Bearfoot Canada is your travel portal to unique and exciting experiences in British Columbia. Bearfoot is dedicated to expanding sustainable and responsible tourism in Canada.
Stay & Explore with your City Passport
Bearfoot Canada Stay & Explore Accommodators allow nature-based travellers a place to store their bikes, and hiking equipment, wax their skis and more. We call this "nature-based friendly" accommodation.
Whether it's a Hotel, Inn, Bed & Breakfast or Hostel an "in-town" Accommodator displaying Stay & Explore Certification has joined Bearfoot Canada in promoting "greener" travel that improves the quality of life for residents and visitors.
A Stay & Explore Accommodator helps Bearfoot Canada promote Responsible Travel; Eco-tourism and Adventure Tourism in British Columbia.
Manager: Don Elzer - mediaservices@uniserve.com www.bearfootcanada.com
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Wine Country
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Why Collect Bearfoot Routes?
Definitions:
Collection The act or practice of collecting a group of things gathered from many places and belonging together.
Collectible That may be collected, anything having a current attraction for collectors; an item that may be part of a collection, especially something other than an antique or work of art, or traditionally collected items such as coins or stamps.
Defining Statement:
"Whatever you do or dream, you can begin it, boldness has genius, magic and power in it"
Goethe
Bearfoot Canada believes that our trails and nature-based travel routes and attractions remain precious experiences which when gathered together offer a sense of boldness, magic and power which defines Canada and the Canadian experience.
The first step of any walking adventure or journey is often the most difficult. But for most of us there's a hidden explorer inspired by what might be around the bend, over the ridge, or across the lake. Bearfoot Canada modern day explorers take that first, of many, steps and hopefully help to open your eyes and heart and mind to the passion that can last a lifetime the great outdoors.
Here in the Okanagan we have an outdoor paradise with something for everyone, so vast and diverse that your time off the trail, and away from your bike or canoe will be spent planning your next Bearfoot adventure.
Bearfoot Canada with the support of the Canadian Tourism Commission has become the first sanctioning body in North America, which compiles travel experiences as unique collectibles. Beginning in the Okanagan and Shuswap Regions of British Columbia, Bearfoot applies criteria that links responsible travel with eco-tour operator and public access to educate and promote to the world breathtaking travel routes and experiences.
Building on the Scottish tradition of "Bagging Munros" Bearfoot Canada will apply information technology to network both tour operators and experience collectors so that they can meet the challenge of exploring as much as they can explore in a lifetime.
ABOUT MUNROS
In 1891 Sir Hugh T. Munro, surveyed Scotland's mountains above 3000 feet (914.4 meters) and produced his "Tables" cataloging 236 peaks, which he considered to be separate mountains. For this reason Scottish peaks above 3000 feet are called Munros. Sir Hugh Munro began a first revision of his tables, which was completed in 1921 after his death, and subsequent revisions were published in 1933, 1981 and 1997. At each revision peaks have been demoted from or elevated to the status of Munro.
Modern surveying methods reveal 511 peaks above 914 meters. Whilst this is clear, the number of "Munros", which does not depend on clearly defined criteria, remains uncertain. There are currently 284 peaks awarded the status of Munro, but the number of Munro's may change until clear criteria are agreed.
These classic mountain trips are for those connoisseurs who wish to explore the high hills of Scotland. The aim is not speed and quantity but quality of the day out and time to permit a greater understanding of the landscapes. Yes, effort and stamina are required but the rewards of exploring some new height or achieving your dream is surely worth it.
Munro Collectors each have their "brand" when they Bag their Munro, dance a jig, play the pipes; cast a stone, and when they do there's a story to be told and entered into their log book, Munro Chatrooms, and of course at the tavern.
WHY COLLECT BEARFOOT ROUTES?
Often mountain climbers are asked: "Why do you climb mountains?" Answer: "Because it's there, and I can".
