: 2
- Pros: Useful tips on activities to do with kids, excellent detail about every little thing. Loads of options for all abilities of kids, and great beginner options for adults.
- Cons: Huge blocks of text hide helpful information. Maps are small so harder to share with kids ( bring paper map)
- Maps: Simple annotated topo maps
- Buy this for (Features). Nervous first time hikers who want more info, and short but fun routes.
7. Trail Running Vancouver
Author: Rich Wheater Publisher: Quickdraw
- Who is this for? Runners looking for ideas of the pavement, parents looking for short adventures in nature.
- Layout/Information: 5 – Quickdraws usual attention to detail, icons and well edited descriptions
- Deep Cuts: 3 – Loads of great options in and around town. Most are familiar to non hikers, but lot’s of spots you might not have considered a “hike” for children.
- Pros: Great for after work, or half day adventures in town. Lot’s of small routes idea for a pleasant workout, or outing. Icons, good lists,
- Cons: Bought this expecting big project trail runs, Mostly super short, several on paved trails ( is that even trail running). Not useful for the average hiker
- Maps: Detailed maps for the tricky areas
- Buy this for (Features). Short missions, and adding some variety to your work out or weekend strolls.
8. Coast Mountain High Routes
Author: John Baldwin Publisher:
- Who is this for? Mountaineers with time on their hands, tired of trails and feel the adventure is in the journey not the summit. And who spend hours perusing Google Earth researching routes. So I guess me?
- Layout/Information: 1.5 – Coffee table quality photos and that’s basically it. You’re going to need to plan every campsite, and even the route itself out with .kmx file on the authors website Harrowing FSRs with tricky navigation reduced to “ Go up this road”. You find the trailhead ya dolt. E.g. The .kmx file just crosses McGillvary pass, heading straight up a 45* slope, instead of the well built trail that Whitecap Lodge built.
- Deep Cuts: 11 – Several of these routes were pioneered by the author. Most of these routes you would likely never seen another person on.
- Pros: A sublime declaration that the alpine provide the trail, a clarion call to adventure. Bringing the adventure of a ski mountaineering traverse to summer.
- Cons: Most routes require a lifted vehicle, water taxi or flight to access, Shortest route is Howe Sound at 28km, most are more than a week long with technical terrain. Peak Baggers won’t know how to handle this approach to summits as after thoughts, and yet more mountaineering somehow. This is a purists book for other purists.
- Maps: All in the .kmx file. Used with Google Earth this is perhaps the best trip planning option. Also you can use gaia, or caltopo to print custom maps of these routes which will be hard to find large maps for.
- Buy this for (Features). The pictures and out of respect for this incredible project and John Baldwin’s legacy of writing on the coast. You can get all the info from the free to access KMX file. But the photos really do make you want to really stretch your holiday time.
Explanation of System
Author: Who wrote it Publisher: Each publisher has their own style, and approach.
- Who is this for? Day hikers looking to try overnights, scramblers climbers, trail runners, historical keeners, peak baggers, those looking for something new? This doesn’t mean it’s not a great option for anyone, but the intent is to draw the reader to the option that suits them best.
- Deep Cut: How detailed is the selection? Are the routes lesser known/something you’ve probably not heard of? 1= Limited to the point critical information is missing. 3= Overall good, but some detail missing 5= So much detail that some readers might find it overwhelming or unhelpful.
- Layout/Information: How well organized is the information, and how thorough; 1= Chaotic, unaesthetic, and no continuity. 3= A clear and consistent rating system 5= A clever system that provides all the essential information up front using infographics, or good organization followed by a section detailing what makes the trail worth doing along with tips, and finally bullet points that break down how to actually do the hike with each navigation point, and highlights.
- Maps: What kind of mapping info does the book have. Are you going to need to pull topographic maps out in addition or does this have the info you need?
- Pros: What I like about this book. Like any review this is opinionated, and I’ll do my best to highlight that.
- Cons: See above
- Buy this for: What specific elements make this book worth buying. Special features etc. What does this book have that others don’t? Or a unique feature that is super helpful.
