Dolomite Circuit

Planning ski trips is tricky business when you book dates months in advance. Emily and Trevor had claimed the weekend of Dec 14/15th with us in Roger's Pass almost a year ago, but we weren't able to book the hut. The plan was to camp up in the pass in our trailer which would be a good compromise. As the weekend drew closer however, plans changed yet again. Kyle was going to be away for work with his truck and I was not interested in borrowing a truck to pull the trailer up to the pass on my own. It also hadn't been snowing much in the pass so that plan went out the window. Researching Alberta snow conditions from India, Em and Trev and booked the Rampart Hostel on the Icefields Parkway instead.

Fresh off the plane after a year on the road, Emily and Trevor were ready to ski. We met at a very reasonable time at the petro-can to drive out to the mountains with their friend Scott in tow. On the drive, Emily called her dad to wish him a happy birthday. She hadn't told her parents they were home due to an elaborate plot to surprise Trevor's parents for their 60th birthdays two nights before. Suffering from jet lag and culture shock, the pair was pretty excited to forego real world activities such as unpacking and sleep for a few more days by disappearing into the wilderness.

Views from the road at Crowfoot Glades

Off-Roading in the Ghost

Sometimes driving in the Ghost is easy, and sometimes you spend all day winching yourself out of snow drifts. In early December, Kyle and I made an attempt to drive out to This House of Sky for a day of ice climbing. We left before dawn and drove out to Waiparous. It was icy and slow going. By  the time we hit the turn off, we had a feeling it might be a slow drive into the North Ghost.

Driving out to the Ghost

Urs Hole

What do you do when you find yourself very jet-lagged but unexpectedly available on a sunny Friday in November? Go ice-climbing obviously! Upon our return from overseas adventures, it didn't take us long to embrace the Canadian winter that had arrived while we were away. Urs Hole was a perfect early season objective thanks to the short approach and mellow grade (WI2). The 5 pitch route meanders its way up a deep canyon that collects the avalanche debris from Cascade Mountain's huge alpine bowls. As a result, it is only really climbed in the early season before much snow has fallen. With this years early ice formation and low snow in the alpine, it was a good opportunity to give this gem a go.

Looking up the drainage from the parking area

African Safari Part II - Chobe National Park, Botswana

From Victoria Falls, we hopped in a van to drive to the Zimbabwe/Botswana border, which was only about an hour away. Crossing into Botswana, we immediately noticed the improvement in infrastructure and that there seemed to be more going on. There were more people out working, driving or exercising and people seemed happier and friendlier than they had in Zimbabwe. This was most obvious when we arrived at our lodge. The staff greeted us with a shrill wavering sound called ululation (see/hear example here), which is used as a greeting and celebration noise. Throughout our stay, we tried to emulate the women and they tried to teach us, which usually ended in lots of laughter. The staff were cheerful, friendly and welcoming and genuinely excited to get to know us during our stay. The lodge was beautiful, situated on the bank of the Chobe River. Each couple had their own little river house and we shared a communal dining and lounge area with the other guests. The pool area was popular with lots of areas to relax between safaris, and there was even a swim cage in the river so if you wanted to go for a dip with the crocodiles, that was an option too!

Bakwena Eco Lodge near Chobe National Park

Rafting the Zambezi River in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

After our stay in Johannesburg South Africa, it was time for something completely different. We flew to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (or was it Zambia?), where we immediately noticed the difference between the two countries. Getting through immigration was a nightmare as everyone had to fill out their immigration cards once they got off the plane, then wait in a long line for their visa which was filled out by hand. After making it through customs, we collected our luggage, another disorganized ordeal. Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) is a very poor country with significant government and economic issues throughout its turbulent past and up to present day. Their currency has undergone crisis after crisis with hyperinflation and multiple re-denominations in the 2000's. The eventual demonetization of the currency in 2015 in favour of the American Dollar occurred after it become one of the lowest valued currencies in the world where a 100 trillion dollar note was worth about 40 US cents!

