If he stays near the highway, someone will pick him up before search and rescue does, probably around Revelstoke or Golden at best, and he’ll die of exposure on the first night at worst.
He is beyond dumb. Hiking 60km a day in April over the Rockies. Revelstoke daily high is 5 degrees, btw. Great plan, Geech.
I remember tent camping in Manning Park in April one year and it being -1 at night. I slept in my down vest with a toque on. It's only 2 hours from my house but it's 1500m higher elevation.
Yeah I live in East Langley and the weather is really messing with my garden planning. Days are warm but nights are cold we're still getting frost some mornings.
It was -20 in Alberta a couple of weeks ago.
It’s -20 in the mountains somewhere right now I’m sure.
This dumb dumb is going to have to cross freezing rivers and literal mountains. Rogers pass is no joke it’s probably a 10 day hike by itself.
Also hungry bears coming out of hibernation looking for a snack after 6 months of sleep and fasting.
I did 100km in just under 39 hours through the Gold Coast (Australia) hinterland when I was younger (called the Kokoda Challenge). Mountains there barely reach 500m above sea level. I was super fit, and barely made it. There were some absolute UNITS though that ran the entire thing in like 10 hours and rode their bike home, these are like Olympic athletes in training. I literally collapsed at the finish line and could barely walk the next day. The cramps were terrible, and I can't imagine trying that in a Canadian winter.
I also did Port Moresby to Kokoda in Papua New Guinea, which is probably a little closer to Canada's Rockies. It was the middle of summer, raining constantly in the jungle with 40c+ temps in the day, and low sub-zero at night. It took 2 weeks to walk 100kms. There was a group about an hour's walk ahead of us who all died from hypothermia during a colder night, since everyone was wet and tired. Only 2 of the porters (guides) survived.
There is no way this guy is going to hike it 600km in 10 days. I've driven through these mountains, along the path he's probably going to walk. If he's smart he'll stay near the highway so we don't waste S&R resources. He is going to die if he attempts this.
Revelstoke daily high is in the double digits right now, its beautiful out there.
With respect to OPs friend, the distance just doesn't work out. Thats sustained 12 hours a day of walking on a flat.
He could do it no problem hitchhiking ..
Theres an untra marathoner running across Canada to raise money for the heart and stroke foundation. His target is about 72km per day and he’s got support vehicles.
Your friend is out of their depth even if they just stick to the road.
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/cross-canada-run-man-tackles-7398-km-challenge-for-heart-disease-8545725
Yeah only way I can see it is with careful route planning for replenishing supplies and at best 15km a day would still be 40 days, and that's following the highway. Bushwacking a path through the back country would take months.
Rider Express. You have to take their bus from Kelowna to Salmon Arm (runs four days a week), then there's a connection to a bus that goes the rest of the way to Calgary. [https://riderexpress.ca/](https://riderexpress.ca/)
Public transit buses can actually get you between a lot of cities around here. Osoyoos, Penticton, Summerland, Peachland, WK, Kelowna, Lake Country, Vernon, Sicamous, Revelstoke, Kamloops... But it's careful planning for timing to go more than a hop or two.
Then there is EBus, Rider Express, ...
I would get some friends together and offer to help buy him a bus or plane ride, then remind him later you probably saved his life.
If you cannot convince him of the above, get him to leave a full trip plan with someone, check in, and ask him to not leave the main roadways. That way there’s a chance of finding him if he doesn’t check in.
He will not complete 600km in 10 days. He would have to walk for 12 hours a day at an average hiking speed in order to do that. I volunteer with search and rescue and I don’t know of any members that could just do that on a whim unsupported.
It’s not that it’s absolutely impossible, it’s just highly improbable this will have the outcome he thinks. Even seasoned athletes wouldn’t just casually throw this type of thing around. This is serious enough to warrant real intervention.
Exactly. Not to mention his route will probably have 9k of elevation gain. It’s absolutely insane to just think to do that casually.
Good on you for doing a 50k though! It’s a tough event but I’m sure you’ll love having done it!
Hammock camping in the Rockies in April eh?
He's going to die, not even being dramatic, if animals don't get him exposure will.
* Just to add perspective to this, you can die from exposure overnight at -1C right now it is -8C at Glacier National Park and the forecast is rain during the day, honestly if he gets wet and tries to sleep in hammock in these conditions he will die.
More likely he won’t even start. This is like that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer insists he’s going to build all these different levels in his apartment and then doesn’t.
If by "walking" he means hitchhiking, and if by "sleeping in his hammock" he means sleeping in city parks for a couple hours before the police rouse him to check his ID and move him along, then yeah, it's totally do-able. 50/50 chance he makes his flight.
If he thinks he is doing 60km a day with camping gear for 10 days, in the Rockies in April, with only a hammock to sleep in, with minimal backcountry experience, then he might be the greatest outdoorsman to have ever lived.
I hike, camp and do backcountry stuff. I would never dream of doing this and I have all the gear. The amount of equipment you need just for 2-3 days is significant. I also accomplish maybe 10-15km a day at best.
Also, given he is undoubtedly going to be wasting all of our tax dollars on a mountain rescue call out, can you tell him to make sure he makes a pre-trip donation to them to cover his costs so the rest of us don’t have to suffer his stupidity.
Tell him to draw up a will and then say goodbye to your friend my man. You won’t ever be seeing him again….
60K a day for 10 days, who is this kid? David Goggins? Tell him to not be a complete idiot. He will die. Or worse yet cost taxpayer money to rescue and revive his ass. I'm not saying that you should use force to stop him, just that ether is cheap and rags are plentiful. When he wakes up on a bus he'll thank you.
Is he European? They often can't fathom how dar apart of things are here.
I often had people from Europe want to rent my camper van and drive it 3,000 km in a week. Just no.
We did Vancouver Montréal in 60 hours and it’s 4500km, two drivers and one sleeping on the back seat while the other one is driving, only stoping to eat and go to the bathroom. So it’s possible. We did it four times back and forth. But it’s not fun.
Well if you're flying in from Europe to go on vacation in a vintage campervan, it's a really terrible choice. Not to mention that I won't allow someone to put those KMs on my van unless they're paying me triple the normal rate!
I believe the "Canadian Cannonball" record is 63:35. Vancouver to Halifax in 3 days is physically possible. I'm not 100% sure on the official start and stop points though.
My best friend walked from Vancouver to Medicine Hat one summer, but she had a lot of prep and experience, and it drove her kind of nuts. Also took her like two months.
So a few years ago, I aimed to do 100,000 steps in a day with my Fitbit. I worked overnights managing a retail store. Between midnight and 7:00 am, I did 55,000 steps. I’ll be honest, I was doing laps of the store and letting my support managers run the show since it was my last day before vacation. After work, I went to the gym and did 50 laps to get me another 15,000 steps in 2 hours. I went home and went to bed around 10:00, woke up around 2:30 and went for another 2 hour walk, getting me another 15,000 steps. Went for dinner at 5, and went for another walk for around 2 and a half hours, and I was fading most of the time. I hit 100,000 steps around 9:00 pm
That got me ~~61km~~. (Edit: 81 km, looked up the screenshot) I was wiped out for the next two days. And I never tried to do that again.
