British Columbia's Wilderness Experience

Day 1

The first day of your 7-Day Horse Pack Trip sees you leaving the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver in the morning, departing at 7am. Travel the historic highways with opportunities to spot wildlife as the road winds itself along famous rivers and pristine lakes. Enjoy the spectacular scenery of mountains and canyons as you are transferred to the ranch.

After the spectacular 5-hour drive, you will arrive at noon in time for lunch. Sit down for a homemade lunch of fresh vegetables and salads, hearty homemade soup, freshly prepared sandwiches and oven baked biscuits.

When you have taken your fill, your guides will take you through a map orientation of our 6,000sq km guide operating territory including the unique terrain and the camp(s) you will be staying at during your pack trip. You'll then be taken through a thorough Horse Orientation to prepare for your days riding the mountains. It will begin by matching you to your horse and getting a good fit with your saddle. The horses are Mountain Cayuse ponies that live and work in the mountains. These unique horses come from the wild herds of the Cariboo-Chilcotin, a mixture of breeds developed over generations. They have a stamina, toughness, energy, intelligence and spirit required to take riders safely into the mountains. Whatever your age or experience, there will be just the horse for you.

The Orientation will give you a complete introduction to Western Mountain riding. You can get involved in bridling, saddling and learning how to tie the bowline knot. You will learn how to control your horse by practicing horse sports in the gymkhana. Once all the "kinks" have been worked out, you'll be taken along the rushing river on an afternoon "River Ride".

In the evening, begin preparations for the next 5 days in camp by re-packing your personal gear into duffel bags. Then, overnight comfortably at the Ranch, ready for next day's adventure. (L,D)

Day 2

An early start to today. After a hot and filling breakfast, head out to the barn, and you'll get to learn how to pack, throw the Diamond Hitch and learn some new wrangler skills!

Once packed, saddled and mounted, the adventure starts. In nomadic style, travel by horseback through mountain-top passes, experience wide Ushaped valleys with their mosaic of wildflowers, wild hay meadows and big-game mineral licks and encounter the wildlife that greets you along the way

After a day's ride, arrive at camp. Relax after a well-deserved meal, or get involved taking the horses out to the meadows at night to stake and hobble. Enjoy a campfire under star-studded skies and be lulled into restful sleep, listening to the gentle jingle of the horsebells. (B,L,D)

Day 3

On your third morning, rise to the sounds of the loons calling from the lake. From base camp, you begin your third day riding high into the mountains with new adventures in each alpine basin or mountain pass. Each valley holds new wildlife to view and a new meadow to graze the horses.

Regardless of which grade ride you choose, you will stay at one of the high Alpine camps, situated just below tree-line. This means easy access into the alpine, which allows you to ride above tree-line each day doing what is known as "Mountain Topping". This is an extremely unique riding experience and it is the rare glaciated shale terrain of the South Chilcotin Mountains that make this Mountain-Top riding possible.

Witness some of the marvels of the Chilcotin Mountains, perhaps a sow grizzly and her cubs at play or as they feed on the lush Cow Parsnips and Horse Tails that cover the expanse of the valley basin. Ride along all the trails that radiate from base camp, perhaps one that was used as trading routes between the Interior and Coast for hundreds of years or on trails leading you to see remains of ancient seabeds, studded with fossils.

Today you might travel past natural lakes and across rushing rivers, to the next viewing spot, and depending on the area that is explored, there might be the opportunity to fish for wild Rainbow and Brook trout, Dolly Varden and Kokanee at the end of the day. (B,L,D)

Day 4

Today you will take a packed lunch and head up further into the high alpine. Ride the trail as it takes you gradually higher up into the mountains, through mountain divides and over high ridges. As you and your horses seek higher elevation, you might catch a glimpse of Mountain goats on the north facing bluffs, where the goats take their midday rest.

Having worked up an appetite from the morning part of your ride, savor the heady fragrance of the bumper crop of wildflowers in the open valleys over a leisurely open-air lunch. Then, as the sun moves across the sky, sinking deep into the west, ride the trail back to Camp.

Enjoy the quiet night, the friendly conversations over a campfire and indulge in a warm cup of hot chocolate before retiring to your comfortable tent cabins. (B,L,D)

Day 5

Another day sees you on another adventure. Ride deep into the backcountry through unexplored alpine meadows to lofty mountain ridges for 360degree views.

Depending on the season, you will have the opportunity to sample green onions, wild potatoes and white bark pine nuts that grow wild in the south Chilcotin Mountains. During your ride, your guide will point out the cow parsnips, glacier lilies and soopalallie berries that are a favourite treat for the Grizzlies that inhabit this wilderness.

On each grade of ride, there will be opportunities to discover the outstanding variety of wildlife inhabiting the area. Grizzly bears, California Bighorn sheep, moose, Mule deer, Mountain goat, Black bear and wolf are plentiful and frequently sighted. In fact, the wildlife are most obliging, so photo opportunities are usually plentiful! (B,L,D)

Day 6

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the last day at camp. Pack up camp and saddle up for your morning ride. As the sun reaches high overhead, take lunch alfresco-style, perhaps at the foot of a mountain or linger awhile at the mouth of a glacial fed river, before riding the trail that takes returns to the Ranch.

Return to the Ranch and share your amazing experience over a hearty dinner. Then, spend the evening enjoying the library, swimming at a nearby lake, or playing a board game before enjoying the camaraderie of the evening campfire. Or, make the most of your adventure with the Activity Options, from guided fishing, gold panning, "hands-on" horse logging demonstrations, shoeing/packing, gymkhana horse sports, Archery and Stargazing.

Rest at the Guest Ranch on your last night. (B,L,D)

Day 7

On your last day, just when everyone thinks they have done it all there is some new adventure introduced! Take off the saddle for some bareback lessons. And, for something a bit different, test your aim with some biathlon target shooting.

After practicing your marksmanship, enjoy a farewell lunch before departing at 1pm. Reflect on your adventure on the 5-hour drive back to Vancouver. You arrive in Vancouver in the early evening. (B,L)