John Baldwin loves mountains, and he wants to share that passion with anybody who might be interested.
That's why he's recently authored a new guidebook, Coast Mountain High Routes. This volume chronicles 46 summer alpine traverses that would cover more than 2,700 kilometres if put together. Some can be done in three days, while others demand three weeks of your time, and Baldwin (who has experienced them all) figures you'd need 421 days to complete the book's journeys… if everything goes according to plan.
A few routes, like a summertime variation of and jaunts around Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, may be known to Sea to Sky denizens. However, Baldwin claims the vast majority of his itineraries have not been documented in any other guidebook. Some particularly remote offerings venture through the high grasslands of the Chilcotin or above deep coastal inlets as far north as Bella Coola.
In all, 525 colour photographs show off the splendour of these locations for readers who might need a little bit of convincing.
"There's so many amazing places we have. We're just surrounded by these incredible mountains, and I've been poking away at all these kinds of obscure places," Baldwin says. "I'd like to share that with people. Not everyone knows about them, and they're not crowded—all these places are wilderness. I think people would be stoked to know about them and go explore a little bit themselves."
If you grab a copy of Coast Mountain High Routes, know that you're putting yourself in trustworthy hands. Baldwin has been skiing since he was 14 years old, with multiple decades of backcountry navigation, hiking and mountaineering under his belt. He's also published another guidebook, Exploring the Coast Mountains on Skis, and the third edition of this work dates back to 2009.
'Never retrace your steps'
Baldwin understands all too well the importance of doing one's homework before embarking on a high route.
"When you're in the mountains, lots can happen," he says. "Weather can change. You've got to be prepared in case there's an accident, all that kind of thing. There's quite a bit of planning involved."
Coast Mountain High Routes sorts its trips using a four-tier difficulty rating system, from green to double-black diamond. Relatively easy outings more or less consist of long walks through meadows, while the most challenging ask adventurers to navigate glaciers and proficiently utilize mountaineering equipment.
The book's description elaborates: "these are the great skyline traverses—off-trail hikes through large remote mountainous regions, continuously in the alpine, and a bit like being on a summit for an entire trip. With elements of thru-hiking, backpacking and mountaineering, you carry your camp on your back, never retrace your steps, and travel over terrain that is always new."
Once you've leafed through the volume and chosen a particular route, head online to check out These go over the nitty-gritty details, while the book serves more of an introductory and inspirational role.
Baldwin hopes people will continue to find his resources beneficial.
"When I was starting out and I [went] somewhere or didn't know something, a guidebook was always super helpful," he remarks. "I really feel like giving back, and I've had people come up to me and say that because of something I've written, they've had the best trip of their lifetime. It's really special when you can help somebody do that."
Learn more about Coast Mountain High Routes at and find Baldwin's digital routes at .
