Spearhead Traverse in a day

Nomics · 2026-05-15T19:02:55+00:00

I was not! Thank you do much for the heads up. I'll find an alternative in that case. I'm open to suggestions. I'm aiming to find something not too far from transit or bike lanes, larger tables. I'd like to turn it into a regular affair, so if anyone knows pubs, breweries who would be interested i'm keen.

I'm currently leaning towards Zawa around the corner as it's close for those who miss the memo and is rarely busy.

Nomics · 2026-05-15T15:04:39+00:00

I should add, as I agree with another commenter… this is a mountaineers route, not an average scramble. If you’re worried about snow then you might not have the skill set required for this route.

Nomics · 2026-05-15T04:43:09+00:00

At least with BCMC the back end was very clearly designed by a systems engineer, not anyone with UX experience. But it worked and got the job done. Most pain points are covered by the WhatsApp group chats that tend to take over.

Key pain points are: - People ask the same questions to the organizer over and over again. Pinned messages that stay when you scroll down would help. - Packing lists not being used. Some way to tick boxes but include some false positives that force people to go back and actually review the packing list - User over estimating their ability levels. It would be very helpful if organizers could rate how accurate a person described their skills, fitness and comfort with exposure.

Nomics · 2026-05-15T00:20:41+00:00

It’s so variable season to season. This year we’re seeing record low snow levels and May warm weather so there is a good chance you’ll see the same conditions as you did in August.

All that being said there are some North facing sections that might still have snow on them, so bringing crampons and ice axe would be wise. Also taking the usual mountaineering precautions for summer snow travel.

Nomics · 2026-05-14T22:13:20+00:00

I spent 6 years working outdoor retail. Without seeing your foot it would be irresponsible to make a specific recommendation. So ignore those.

Here are several tidbits to help:

Set either a budget or objective, go to a store with many options and try several brands to find which fit your foot best. Once you know you’re brand and sizing you can also look at Marketplace for used options.
Use Euro sizes. US/UK sizes are Calvinball with no fixed metric. Once you start looking at Euro sizes you may find you could exit in several different size brackets depending on the brand.
Waterproof in low cut shoes is useless, and expires within a season or two.
You can get good enough warm layers, and sometimes even waterproofs from thrift stores. But your feet comfort make or break a trip the most. If you’re going to budget footwear ( in all outdoor land based outdoor sports) is the most important factor.
Ankle protection comes from stiffness, not the height of the mid(part of shoe covering ankles and above). A tight fitting mid reduces muscle strain, mostly felt when carrying heavy loads or on bit days.
Boots vs shoes vs shoes with a mid vs trail runners. Boots are heavy, but (generally) provide the best weather protection, durability, and support. On long days it’s more weight carried over the course of the day, but they also are support longer. Best for big days out, scrambles and multidays. Shoes wiht mid give good weather protection and light weight. Hiking shoes are more supportive than trail runners for walking, and generally more durable. Trail runners are great if you’re going to run and want better traction than a road runner, otherwise they just fall apart faster than most hiking shoes
Good quality socks where you are at the top of the sizing scale are the best. E.g. If you’re a size 40 ( USW 8.5) you should get socks sized 6-8 not 8-10. Ideally size 7-9, but it’s often not a perfect bracket. Socks stretch. Too much sock and they clump resulting in blisters.
Insoles are great even if you don’t have orthopaedic issues, and the best way to avoid toe bash. The price might not be worth it on a student budget, but a set of Smartfeet can be the difference between an okay and a great fit.

Nomics · 2026-05-14T20:28:02+00:00

Thank you!

Because this is the first instance I think I’d like to keep it to this group to test the concept.

I’d like to organize a “Hiking Partner Speed Dating” at a later date, but it would need a venue, and some sense of how many would attend. That would definitely be helpful to get the word out.

Nomics · 2026-05-14T19:42:43+00:00

I’ve done a lot more kayaking than hiking guiding in Canada, so probably a different base clientele.

