As a follow up to my recent blog on weather resources I’ve had some requests for some more trip planning resources but this time with more emphasis on terrain and mapping. So here we go:

It was not that long ago that when we were planning trips from a terrain perspective the resources that we had were a 1:50,000 topo map and perhaps a vaguely written guidebook description if the place you were going to was not that obscure (anyone remember the “Fairley Accurate Guide”?). Oh my how we would stare at the spaces between those contour lines and try to visualize what we were in for! Well the skills required to imagine those trips using a topo map are no less important now than they were then, but we do have some amazing new resources that make trip planning easier and more accurate than it has ever been.

On the mapping front here are a couple of my current favourites:

http://www.earthdetails.com allows you to access canadian topo maps for anywhere in the country and search by place name or coordinates. Additionally it allows you to tilt the map from a ground view perspective all the way to a traditional overhead map view and it will model the terrain in relief for you at whatever angle you choose. You can also zoom in and out as well as measure distances and bearings between points and you can print in full colour.

The Canadian Atlas On line at http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/toporama/index.html gives you access to topo maps for the entire country directly from the source, the Government of Canada. This on line tool allows you to zoom in and out down to a scale of 1:15,000 and includes more detail than the earth details maps mentioned above. It also allows you to print in full colour and both of these sites allow you to work across traditional map sheet boundaries so that you are not having to tape together four maps when the place you are going to is at the corners!

Another amazing modern tool is of course Google Earth. A few years ago I could not have imagined being able to “fly” through terrain that I had never seen in my life and actually get a sense of it that would resemble the reality that I would encounter when I actually arrived there. I have used this ability numerous times in my work as a heli skiing guide exploring new terrain and I have to say it is a very powerful tool. Additionally you can of course measure distances on google earth and overlay all manner of tracks and routes from your GPS device amongst a host of other functions.

My joking above about the acccuracy of guide books aside, there is no replacement for first hand info from people who have actually travelled to a location. This can take many forms but here are a few:

Wild Isle Publciations - Quadra Islander Philip Stone has done an amazing job compiling his books Island Alpine, Island Turns and Tours and Coastal Hikes. No Island back country enthusiasts library is complete without these volumes. There are of course many good guide books for the coast ranges and indeed ranges as far as you might go. Check out Phil's books here: http://wildisle.ca/books/index.html

First hand accounts - There is no end to the fora on line on which you might find good trip reports. http://www.summitpost.org and http://www.clubtread.com are just a couple. A little more island specific one to check out is the Island Climbing and Mountaineering Facebook page. These many sites can be of great use but a word of caution is in order. The info on unmoderated sites includes everything from entries from very experienced or even professional authors all the way to, well, folks that perhaps have a little less experience.

Speaking of professional advice why not use your local resource for info? We are in a small enough community here on Vancouver Island that to date my offers to give people route beta and terrain advice have not been so overwhelming that we can’t handle them so get in touch. We love to help.

I’ll finish with one last site that I hope will become a bit of a portal for useful Island info. That is the new Island Alpine Guides Facebook page. I hope that you might visit that and post comments on trips or courses you have done with us and/or route or conditions info of trips you have done.

Finally we have some cool things coming up. Here are some examples:

AST1 Mount Washington, 23/24 February. This may well be our last public AST1 for the season and it has just five spots available at time of writing.

AST2 Mount Cain, 22-25 February. This course is a special AST2 designed for people who have done a fair bit of decision making in avalanche terrain. If you fit that description and have been wanting to take your decision making to the next level, we have two spots available on this course.

Mount Washington Back Country, 02 March - We have two spots open on a guided day of back country. Snowboarders or skiers are welcome.

Life After AST, 09 March - We have two spots open on this professional guide facilitated day that makes the perfect bridge from your Avalanche Skills Training to getting out touring on your own.

We’re also already starting to book up rock climbing and mountain skills courses for the spring so get in touch if you are starting to think about climbing.

Have fun and be safe out there!

Jan and the team at Island Alpine Guides