Rural Zimbabwe

African Safari Part I - Chisomo Game Reserve, South Africa

Chisomo Safari Camp was our first safari destination. Located in the Limpopo Province of South Africa near the Drakenburg Mountains, Chisomo is a camp located within the Karongwe Private Game Reserve. 

Drakenburg mountains

South Africa - Cape Town and Johannesburg

To celebrate an number of special occasions, John and Connie organized an amazing trip for the family to Southern Africa this fall. An African Safari was always something I thought I would want to do, but didn't think it would happen anytime soon. As a result, I showed up with no expectations and was totally blown away by the people, cultures, and African animals that we were luck enough to encounter on our whirlwind trip. Here is the first installment of a trip of a lifetime (split into 4 so I can share more photos!) I cannot thank the Milino's enough for the amazing experience of traveling through Africa together.

Excited for the 26 hours of travel ahead!

Goldilocks Hike - Island Lake Fernie

12.3 km

835 m elevation

3.5 hrs

On a trip down to Fernie this summer, Kyle and I tagged along with the Milinos to hike at Island Lake.

Hiking up Spineback to the start of the Goldilocks Loop

 The Goldilocks trail is a new route that has been developed high in the Lizard Range above Fernie. To access the loop, you park at Island Lake Lodge and follow signs for Spineback Ridge Trail. The well maintained trail starts by meandering past the lake and across streams before starting to climb steeply up the ridge. After 3.5 km, we had climbed 600 m above the lake and lodge. We watched pikas scurrying around in the scree and spotted birds soaring overhead as we hiked.

18 Mile Island Canoe Trip - French River Ontario

18 Mile Island Round Trip

72 km

33 hrs

Paddling through the fog

The alarm goes off at 5am. It is still dark out so we use headlamps to finish packing and load up the canoe from the dock. As we cast off, the water is perfectly calm and a mist is descending. It is a good thing we know the river well on this stretch between Horseshoe Bay (home to our family cottage) and Lost Child Bend because you can't see a thing. The dense fog gives us vertigo as we paddle across the main channel of the French River, losing sight of the south bank. We hear the campers before we see them and the sight of our canoe emerging from the fog causes them all to come down to the rocks to shout hello. Then we pass them and it is quiet again.

Alpine Riding in Revelstoke - Frisby Ridge and Ultimate Frisby

 Frisby Ridge

24km (out and back)

800m climb/descent

Ultimate Frisby

600m descent

For the third and final day of our epic alpine weekend in Revelstoke, we decided on the ultra-classic Frisby Ridge. On prior trips to Revelstoke, the trail had been under a voluntary closure due to trail maintenance issues, so Kyle and I had never rode it. We were both eager to see what all they hype was about! Sunday night was spent around the campfire, watching dry lightning over the surrounding mountains and experiencing some of the most amazing stargazing of my life. With such a dark night only a few weeks before the height of the Perseid meteor shower, we were overwhelmed with the number of stars. It was difficult to pick out the usual constellations due to the sheer number and brightness of normally unseen stars! The northern lights made an appearance too. It was a magical night.

Sunset chainsaw

Alpine Riding in Revelstoke - Mt. Cartier Heli Drop

Heli-Drop Mt. Cartier (Arrow Heli) - $200

Vertical Descent ~ 2100 m

Distance 17 km

If you are looking for an epic day out around Revelstoke, a heli-drop on Mt. Cartier ticks all the boxes. I mean seriously, helicopters make everything better. Combine a heli-drop with amazing alpine views, mountain summits, steep switchbacks and fast technical forest riding and you can't go wrong.

We rolled into Arrow Helicopters around 10am on Sunday morning of the long weekend. With nothing pre-booked, we were worried we might not get a chance to catch a ride to the top of Mt. Cartier but the only people in sight were a few pilots tinkering with the choppers. Waivers were signed and cash exchanged ($200 all in covers taxes and a trail maintenance fee - cash is preferred) and after a quick safety briefing we were loading the machine. 

