What is the best map?
At the Orientation session, you will be given a WCT map (1:50,000). There’s a price of C$7.50 marked on it but it is free to you with your Registration. That map, in conjunction with a guidebook & information on this web site, are all you need.
At Orientation you will update your map, jotting down recent bear sightings, evacuation points, bridge washouts, cable car problems, and the like.
Online maps.
Why are the Tide Tables so important?
Hike as much as possible on the shore route, at the lowest tide. This is the golden rule of the WCT.
Even with careful planning & carrying tide tables you can still be swamped by the sea while trying to pass rocky headlands. (We’ve not yet, Thank God!, been forced to tie-up on a cliff face to wait out high tide, as some have done.)
Due partly to the gravitational pull of sun & moon, you will experience 2 high tides & 2 low tides every day. This will be explained in detail at the Orientation session. You'll be given a copy of the tide tables there.
Many sections of coastline are impassable except at low tide. In fact, even at low tide they may be impassable if you have high winds & waves. Don't try to round any point unless you are sure you can make it all the way. If in doubt, send a strong hiker first (without a pack) to check it out.
You can hike the WCT at any tide by climbing up into the forest but it’s better to stay close to the sea. Full moon & new moon are the lowest tides each month — that means easier hiking for you. Check your calendar to see what dates would make for the best shelf hiking. Some hikers even check to see when tides are lowest during midmorning & choose those dates to hike. (It's just as easy to change the time of day you are hiking — get up early if low tide is early; sleep in and lounge around in the morning if low tide is late. The summer hours of sunlight are long in Canada.)
For advance planning online, here are a couple of sites which will predict tide levels for you:
Note: Most tide tables are off by one hour during summer daylight savings times adjustment. (You must add 1 hour to the time printed.)
Do hikers ever get lost?
No. One advantage of a coastal hike is that it is almost impossible to get lost. You don't need a compass.
