Hiking on the edge – Canada’s West Coast Trail –

“People come from all over the world to tackle what Parks Canada calls ‘one of the most gruelling treks in North America.’ Now, in words and images, author Ian Gill and photographer David Nunuk capture all the untamed splendour of this rugged trail perched on the western edge of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island.

Blending history, social and cultural commentary, natural science, and personal observation, this remarkable chronicle of one hike along the trail is reminiscent of the best of Bruce Chatwin, Barry Lopez, and Paul Theroux, with the added bonus of superb colour photographs, a useful map, and wry observations and advice on what to bring, how to get there, and what to do upon arrival.

The European ‘discovery’ of western Vancouver Island occurred barely two centuries ago but, as Gill Points out, three bands of aboriginal people have fished for salmon, hunted whales, and endured floods, earthquakes, tidal waves, and landslides for at least four millennia. In more recent times ships plying the treacherous waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca often found themselves smashed against the rocks of the present-day trail, and eventually, a long-overdue lifesaving track was hacked out of the wilderness. Indifferently maintained and frequently ignored, the trail was completely abandoned by the Canadian government in the early 1960s, only to be ‘rediscovered’ and reclaimed during the outdoor recreation boom of the 1970s.

The West Coast Trail has everything in its 47-mile course – soaring sea stacks of timeworn rock, primeval rainforest, abundant wildlife, matchless, jewel-like covers, beaches, bays, rivers, waterfalls, rock ledges, caves, and tidal pools. No doubt about it. Hiking on the Edge will make both armchair traveller and veteran hiker alike feel the sting of sea spray and hear the thunder of surf as if they, too had been hurled breathless onto the rim of the continent.”