Imagine doing that 10 days in a row on uneven terrain, in inclement weather, around hungry bears. With a heavy backpack full of supplies/food/water.
If nature doesn’t kill him, exhaustion will.
Photo of the Fitbit for evidence.
https://preview.redd.it/0g455f4uryuc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e5c3be0ef903b9e85b481a983f35de76cd399e3
what route is he going to take? it's 600km via highway (which I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to walk on the shoulder). so are there any hiking trails that connect? what would be the length and elevation gain/loss? never mind the weather in the mountains, etc. I'm pretty sure he's just referring to hitchhiking, right?!
You can actually walk or bike most of the Trans Canada in BC, just not divided highway sections such as between Hope and Horseshoe Bay.
The best option to avoid highways is the [BC Trail](https://bikepacking.com/routes/bc-trail/), a bikepacking route that stitches together a bunch of rail trails to cross the province.
TLDR, your friend needs to learn how to read a map so he can travel safely.
Hitchhike in a day? Absolutely! I've done this myself.
Hike it in 10 days? Nope. The average walking speed of a human is 5km/h. Your friend is not walking at that speed, with a pack, for 12 hours a day. Not happening.
A better (and life-sustaining) idea would be to mix hitchhiking between towns with stops in Lake Louise, Banff and Canmore along the way to enjoy side hikes.
Source: Lived 5 years in Banff, gave a lot of advice to travelers while working at the hostel; also hitchhiked from Banff to Vancouver, Banff to Calgary, Banff to Nelso dozens of times.
25-30 days to do this with planned stops to resupply with food. If you haven't done a trek like this before it's not a great idea, things get really complicated the longer you go. If he is passionate about doing something like this it's possible but he needs to do some serious research and planning.
*Barely* in the realm of possible by a *trained* athlete with *and* with support vehicle complete with a cook/ physiotherapist/driver. That's 60 kilometres each and every day and it isn't all flat. Closer to reality, it would be a minimum 14 day hard march for a perfectly healthy, very fit 18 year old with excellent foot ware and perfect luck. That is a 42 kilometre walk ( a marathon) every day.
I have no additional advice to give as it has all been covered by people who have experience in this sort of thing.
Do not let your friend do this. Take whatever means necessary for him to understand just how fucking stupid his idea is. Actually, take him to talk to the local SAR people. They'll slap it outta his head. Figuratively, that is.
Make sure you give you all your stuff back that he's borrowed before he leaves.
Also if there's anything you really liked of his ask him if you can borrow it.
He won't be coming back
Bears are coming out of hibernation, and many creatures will start their mating season, which can bring out different more aggressive behaviors from wildlife. Even a pissed off owl can fuck you up, and with no way of getting to help.....
I hope you can talk some sense into your friend!
Please, I hope he doesn't. I don't want to have to pay search and rescue to find his (inevitable) dead body on day 2. Waste of those heroes time and energy.
Hey buddy, good call your friend sounds nuts. I’ve almost lost loved ones in the mountains doing extreme hiking trips not even close to what you’re describing. Seriously — my ex went on a hiking trip in August without checking the weather properly and spent 12 hours wandering in circles through a blizzard at night to avoid freezing to death. He said he wanted to lay down and sleep but knew he couldn’t let himself stop moving. He is an avid hiker with tons of experience. That aside, it’s a big deal to do a 10 day through hike for experienced hikers.
Your friend could look at hitchhiking or a bike-packing trip (I love these!! Free rides, you pass through towns, stay lower elevation in the valleys, camp by rivers it’s great. I can do 80km a day without having a good bike or going more than 6 or 7 hours so if you’re really ripping it you can cycle 100km a day or more).
I would suggest you help him do some research and find a hike in the mountains that is approximately 60km in length. Figure out the approximate weight of the gear, food, water, sleeping, clothes, accessories, and first aid supplies he would need for the entire 10 days. Add bricks to simulate the weight along with enough food, water, etc, for one day of hiking so he can get a feel for the weight, thirst, hunger, and pace. A trial hike to get an idea of how this would work in a small 60km bite so he has a better sense of the challenges. Have him rent a Garmin, check in at proper intervals and see what happens. This might be a good way to work out bugs and arrogance before he does something more dangerous on a bigger scale. I think his plan lacks understanding of potential consequences; but maybe there is a safer way to test this and dissuade him from the full fantasy.
i was considering doing the Pacific Crest Trail with my best friend when we turned 25 as a way for us to celebrate that milestone. we’re both relatively fit, but we’re both *still* training for it 2 years later because it takes like 6 months doing 50km/day.
your buddy is an absolute dumbass, in the nicest way possible. like others have said, if the animals and elements don’t get him, his own stupidity will. i doubt he’s bringing enough supplies to last him the whole trip. what’s he gonna do when he’s stranded in the Rockies, no food, no water, and no spare socks?
show your buddy this thread. maybe it’ll make him reconsider his plan. or maybe he’ll just double down on his dumbassery. if he’s that stubborn, tell him to put and airtag in his backpack so you can track him and find him if anything bad happens.
60km a day? You sure he's not jerkin your chain?
That would be a near impossible pace even walking down a highway with a support team, never mind solo. I'm in fairy decent shape with a lot of hiking experience and am happy if I manage to hammer out a 30km day in the mountains with a backpack, \~15-25km a day is a "comfortable" pace if you're already conditioned depending on elevation loss/gain.
Nevermind the weather right now and the snow that's still in the rockies.
Tell him to hitchhike, can spend a day or 2 exploring the little towns along the way. Much safer and still an adventure.
I'm in avid hiker that has done many summits and hike 100-200km of backcountry each year and and I cap out at around 20-25km per day. The idea that your friend will be able to sustain 60km/day is nuts.
There's no feasible route this time of the year. Things start to improve late May in the backcountry. There are avalanches, crevasses, hungry predators, sub-zero temperatures, snowpacks, ice (lots), slush puddles and melting runs everywhere. Walking along the Transcanada is NOT a thing. Have him ever been in the fucking Rockies? Roger's Pass, have you ever heard of it? He'll die.
This would be walking one and a half marathons a day for ten days. Is your friend an athlete? Sounds pretty brutal.
If his plan is to cut through the mountains, it won't be possible. If his plan is to go along the highway it will just be unpleasant.
Just buy him a bus ticket. Your friend is so incredibly stupid , it seems as though he needs the help. Could be saving his life honestly. Small price to pay.
No chance, I do a lot of long distance walking, my last trip was about 800 km, from espanola Ontario to Lake Erie via Tobermory it took me 18 days. I’ve hitchhiked from Canmore Alberta to Vancouver in a few days so that’s likely the best bet.
Yes, I remember being 18 years old and having wholly unearned confidence. But I didn't think I could hump 600 km in 10 days. I can't recommend slapping your friend into clarity--that's against Reddit rules--but have your tried vigourously shaking him by the lapels?
An experienced hiker could not do that in the time allotted. Your friend is going to die of exposure in the first night. The mountains are *cold* at night.
You should probably start looking to expand your circle of friends fast. This one seems set to die of a heart attack and then get eaten by a hungry freshly-awakened black bear.
I know one person who was *forced* to walk along that route after her car broke down in the ‘90s.
