Welcome to Hooked on Walking Holidays and our wilderness experience in British Columbia on the west of Canada. Our wilderness hiking experience has been designed to give you the holiday of a lifetime to experience nature at it best, you can go walking from the ranch or experience hiking in the wilderness to one of the ready made alpine camps.

Imagine…360° views of Wall-to-Wall Wildflowers and Secluded Alpine Basins

Alpine Hiking 

Your Holiday starts with your pick up in Vancouver in the morning by our representative in a luxury stretch mini bus . The journey to the Ranch is around 5 hours north of Vancouver. This drive is a wonderful experience and should be very much treated as part of your holiday. You will follow the scenic Sea to Sky Highway during your journey. The Ranch is very remote many kilometres from the nearest town and neighbours, indeed the last 100 km is on a rough dirt road rather than tarmac. You will arrive at the Ranch at around midday. You are now in the famous South Chilcotin Mountains Park. The park is 5000 square km or wilderness ready to be explored. This favoured location produces a rain shadow, this means sunny skies and a dry climate. The area is known for its bio-diversity, abundance of wild flowers and outstanding wildlife.

Now starts your fully inclusive alpine walking experience. We have various levels to choice from for your wilderness hiking experience.

• Stay in the spacious ranch with floor to ceiling fireplace, sun room, large outdoor deck. The atmosphere created is that of a very large family home with 8 guest bedrooms along with 4 shared bathrooms. From the ranch you can walk out daily on guided walks which we grade depending on the groups ability and interests.
• If you wish to get closer to nature and the wilderness then you can chose a camp based hiking holiday. The permanent alpine camps vary from fully equipped permanent base camps including log cabins and tent cabins for eating and sleeping. Tent cabins are 10x12 walk about structures. Some of the camps have solar power , gravity fed showers and heaters.

Like true explorers you and your guide will access the alpine by foot, carrying only a day pack while the packhorse carries the rest of their supplies ( if hiking to a camp). These multi day wilderness hike tours are guided, and they are done in prime sub alpine hiking areas. The guides are trained in wilderness safety, knowledge of the wildlife and mountain trails. They make every trip a quality experience. Alpine camps are permanent and stocked with supplies during your adventure. You will experience places that you would not see on your own. Each day delicious and hearty food is served using local fresh ingredients. Access in and out of the ranch to base camps is 3-9 hours daily walk of 5-20km with elevation changes up to 1000m .

Each holiday we customised in some way depending on the experience of the guest staying. During the booking process we shall complete a short questionnaire to determine your experience and then evenly match you or your group to others staying the same time. This ensures that each persons will get the full outdoor experience without being over stretched.   

TYPICAL WILDERNESS ALPINE HIKING TOURS

Glacier Hikes
Hike into a mountain hut at 2,000m with dramatic views of 3,000m mountain peaks and 2,000m canyon drops and cliff faces . Hike through sub alpine meadows with a chance to see grizzly bears and mountain goats on the mountain peaks . You can sit at the head of a thousand year old glacier while you sip your Canadian beer brewed from glacier water.

Pristine Mountain Lake Walks
Walk to a mountain camp at 1,600m located on the shore of a pristine mountain lake. Jumping trout dimple the water surface, the call of the resident loons echo between the mountain ridges, and the canoe on the beach beckons you to take the paddle. Mule deer stroll past,  a grazing grizzly bear in the sub alpine meadow above sniffs the thermal up drafts. Nature knows you have arrived at this sacred spot. You begin to rejuvenate and the silence drains away your stress .  The slow pace of nature is addicting, and you begin to rise and sleep by nature’s clock.                     

Camp-to-Camp Hikes ( tent based and Log Cabins )
Hike to your first mountain hut ( camp ) at an elevation of 2,000m located just at tree line in the sub alpine meadows . Glass for grizzly bear, Bighorn sheep, mountain goat and mule deer.  Walk the meadows for the day.  Hiking and scrambling is involved.  Walk mountain divides and skirt the edge of a glacier . Then, into the alpine meadows where camp number 2 ( could be tent based )  awaits . Spend the next day walking the surrounding alpine meadows and move to camp number 3 ( could be tent based ).  Travel through more spectacular sub alpine terrain. Here you will have the chance to enjoy trout fishing, more wildlife viewing and the scenery.

Guest Ranch Walks

Every day is a new experience. Peace and quiet, clean air and clean water . Walk through alpine meadows, complete with hundreds of species of wild flowers or to the foot of a glacier thousands of years old. Walk the river edge glassing for Grizzly bears feeding on cow parsnip (wild celery).  At the end of the day, return to the Ranch lodge for a tasty western meal and all the comforts of home. Suited to any level of walker or hiker.

• 4 Day Ranch based available July to October ( Thursday or Monday start )
• Camp based available July to September
  • 4 day starts ( starts Monday or Thursday)
  • 7 Day starts Sunday

Our Holiday Adventure.
Jane and Bill Shaw : 4 days hiking ranch based : We started off as hikers and graduated to horse back riders after seeing all the ranch riders and were sold after seeing the thorough orientation. This morning, we were up at 5AM to go grizzly viewing by 444. We watched 3 grizzlies for 30 minutes from 30m to 5 m out of the truck. They were so close we could hear the bears chewing the dandelions they were feeding on. Breakfast was at 7:30, then it was out to the corral for a branding session of 8 wild horses that were just took into the herd. At 9:30 we were off on an all-day ride to lookout bluffs for a commanding view of the Chilcotin Mountains.

David Russell 10 day hiking camp : I got  into Eldorado hiking to enjoy some breathtaking scenery.  I also had the chance to do some bear research when we visited a grizzly den which was pretty exciting.  When we returned to the Ranch I had hiked so hard I had blisters on my blisters!  I bought a cowboy hat and shirt and easily transformed into a cowboy to enjoy riding the mountain Cayuse horses. I also had the chance to get some fishing in at Brett Creek and around the Ranch. 

Our 7 day trips usally visit 3 alpine camps.

2010 Prices

How to get there
Fly to Vancouver the at least the day before your holiday starts - we pick you up on Day 1 on the out skirts of the city at around 7am..
You will return to Vancouver early evening on your last day.
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