FREE NEIGHBORHOOD POLE WALK GROUPS:
(Note: If email links don’t work, please enter them manually into your browser.)
Who wants more accountability, fun, sociability, exercise, adventure, friendship…?
That’s what these groups offer!
MONDAY
Sidney: MONDAY 9:00 Meet at various location. “Sidney SeaSiders” Contact Janette Leitch: leitchjanette@gmail.com
James Bay: MONDAY and WEDNESDAY at 9:30am Slow, Medium, and Fast paced groups. Meet at Beacon Drive Inn, 126 Douglas Street. “Bay City Polers” Contact Gillian Ber: gillber@shaw.ca
Various Locations: MONDAY “DAY’s 10 Km Fitness Walking Group” is for individuals who can walk 10 km in under two hours. Meet at various Victoria locations as suggested by the walking group members. Start Times: Daylight Savings Time at 8:00 am Pacific Standard Time at 8:30 am. Contact Information: Text: (250) 886-9317 Email: dalyak@shaw.ca Facebook: DAY’s 10 Km Fitness Walking Group
TUESDAY
Oak Bay: TUESDAY 7:30am Meet at Fort/Foul Bay Starbuck’s. “Oak Bay Tweeds” Contact Jennifer Smyth: smythj@telus.net
WEDNESDAY
Sidney: WEDNESDAY 9am Meet at various locations. “Sidney SeaSiders” Contact Janette Leitch: leitchjanette@gmail.com
Various Locations: WEDNESDAY “DAY’s 10 Km Fitness Walking Group” is for individuals who can walk 10 km in under two hours. Meet at various Victoria locations as suggested by the walking group members. Start Times: Daylight Savings Time at 8:00 am Pacific Standard Time at 8:30 am. Contact Information: Text: (250) 886-9317 Email: dalyak@shaw.ca Facebook: DAY’s 10 Km Fitness Walking Group
THURSDAY
Westshore: THURSDAY “Pole-R-Bears” Polewalkingwithjan@gmail.com Find all the news: https://nordicpolewalking.website.com/pole-rbears
Gorge: THURSDAY 8:30am Meet at VCKC Club House parking lot 355 Gorge Rd W. “Gorge Hilliers” Contact Jennifer Smyth: smythj@telus.net
Sidney: THURSDAY (9:00am Daylight time 9:30am autumn/winter.) Meet at various locations. “North Saanich Walkers” Contact Glenice Barber: 250 656 4076 or glenice.barber@shaw.ca
Saanich/Esquimalt: THURSDAY 6:00pm Meet at various locations. “Pole Rockers” Contact Valerie Millard: polewalkingwithvalerie@gmail.com
FRIDAY
Sidney: FRIDAY 9am Meet at various location. “Sidney SeaSiders” Contact Janette Leitch: leitchjanette@gmail.com
SATURDAY
Victoria: SATURDAY 8:00am Meet at various locations. “PoleCats” Contact Jennifer Smyth: smythj@telus.net
Victoria: SATURDAY 9:00am. Meet at various locations. “Dream Chasers” Contact Ruth McCowan
Various Locations: Saturday 8:30am “Day’s 10km Fitness Walking Group” (under 2 hour pace) Contact Dale Anne Yakimchuk by TEXT at (250) 886-9317. A Facebook page has be set up under Day’s 10km Fitness Walking Group.
SUNDAY
Sidney: SUNDAY 9:00am daylight saving time, 9:30am Pacific standard time (autumn/winter). Meet at various locations. “North Saanich Walkers” Contact Glenice Barber: 250 656 4076 or glenice.barber@shaw.ca
VISION:
My vision is to create a community-based legacy of health through fitness with pole walking, and to expose a huge audience to the fun, fitness and benefits of pole walking.
In my role as Nordixx Canada Master Instructor, my strategy is to certify and mentor Instructors and encourage them to take over the weekly INTRODUCTORY CLASSES, TRAINING, and WALKS in their communities.
My role will always be to strengthen the pole walking COMMUNITY so that every person who pole walks feels like a part of a bigger group. A great way to do this is by encouraging participation in fun events like the Esquimalt 5km, Victoria TC10km, the Navy Run, the Annual Autumn Classic & Party… and soon… the QUAD LEAGUE.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP BUILD THIS COMMUNITY LEGACY:
1) BY BECOMING A CERTIFIED NORDIXX CANADA POLE WALK INSTRUCTOR! Certification courses are held regularly in Victoria. You can confidently teach many people, or just your family.
2) BY SPEARHEADING THE FORMATION OF A NPW CLUB IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD.
Contact Linda4success@shaw.ca for info.
Maps are great! With a map in your pocket even if you get lost or miss the exact turn, you can always find your way home. With a map you can create a great walk and find your way through some very beautiful and often unknown landscape. With the map you can always find your way back to your car and a coffee shop! Enjoy.
GET SOME MAPS HERE:
Go to www.mappedometer.com Enter the route#. Click on kilometer. Click on Load Route.
To Print Map: Go to www.mappedometer.com . Click on Share Map Route. Click on Print Route. Put in route #. Click on Kilometer. Click on Get Route. Print map by clicking on print icon in your computer’s tool bar. It will print the elevation graph as well.