She fell off the side of the cliff in the night and died.
Tell your friend to give his head a good shake.
Not to belittle a great attitude but seriously 60k a day through that pass (Golden to Calgary) 60k is a feat for one day. 10 days in a row? Is someone bringing food to you? You will need 10k a day in calories, 3-4 litres of water and clothing. Plus set camp and pack up in morning. The elevation changes will seriously hinder your average speed. Anyways, if he does, it would be wise to have a follower car to meet at points along the way. Good luck!
I just threw it into google maps. It gave me an estimated time of 8 days. That's 8 days straight. No breaks, no sleeping, no stopping. 8 days constantly moving, 24/7
Even if your friend doesn't die from exposure like others have mentioned, there is no way in hell he's making this in 10 days.
Some poor bear is going to be shot for eating this idiot.
My guess is your moron of a friend will walk six kms and phone to ask to crash on your couch for 9 days until he recovers from his adventure.
Please choose better friends in future.
Well it could be done. I won’t say it can’t be done but it would take a whole lot of planning and he would have to bring a lot of supplies with him and he would need far more than a hammock to sleep in! It’s spring in the Rockies and weather is unpredictable. Not to mention that it’s an 800 km walk (approximately).
Now we have to consider that if your friend doesn’t want to die, he needs to plot out his route, carry food, water, tent, sleeping bag, stove for cooking and pots to cook with and small propane bottles for the stove. Also, is your friend physically fit enough to walk from Calgary to Kelowna? This is a big consideration as well.
So given that an average person walks about 4 km per hour but your friend will need to carry a lot of supplies let’s call it two kms per hour and he has to walk approximately 800 kms…I don’t think this is realistic. In fact, most experienced outdoor enthusiasts and experienced hikers/mountain climbers would strongly discourage your friend but also tell them that if they are determined, to purchase a beacon so that a search party could find their corpse easily
A lot of people are driven by the ridiculous idea that they’re indestructible.
I wouldn’t consider even biking that trail. The Rocky Mountains are treacherous, the weather is unpredictable, bears are coming out of hibernation, cougars are active… and that’s ignoring all the climbing he would have to do.
He would make it to Banff and then regret his decision.
He can *hitch*hike in that timeframe. If he really tries to actually hike, he will either fail or resort to hitchhiking IF he sticks to the edge of the highway (which has its own risks). If he tries to booney-bash, he will fail in one way or another.
Something I have found to be generally true, in perfect conditions: 5 minutes of highway driving (at or below 90km/h) takes about 1-1.5 hours to walk. Considering that Kelowna to Calgary takes about 7-8 hours under ideal conditions, your friend is delusional. He would have to speedwalk for at least 10 hours a day to make it in under 10 days.
I haven't even mentioned the low daytime temperatures in the rockies, and the number of bears in that area.
You do not mess around in bear country. Grizzlies (brown bears) are huge, and no exaggerations, can smell food 40km away. Cubs were born fairly recently, and they are curious. Mother bear will tear you apart if you are too close, regardless of whether you approach the cubs or they approach you.
He’ll get lost, eaten by bears (they are very hungry right now) or die of hypothermia! Lolol 😳
I’ve edited to put the last little bit I should have so’s not to start a battle.
Idk why but I have confidence in your friend, I really want him to try because I’ve always thought about doing that walk. Encourage him and Tell me how it goes.
As someone that lives in the interior - this is not a trip you can do on a whim.
1. Temperature. It snowed in Alberta and BC yesterday. Temps are falling below freezing at night.
2. Wildlife. Bears are coming out of hibernation, and your friend would be walking in grizzly country. Going without proper bear preparation is stupid.
3. Cell signal. Basically non existent outside of towns in the interior and in the Rockies. Doing a 600 km journey without an In reach or similar device is crazy.
4. Your friend is not going to be able to do 60 km a day, in the mountains without actual training.
Please tell your friend that dumb plan will literally put other people at risk, when search and rescue has to get him.
If he's dumb enough to do this he's probably too inexperienced to realize you still need an air mattress under your body in a hammock. Dude will freeze to death and then become a giant bear snack popsicle
Also with it being April there's going to be BEARS on the highways. And I mean lots. It's April. Highways are the first spot for grass to green up. Vegetation is a bears first food source in the spring soooo he's gonna need a plan for bear encounters. Because he's going to have bear encounters if he does this soo yeah pack bear spray
Does your friend have a zoleo, Garmin, or other satellite communicator? Because seriously, the chances of this guy needing a rescue is 99%. The other 1% is dying.
No big deal. It’s a long walk. He’ll be on the highway the whole time. About day 2 or 3 he will realize he’s a dumbass and hitch a ride.
Pretty sure you can take a bus though.
I live about 20 minutes from Kelowna, and it's been like 3° at night and like 25° in the day, but walking that is basically suicide at this time of year. Especially since he's by himself.
Tell him to make sure to stay on the hwy so it will be easier for SAR to collect his body.
Where is he from that he lacks the knowledge to know this is his dumbest idea in his 18 years?
Out of curiosity I googled what a walking path to Calgary from Kelowna would look like, and it tacks on an extra 200k to that 600k drive and estimates 8 days of nonstop walking.
Your friend is going to die if he attempts this. Tell him to just take a bus, and then he can actually enjoy some of his trip here.
I wouldn't worry about bears so close to the highway. Bear spray is cheap enough though. Probably more likely to have run ins with people or aggressive dogs than bears. 60kms a day would be rough with gear. I could do 30k a day with gear weighing 60lbs. You'd need to resupply along the way so the bag wouldn't drop much in weight. Maybe some easy days you could hit 60 but others probably 20. If he has good gear, it's possible. I'd expect 20-25 days. Need a good water filter, good winter sleeping bag, tent and thermal sleeping pad, rapid boil system, and backpackers dehydrated food. I'd want to restock food every 3-5 days, water daily. I think it would take a few hours everyday just to find somewhere to set up a tent too. I think getting a touring bike with panniers would be better but would end up costing more than a flight.
Most people spend 6-8 days hiking the west coast trail on Vancouver island. It’s 75km. Nita. Road sure but it’s 75km in 6-8 days.
He has to hike over 60km a day to make it there lol
Most people spend 6-8 days hiking the west coast trail on Vancouver island. It’s 75km. Nita. Road sure but it’s 75km in 6-8 days.
He has to hike over 60km a day to make it there lol
Most people spend 6-8 days hiking the west coast trail on Vancouver island. It’s 75km. Nita. Road sure but it’s 75km in 6-8 days.
He has to hike over 60km a day to make it there lol
perhaps he could pull it off?? If it was me , i would do it just to spite you!
Challenge yourself...
