B.C.’s 11 worst trails for rescues

As search and rescue teams across southern B.C. and Metro Vancouver brace for another busy summer season ahead, a new resource aims to prevent overconfident hikers from getting into trouble on B.C.’s 11 worst trails for rescue missions.

“What we have done is create 11 trail-specific safety videos that highlight the trails in B.C. that have the most search and rescue calls on them,” said Sandra Riches, executive director of the BC AdventureSmart Program.

Riches says there are about 1,900 search and rescue incidents that happen across the province every year. She notes AdventureSmart worked closely with the BC Search and Rescue Association, using provincial data, to come up with the list of 11 trails.

“We’ve made an in-depth trip-planning resource for hikers and it makes it easy for them to watch, learn, get prepared, and see what they need to get into for the hike,” Riches told CityNews. “Are they capable? Is their group skilled enough to do it? How can they do it safely and reach their final destination? And that destination is always home.”

AdventureSmart has not ranked the 11 trails but rather put them collectively in “a basket.” It has been launching three videos per week through April and May to provide more information about each.

The list includes many popular hikes in Metro Vancouver and the surrounding region, including the Howe Sound Crest Trail on the North Shore, The Skywalk South Trail in Whistler, and the Juan de Fuca Trail on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The videos highlight typical conditions, specific hazards and the skills and equipment needed to travel them safely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh9tQjgwTco&feature=emb_logo

“There are popular spots throughout our province, we have such easy access to incredible hiking terrain. At times, this gives people a false sense of security,” she said. “For those who are unaware, it can get them in a bit of a pickle. So by thinking of these ways people can prevent incidents from happening, or even if they can reduce the severity of a search and rescue call, that’s a success.”

Riches says the top three reasons for search and rescue missions are injury, getting lost and disoriented, and exceeding ability.

“So, if hikers could think about those three reasons before they go out on the trail, they can figure out how to mitigate the risks for injury and getting lost and the decision-making needed so abilities are not exceeded.”

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The objective, says Riches, is to provide a resourceful, reliable, and relatable planning tool for everyone to ensure they have a safe trip and help reduce the number and severity search and rescue calls in B.C.

The BC AdventureSmart Program will also be offering region and season-specific safety webinars this summer.

One of the busiest SAR teams in the province, North Shore Search and Rescue, was called out 226 times in 2021, leaping past its previous annual record of 151 missions set in 2020.