NOTE: if link to mappedometer.com does not work copy and paste it into your browser.
1. Gorge Hills: 425966
Park in lot by Canoe club, off Gorge road near Tillicum intersection. This route is demanding and hilly. It is like built-in interval training and GREAT for fitness training. When you have done enough time or hills just go down to the walkway by the water and return home. The Gorge Waterway is always beautiful. You may spot seals, herons, eagles, swans, salmon jumping….
2. Rockland 430652 (long route)
Rockland 430657 (short route)
Park on Thurlow by park. Even though this is in Rockland it is a reasonable easy route, walking by some gorgeous houses. There are a couple of hills. You can add on more hills or take the short way back home.
3. Marigold Hills 433366 Park at the bottom of Grange.
This is a really beautiful area of old oaks and winding lane-like roads.
4. Uplands 435847 UPLANDS
Starting at Willows Beach this is a beautiful walk into Uplands. Turn back at the yacht club, or Uplands gates or go down into Cadboro Bay to the park and washroom, or to Olio’s or Starbuck’s for a coffee. And then back home. Beautiful.
5. Cedar Hill 437990
Park on Finlayson below the rec center. We like to start to the right and walk counterclockwise. If you haven’t done this course you will be surprised at the beauty of it…right in the middle of town. Each circuit is 3.5km. Washrooms in the rec center.
6. Queenswood 438301
Park in Gyro Park by the washrooms. Go up Sinclair, down Finnerty and around the circuit. The Arbutus loop is a bonus add on. Great views from the top. Beautiful forest growth along Queenswood. Olio’s and Starbuck’s are at the end of the route!
7. Oak Bay – King George Terrace 440479
Start at the Marina on Beach Drive (public washrooms) and walk on the side walk south through the golf course overlook beautiful ocean vistas. Up and over King George Terrace, more great ocean vistas to Anacortes. Retrace your steps back over King George Terrace, more great views, and back to the Marina. There is a public coffee shop and patio on the lower level.
8. Rockland Seven Sisters Part one 455811 and Part two 455812
Start at Thurlow Road by park. This is the classic tough route that all the runners are proud to say they have done! You weave back over the same hills so that you go UP and DOWN each of the SISTERS
9. Royal Roads #1 452756
Drive down Ocean Blvd, Belmont Rd, and College Dr to get to parking. This is an unexpectedly wonderful walk. Makes you want to explore Royal Roads more!
10. Tattersall-Tolmie Hills 454610
Park at Cloverdale and Inverness. Washrooms in the park. This is my favorite walk so far! Who knew there were such beautiful quiet oak tree lanes and great houses in this area! New coffee shop on Inverness at Cloverdale.
11. Oak Bay- Sylvan-Barkley Terrace 459138
Each route gets more beautiful and this one is hard to top. Start and finish at Kate’s Café at Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Meander along the golf course, through tree lined streets, and to the top of the world!
12. Monkey Tree Pub-Mt Douglas 461304
Cross the Blenkinsop valley and up the hill to the Glendenning entrance to Mt. Douglas. The this trail skirts the mountain and is fairly level until you hit the end…this part is steep…you can turn around here and go home or you can challenge yourself to climb to the top either on Irvine trail or up the paved road. The view is worth it. Starbucks is at Quadra and Mackenzie, or stop at Monkey Tree Pub.
13. Beacon Hill to Moss Rock Park 462586
From the Top of Beacon Hill Lookout to the Top of Moss Rock Park…this is a great route for distant views and ocean vistas.
14. Esquimalt Top to Bottom 464194
This route surprised everyone! Who knew there was a 360 degree lookout just 1/2 block off the main drag! And then all the way down hill to the rugged Macaulay Point Park.
15. Iconic Victoria Tour 466330
This is a wonderful route to take visitors on to see the iconic places that make up Victoria from the breakwater, through Beacon Hill Park, past quaint architecture in James Bay, legislature, harbor, Fisherman’s wharf…… to Ogden point!!! Did you know that to go out to the end of the Breakwater and back is 1 kilometer?
16. The Wonders of Oak Bay 468691
Park in the civic lot off Hampshire and then start walking to see the natural wonders of Oak Bay…Willow’s beach, Cattle Point, Uplands Park, and then back for coffee at Olivero’s. Quite wonderful!
O
Comments on: "Victoria NW Clubs" (4)
How long are poles supposed to last? Mine don’t seem to hold the setting and become loose and slide down.
Hi Linda -Are there any pole walking groups in the WestShore – if so how can I contact them to get involved.
Darlene Oudot
doudot@expediacruises.com
Hi Darlene, Glad you are well. Nordic walking is a great way to stay fit. If you go to my website, http://www.nordicpolewalkingvictoria.ca and click on the tab Victoria NW Clubs, you will find the contact info for all the clubs. There is a great club in your area!
Cheers.
Hi Joy, The poles are high quality and last a long time. What is going on with your poles is that you have twisted them the wrong direction to tighten them, and the tightening device inside the pole can’t work. The right way to make it work is to have the handle pointing to the right, then twist the pole section away from your body to open, and towards your body to tighten. If it still wont tighten, then email me at Linda4success@shaw.ca so that I can explain how to reposition the internal tightening device that has gone out of position while you have struggled in the incorrect way to tighten the poles. No worries….