Resources

Club Library:

The Doreen Cowlin Memorial Library houses the club’s vast collection of books, maps, guides, and equipment inventory. Our collection boasts of several hundred book titles and dozens of maps to assist our members. We always welcome donations that enrich our collection and make it more relevant to our members.

Trip Plan Tool:

Completing a trip plan is extremely important. It explains your destination, travel route, equipment and expected return time. It is vital information to assist authorities searching for you in the event of an emergency.

If no one knows you are missing, no one will be looking for you.

    • Adventure Smart Online tool for creating and leaving trip plans
    • Google Doc — a base template you can copy and use for your trip plans

Route Research:

Route research is an essential part of trip planning. Consult online and print route descriptions whenever possible, but the gold standard is speaking with someone who has first-hand experience of the route. While some resources provide GPS tracks, do not rely on that information alone. A GPS track only records where someone walked, not how they travelled. It won’t tell you whether they followed a Class 2 trail or spent hours bushwhacking through rocky bluffs on a rope in search of mushrooms.

Gear Lists:

Gates

Many backcountry areas of Vancouver Island are behind locked gates. This resource provides critical information about accessing the land. Pay attention to opening and closing times. Remember that the gate may unlock automatically, but it doesn’t open until someone gets out and pulls it open. 

Navigation & Maps

Weather & Conditions

Club Forms & Resources for Leaders