Climbing Liberty Bell in Washington State. Photo compliments of our president, Kit Griffin. Visit his website at http://www.kitgriffin.com.

Links and Resources *

Information Sites

Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia   The largest mountaineering encyclopedia in Canada.  It is a tremendous on-line resource with hundreds of trip reports, thousands of photos, mountaineering maps, and road and trail access information.

TrailPeak  An extensive, free online database of BC hiking trails, climbing routes, kayak/canoe routes, scuba diving hot spots, mountain bike trails, cross country, snowshoe, & backcountry ski routes.... including GPS downloads for many trails!  Add your own trails/pictures, read informative articles, meet people, and maybe even get some cool gear in the process!

Weather Office  From Environment Canada.  Find out whether you'll be rained upon or shone upon.  (Since surely you'll go, rain or shine.)

Canadian Avalanche Association  The Canadian Avalanche Association represents avalanche professionals working in Canada. The Canadian Avalanche Centre contributes to the goal of reducing avalanche incidents worldwide. Their Level 1 and Level 2 avalanche courses are respected globally.

BC Parks  Official website for British Columbia Provincial Parks.

Coastal BC  A site dedicated to outdoor recreation.  Largely Vancouver Island focused, with lots on the mainland as well.  Everything from hiking and climbing to sailing and skateboarding.

Outdoor Recreation Council of BC  ORC’s mission is to conserve and enhance outdoor settings and resources in British Columbia and secure public access to them for recreation.

Clubs, Schools, Gyms, and Guides

Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Columbia  has a good list of related clubs and resources.  The FMCBC is a general advocacy and organizing body for mountaineers and other outdoor enthusiasts.   BCMC is a member of the FMCBC.

University of British Columbia Varsity Outdoors Club (VOC)  The UBC's VOC is associated with the BCMC, and we encourage graduating members of the VOC to join the BCMC, to continue their outdoor activities with a local club.

Climbers Access Society of B.C.  The CASBC is an independent not-for-profit society which provides a united, province-wide voice on climbers' access issues.  The BCMC is a member of this society, as are a number of club members.

ClubTread  Clubtread is an online community dedicated to the outdoors.  It is a group of outdoors enthusiasts who get together online to share ideas, trip reports, photographs, and advice.  The message board is one of the primary methods to communicate with others, plan trips, and talk gear.

Canada West Mountain School  Located in Vancouver, the Canada West Mountain School offers a comprehensive range of instructional and guided programs, including Rock and Ice Climbing, Mountaineering, Backpacking, Ski Touring and Avalanche safety courses.

Yamnuska Inc.  Yamnuska is a leading mountain school & mountain guide service located in Canmore, Alberta. They specialize in guiding & instruction in mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing & ski mountaineering.

West Coast Mountain Guides  Westcoast Mountain Guides are ACMG/UIAGM certified guides, based in Squamish.  Founded by Kai Hirvonen and Andre Ike, with a combined experience of 28 years of climbing, their sense of adventure has taken them around the world.  They specialize in private guiding and instruction in all types of climbing.

Squamish Rock Guides  Founded in 1991, Squamish Rock Guides specialize in rock climbing only.  They offer guiding and instruction for all levels of rock climbing abilities, with experienced and friendly staff, competitive rates, and a "rain guarantee".

Hike Chilliwack British Columbia hiking club offering day hikes for people of all ages and fitness levels throughout the Fraser Valley including Chilliwack & Vancouver BC. Also offers hiking trail descriptions, maps, hiking photos, and hiker profiles.

Caledonia Ramblers  For those members in the Prince George area, or who will be visiting, this club offers hiking trips from May to October.  Non-members are welcome to go on 2 hikes before being requested to join the club.

Tetrahedron Outdoor Club This club promotes hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities on the Sunshine Coast.  They built and maintain the trails and backcountry cabins in Tetrahedron Provincial Park.

