5 Day Wildlife Tracking and Conservation Horse Riding Holiday in British Columbia, Canada

Itinerary

Day 1

You depart early morning from Vancouver with your shuttle or from home with your own transportation. You arrive midday and enjoy lunch at the ranch. You match riders to horses, fit saddles, and practice horsemanship skills during horse riding orientation. You learn how to saddle your own horse so you can be self-sufficient in saddling your horse throughout the whole trip, increasing your sense of empowerment and independence. You take an introductory trail ride to get to know your horse's capabilities and the terrain you will be riding.

You enjoy dinner and reflection on your day's successes, appreciations, and challenges during your evening review. You participate in a map orientation highlighting the uniqueness of the Chilcotin Ark, the conservation efforts you will get involved in, and the trails and terrain you will explore throughout your journey. You stay overnight in ranch accommodations and enjoy a fire, stargazing, reading a book, or getting involved in your ranch activities.

Days 2 - 3

You chase the horses and saddle your own horse. You eat breakfast at the ranch and set your intentions during your morning review. You go on a half-day ride to a scenic lookout spot as you journey through Douglas fir and Lodgepole pine forests, climb stunning mountain passes, and ride through tranquil valleys. You connect to nature by collecting Grizzly bear hair from rubbing trees, drinking water from the creeks, and scouting for wildlife. You return to the ranch and enjoy lunch.

You head out again on another half-day ride to prime wildlife tracking locations. You ride back to the ranch and enjoy a home-made dinner. You review your day's successes, challenges, and appreciations during your evening review. You stay overnight in ranch accommodations and enjoy a fire, stargazing, reading a book, or getting involved in your ranch activities.

Day 4

With sunrise, you chase in the horses with your guides and saddle your own horse. You enjoy breakfast while setting your intentions during your morning review. You set out for a full-day ride into the alpine and explore striking landscapes, including valleys and towering ridgelines. You enjoy lunch on a mountain top or in an alpine meadow. You ride back to the ranch, including walking your horse downhill.

You connect to nature by collecting Grizzly bear hair from rubbing trees, drinking water from the creeks, and scouting for wildlife. You arrive at the ranch and enjoy dinner. You review your day's successes and appreciations during your evening review. You stay overnight in ranch accommodations and enjoy a fire, stargazing, reading a book, or getting involved in your ranch activities.

Day 5

You eat breakfast at the ranch and set your intentions during your morning review. You participate in bareback horse riding lessons. You aim with target shooting instruction and practice. You fill in the wilderness journal to reflect on your journey, how it impacted you, and what learnings you will implement in your daily life. You enjoy a farewell lunch at the ranch with a review of your wilderness journal and a certificate presentation to reflect on your transformations during your trip. You depart for home or Vancouver and arrive in the evening.

About the holiday

The program is based on Wilderness Trails' six principles of nature conservation, nature connection, personal development, self-sufficiency, consciousness and awareness, and empowerment. All six principles are used to facilitate your ability to create positive change – for yourself, for others, and for your environment. Embark on a transformational self-development journey with Wilderness Trails' community, discovering who you are and who you want to be. Connect to nature and feel its restorative benefits. Get involved in nature conservation and make a real-world difference. Become more self-sufficient as you learn new skills and mindsets. Experience real empowerment as you do things you have never done before, or never believed you could.

Become more conscious and aware as you learn to see the natural environment and every aspect of life from a new perspective. The community facilitates you on your journey, where you have the opportunity to reach your full potential and realize your goals. You will be challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally, succeeding in ways you may not believe possible. So stay open-minded, step out of your comfort zone, and you will be rewarded by a unique experience that will transform your life. Every day, depending on the trail, you have to walk downhill steep terrain for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours, since you have to walk down the mountains you climbed up on your horse.

This is a hands-on experience where you will participate in all activities from horse care, camp chores, conservation projects, daily reflections about your experiences, and more. The itinerary is subject to the unpredictable weather and terrain conditions that come with a mountainous environment. And while Wilderness Trails does their best to stick to the itinerary, there are times when the current conditions and needs of the group require them to adjust schedules, campsites, etc. This is part of any true wilderness experience; however, they are well-equipped to adapt the adventure to changing conditions.