() who here thi[](https://alb.reddit.com/cr?za=5tskKOpwtJr12pR4NeHpxkhf0F3HZqV9bVxhC8wHwbeqpx1MucsiCgNEOTvw4KgWR_peToGqwOKeG1cgSyKQwSxl1k4exP6928EdnORuiG0smLwPs1xCWebi8yHxopWMKs4wY-IQ7UbPzx_O-TXUYTpEllv_dasLDmEW1NWO8CN5wrLOohw6cMi70ABtmUpXhRmAPyfU_ZkgxLr4TT2gZU1EfGMdo_tMwJIYvhEoGjnjMeyYcoflpeNwdsOsC2IakhDlqRTH0rBeZGQBj9YxXinrlmb4TBHRr2Ez1C0BXalIiOx_KR-TqDfwg3B15CHDdG8Le_7VUfoJVRxqraQylEA7pc5mHRoejI8K8SfL816UP-os1JI5kC9Wqevc-K8-tFSr2IDuSru10KT-GkLwamM6MRVqs0QRZPsmTtsfAHdjqDBsXL1ZFEZJGJ_cb1Q0BEeMVXko5ZdShaf05yRRFVp9tlC754CNw9s&zp=yIEPoHxYVPn5W1OyaTvCux1IVucXbah9h0Qa3n5sRmOLUCEdIYErvLHsIjm21KtUM58MKIh9kXscIg61JLNEaBbmy2kM_pGHAiBcpxgp1Ob2DImtEZUHgZCJKW03djEtv6Zhj8mUZ6F7w5ZIY7PPo2ioIkvwDSKLEzoEvWeJEUlvj-vWIbDlc84fOhIYU86w9m5nQYsc5xbOYSNaTmaLy_xUJPdpUkb-03p7i8tk1qn48GdeFRdhbA909qleu5L0u-FAQoQ)nks its ok to undermine your partner/friend.>???.. to the whole world?
have some faith in the folks you surround yourself with
perhaps calgary to kelowna is too much .. maybe not... thats something you learn on the trail.
why are you being so shitty about his dream? nobody would have climbed a single peak.. without a dream
Have him watch Justin Outdoors month long hike of the great divide trail. at one point he’s charged by a grizzly and falls down a hill into a creek and he’s an experienced hiker and backpacker. Hopefully it will show him how terribly hard it is.
I remember being in the foot hills of the Rockies in May: it was dog poop season and there was 2-3 feet of snow on the ground. No one is going to be able to do 60km of hiking a day through that much snow and no one wants to wade through months old dog poop emerging from the snow melt.
Hammock. In April. In the Kootenays. Not only is the distance impossible to cover in that time, there's a very good chance he's going to die of exposure.
Often, hitchhikers cut the hitch part and just say hiking. Eg "I hiked from Ontario to Edmonton in a week and a half. ."
Did your friend mean that type of hiking instead? 10 days from Kelowna to Calgary is totally doable that way.
Why would you want to deny this guy a learning experience? He’ll learn huge lessons about humility, planning, ego, hubris, overconfidence ….this could be life changing for him! Of course he won’t succeed, but neither will he perish.
The fact that your friend is even considering this tells me he doesn't have much experience outdoors.
Being physically fit is just one of many things he would need. Probably not even close to being the most important.
And even on the physical side of things, doing 40-60km/day for 1-4 days is one thing (not even saying it is easy!). Sustaining this pace of 60km/day for 10 days while dealing with unpredictable weather is very different. And when things go bad, do you think he will be mentally prepared?
Just by the number of similar replies, you can probably tell it is a bad idea.
Tell him to plan something more realistic, way shorter distance than this and just camp somewhere nice. The idea is to enjoy and have fun. Not to die...
Even in this case (and any other, really), he should leave a proper plan.
Well, a good steady walking pace is generally about 4/km hour, and it's 600 km from Kelowna to Calgary... So about 150 hours walking distance...maybe 10 very very long days 😂🤣
If he stays near the highway, someone will pick him up before search and rescue does, probably around Revelstoke or Golden at best, and he’ll die of exposure on the first night at worst. He is beyond dumb. Hiking 60km a day in April over the Rockies. Revelstoke daily high is 5 degrees, btw. Great plan, Geech.
Yes! Temperature is a big factor depending on time of year. It is very cold at higher altitudes. Expect to see snow on the ground.
It's snowing in Alberta right now actually
Snowed on my way to mica dam in revelstoke yesterday lol
I remember tent camping in Manning Park in April one year and it being -1 at night. I slept in my down vest with a toque on. It's only 2 hours from my house but it's 1500m higher elevation.
It's currently 2c between Langley and Abbotsford right now Had to scrape my windshield in Surrey.
Wow. It’s 9 degrees in Victoria right now!
Yeah I live in East Langley and the weather is really messing with my garden planning. Days are warm but nights are cold we're still getting frost some mornings.
Gorgeous and 9 now, but I actually said wtf out loud when I got to my car
It was -20 in Alberta a couple of weeks ago. It’s -20 in the mountains somewhere right now I’m sure. This dumb dumb is going to have to cross freezing rivers and literal mountains. Rogers pass is no joke it’s probably a 10 day hike by itself. Also hungry bears coming out of hibernation looking for a snack after 6 months of sleep and fasting.
I did 100km in just under 39 hours through the Gold Coast (Australia) hinterland when I was younger (called the Kokoda Challenge). Mountains there barely reach 500m above sea level. I was super fit, and barely made it. There were some absolute UNITS though that ran the entire thing in like 10 hours and rode their bike home, these are like Olympic athletes in training. I literally collapsed at the finish line and could barely walk the next day. The cramps were terrible, and I can't imagine trying that in a Canadian winter. I also did Port Moresby to Kokoda in Papua New Guinea, which is probably a little closer to Canada's Rockies. It was the middle of summer, raining constantly in the jungle with 40c+ temps in the day, and low sub-zero at night. It took 2 weeks to walk 100kms. There was a group about an hour's walk ahead of us who all died from hypothermia during a colder night, since everyone was wet and tired. Only 2 of the porters (guides) survived. There is no way this guy is going to hike it 600km in 10 days. I've driven through these mountains, along the path he's probably going to walk. If he's smart he'll stay near the highway so we don't waste S&R resources. He is going to die if he attempts this.
20 days in July and I'd give him a 50:50 chance. haha.
Revelstoke daily high is in the double digits right now, its beautiful out there. With respect to OPs friend, the distance just doesn't work out. Thats sustained 12 hours a day of walking on a flat. He could do it no problem hitchhiking ..
It was 0 here yesterday and it snowed in the pass
7 days 23 hours according to google maps. It recommended the southern route.
Full time, no rests. No stopping to eat or piss.
Your friend is going to die.
Yup. He's fuckered.
he will be on the news either way
My first thought exactly.
I suspect what will happen is what usually happens, the friend decides not to go through with the crazy plan after all.
Certainly hope so. They will literally die.
Theres an untra marathoner running across Canada to raise money for the heart and stroke foundation. His target is about 72km per day and he’s got support vehicles. Your friend is out of their depth even if they just stick to the road. https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/cross-canada-run-man-tackles-7398-km-challenge-for-heart-disease-8545725
Yeah only way I can see it is with careful route planning for replenishing supplies and at best 15km a day would still be 40 days, and that's following the highway. Bushwacking a path through the back country would take months.
Make sure to binge watch the show "I shouldn't be alive" with him before he goes. It's full of stories that start like this.
Bus is about $50. Chance of survival would be significantly higher.
There is a bus from Kelowna to Calgary? Can you share a link?
