Organize a trip

Please read this page carefully before organizing your trip. The article contains a list of things that have to be present on a trip blurb page in addition to mandatory fields and any other information that you want to include.

Include the following in your trip blurb

(Note: this information doesn't have to be in bullet form but still has to be very accessible)

• Activity type(s)
• Destination(s), proposed route(s) (can be in a link if you don't know how to embed a map)
• General plan.
  • Describe roughly you plan for each day of the trip.
  • Mention where will you spend the night(s) and in what kind of shelter.
  • Where will you be getting food and water.
  • If the plans are subject to change and you don't have a solid plan list your ideas and make sure it is clear that plans are subject to change.
• Weather (avalanche) forecast for the days and location where the trip will be taking place. Remember that weather conditions can make the easiest hike very hard and even fatal in activities like mountaineering and kayaking/sailing. Remember to include relevant weather information for each type of activity (eg: wind for cycling, kayaking, sailing, avalanche forecast for snow sports, night temperature for overnight trips etc).
• Trip difficulty (see next section)
• Technical skills. List required skills, previous experience and courses required to take part in your trip (eg: Rock 2, AST1, G1, winter camping experience, wayfinding etc)

Trip difficulty

Describe trip difficulty using every bullet point from appropriate trip activity. You may also remind participants that difficulty of the trip increases with increasing number of days and backpack weight.

• Hiking:
  • Distance covered each day (or average and maximum distance per day)
  • Elevation gain each day (or average and maximum distance per day)
  • hiking pace or time in which you are planning to accomplish daily goal.
  • Trail condition: (Wide, well established trail; Overgrown trail; bushwhacking no established trail)
• Cycling
  • Distance covered each day (or average and maximum distance per day)
  • Elevation gain each day (or average and maximum distance per day)
  • Average speed or time in which you are planning to accomplish daily goal.
  • Road type: paved, gravel, loose pebbles, singletrack. Include trail rating if known. You can approximate percentage of distance of trip on each road type out of total distance.
  • Trail quality
• Scrambling
  • Elevation gain each day
  • Scramble rating each day (or maximum rating expected if precise plan in unknown)(see VOC trip rating system)
  • Rate of climbing. Is there time constrains on your trip? Will you be able to wait for the slowest? If not indicate in what amount of time you want to cover the planned distance.
• Rock Climbing
  • Type of climbing (eg: top rope, lead, trad)
  • Difficulty range in YDS
• Alpine rock climbing
  • Distance measured in number of ropes or average time
  • Range of pitch difficulties in YDS
• Mountaineering
  • Use NCCS rating system
• Ice climbing
  • Use [what ever is used in BC] system
• Kayaking
  • Distance covered each day (or average and the longest day in the trip)
  • Movement rate. Is there time constrains on your trip? Will you be able to wait for the slowest? If not indicate in what amount of time you want to cover the planned distance.
  • Number and distance of portages
  • (Remember to include wind forecast!)
• Backountry skiing and snowboarding
  • Distance skinning each day (average and maximum distance per day)
  • Elevation gain each day (average and maximum elevation gain per day)
  • Maximum elevation if climbing higher then 2400 m. If you climb higher then 2400 m make a note that altitude sickness is likely to occur
  • Movement rate. Is there time constrains on your trip? Will you be able to wait for the slowest? If not indicate in what amount of time you want to cover the planned distance.
  • Use [Zack's rating system] to rate downhills
• Snowshoeing
  • Distance skinning each day (average am maximum distance per day if plan is unknown)
  • Elevation gain each day (average and maximum elevation gain per day if plan is unknown)

Grade systems used in trip organizer

Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) (for scrambling and rock climbing)

• Class 1: Walking with a low chance of injury, hiking boots a good idea.
• Class 2: Simple scrambling, with the possibility of occasional use of the hands. Little potential danger is encountered. Hiking Boots highly recommended.
• Class 3: Scrambling with increased exposure. Handholds are necessary. A rope should be available for learning climbers, or if you just choose to use one that day, but is usually not required. Falls could easily be fatal.
• Class 4: Simple climbing, with exposure. A rope is often used. Natural protection can be easily found. Falls may well be fatal.
• Class 5: Is considered technical roped free (without hanging on the rope, pulling on, or stepping on anchors) climbing; belaying, and other protection hardware is used for safety. Un-roped falls can result in severe injury or death.
• Class 5.0 to 5.15c[6] is used to define progressively more difficult free moves.