We believe that the outdoor experience remains as it has for eons; a way for human beings to be free, to encounter special moments with nature, and to embark on a pilgrimage of self and one's inner thoughts, to be inspired. In the southern interior of British Columbia there are countless experiences ranging from desert to rainforest, warm sandy beaches to alpine.
To date there are 21 trail and water routes in the process of being sanctioned, this number will continue to grow. In addition, there are 12 Experience Routes you can drive, plus a variety of Geocaching Experiences we call GeoSearch.
BearfootCanada.com is your resource for Route information. As travelers and professional guides enter data about each route through our database details including descriptions, pictures, location maps, walking routes, weather reports, and many tools will help you find all the Bearfoot Route information you require.
Should you choose to register, you can participate by submitting images, comments against routes and experiences, new routes, and route reviews. Additionally you can record all the sanctioned experiences in your own log.
Bearfoot Canada believes that the idea and practice of turning our outdoor experiences into valuable collectibles is another reason for protecting our outdoor nature-based and cultural resources.
A BEARFOOT GUIDE
Bearfoot Routes offer something for everyone with a taste for nature and adventure. With the focus on a specific achievement or ascent, each route is selected for it's unique qualities; and remains a sample of the best that an area has to offer.
However some routes are pure wilderness or meander through dangerous or environmentally sensitive areas. Routes can be a half-day suitable for the novice and require nothing more than good health. Others are physically testing and require hill fitness and some technical ability and might be several days and even weeks to navigate. While British Columbia's public land is accessible to all, Bearfoot Canada recommends a qualified guide if you are hesitant about your skill level.
Bearfoot Guides will guide you and your group, teach skills and can even hire you the right gear. Oover the years you can collect the tougher routes with the assistance of a guide and as your skill improves you can collect the routes you feel confident to tackle. There will be many more to choose from in the future as we search for outstanding things to do in BC.
There are a variety of Bearfoot Guides that are listed within this website, order an itinerary or call Adventure Okanagan to choose the right trip and join us for a satisfactory combination of stunning scenery, new skills and a real personal achievement.
SANCTIONING AND GRADING
The Bearfoot Canada Route Sanctioning Committee examines trail routes within the management plan framework it has developed with Lands & Water BC a crown corporation belonging to the Province of BC. This framework continues to be a work in progress and considers various aspects of joint use of crown lands by the public, commercial tour operators and other major stakeholders such as communities, First Nations, Forest and Mining Companies to name a few. It also considers access and routes into provincial and national parks, which are governed by BC Parks and Parks Canada.
Bearfoot Canada has no authority to approve or prevent public access to public lands, it can only educate and promote the use of public land by the public. Bearfoot Canada promotes responsible travel and considers the following as important aspects of determining Bearfoot Routes:
1.Route or Experience authenticity, scenery and uniqueness.
2.Good Public Access
3.A management plan which acts or suggests that there is a tangible way of promoting responsible travel and "no trace" travel methods.
4.Bearfoot Canada understands that eco-tourism and nature-based tourism provide an important management aspect to any nature-based travel route or experience. As a result Bearfoot Canada has determined that a sanctioned route or experience must have some for of commercial guiding presence on or within it to ensure that there is dependable reporting as to the condition of the route or experience and access issues and natural events that may occur. Commercial components ensure that reporting remains current. In addition, routes and experiences must have a commercial tour option so that a full range of travel options may be available to travelers/collectors, which would include guided group travel.
Grading Systems
This simple grading system will help you to match your Personal aptitude against the trips at a glance. By their very nature all of the trips need a degree of endurance, but it is our aim that most will be within the attainment of a person of average fitness
1. A steady pace, no specific skills, little specialized skills. Fine for the absolute novice.
2. Long days, some basic scrambling or climbing skills, specialized gear. You should have some previous experience.
3. All or some of 2 plus altitude and/or several hard days in succession.
Whether it's soft culture or active adventure, we believe that travel is a living collectible that should be gathered as an experience and memory. At Bearfoot Canada we're seeking to develop better methods by which travellers can challenge themselves to explore and chonicle an ever changing planet.
Route or Experience authenticity, scenery and uniqueness.