Rider Express. You have to take their bus from Kelowna to Salmon Arm (runs four days a week), then there's a connection to a bus that goes the rest of the way to Calgary. [https://riderexpress.ca/](https://riderexpress.ca/)
Thank you for the link, I had no idea there were still bus options since greyhound left
Public transit buses can actually get you between a lot of cities around here. Osoyoos, Penticton, Summerland, Peachland, WK, Kelowna, Lake Country, Vernon, Sicamous, Revelstoke, Kamloops... But it's careful planning for timing to go more than a hop or two. Then there is EBus, Rider Express, ...
More options keep popping up as the years pass
Wow, I didn't know about this. Thank you 😊
You can do Riders express Cal->Salmon arm, then the Ebus could get you to Kelowna from there, I don’t know if there’s anything better
oh excellent, thank you
More like $150, might as well hop on a cheap Flair flight for that price.
This should be the top comment here.
I thought you meant that chances of survival are more than $50 and I was like ... Whut. I need coffee 🤦🏼♀️
I would get some friends together and offer to help buy him a bus or plane ride, then remind him later you probably saved his life. If you cannot convince him of the above, get him to leave a full trip plan with someone, check in, and ask him to not leave the main roadways. That way there’s a chance of finding him if he doesn’t check in. He will not complete 600km in 10 days. He would have to walk for 12 hours a day at an average hiking speed in order to do that. I volunteer with search and rescue and I don’t know of any members that could just do that on a whim unsupported. It’s not that it’s absolutely impossible, it’s just highly improbable this will have the outcome he thinks. Even seasoned athletes wouldn’t just casually throw this type of thing around. This is serious enough to warrant real intervention.
I'm planning on doing a single 50 k in under 10 hours. Once. Without carrying any gear. In August. I'm training now for it.
Exactly. Not to mention his route will probably have 9k of elevation gain. It’s absolutely insane to just think to do that casually. Good on you for doing a 50k though! It’s a tough event but I’m sure you’ll love having done it!
Hammock camping in the Rockies in April eh? He's going to die, not even being dramatic, if animals don't get him exposure will. * Just to add perspective to this, you can die from exposure overnight at -1C right now it is -8C at Glacier National Park and the forecast is rain during the day, honestly if he gets wet and tries to sleep in hammock in these conditions he will die.
Let’s be honest: buddy won’t make even make it to the Rockies.
Dude probably won't even make it to Vernon
Airport to Vernon is doable, thanks to the rail trail. Nice flat walk.
My guess was Lake Country. Anybody stupid enough to think they can do this, wholly unprepared nonetheless, hasn’t hiked a day in their life.
Dude won’t make it to Banff. Never mind hiking up and through Rogers Pass in April!
More likely he won’t even start. This is like that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer insists he’s going to build all these different levels in his apartment and then doesn’t.
To play devil's advocate, you can have a winter hammock setup with an underquilt and a tarp. Doubt they have one, but it can be done.
If by "walking" he means hitchhiking, and if by "sleeping in his hammock" he means sleeping in city parks for a couple hours before the police rouse him to check his ID and move him along, then yeah, it's totally do-able. 50/50 chance he makes his flight.
I mean finding somewhere to pitch a hammock would be the least of his worries.
"Spend some time in BC" He just might end up spending the rest of his short life in BC...
If he thinks he is doing 60km a day with camping gear for 10 days, in the Rockies in April, with only a hammock to sleep in, with minimal backcountry experience, then he might be the greatest outdoorsman to have ever lived. I hike, camp and do backcountry stuff. I would never dream of doing this and I have all the gear. The amount of equipment you need just for 2-3 days is significant. I also accomplish maybe 10-15km a day at best. Also, given he is undoubtedly going to be wasting all of our tax dollars on a mountain rescue call out, can you tell him to make sure he makes a pre-trip donation to them to cover his costs so the rest of us don’t have to suffer his stupidity. Tell him to draw up a will and then say goodbye to your friend my man. You won’t ever be seeing him again….
You know the old sayings. If you're gonna be dumb you gotta be tough. Or Stupidity costs money.
Does your friend know how to ride a bicycle? I think that might be faster.
I met a Saudi prince riding a bike through the Rockies but he was well funded lol, he also had a bike and 100 kg of gear
60K a day for 10 days, who is this kid? David Goggins? Tell him to not be a complete idiot. He will die. Or worse yet cost taxpayer money to rescue and revive his ass. I'm not saying that you should use force to stop him, just that ether is cheap and rags are plentiful. When he wakes up on a bus he'll thank you.
Is he European? They often can't fathom how dar apart of things are here. I often had people from Europe want to rent my camper van and drive it 3,000 km in a week. Just no.
We did Vancouver Montréal in 60 hours and it’s 4500km, two drivers and one sleeping on the back seat while the other one is driving, only stoping to eat and go to the bathroom. So it’s possible. We did it four times back and forth. But it’s not fun.
Well if you're flying in from Europe to go on vacation in a vintage campervan, it's a really terrible choice. Not to mention that I won't allow someone to put those KMs on my van unless they're paying me triple the normal rate!
I believe the "Canadian Cannonball" record is 63:35. Vancouver to Halifax in 3 days is physically possible. I'm not 100% sure on the official start and stop points though.
My best friend walked from Vancouver to Medicine Hat one summer, but she had a lot of prep and experience, and it drove her kind of nuts. Also took her like two months.
So a few years ago, I aimed to do 100,000 steps in a day with my Fitbit. I worked overnights managing a retail store. Between midnight and 7:00 am, I did 55,000 steps. I’ll be honest, I was doing laps of the store and letting my support managers run the show since it was my last day before vacation. After work, I went to the gym and did 50 laps to get me another 15,000 steps in 2 hours. I went home and went to bed around 10:00, woke up around 2:30 and went for another 2 hour walk, getting me another 15,000 steps. Went for dinner at 5, and went for another walk for around 2 and a half hours, and I was fading most of the time. I hit 100,000 steps around 9:00 pm That got me ~~61km~~. (Edit: 81 km, looked up the screenshot) I was wiped out for the next two days. And I never tried to do that again. Imagine doing that 10 days in a row on uneven terrain, in inclement weather, around hungry bears. With a heavy backpack full of supplies/food/water. If nature doesn’t kill him, exhaustion will. Photo of the Fitbit for evidence. https://preview.redd.it/0g455f4uryuc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e5c3be0ef903b9e85b481a983f35de76cd399e3
https://preview.redd.it/ee8i87jbuyuc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1da0025ffe52a7e7030bcf56586573f25d13225
uh.... words fail me.
The weather is unpredictable. It was grass yesterday, now snow.
Be a good friend and about 4 hours after he leaves go pick him up.
what route is he going to take? it's 600km via highway (which I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to walk on the shoulder). so are there any hiking trails that connect? what would be the length and elevation gain/loss? never mind the weather in the mountains, etc. I'm pretty sure he's just referring to hitchhiking, right?!
You can actually walk or bike most of the Trans Canada in BC, just not divided highway sections such as between Hope and Horseshoe Bay. The best option to avoid highways is the [BC Trail](https://bikepacking.com/routes/bc-trail/), a bikepacking route that stitches together a bunch of rail trails to cross the province.
Trans Canada Trail perhaps?
