Tiyul (overnight trips)

The tiyul (trips) program is a unique aspect of Camp that gives campers a chance to learn new skills, see some of the B.C. coast’s amazing scenery up close and challenge their personal limits. Campers often return from tiyul feeling a real sense of accomplishment and community with their peers.
Midway through the session, campers pack their overnight bags and depart for the beautiful camping and hiking opportunities that Gabriola and Vancouver Island offer. Where the campers go and what they do depends on their age group.

Grades 3 & 4
Our youngest campers spend two nights at a beautiful seaside Gabriola campsite. We go on daily nature hikes and have lots of opportunities to explore the ocean – including the enchanting world of tide pools where we are delighted by creatures like starfish, bullheads, crabs and jellyfish. For many of us, this tiyul is our first experience sleeping outdoors under tarps with friends. It is also a first introduction to the famous Miriam “Tiyul Special” – an outdoor sandwich customized with wacky ingredients only a kid could enjoy.

Grades 5 & 6
We travel by van or bus away from Gabriola and spend two nights at a one of Vancouver Island’s many spectacular coastal campsites. We spend our days going for short hikes, beachcombing, visiting waterfalls and building sandcastles. We play games, make friendship bracelets and eat lots and lots of (nut-free) trail mix! At night, after watching the sunset and before we retire to our cozy sleeping bags, we sing campfire songs, eat s’mores, stargaze and sometimes are treated to an occasional visit from a noisy hooting owl or two.

Grades 7, 8 & 9
Vancouver Island boasts some of Canada’s most spectacular hiking trails and our older campers get a chance to experience them firsthand with a three day, two night backpacking trip. We carry our necessary personal belongings, along with group gear and food, on our backs through forests and along remote beaches. When we arrive at our nightly destinations we set up our tents, make dinner together and enjoy an evening in nature. Completing trips that often involve up to 10 km of hiking gives us an amazing sense of community and accomplishment.

Boating Tiyul
Every session one group of older campers (Grade 8 or 9) embarks on a canoeing and kayaking trip instead of backpacking. On the first day, we paddle to a nearby island and berth our boats on a sparkling white beach beneath a small mountain. We spend the second day hiking the mountain, swimming and taking day trips to small neighbouring islands. If we’re lucky, we’re treated to sightings of coastal BC mammals like seals, sea lions and sometimes even dolphins or orcas.
A note about safety on tiyul – in addition to counsellors and senior staff, every hiking tiyul has a trained medic and a satellite communication device.