- Speaker #0
Welcome to this week's episode where I'm on location in BC, one hour north of Vancouver, hiking the Garibaldi Lake Trail. This is an immersive episode from start to finish over the two days. I'm attempting to cover every facet of this hike from the start at 5am in the kitchen all the way to the end for ice cream and squamish. Lots of sounds, reflections and nature coming your way. I hope you enjoy. We have a super early start at 5am so we're up. In the kitchen, making our sandwiches, packing our gear and getting ready for the hike. As you can tell here, I'm prioritising the snacks for the journey. when packing for this type of hike overnight we need to pack a tent so with that is overnight gear so warm clothes good hiking shoes hiking poles and more than enough snacks and dry food for the dinners and breakfasts at the campground but the most important of all is that cup of coffee for the journey up I need caffeine. It is absolutely crucial for me to start well for the walk. And we are using Java beans coffee with my new final press coffee plunger. Cannot wait to taste this on the journey up. We're packed up, got a coffee and ready for the 5.45am pickup. This is a one hour drive from West Vancouver to the Garibaldi Lake parking lot. The drive up is during sunrise and it's absolutely sensational some of the views. As the first rays of sunlight begin to peek over the horizon, they bathe in the coastal mountains and Howe Sound in its majestic glory. It's a warm golden glow. The views of Howe Sound are mesmerising. Small islands dotted around the waters and distant peaks standing tall and proud. they're still dusted with snow. As we ascend further the highway curves along steep cliffs offering ever-changing vistas of deep fjords and rugged coastline and before you know it you see the iconic Stawemus Chief and this is a granite monolith and it looms on the right hand side. The Sea to Sky Highway in BC is one of the best roads to drive and one of the best in Canada and the sunrise gave it that glorious motivational feeling to get on this hike and get in nature. The anticipation, the coffee, the caffeine, the chat, the nervousness, what lays in store. We arrived to the parking lot and the first thing we hear is this, the sound of water. the stream quite violently floating down towards the car parking lot and beyond. At 7am the parking lot was almost full, so time to get our bags out of the car and get to the toilet and there's queues. at this precise moment an intense feeling of just getting on with it let's get on the trail and see what it's about i know for the first six k's it's going to be a 900 meter climb so mentally get myself in the zone get my packing gear ready get my bag comfortable on my hip and on my shoulder and just preparing for the trail ahead i'm excited but nervous the first few steps are not too bad a little constant incline but that's okay it's not steps and it's not too steep but it is constant hiking poles are a game changer here okay we're about a quarter of the way in approaching
- Speaker #1
the first hour a bit shorter actually the legs are burning slightly it's been a constant incline but not too bad not lang tang levels but my key advice for any hike if it's slightly difficult get through the first hour your legs need to get used to it and also your breathing needs to get good but i'm enjoying the views a lot of forest a lot of wood and as you can tell breathing
- Speaker #0
slightly heavily that's okay after 3k here's our first break is everybody breathing heavy yeah i'm trying not to it's not very sexy is it i don't think you need to hear me heavy breathing during the walk so i saved you some nice audio there
- Speaker #1
at this point not feeling too bad as expected three and a half k in over halfway of the hard part because the first six k's are uphill basically and then it tailors off for the last three k to the campsite feeling okay The hip is going again, got to get that sorted, physio, here I come. But Thorin Jordan walk is not too intense, up and down, pretty cool, looking forward to the next bit.
- Speaker #0
Not the most pleasant of sounds, but in this you can hear the constant uphill trekking. The first part of the trek is all in forest, lots of trees, a well marked trail, the ultimate definition of forest bathing. it's quite nice to walk in the trees in the silence and work towards that first proper break at 6k the trail is very busy on the weekend but it's a good vibe amongst hikers as most say hello as you walk past we all have one ultimate goal to get to garibaldi lake and enjoy what lays ahead of us and for the first time on this hike a memory come back to something i forgot to pack in my hiking bag and i'm absolutely devastated i'm going to try that all this stuff oh this is like a bottle of coke as well devastated forgot
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about it in the fridge
- Speaker #0
i believe it best drink in the world not paid to say that of course but it is though in it heavy breathing here as we catch our breath from the constant uphill trekking not too steep but it does get to you it's like 16. We made it to the 6k point and this is a crossroads on the trail. Different trails go into different campgrounds, I was super stoked to make it this far but the panorama ridge trek at the end is definitely ruled out due to my hip so I sat down had some oreo chocolate had some water and reflected on the last two hours of hiking.