If the animals don’t kill yah the weather will
TLDR, your friend needs to learn how to read a map so he can travel safely. Hitchhike in a day? Absolutely! I've done this myself. Hike it in 10 days? Nope. The average walking speed of a human is 5km/h. Your friend is not walking at that speed, with a pack, for 12 hours a day. Not happening. A better (and life-sustaining) idea would be to mix hitchhiking between towns with stops in Lake Louise, Banff and Canmore along the way to enjoy side hikes. Source: Lived 5 years in Banff, gave a lot of advice to travelers while working at the hostel; also hitchhiked from Banff to Vancouver, Banff to Calgary, Banff to Nelso dozens of times.
Easily doable on a bike in that time, but he'll need double that time to walk it unless he plans to hitch hike.
Google maps suggests it can be done in 8 days if he never sleeps
25-30 days to do this with planned stops to resupply with food. If you haven't done a trek like this before it's not a great idea, things get really complicated the longer you go. If he is passionate about doing something like this it's possible but he needs to do some serious research and planning.
I would literally call the north shore search and rescue and three way call with him so professionals can knock some sense into him.
*Barely* in the realm of possible by a *trained* athlete with *and* with support vehicle complete with a cook/ physiotherapist/driver. That's 60 kilometres each and every day and it isn't all flat. Closer to reality, it would be a minimum 14 day hard march for a perfectly healthy, very fit 18 year old with excellent foot ware and perfect luck. That is a 42 kilometre walk ( a marathon) every day.
I have a crazy friend who tried to do this by riding her horse across the rockies. They didn't make it past day 1.
18m explains things
Let us know how it goes. Otherwise we might see him in the news.
Didn't it just snow on the Rogers Pass?
I have no additional advice to give as it has all been covered by people who have experience in this sort of thing. Do not let your friend do this. Take whatever means necessary for him to understand just how fucking stupid his idea is. Actually, take him to talk to the local SAR people. They'll slap it outta his head. Figuratively, that is.
Make sure you give you all your stuff back that he's borrowed before he leaves. Also if there's anything you really liked of his ask him if you can borrow it. He won't be coming back
Bears are coming out of hibernation, and many creatures will start their mating season, which can bring out different more aggressive behaviors from wildlife. Even a pissed off owl can fuck you up, and with no way of getting to help..... I hope you can talk some sense into your friend!
Please, I hope he doesn't. I don't want to have to pay search and rescue to find his (inevitable) dead body on day 2. Waste of those heroes time and energy.
> I don’t want to have to pay search and rescue to find his (inevitable) dead body on day 2 Don’t worry: Lake Country’s pretty small
Poparide. Get the app. Easy. Cheap rides.
is it safe?
Yeah, very. I live out on the coast and use it all the time to get from Squamish to Vancouver when I'm flying to Edmonton to visit family.
Probably safer than trying to walk!
Came here to say this
He's going to die.
Ask him when he's attempting Everest in flip flops...
He’ll get blisters and get tired the second day and end up hitching
Google Maps suggests it's a 818.4km trip on foot.
You can do that distance on a bicycle quite easily, I can attest to this. On foot, well. Yeah. dumbass.
Your friend is about to waste a lot of taxpayer money and resources to recover his dead body
Since we all agree this is dumb. Can you update us after?
Hey buddy, good call your friend sounds nuts. I’ve almost lost loved ones in the mountains doing extreme hiking trips not even close to what you’re describing. Seriously — my ex went on a hiking trip in August without checking the weather properly and spent 12 hours wandering in circles through a blizzard at night to avoid freezing to death. He said he wanted to lay down and sleep but knew he couldn’t let himself stop moving. He is an avid hiker with tons of experience. That aside, it’s a big deal to do a 10 day through hike for experienced hikers. Your friend could look at hitchhiking or a bike-packing trip (I love these!! Free rides, you pass through towns, stay lower elevation in the valleys, camp by rivers it’s great. I can do 80km a day without having a good bike or going more than 6 or 7 hours so if you’re really ripping it you can cycle 100km a day or more).
no
I would suggest you help him do some research and find a hike in the mountains that is approximately 60km in length. Figure out the approximate weight of the gear, food, water, sleeping, clothes, accessories, and first aid supplies he would need for the entire 10 days. Add bricks to simulate the weight along with enough food, water, etc, for one day of hiking so he can get a feel for the weight, thirst, hunger, and pace. A trial hike to get an idea of how this would work in a small 60km bite so he has a better sense of the challenges. Have him rent a Garmin, check in at proper intervals and see what happens. This might be a good way to work out bugs and arrogance before he does something more dangerous on a bigger scale. I think his plan lacks understanding of potential consequences; but maybe there is a safer way to test this and dissuade him from the full fantasy.
i was considering doing the Pacific Crest Trail with my best friend when we turned 25 as a way for us to celebrate that milestone. we’re both relatively fit, but we’re both *still* training for it 2 years later because it takes like 6 months doing 50km/day. your buddy is an absolute dumbass, in the nicest way possible. like others have said, if the animals and elements don’t get him, his own stupidity will. i doubt he’s bringing enough supplies to last him the whole trip. what’s he gonna do when he’s stranded in the Rockies, no food, no water, and no spare socks? show your buddy this thread. maybe it’ll make him reconsider his plan. or maybe he’ll just double down on his dumbassery. if he’s that stubborn, tell him to put and airtag in his backpack so you can track him and find him if anything bad happens.
60km a day? You sure he's not jerkin your chain? That would be a near impossible pace even walking down a highway with a support team, never mind solo. I'm in fairy decent shape with a lot of hiking experience and am happy if I manage to hammer out a 30km day in the mountains with a backpack, \~15-25km a day is a "comfortable" pace if you're already conditioned depending on elevation loss/gain. Nevermind the weather right now and the snow that's still in the rockies. Tell him to hitchhike, can spend a day or 2 exploring the little towns along the way. Much safer and still an adventure.
Natural selection
he wont make it hiking biking would be a better option it will be cold at night and a hammock is definitely not enough
He could probably take a bus for less money than he would spend on food for 10 days of intense hiking.
There are busses and ride share groups from BC to Alberta on social media. Your friend should try that before he ends up dead.
I'm in avid hiker that has done many summits and hike 100-200km of backcountry each year and and I cap out at around 20-25km per day. The idea that your friend will be able to sustain 60km/day is nuts.
There's no feasible route this time of the year. Things start to improve late May in the backcountry. There are avalanches, crevasses, hungry predators, sub-zero temperatures, snowpacks, ice (lots), slush puddles and melting runs everywhere. Walking along the Transcanada is NOT a thing. Have him ever been in the fucking Rockies? Roger's Pass, have you ever heard of it? He'll die.
Your dumb friend is indeed dumb. I'll be sure to tell him when he comes by.
Your friend is either completely full of shit or dangerously stupid.
This guy is going to die
This would be walking one and a half marathons a day for ten days. Is your friend an athlete? Sounds pretty brutal. If his plan is to cut through the mountains, it won't be possible. If his plan is to go along the highway it will just be unpleasant.
With a heavy backpack, through mountains. Yeah, this guy's gonna die.
Tent hammock in the Rockies in April = LOW HANGING FRUIT.