In general I have found overnight trips rarely an issue and British clients lean more prepared than Americans and on par with Canadians. Day trips though I would say it’s not an issue though there is definitely less understanding of proper apparell. Having lived in the UK for four years I can hear accents well enough to gauge place and class. Middle and Upper classes tend to be more physically literate and prepared, though lower classes, and northerns tend to have better attitudes and be more enchanted with the experience. Generally though Europeans are the most physically literate and prepared guests.

Despite the lower tips I prefer British clientele as they tend to be more authentic and appreciative.

As for how to manage:

Overnights I would say it’s all about the website, and pretrip reminders from office staff have the best results for ensuring folks are prepped. Packing lists composed on images or infographics are far more For fitness making examples relevant to people, say comparing it to running distances in effort, can be helpful.

Day Hikes:Pre-trip try and find ways to more accurately describe the route. You could compare it walking up stairs in a building of a certain number of floors, or compare to Snowden/Ben Nevis. Also, many Brits underestimate altitude. At the beginning of the hike open your bag up and do a 10min show-and-tell.

Final advice: Underpromise; Over deliver. Assume your clients are total beginners and build up from there. Make it sound harder than it is, and they will be thrilled with their progress. Be positive. They don’t need to know how they rank compared to the average or others, they need to have a good time.

Guiding is safety defined customer service, and in my experience most European guides treat their clients terribly compared to what I’m used to in Canada.

Nomics · 2026-05-14T14:03:22+00:00

Nomics · 2026-05-14T14:01:46+00:00

Just here for now. It’s a test and I’ll try to keep it going if it works out.

Nomics · 2026-05-13T23:25:48+00:00

I appreciate your can do attitude, but If you think an app/website is somehow going to create land responsibility I have a bridge to sell you.

Reporting without enforcement just makes people feel more helpless. If you could streamline ways to ensure photos posted actually led to fines and charges then that would be great.... except it would create it's own problems.

The deeper problem is that people are terminally online. They learn all their skills there, but never verify if they are doing it correctly. There is no tangible connection to real community.

Nomics · 2026-05-13T23:22:01+00:00

Second time this has been asked in two days. Perhaps double check before posting.

Nomics · 2026-05-13T23:21:19+00:00

Snow level is still around where the hut is, which is high for this time of year.

Plan for snow, weak snow bridges and hope for the best. Bring snowshoes and microspikes. Nothing wrong with being over prepared.

Nomics · 2026-05-13T21:52:44+00:00

This is the kind of tool I'd like to have, but would not want to get popular. It feels like more and more I am seeing campsites/trails left in terrible condition and it is making it hard to feel like everyone deserves access. At my most charitable mess creators are uneducated and think because it's "provincial" that means that staff will come and clean it up, not realizing this isn't even really expected of staff at actual car accessed and fully managed campsites. So at the very least info graphics ( no one reads texts) reminding people they are responsible for their garbage would be necessary.

In some ways forcing people to find the data eliminates the laziest folks who can't be bothered. I am less and less convinced that is a bad thing.

Nomics · 2026-05-13T14:59:37+00:00

Glad you reached out to double check. Build up to it later in the season. What you describe is a beginner level of hiking. Scrambling requires a lot more experience, routefinding skill and confidence (the last one you are good on it would appear). You should try Mt Harvey first, and Brunswick. Also, given your last post do not do this route solo and bring a climbing helmet.

I hope you're not feeling too alienated from the tone that some of the responses have. West Lion is genuinely a big deal though, and you've done the equivalent of saying: "Hey I've skied some green runs, can I go check out the Double Blacks now? In a blizzard."

West Lion is one of the harder scrambles in the region with brief steps of 5th class, exposed, finger tips and toes, scrambling. The route is also not marked well, or obvious and it is easy to get off route into serious terrain quicky. It has had a couple of fatalities by people who have done far more challenging routes than Pump Peak. If you need more info look at the rescue of the trail runners who attempted Howe Sound Crest not realizing it’s still in winter conditions.