- Speaker #1
we have reached the 6k mark not too bad in the end i'd say it's moderate to hard distance it just constantly goes up my hip is giving me a bit of jip again so it made hard quite a lot of people here actually chilling out at 6k mark now it's 3k to the campground not much elevation here we're just going to walk fairly level to the campground i'm looking forward to seeing some views that was a beautiful day looking forward to it three k's to go and i can't wait to get to the lake
- Speaker #0
This stop off point is very popular for most of the hiking groups to take a break, whether you're coming down or going up. There are quite a few flies and bugs flying around, so try not to lose it as you try to chill out for a bit. From this moment on, no more uphill, pretty level and a little bit downhill towards the lake. I'm excited to get back on the trail and see what lies ahead. Back on the trail and after a few minutes we see and hit some water. Is there a better sound? I'm not sure. Then we crossed the bridge and came to this waterfall. The first signs of the lake are upon us. This is what we've been working for. Garibaldi Lake is absolutely stunning. It's surrounded by snow-capped peaks and ancient glaciers. It's got striking turquoise waters, a colour so vivid and pure it almost seems unreal. This has moraine lake vibes for me. There are rugged mountain ridges and dense evergreen forest surrounding the lake. It's a pristine, untouched paradise. After nine and a half k's we made it to the campground and to the lake and the views are absolutely sensational. The sounds quaint, serene, quiet but the views spectacular, huge, euphoric, what a place.
- Speaker #1
We have made it to the Garibaldi campground.
- Speaker #0
nine and a half k's in a bit annoying normally when you get to the lake you can walk along the front and find your slot to put your tent up to go up and then down it was an absolute killer climbing on rocks but hey we've made it And this lake is so turquoise. Deary me. That is unreal. Classic Canada, I think, if you come to look at lakes. But I'm just taking five minutes. Those guys have gone to look around to find a campsite.
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And I'm going to sit here, chill,
- Speaker #0
reflect.
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Kind of look forward to this afternoon.
- Speaker #0
I'm going to be lazing by that lake with a cup of coffee. Yes, cup of coffee. And just reflecting, reading a book.
- Speaker #1
Cheers.
- Speaker #0
definitely time for another coffee with java beans and final press because i brought my coffee plunger with me and we found a little bench right by the lake put the stuff there in the sun made the coffee and sat there and chilled out with an unbelievable view time for a dip to recover the hip After pitching our tent, having a cup of coffee, dipping into the water, we sat there and gazed at the lake all afternoon. People were laughing, enjoying themselves and gazing at the majestic Garibaldi Lake.
- Speaker #1
Just want to check in, we just had a nice two or three hours down by the lake.
- Speaker #0
dipped in,
- Speaker #1
refreshing, enjoyed it and needed and cooled off I think. Yeah it's been alright innit?
- Speaker #0
But I am knackered,
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I'm done and there's no way I could have done panorama rich today, absolutely no chance. So lesson learned this time is next time. we need to get two nights if possible up in canada you can't put anything on the whim you have to get organized get a reservation in time we put this one four months in advance on the dot very nice afternoon warm 25 26 degrees water's cold the lake is so turquoise is unreal but yeah loving it i've got this tent to sleep in tonight
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this is bear country so you cannot have anything lying around in your tent so we bought food boiled some water poured it into our dried food and had dinner mine was mexican rice with some veg we also had time for card games with the sunset view unreal at sunset kind of feels like a hidden world bathed in the serene fading light of dusk the vibrant colors of the sunset blend with the lake's natural beauty making it a moment of pure tranquility. I can't believe what I'm seeing.