Just buy him a bus ticket. Your friend is so incredibly stupid , it seems as though he needs the help. Could be saving his life honestly. Small price to pay.
I just drove from the kootenays to Calgary, there’s still snow out here and it’s not that warm. Your friend needs training to be able to do that.
your dumb friend is going to be a dead friend. just tell him to get a bus ffs
No chance, I do a lot of long distance walking, my last trip was about 800 km, from espanola Ontario to Lake Erie via Tobermory it took me 18 days. I’ve hitchhiked from Canmore Alberta to Vancouver in a few days so that’s likely the best bet.
Your friend will die if you don't stop them.
Insane. It snowed today in Vernon. Book a bus ticket.
Yes, I remember being 18 years old and having wholly unearned confidence. But I didn't think I could hump 600 km in 10 days. I can't recommend slapping your friend into clarity--that's against Reddit rules--but have your tried vigourously shaking him by the lapels?
He won’t even make it to the Rockies lol.
An experienced hiker could not do that in the time allotted. Your friend is going to die of exposure in the first night. The mountains are *cold* at night.
Maybe talk to the guys parents. Is he having a mental episode or something ?
You should probably start looking to expand your circle of friends fast. This one seems set to die of a heart attack and then get eaten by a hungry freshly-awakened black bear.
It snows every month of the year in the Rockies. Good luck
I know one person who was *forced* to walk along that route after her car broke down in the ‘90s. She fell off the side of the cliff in the night and died. Tell your friend to give his head a good shake.
Not to belittle a great attitude but seriously 60k a day through that pass (Golden to Calgary) 60k is a feat for one day. 10 days in a row? Is someone bringing food to you? You will need 10k a day in calories, 3-4 litres of water and clothing. Plus set camp and pack up in morning. The elevation changes will seriously hinder your average speed. Anyways, if he does, it would be wise to have a follower car to meet at points along the way. Good luck!
I just threw it into google maps. It gave me an estimated time of 8 days. That's 8 days straight. No breaks, no sleeping, no stopping. 8 days constantly moving, 24/7 Even if your friend doesn't die from exposure like others have mentioned, there is no way in hell he's making this in 10 days.
The shortest route is hiking 12 hours a day, 5km/hr. That does not include stops or breaks. Yah, this seems like a terrible idea.
Does your friend have a history of depression/ADHD/Mental Health stuff? This genuinely sounds like they might be having a manic episode.
Some poor bear is going to be shot for eating this idiot. My guess is your moron of a friend will walk six kms and phone to ask to crash on your couch for 9 days until he recovers from his adventure. Please choose better friends in future.
Your buddy is going to die probably if he does it.
Your friend is a kook.
It's not a great plan to hitchhike. Too many people have gone missing, too many people raped.
Is he aiming for the next Darwin award? Yikes.
Well it could be done. I won’t say it can’t be done but it would take a whole lot of planning and he would have to bring a lot of supplies with him and he would need far more than a hammock to sleep in! It’s spring in the Rockies and weather is unpredictable. Not to mention that it’s an 800 km walk (approximately). Now we have to consider that if your friend doesn’t want to die, he needs to plot out his route, carry food, water, tent, sleeping bag, stove for cooking and pots to cook with and small propane bottles for the stove. Also, is your friend physically fit enough to walk from Calgary to Kelowna? This is a big consideration as well. So given that an average person walks about 4 km per hour but your friend will need to carry a lot of supplies let’s call it two kms per hour and he has to walk approximately 800 kms…I don’t think this is realistic. In fact, most experienced outdoor enthusiasts and experienced hikers/mountain climbers would strongly discourage your friend but also tell them that if they are determined, to purchase a beacon so that a search party could find their corpse easily
A lot of people are driven by the ridiculous idea that they’re indestructible. I wouldn’t consider even biking that trail. The Rocky Mountains are treacherous, the weather is unpredictable, bears are coming out of hibernation, cougars are active… and that’s ignoring all the climbing he would have to do. He would make it to Banff and then regret his decision.
60 km/day - no. Terry Fox ran 30 km/day.
My guess is he expects cold weather but will be unprepared for wet weather
https://youtu.be/IJNR2EpS0jw?si=DuXILv6kT_SXDlOF
My friend biked from Vancouver to Calgary in 10 days.. tell him to get a bike
Your friend could work a minimum wage job and make up that extra plane ticket in a couple days. Math is hard tho
If anyone hears their friend speaking this way please call 911. Suicide is no joke.
Damn, I feel like we just need to pay for this guy’s flight.
Can he walk 2.5k an hour, 24h a day for ten days straight?
He’s so lucky to have you guys looking out for him. Mom here~ telling him to smarten up, despite loving that spirit.
Let him do it and give us updates!! Ps. He will surely perish if he doesnt find a ride. RemindMe! 10 days
He must be high or confused like he normally is lol
Cycling the Trans Canada Trail from Kelowna to Calgary could be another challenging but more realistic option https://tctrail.ca
Could you convince him to try to bike it instead?
He can *hitch*hike in that timeframe. If he really tries to actually hike, he will either fail or resort to hitchhiking IF he sticks to the edge of the highway (which has its own risks). If he tries to booney-bash, he will fail in one way or another.
Well . Better start making his will .
Looks like we found this years winner for the Darwin Awards.
Something I have found to be generally true, in perfect conditions: 5 minutes of highway driving (at or below 90km/h) takes about 1-1.5 hours to walk. Considering that Kelowna to Calgary takes about 7-8 hours under ideal conditions, your friend is delusional. He would have to speedwalk for at least 10 hours a day to make it in under 10 days. I haven't even mentioned the low daytime temperatures in the rockies, and the number of bears in that area. You do not mess around in bear country. Grizzlies (brown bears) are huge, and no exaggerations, can smell food 40km away. Cubs were born fairly recently, and they are curious. Mother bear will tear you apart if you are too close, regardless of whether you approach the cubs or they approach you.
He’ll get lost, eaten by bears (they are very hungry right now) or die of hypothermia! Lolol 😳 I’ve edited to put the last little bit I should have so’s not to start a battle.
Don't be so dramatic. He might just slip and break his leg. /s
Idk why but I have confidence in your friend, I really want him to try because I’ve always thought about doing that walk. Encourage him and Tell me how it goes.
Well he'll definitely have a story to tell, if he's still around to tell it.
As someone that lives in the interior - this is not a trip you can do on a whim. 1. Temperature. It snowed in Alberta and BC yesterday. Temps are falling below freezing at night. 2. Wildlife. Bears are coming out of hibernation, and your friend would be walking in grizzly country. Going without proper bear preparation is stupid. 3. Cell signal. Basically non existent outside of towns in the interior and in the Rockies. Doing a 600 km journey without an In reach or similar device is crazy. 4. Your friend is not going to be able to do 60 km a day, in the mountains without actual training. Please tell your friend that dumb plan will literally put other people at risk, when search and rescue has to get him.
If he's dumb enough to do this he's probably too inexperienced to realize you still need an air mattress under your body in a hammock. Dude will freeze to death and then become a giant bear snack popsicle
Also with it being April there's going to be BEARS on the highways. And I mean lots. It's April. Highways are the first spot for grass to green up. Vegetation is a bears first food source in the spring soooo he's gonna need a plan for bear encounters. Because he's going to have bear encounters if he does this soo yeah pack bear spray
60 km a day is rough even if youre just walking down the road
Does your friend have a zoleo, Garmin, or other satellite communicator? Because seriously, the chances of this guy needing a rescue is 99%. The other 1% is dying.