NCCS rating system (Alpine Climbing)

• Grade I: Normally requires several hours; can be of any difficulty.
• Grade II: Requires half a day; any technical difficulty
• Grade III: Requires a day to do the technical portion; any technical difficulty
• Grade IV: Requires a full day for the technical portion; the hardest pitch is usually no less than 5.7 (in the YDS rating)
• Grade V: Requires a day and a half; the hardest pitch is usually 5.8 or harder
• Grade VI: A multiday excursion with difficult free climbing and/or aid climbing

Ice climbing raiting

[What ice climbing grade system is used in BC?]

Zack's raiting System (Backcountry skiing/snowboarding)

• (1): Easy: Gentle, open slopes with few if any obstacles while skiing. Would be equivalent to green circle at a ski resort. Angle no steeper than 15 degrees. ATES rating ‘simple;’ conditions have extremely low likelihood of avalanche (danger rating at “Low” in elevation gradient planning trip). Ex: Slopes above Red Heather Hut in most conditions
• (2): Moderate: Moderate angled slopes (no steeper than 30 degrees) with few obstacles, or gentler slopes with obstacles, dense trees, and/or exposed rocks. Would be equivalent to a blue square at a ski resort. ATES rating ‘simple’ in conditions with a ‘Considerable’ danger rating or below; ATES rating ‘Challenging’ in conditions with ‘Moderate’ danger rating or below. Ex: Slopes along Paul Ridge in ‘Moderate’ danger rating, lower section of Nak Peak, Coquihala Hwy, during ‘Moderate’ conditions, etc
• (3): Difficult: Steep slopes (slopes between 30-40 degrees) with few obstacles in safe avalanche conditions, or moderate-angled slopes (slopes between 20-30 degrees) with some obstacles, dense trees, exposed rocks, etc. ATES rating ‘Complex’ or ‘Challenging’ in Moderate danger ratings and below. Glacier travel may be required. Ex: Decker Main, Mount Decker; Thar Peak, Coquihala Hwy; Sapphire Col, Asulkan Valley, Rogers Pass
• (4): Very Difficult: Very steep slope angles (slopes between 35-45 degrees) with some obstacles in safe avalanche conditions (‘Low’ or ‘Moderate’ danger ratings), or less steep slopes with dense trees, difficult and/or variable snowpack conditions. ATES rating ‘Complex’ in ‘Moderate’ danger ratings, ‘Challenging’ in ‘Considerable,’ and ‘Simple’ in ‘High’ danger ratings. Fall exposure from cliffs possible; glacier-travel possible/likely. Ex: NW Face of Mount Matier, Joffre Group, Duffey Lake; Coleman-Deming Route, Mount Baker
• (5): Experts Only: Extremely steep slopes (slopes greater than 45 degrees); may or may not have obstacles and/or much room to turn. ATES rating ‘Complex’ during ‘Moderate’ or ‘Considerable’ danger rating; ‘Challenging’ during ‘Considerable’ or ‘High’ danger rating. May have variable, icey, wind-packed/wind-eroded features. May involve skiing over cliffs where falling results in serious consequences. May require use of rope for entering/exiting line, employ ski mountaineering techniques, and/or travel on complex glaciers. Ex: Central Couloir, Joffre Peak; Siberian Express, Mount Garabaldi; North Face, Mt. Shuskan