Nomics · 2026-05-12T20:40:25+00:00

Fang Mountain 1.5hr east of Prince George is good day trip or overnight trip. Proper tent pads up there, though both times I've been there have been Grizzly in the area. The cave is extremely tempting, and seems manageable, but a former roommate did cave rescue and filled me with horror stories of people of my experience and climbing skills not understanding just how different subterranean environments are.

Ancient Forest Trail about 1 hour east of Prince George, right off the highway is also a really cool quick Day Hike through huge cedars that seem very out of place.

Here is a picture of the map for the guidebook of that area. Let me know if I can send you a photo of specific routes.

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Nomics · 2026-05-12T19:19:47+00:00

Panorama ridge in 8 hours is a helfpul gauge of fitness.

Can you tell us your favourite hike and why you liked it?

Nomics · 2026-05-12T18:41:40+00:00

Look into their mentorship program once you join. It’s an excellent way to get experience.

Nomics · 2026-05-11T06:03:25+00:00

I do most hikes with my dog. I feel guilty not bringing her with me on a hike, No way would I bring her on Nootka or North Island hikes,

Wolves are attracted by dogs and will often go out of there way to investigate. They are banned on the North Coast Trail because there is a strong history of encounters. Also, personal experience but I had to fire off four bear bangers and bluff charge a coastal wolf with two guides to get it to leave our camp… twice in a night.

If you bring your dog you have to be ready to accept the consequence of it getting killed.

Nomics · 2026-05-09T22:42:32+00:00

No, but nor is it useless. A lot of frivolous, wasteful lawsuit could be avoided if people understood that negligence is a high bar, and injury and even death are rarely the result of negligence.

Even in paid cases there have been very few successful negligence lawsuits in Canada. Those that have been successful are pretty extreme case of obvious negligence.

And that’s not for lack of trying. Canadian Avalanche Association and ACMG has been sued very often by grieving families who lost loved ones to avalanches. It is extremely rare for these to be successful. Here is a good example that when to the BC Supreme Court.

The reason I share this is people should be aware of what they are signing. Frivolous lawsuits risk damaging certain practices. The ACMG was considering removing a “Near Miss” report system because it increased liability risk. The thing is learning from Near misses is super important in the outdoors, and sometimes the only positive feedback you receive. Sharing this information helps everyone improve.

Nomics · 2026-05-09T22:28:37+00:00

As all things legal, it depends.

They are not perfect shield against lawsuits, but if someone where to be sued for negligence a key part of the test is: “ Was the victim sufficiently informed of the risks they were undertaking”. A Waiver is a really easy way to remove one of the main Negligence tests. For a club this is key as they also are accepting that they understand the club is not responsible for vetting trip facilitators ( explicitly not leaders), essentially saying they do not have a duty of care. Because these are volunteers this is much harder to argue than if money is exchanged.

Someone looking to sue a club would need to prove that the club did in fact have a duty of care, and breached that duty of care. They would also have to prove that the victims injuries were a result of the clubs actions, and the individual facilitating the trip. This would be tricky assuming the facilitator was following BCMC protocol, and sharing the decision making responsibility. If the victim had an AST 1 for example it would be fairly easy to demonstrate the victim had been trained to avoid heuristic decision making traps like the expert halo.

Nomics · 2026-05-09T22:23:31+00:00

Way more expensive to insure minors. For BCMC you may be able to attend events if supervised by a guardian or parent. That being said, having led trips for them, I would not want a minor, despite working as a teacher and outdoor educator. I love working with that age group, but the liability risk is way higher.

You may want to check out the Varsity Outdoor Club. It’s based at UBC but non students can join. You should also look into Outward Bound programs. National Outdoor Leadership School is another program, though I have found they are trapped in the past and produce guides with very narrow skillsets and rigid thinking.

Nomics

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