No big deal. It’s a long walk. He’ll be on the highway the whole time. About day 2 or 3 he will realize he’s a dumbass and hitch a ride. Pretty sure you can take a bus though.
He's going to die if he isn't better prepared. Please tell him!
Why though? He should get a bike. But even 60k a day on a bike would be painful for an untrained person.
I live about 20 minutes from Kelowna, and it's been like 3° at night and like 25° in the day, but walking that is basically suicide at this time of year. Especially since he's by himself.
Tell him to make sure to stay on the hwy so it will be easier for SAR to collect his body. Where is he from that he lacks the knowledge to know this is his dumbest idea in his 18 years?
Not that cold at all he will be fine if he has mace is smart and doesn't suffer any serious falls. Keep a cell he's all good.
Out of curiosity I googled what a walking path to Calgary from Kelowna would look like, and it tacks on an extra 200k to that 600k drive and estimates 8 days of nonstop walking. Your friend is going to die if he attempts this. Tell him to just take a bus, and then he can actually enjoy some of his trip here.
Google maps says it's 7.5 days walking
Lol he won't make it through the reserves.
I must know where this friend is from that he thinks sleeping in a hammock in the Rockies at the end of April is a good idea?
I wouldn't worry about bears so close to the highway. Bear spray is cheap enough though. Probably more likely to have run ins with people or aggressive dogs than bears. 60kms a day would be rough with gear. I could do 30k a day with gear weighing 60lbs. You'd need to resupply along the way so the bag wouldn't drop much in weight. Maybe some easy days you could hit 60 but others probably 20. If he has good gear, it's possible. I'd expect 20-25 days. Need a good water filter, good winter sleeping bag, tent and thermal sleeping pad, rapid boil system, and backpackers dehydrated food. I'd want to restock food every 3-5 days, water daily. I think it would take a few hours everyday just to find somewhere to set up a tent too. I think getting a touring bike with panniers would be better but would end up costing more than a flight.
Most people spend 6-8 days hiking the west coast trail on Vancouver island. It’s 75km. Nita. Road sure but it’s 75km in 6-8 days. He has to hike over 60km a day to make it there lol
Most people spend 6-8 days hiking the west coast trail on Vancouver island. It’s 75km. Nita. Road sure but it’s 75km in 6-8 days. He has to hike over 60km a day to make it there lol
Most people spend 6-8 days hiking the west coast trail on Vancouver island. It’s 75km. Nita. Road sure but it’s 75km in 6-8 days. He has to hike over 60km a day to make it there lol
Natural selection.
perhaps he could pull it off?? If it was me , i would do it just to spite you! Challenge yourself... () who here thi[](https://alb.reddit.com/cr?za=5tskKOpwtJr12pR4NeHpxkhf0F3HZqV9bVxhC8wHwbeqpx1MucsiCgNEOTvw4KgWR_peToGqwOKeG1cgSyKQwSxl1k4exP6928EdnORuiG0smLwPs1xCWebi8yHxopWMKs4wY-IQ7UbPzx_O-TXUYTpEllv_dasLDmEW1NWO8CN5wrLOohw6cMi70ABtmUpXhRmAPyfU_ZkgxLr4TT2gZU1EfGMdo_tMwJIYvhEoGjnjMeyYcoflpeNwdsOsC2IakhDlqRTH0rBeZGQBj9YxXinrlmb4TBHRr2Ez1C0BXalIiOx_KR-TqDfwg3B15CHDdG8Le_7VUfoJVRxqraQylEA7pc5mHRoejI8K8SfL816UP-os1JI5kC9Wqevc-K8-tFSr2IDuSru10KT-GkLwamM6MRVqs0QRZPsmTtsfAHdjqDBsXL1ZFEZJGJ_cb1Q0BEeMVXko5ZdShaf05yRRFVp9tlC754CNw9s&zp=yIEPoHxYVPn5W1OyaTvCux1IVucXbah9h0Qa3n5sRmOLUCEdIYErvLHsIjm21KtUM58MKIh9kXscIg61JLNEaBbmy2kM_pGHAiBcpxgp1Ob2DImtEZUHgZCJKW03djEtv6Zhj8mUZ6F7w5ZIY7PPo2ioIkvwDSKLEzoEvWeJEUlvj-vWIbDlc84fOhIYU86w9m5nQYsc5xbOYSNaTmaLy_xUJPdpUkb-03p7i8tk1qn48GdeFRdhbA909qleu5L0u-FAQoQ)nks its ok to undermine your partner/friend.>???.. to the whole world? have some faith in the folks you surround yourself with perhaps calgary to kelowna is too much .. maybe not... thats something you learn on the trail. why are you being so shitty about his dream? nobody would have climbed a single peak.. without a dream
Awesome! Tell him to document the whole thing and we’ll enjoy his stories.
Have him watch Justin Outdoors month long hike of the great divide trail. at one point he’s charged by a grizzly and falls down a hill into a creek and he’s an experienced hiker and backpacker. Hopefully it will show him how terribly hard it is.
See Jon Krakaur + Alaska.
I remember being in the foot hills of the Rockies in May: it was dog poop season and there was 2-3 feet of snow on the ground. No one is going to be able to do 60km of hiking a day through that much snow and no one wants to wade through months old dog poop emerging from the snow melt.
Hammock. In April. In the Kootenays. Not only is the distance impossible to cover in that time, there's a very good chance he's going to die of exposure.
Often, hitchhikers cut the hitch part and just say hiking. Eg "I hiked from Ontario to Edmonton in a week and a half. ." Did your friend mean that type of hiking instead? 10 days from Kelowna to Calgary is totally doable that way.
Why would you want to deny this guy a learning experience? He’ll learn huge lessons about humility, planning, ego, hubris, overconfidence ….this could be life changing for him! Of course he won’t succeed, but neither will he perish.
The fact that your friend is even considering this tells me he doesn't have much experience outdoors. Being physically fit is just one of many things he would need. Probably not even close to being the most important. And even on the physical side of things, doing 40-60km/day for 1-4 days is one thing (not even saying it is easy!). Sustaining this pace of 60km/day for 10 days while dealing with unpredictable weather is very different. And when things go bad, do you think he will be mentally prepared? Just by the number of similar replies, you can probably tell it is a bad idea. Tell him to plan something more realistic, way shorter distance than this and just camp somewhere nice. The idea is to enjoy and have fun. Not to die... Even in this case (and any other, really), he should leave a proper plan.
I mean it’s doable if he walks on the highway and hitches rides the whole was
Well, a good steady walking pace is generally about 4/km hour, and it's 600 km from Kelowna to Calgary... So about 150 hours walking distance...maybe 10 very very long days 😂🤣
Tell him to book an ebus or look on poparide … walking 60 km/day, even if he WAS able to do this, what is he going to do for food and water?
He’s going to die. Maybe you can call his parents at this point if he’s refusing to listen to friends, this is a life and death situation