British Columbia is vast, four times the size of the UK, with only 3.5 million people, most of them in Vancouver. From the heights of the Canadian Rockies to the awesome Pacific coast, it contains a wide range of peoples, terrain and opportunities for real exploration. The Canadian wilderness gives meaning to the words pristine and rugged. With 637 provincial parks, six national parks, wide regions of protected land and age-old forests, wild mountain rivers, grizzly bears and sockeye salmon, British Columbia is a paradise for the outdoor enthusiast. The weather is mild on the coast, more extreme in the mountains - BC even has a desert. The trails in this guide balance coastal and mountain regions. In an area so vast, they can only offer a taste of what British Columbia has to offer. There is a selection of shorter walks of great scenic beauty, many introducing the walker into regions dominated by native (First Nations) culture. These are balanced by harder mountain trails, including many multi-day expeditions, which take the walker far into the wild and offer great challenges.