Getting ready for our taxi

Alpine Riding in Revelstoke - 5620 Trail

Gondola up 1170m

Climb 500m/7km

Descent 1700m/15km

5620 is a new flow trail that starts just below the top of the Stoke Chair on Revelstoke Mountain Resort. It just opened a week ago (July 26th) so we got lucky to be some of the first people to ride the trail over August Long Weekend! Revelstoke doesn't have a bike park, but with the new lift-access trail, I think we will be seeing something in the near future. If you happen to be out in Revelstoke anytime soon, hit this trail before it gets too shralped!

We bought our day pass ($35) that allowed us to ride the gondola all day and walked straight on the lift (this ain't Whistler folks!). But, from the top of the gondola you don't get to drop in right away. It's a 7km, 500m climb up the Stoke Trail to the start of the trail. The trail is well built and not technical, but it is a bit relentless. The climb took us about 1.5 hrs with lots of breaks to enjoy the views.

Loading the gondola for a 1170m bump

Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit

 Bowron Lake Provincial Park in northern BC contains a 116 km chain of that forms a perfect parallelogram. It is a popular canoe trip destination as you can paddle the lakes with short portages between to create a link up loop that takes about a week to complete. The circuit is well set up for canoeing with multiple outfitters on Bowron Lake (the only lake accessible by road) near the start of the circuit. The circuit has a permit system that prevents overcrowding and all the campsites are well maintained with outhouses and tent pads. Woodlots along the route have chopped firewood from downed trees to avoid environmental damage from campers harvesting their own wood. Between the lakes, portage trails are wide and smooth. The outfitters rent wheels that you can use to make portaging significantly easier, I would highly suggest the extra $10 per canoe to save your back and lots of time shuttling gear back and forth along the portages.

Map of the circuit

Megawatts - 5.8 Sport Multipitch in Castlegar, BC

Megawatts
5.8 sport route
8 pitches
280m
Megawatts Topo

Megawatts is a 280m sport climb located on Brilliant Buttress in Castlegar, BC. It was a fun, leisurely morning with awesome views of the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers.

Great views from the top of Megawatts

Baseline Mountain Bike Club Poker Rally

A few weeks ago, Kyle, Bryce, Steve, Kyle Duran and I made our way out to Baseline Mountain for the 3rd annual poker rally. Baseline is south-west of Rocky Mountain House and pretty much in the middle of nowhere but there is a very dedicated crew of mountain bikers that have done an amazing job of trail building. We rolled in on Friday night after work, a few hours after a massive hailstorm had dropped about 10 cm of hail and dropped the temperature by about 15 degrees. The creeks were swollen and roads were wet but it didn't dampen anyone's spirits. People were camped all along the road so it was an easy drive over to the sign in on Saturday morning. We got ourselves registered, and armed with beef jerky and iced coffee, hit the shuttle road for our first lap.

Shuttle procession up the road

Skaha Climbing

Penticton is a long drive from Calgary but when its too wet or cold in the Rockies, Skaha Bluffs is usually the place to be. Every spring, climbers descend on the bluffs, only to return in the fall once the heat of the summer is past. Its a shoulder-season paradise! Kyle and I spent 6 glorious days in the Okanagan climbing, biking and catching up with some old friends. Thanks to his amazing wife, Dave Mai escaped from parenting all week to show us around and shoot some photos. Check out his amazing work at DM Productions. We also hooked up with Caillum Smith of Preserved Light Photography

Lake-side campsite at Banbury Green

How Not to do the French-Haig-Robertson Traverse

Springtime is for ski traverses and other such trips that wouldn't be appealing at other times of the year. I got it in my head that I wanted to do the French-Haig-Robertson traverse, a loop around Mt. Burstall and Roberson in Kananaskis. This route is known for its excellent views and mellow glacier travel over a distance of about 22 km (20 km in Summits and Icefields) with 1000 m of elevation gain. As the weekend drew closer the weather wasn't looking so great but I had my mind made up, we were going to give it a try. 

