First completed walk on the Great Trail in Canada

[Albertagirl]

Friends, I hope you will enjoy this news of a new walking route
Today an Alberta man completed his coast to coast to coast walk on the 21,000 km Great Trail. This was the first complete walk of this route, formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail, which crosses Canada from east to west and south to north (or the other way around): www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/walker-finishes-ten-year-hike-1.4908168 . This is not exactly a pilgrimage route, but I thought that some long-distance walkers might be interested. The route is billed as the longest recreational trail in the world. A woman is currently walking it, at least the southern coast to coast route. Her blog is available at: www.betweensunsets.com . She finds the experience very spiritual, so perhaps that will fulfill the pilgrimage route requirement. I am considering walking part of the route, from the east westward, as I have already spent a lot of time on western trails. I hope that some of you will enjoy this introduction to what is likely to become one of the great walking trails of the world, and unlikely to become crowded anytime soon.

 

[lovetoread3]

Friends, I hope you will enjoy this news of a new walking route
Today an Alberta man completed his coast to coast to coast walk on the 21,000 km Great Trail. This was the first complete walk of this route, formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail, which crosses Canada from east to west and south to north (or the other way around): www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/walker-finishes-ten-year-hike-1.4908168 . This is not exactly a pilgrimage route, but I thought that some long-distance walkers might be interested. The route is billed as the longest recreational trail in the world. A woman is currently walking it, at least the southern coast to coast route. Her blog is available at: www.betweensunsets.com . She finds the experience very spiritual, so perhaps that will fulfill the pilgrimage route requirement. I am considering walking part of the route, from the east westward, as I have already spent a lot of time on western trails. I hope that some of you will enjoy this introduction to what is likely to become one of the great walking trails of the world, and unlikely to become crowded anytime soon.

Thanksfor sharing! I'm looking forward to walking on this route someday when I finally decide to return to north America. It sounds amazing.

 

[Deleted member 77020]

Friends, I hope you will enjoy this news of a new walking route
Today an Alberta man completed his coast to coast to coast walk on the 21,000 km Great Trail. This was the first complete walk of this route, formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail, which crosses Canada from east to west and south to north (or the other way around): www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/walker-finishes-ten-year-hike-1.4908168 . This is not exactly a pilgrimage route, but I thought that some long-distance walkers might be interested. The route is billed as the longest recreational trail in the world. A woman is currently walking it, at least the southern coast to coast route. Her blog is available at: www.betweensunsets.com . She finds the experience very spiritual, so perhaps that will fulfill the pilgrimage route requirement. I am considering walking part of the route, from the east westward, as I have already spent a lot of time on western trails. I hope that some of you will enjoy this introduction to what is likely to become one of the great walking trails of the world, and unlikely to become crowded anytime soon.

but where does one stay? since distances are long?

 

[Deleted member 77020]

I am a Canadian, but Italian by birth. I love the heat and Spain and therefore will continue doing the Camino. 2019 I will God willing, will be doing my 11th. Camino. Personally, I would find the Canadian treck brutish. I have driven from the Niagara region to Thunder Bay beautiful very scenic but harsh to walk with no place to stay.

 

[Just Karin]

I assume one brings his/her own place to stay (a tent)

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Holy cow,

I just read the article. A ten-year hike…! Unfortunatley my vacation is only five weeks… :Oo

I have lived in Canada for one year, a long time ago, in Québec. Without walking any trails though. It must be amazing to experience such an enormous contry…!

/BP

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I am a Canadian, but Italian by birth. I love the heat and Spain and therefore will continue doing the Camino. 2019 I will God willing, will be doing my 11th. Camino. Personally, I would find the Canadian treck brutish. I have driven from the Niagara region to Thunder Bay beautiful very scenic but harsh to walk with no place to stay.

Something tells me there would be a looong distance between the albergues on the Canadian trail… :O/

 

[Albertagirl]

I am a Canadian, but Italian by birth. I love the heat and Spain and therefore will continue doing the Camino. 2019 I will God willing, will be doing my 11th. Camino. Personally, I would find the Canadian treck brutish. I have driven from the Niagara region to Thunder Bay beautiful very scenic but harsh to walk with no place to stay.

If you would like to find out a little more about this route, see www.thegreattrail.ca . One of the first pictures on this web site is of a pedestrian bridge a few minutes walk from my home, which was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. So I can join the great trail in five minutes walk. I have never found my wilderness walks, which I followed for forty years or so before I discovered the camino de Santiago, to be brutish. And I rather like walking along the river in Calgary near my home. But of course this route is not for everyone (fortunately). I thought, from what I have read on this forum, that a few long distance walkers might be interested.

 

[Colette Z]

Thanks fellow Canadian. I too have thought of becoming a “homeless” walker of this trail as a year or two project. I am sure many friendly Canadians would open their door to offer a warm place to sleep but certainly tent8ng would be required.

 

[Deleted member 77020]

If you would like to find out a little more about this route, see www.thegreattrail.ca . One of the first pictures on this web site is of a pedestrian bridge a few minutes walk from my home, which was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. So I can join the great trail in five minutes walk. I have never found my wilderness walks, which I followed for forty years or so before I discovered the camino de Santiago, to be brutish. And I rather like walking along the river in Calgary near my home. But of course this route is not for everyone (fortunately). I thought, from what I have read on this forum, that a few long distance walkers might be interested.

I prefer sunny Spain and knowing I have a place to eat and sleep.

 

[trecile]

Is it possible to walk the entire way, or do you have to also canoe portion of it?

 

[Albertagirl]

Is it possible to walk the entire way, or do you have to also canoe portion of it?

If you look at the map of the Great Trail: https://thegreattrail.ca/explore-the-map/ you will see some of the route drawn in blue, which indicates water routes. If you point your cursor at a line on the map which indicates a route, the name of that section of the trail and information about it will appear. I have just discovered this web site myself, but as far as I can see there are several major water routes. Travel from Newfoundland is by water; another route, which crosses the eastern prairies, seems to be following a route of the early fur traders. There is also a water route north from Edmonton to the Arctic and another from Vancouver to Vancouver Island. I think that, if I followed the trail, I would have to skip the fur trader route and the water route north from Edmonton (there is also a land route) and take ferries, when available. But I am not really considering walking the whole trail, maybe parts of it in the east, as I have never been to Canada's east coast.

 

[ianmohammed]

Is it possible to walk the entire way, or do you have to also canoe portion of it?

I noticed parts in Nova Scotia and Ontario and probably some other areas were canoe.