- Speaker #1
Just up next morning, aching quite badly, but not horrendous. The sun is just over the mountain there, right by the glacier. Serene, calm, blue, dreamy Canada. I can't... I can't wait to sit there with my coffee and gaze at it even more.
- Speaker #0
It's time for coffee and morning views of the lake. We are desperate for a coffee, so I'm making a Java beans coffee called Philby from Norfolk in England. Final Press kindly sent me their new French press design to review and try. So let's give it a go. Add your coffee into the plunger. Two scoops is enough. Place that into your cup with hot water. Swish it around for 20 times and leave for two minutes. Come back after two minutes. another 20 times then squeeze the plunger three or four times from the top of the handle you can hear the squeaky sound here then take it out and enjoy a cup of coffee and even better over garibaldi lake what a dream java
- Speaker #1
bean sent me some coffee to try these roasters in norfolk in england we've got the philby which is placed in norfolk and it's the espresso blend a bold blend of specially Brazilian, Colombian and Indian beans.
- Speaker #0
This will be good. Strong and smooth.
- Speaker #1
There we go. Oh yeah, it's well and nice.
- Speaker #0
I just missed sunrise for 20 minutes, but the view was still unbelievable. Next it's time to pack up our tent and our gear. We are trying to work out who carries the most back down. I don't know if my weight with the water and the tent will be the same as that.
- Speaker #1
Potentially.
- Speaker #0
I guess this doesn't include the water as well.
- Speaker #1
So we have packed up all the tents and all of the gear into our bags and we're ready to head off in about 20 minutes. It's going to take three and a half, four hours to get down to where we started yesterday but I'm looking forward to getting into the trees again but also getting to the car park and getting to squamish absolutely bring it on had some interesting scrambled eggs this morning for breakfast they were yeah interesting but
- Speaker #0
looking forward to some proper food and a couch the toughest part of the hike on the way back down is the start as there's too much water to walk around the lake so we had to climb some rocks about an extra 20 minutes back down to the bridge where you enter the lake from the day before. It's an absolute killer. For me walking down is easier than going up.
- Speaker #1
we're almost at the bottom it's been a nice little stroll down the hill the only blight on the walk was a wasp stinger me never been stung by wasps before before last year now two in two years what's that about anyway dealt with that we're now walking gonna get down have a washroom break and then we're gonna pop to squamish which is about halfway back to vancouver and we're getting ice cream a cake from purebred and potentially even a pizza nothing can be ruled out we're all knackered we've got 20k's in total when we get down there but what a beautiful day blue skies again today great views this morning and the same as yesterday going through the woods i'm not too bad downhill not as emotional about it forest bathing can even beat it not sure you know
- Speaker #0
I got down in pretty good time with the rest of the crew and it's back to the car park. A sense of achievement, nearly 20 kilometers walked. I feel good, I ache, I sweat. The hit was a worry but we got through it but trust me it was worth it. Garibaldi Lake is a stunning location and you must stay the night to enjoy beauty and embrace its nature because it's crucial for the soul. On our way back to Vancouver, we stopped in Squamish for real fruit ice cream. And I've got to say, after a hot two days, this was a dream. Tasted unreal. Thank you for tuning in to today's episode. I hope you get a sense of what Garibaldi is like through the sounds and the silences of the lake. It honestly is breathtaking. If it inspires you to go and check it out, that's my job done. And honestly, it is worth that six kilometer hike through the hard part to get to the magic that is Garibaldi Lake. You must, you must visit and stay the night. Cheers. Hey, just a quick one. I just want to say there are many ways to support this podcast. You can buy me a coffee and help support podcast with five dollars. Or you can go to my merch store with the affiliate link with TeePublic. where there's plenty of merch available to buy, such as t-shirts, jumpers, hoodies, and also some children's clothing. Thirdly, which is free, you can also rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts,
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Spotify,
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Podchaser, or GoodPods. Also, you can find me on social media, on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok. Simply just search for Winginit Travel Podcast, and you'll find me displaying all my social media content for travelling, podcasts, and other stuff. Thank you.
