Tag Archives: Wilderness

Travel |

|

Planning Your British Columbia Hiking Trip

West Coast Trail, British Columbia

With over 850 parks and protected areas all around British Columbia, there are hundreds of different hiking trails to be found. While day hikes are always enjoyable, planning your trip around a longer hike will not only give you a much greater sense of accomplishment when completed, but will also enable you to see more of the stunning natural beauty that British Columbia has to offer.

Sunshine Coast Trail
Stretching out for 180 kilometers through alpine meadows and around sparkling lakes, the Sunshine Coast Trail is the longest hut-to-hut trail in Canada and takes around a week to ten days to complete. While it is possible to camp along the way, the huts, along with B&Bs, provide plenty of other options for those who do not wish to camp, and there are even a few hotels to be found around Powell River. From standing above the clouds at the Tin Hat Mountain Summit to the crystal clear waters of Elk Lake, the Sunshine Coast Trail is not as difficult as some of the other longer hikes in British Columbia, but definitely provides some truly unforgettable moments.

West Coast Trail
Found on southern Vancouver Island, the world-famous West Coast Trail attracts hikers from all over the globe and is a trail that would be well worth planning a hiking trip for. Open from May to September, the West Coast Trail is 75 kilometers long and usually takes somewhere between five to seven days to complete. This is a trail for the more experienced hikers out there, as there are a number of challenging areas, from climbing ladders and steep slopes, using cable cars and wading through strong rivers. Weather conditions here are also extremely unpredictable, but for those hikers that do decide to embark upon this adventure, they will be rewarded with extraordinary sights of Canada’s natural wilderness, and will experience a part of the world that has only been seen by the most intrepid of travelers.

Mt. Edziza Plateau Traverse
Situated in northern British Columbia, the Mt. Edziza Plateau Traverse is an extremely challenging hike, and really gives hikers the opportunity to be at one with nature. Stretching out for about 75 kilometers, this trail takes around a week to ten days to complete and includes hiking to the top of a volcano. While hikers may not spot another human being for days, they will spot some of British Columbia’s magnificent native wildlife, from caribou trotting up a glacier to the bears and the wolves, although these animals are also a danger that hikers need to be aware of. While some may say that the Grand Canyon offers a sense of wonder that nowhere else can, those who have hiked the Mt. Edziza Plateau Traverse are all likely to disagree, as this trail always manages to provide the trip of a lifetime.

British Columbia is home to some of the most picturesque views in the world, and hiking through these is the best way to truly explore them. From the sandy beaches of the West Coast Trail to the dense forests of the Sunshine Coast Trail, these trails are all worth planning a hiking trip around.

Lifestyle |

|

Plan the Perfect Yoga Retreat – OROGOLD Reviews

If developing your yoga skills can take you to nirvana, imagine the feeling of experiencing nirvana in a setting that makes you feel as though you are in paradise. Ten or so years ago, the options for yoga retreats would have been few, with the main ones located in India, but now, the vast array of choices in every country around the world can often be slightly overwhelming. OROGOLD brings you our top tips on how to plan the perfect yoga retreat.

Woman enjoying an outdoor session of yoga

Choose a Destination
Choosing a destination is the best way to begin narrowing down your options. The United States has plenty of great locations for yoga retreats, from the tropical beaches of Hawaii to the isolated mountains of Colorado. Many Canadian yoga retreats consist of a canoe trip into the waterways of the wilderness, where you can meditate in nature before camping under the stars for the night. If you are hoping to travel a bit further, take a look at Bali, New Zealand, Nepal and Peru. There are also yoga retreats in Switzerland that combine the yoga vacation with hiking across the snowy peaks of the alps and swimming in the pristine mountain lakes.

Silhouette of a woman doing yoga in a yoga ashram.

Choose Your Yoga Intensity
Yoga retreats hugely vary when it comes to the amount of yoga that you actually do. There are plenty of resort hotels that offer casual yoga classes, and since these are located in popular tourist spots, it means you can combine plenty of other activities into your yoga retreat. Alternatively, if you are looking for something more intensive and yoga-focussed, there are different ashrams, or spiritual communities, at which you would spend the majority of the day engaging in yoga and meditation activities. In the middle of the spectrum lie the larger yoga retreat centers, offering a wide assortment of courses for two or three hours a day. The rest of the day is usually spent in other instructional activities, or in meditation, and there will also be some allotted time for recreational activities. These centers usually attract crowds, which is great if you are looking to meet like-minded people, but not so good if you were hoping to be somewhere more secluded and isolated.

Group of travelers doing yoga in a retreat.

Travel in Groups
When it comes to yoga retreats, it is usually cheaper, as well as more fun, to travel in groups, so it is usually best to speak to your friends and find out who else is up for a yoga adventure. If nobody that you know shares your interests, you can often book a shared room at yoga retreats. Chances are that you and your new roommates will have plenty of shared interests, making it a great way to meet like-minded people and make friends for life.

When planning a yoga retreat, make sure that your main objective is to find somewhere rejuvenated, healthier and happier, as you don’t want to be left feeling as though you need a vacation to recover from your vacation. There are yoga retreats that cater to all levels of yoga ability, so OROGOLD recommends doing some thorough research to find the yoga destination that is perfect for you.