Organize a trip

Please read this page carefully before organizing your trip. The article contains a list of things that have to be present on a trip blurb page in addition to mandatory fields and any other information that you want to include.

Include the following in your trip blurb

(Note: this doesn't have to be in point form but still easy to gain this information easily)

• Activity type(s)
• Destination(s), proposed route(s) (can be in a link if you don't know how to embed a map)
• General plan.
  • Describe roughly you plan for each day of the trip.
  • Mention where will you spend the night(s) and in what shelter.
  • Where will you be getting food and water.
  • If the plans are subject to change and you don't have a solid plan list your ideas and make that people understand that plans are subject to change.
• Weather (avalanche) Forecast for the days and location the trip will be taking place (can be in a link). Remember that weather conditions can make the easiest hike very hard and even fatal in activities like mountaineering and kayaking/sailing. Remember to include relevant information for each type of activity (eg: wind for cycling, kayaking, sailing, avalanche forecast for snow sports, night temperature for overnight trips etc) [include a link to a forecast engine?]
• List of things to take (choose from here or make your own)
• Trip difficulty (see next section)
• Technical skills. List required skills, previous experience and courses required to take part in your trip (eg: Rock 2, AST1, G1, etc)

Trip difficulty

Hiking:

Remind participants that difficulty of the trip increases with increasing days and backpack weight.

• • Distance each day (or average and maximum distance per day if precise plan is unknown).
  • Elevation gain each day (or average and maximum distance per day if precise plan is unknown).
  • Time hiking each day/hiking rate (or average and maximum hiking rate if precise plan is unknown)
  • Trail quality
• Scrambling
  • Elevation gain each day
  • Scramble rating each day (or maximum rating expected if precise plan in unknown)(see VOC trip rating system)
  • Time allotted for a climb each day
• Rock Climbing
  • Type of climbing (eg: top rope, lead, trad)
  • Difficulty range in YDS [link to YDS]
• Alpine rock climbing
  • Number of ropes (or average time)
  • Range of pitch difficulty in YDS [link to YDS]
• Mountaineering
  • Use NCCS rating system [link]
• Ice climbing
  • Use [what ever is used in BC] system
• Kayaking
  • Distance each day (or average and the longest day in the trip)
  • Number and distance of portages
  • (Remember to include wind forecast!)
• Backountry skiing and snowboarding
  • Distance skinning each day (average am maximum distance per day if plan is unknown)
  • Elevation gain each day (average and maximum elevation gain per day if plan is unknown)
  • Maximum elevation if climbing higher then 2400 m. Make Note in your trip blurb that motion sickness is likely to occur [link to motion sickness].
  • Rate
  • Use [Zacks rating system] to rate downhills
• Snowshoeing
  • Distance skinning each day (average am maximum distance per day if plan is unknown)
  • Elevation gain each day (average and maximum elevation gain per day if plan is unknown)

Grade systems used in trip organizer

Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) (for scrambling and rock climbing)

• Class 1: Walking with a low chance of injury, hiking boots a good idea.
• Class 2: Simple scrambling, with the possibility of occasional use of the hands. Little potential danger is encountered. Hiking Boots highly recommended.
• Class 3: Scrambling with increased exposure. Handholds are necessary. A rope should be available for learning climbers, or if you just choose to use one that day, but is usually not required. Falls could easily be fatal.
• Class 4: Simple climbing, with exposure. A rope is often used. Natural protection can be easily found. Falls may well be fatal.
• Class 5: Is considered technical roped free (without hanging on the rope, pulling on, or stepping on anchors) climbing; belaying, and other protection hardware is used for safety. Un-roped falls can result in severe injury or death.
• Class 5.0 to 5.15c[6] is used to define progressively more difficult free moves.

NCCS rating system (Alpine Climbing)

• Grade I: Normally requires several hours; can be of any difficulty.
• Grade II: Requires half a day; any technical difficulty
• Grade III: Requires a day to do the technical portion; any technical difficulty
• Grade IV: Requires a full day for the technical portion; the hardest pitch is usually no less than 5.7 (in the YDS rating)
• Grade V: Requires a day and a half; the hardest pitch is usually 5.8 or harder
• Grade VI: A multiday excursion with difficult free climbing and/or aid climbing

Ice climbing raiting

[What ice climbing grade system is used in BC?]

Zack's raiting System (Backcountry skiing/snowboarding)

• (1): Easy: Gentle, open slopes with few if any obstacles while skiing. Would be equivalent to green circle at a ski resort. Angle no steeper than 15 degrees. ATES rating ‘simple;’ conditions have extremely low likelihood of avalanche (danger rating at “Low” in elevation gradient planning trip). Ex: Slopes above Red Heather Hut in most conditions
• (2): Moderate: Moderate angled slopes (no steeper than 30 degrees) with few obstacles, or gentler slopes with obstacles, dense trees, and/or exposed rocks. Would be equivalent to a blue square at a ski resort. ATES rating ‘simple’ in conditions with a ‘Considerable’ danger rating or below; ATES rating ‘Challenging’ in conditions with ‘Moderate’ danger rating or below. Ex: Slopes along Paul Ridge in ‘Moderate’ danger rating, lower section of Nak Peak, Coquihala Hwy, during ‘Moderate’ conditions, etc
• (3): Difficult: Steep slopes (slopes between 30-40 degrees) with few obstacles in safe avalanche conditions, or moderate-angled slopes (slopes between 20-30 degrees) with some obstacles, dense trees, exposed rocks, etc. ATES rating ‘Complex’ or ‘Challenging’ in Moderate danger ratings and below. Glacier travel may be required. Ex: Decker Main, Mount Decker; Thar Peak, Coquihala Hwy; Sapphire Col, Asulkan Valley, Rogers Pass
• (4): Very Difficult: Very steep slope angles (slopes between 35-45 degrees) with some obstacles in safe avalanche conditions (‘Low’ or ‘Moderate’ danger ratings), or less steep slopes with dense trees, difficult and/or variable snowpack conditions. ATES rating ‘Complex’ in ‘Moderate’ danger ratings, ‘Challenging’ in ‘Considerable,’ and ‘Simple’ in ‘High’ danger ratings. Fall exposure from cliffs possible; glacier-travel possible/likely. Ex: NW Face of Mount Matier, Joffre Group, Duffey Lake; Coleman-Deming Route, Mount Baker
• (5): Experts Only: Extremely steep slopes (slopes greater than 45 degrees); may or may not have obstacles and/or much room to turn. ATES rating ‘Complex’ during ‘Moderate’ or ‘Considerable’ danger rating; ‘Challenging’ during ‘Considerable’ or ‘High’ danger rating. May have variable, icey, wind-packed/wind-eroded features. May involve skiing over cliffs where falling results in serious consequences. May require use of rope for entering/exiting line, employ ski mountaineering techniques, and/or travel on complex glaciers. Ex: Central Couloir, Joffre Peak; Siberian Express, Mount Garabaldi; North Face, Mt. Shuskan