Our track and elevation profile

Climbing in Cape Town, South Africa

Rappelling down after some Table Mountain cragging

Cape Town is an amazing place. Steep mountains that rise straight up from white sand beaches are easily accessible from the City Bowl by a quick Uber ride! During our month in South Africa, we explored some of the local climbing areas that featured old-school trad multi-pitches on Table Mountain and steep sandstone sport crags at Silvermine. With limited time, we opted for day trips out of the city but only scratched the surface of what the region has to offer. Other areas that would deserve their own dedicated trips include visits to Montagu and Cederburg (home to Rocklands) but also require a rental car and camping gear if you really want to do it right!

Touristing in Cape Town, South Africa

One month in Cape Town, South Africa sounds like a long time, but I feel like we only scratched the surface in this vibrant city! We arrived at the beginning of February without our luggage. This was not surprising because when we showed up at the airport in Calgary 28 hours earlier, the first leg of our journey was canceled due to snowstorms in Vancouver. As a result, we scrambled to change our flights and connections. We actually ended up with a better schedule, arriving 1 hour earlier in Cape Town than our original itinerary. Arriving in a new country after dark is always an interesting experience, especially when the South Africans sitting across the isle from us on the flight had been horrified to hear that we were traveling on our own. Despite our assurance that we were going to be staying with some locals (not actually the case) the woman warned us about the dangers of Cape Town enough for us to start wondering if we had made a mistake about this trip. Most of the information we had found seemed to contradict this woman's concern and stated that although Cape Town has a violent reputation, it is easy to stay safe and out of trouble.

Once we learned we would be leaving the airport without our luggage (or any of our climbing gear that we had checked), we took an uber to the Air B&B we had rented for the month. I had printed out instructions on how to get into the building but we didn't have any way of contacting the owners if we couldn't get in. Our plan was to pick up a SIM card the next day so we were relying on WiFi and everything looked pretty closed. The uber driver dropped us off on a deserted street outside a condo complex encircled by a spiky metal fence and drove away. It was well lit but unnerving nonetheless. When we couldn't get through the security gate we started to panic, but after 4 attempts the caretaker finally answered the buzzer and let us in. What a relief. 

The bachelor pad - our home for a month

Cape Town Hikes

Cape Town South Africa is probably one of the most beautiful cities in world thanks to its stunning ocean, beaches and mountains. Kyle and I had the opportunity to explore the area close to town by ticking off some of the top hiking trails, most of which were different ways up the predominant feature in the city, Table Mountain. I have included a small write up and photos for each of the hikes that we did:

1. Kasteelsport (Table Mountain)

2. Skeleton Gorge (Table Mountain)

3. India Venesters (Table Mountain)

4. Lions Head (Signal Hill)

5. Disa Hike (Hout Bay)

The view of Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain (near the cable car station)

Trophy Hut New Years

The hut (Phil Tomlinson photo)

This New Years, we joined Phil, Christine, Kyle D, Sean, Joel, David and Tyler in Well's Gray Park for a week at the Trophy Hut where we were treated to endless epic terrain, fresh pow, gourmet meals and ceaseless rounds of Hero Realms between sauna sessions. Lets just say, it was a very successful trip despite some initial logistic and weather issues.

Hut info click here: Trophy Hut

Roger's Pass Double Weekend Pow Fest

Sometimes you need to book an ACC hut a year in advance, and other times you luck out and are able to snag a weekend at the last moment after 90 cm of snow. We were recently fortunate enough to spend two weekends at the AO Wheeler Hut in Rogers Pass in the middle of a storm cycle. 

Emily and Trevor had organized a trip to the Wheeler Hut in Rogers Pass in mid-December with some of the usual suspects. Kyle and I rolled into the pass around 9 pm but made quick work of the 2km ski into the hut. We were greeted by our friends and said brief hellos before they went off to bed in anticipation of a big pow day to come. Phil and Paul were also staying at the hut with a big group for the annual "Rogers Pass for People Scared of Rogers Pass Trip," so between our two groups we knew quite a few people in the fully booked hut.

Packing in a snowstorm, getting ready to head into Wheeler Hut