Cliffhanger Climbing Gyms  Cliffhanger has two locations - one in Vancouver, and one in Coquitlam.  Vancouver offers over 12,000 square feet of climbing, and is the only climbing gym in the city of Vancouver.  Coquitlam is the largest indoor climbing gym in Western Canada, offering over 15,000 square feet of climbing.  Cliffhanger offers a 10% discount on all day passes and memberships to BCMC Members.

The Edge Climbing Centre  The Edge, located in North Vancouver, is Canada's most comprehensive climbing gym, with over 15,000 square feet of climbing surface.  The Edge offers a 10% discount on all 3 and 12 month memberships to BCMC Members.

Magazines

Explore  Canada's outdoor adventure magazine. Gear guide and a comprehensive range of information and stories about the great outdoors and the gear you need to go there.

Gripped  The Canadian Climbing Magazine.

Rock & Ice  Gear, resources, guide directory, expeditions, & everything vertical.

Climbing   Informative articles, reviews, upcoming events & "how-to" sections.

Backpacker   The hiking, backpacking, camping, and outdoor wilderness travel website from Backpacker magazine.

Alpinist   Alpinist Magazine is committed to celebrating world alpinism and adventure climbing in the most beautiful, inspirational manner possible.

National Geographic Adventurer  Includes 3 neat 'tips' sections on Survival, Outdoor & Expeditions. For example, How to .... Avoid an Avalanche .... Build a Fire When It's Wet .... Climb Higher .... Take Better Photos .... Wipe Out On a Bike .... Leave No Trace and much more!

Gear Manufacturers

Rock Climbing / Mountaineering

Petzl  From shock absorbers to trekking poles; from crampons to helmets, and everything in between

Black Diamond  Protection, harnesses, helmets, and much much more

Arc'Teryx  Harnesses, slings, and clothing, made in British Columbia

Wild Country  Cams, wired nuts, carabiners, rope control, harnesses, slings from the UK.

Metolius  All manner of bolted and trad protection, plus harnesses, portaledges, haul bags, slings, ropes, even clothing

Boreal  Climbing shoes, mountaineering boots, etc.

La Sportiva  Climbing shoes, mountaineering boots, etc.

Hiking / Camping

The North Face  Tents, packs, clothing, and more

Marmot  Tents, packs, clothing, sleeping bags, etc.

Gear Reviews and Info

TrailSpace  Inside you'll find thousands of reviews reflecting real-world experiences with tents, hiking boots, jackets, backpacks, and sleeping bags.

Outdoor Review  Consumer generated reviews and community.

Epinions   Epinions has comparison shopping information on Outdoor Gear. Compare prices from across the web and read reviews from other consumers on Outdoor Gear before you decide to buy.

Backpack Gear Test  BackpackGearTest.org is a site where backpackers evaluate new gear in the field over a six month testing period.

Backpacker   Gear reviews from Backpacker Magazine.

Retailers

MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op)  Mountain Equipment Co-op is Canada's leading supplier of quality outdoor gear and clothing.

Valhalla Pure  Valhalla for camping, hiking, climbing, cycling, paddling, skiing gear, fitness gear, fishing gear and clothing! Product information, how-to, sale items and more.

TAIGA Works TAIGA's outdoor clothing & active wear and equipment are legendary for quality and superb performance in expeditions around the world.

Coast Mountain Sports  This website contains NO information about the stores or products, and has no online purchasing ability.  It does, at least, have a store locator...

REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)  REI offers quality gear, clothing and footwear for muscle-powered outdoor recreation.  All products sold by REI are backed by a 100 percent guarantee.

REI Outlet  Reliable outdoor gear at rock bottom prices. Find outrageous deals on hiking, camping, backpacking, climbing, paddling, and recreational gear at REI Outlet.

Campmor   A tremendous selection at great prices.

Sports Junkies  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (or "Resell, Replace, Rejoice!" as the website says)

Buy & Sell  You never know.... sometimes you can find a whale of a deal in here because someone doesn't know what they've got!