Summer 2022
Photo: Eva Capazzola
Colour The Trails Bugaboos Camp
COLOUR THE TRAILS - JUNE/JULY 2022
Earlier this summer six members of the Colour the Trails community joined their first ever mountaineering trip on the traditional lands of the Ktunaxa, Secwécpemc and Sinixt Nations, also known as the Bugaboos.
For some of us, it was the first time backpacking, sleeping on the snow, traveling with a rope and harness, or carrying an ice axe.
While these trips may not seem significant to many experienced people, the Bugaboos challenged us physically and emotionally. But we came out of it with even more curiosity and plans to learn more.
Our hope is to continue to work and create opportunities to get folks into mountaineering. To show folks that people are not born hardcore. You start somewhere and build up. The Bugaboos offered us so much hope, love and acceptance of what it means to be in community to one another.
Colour the Trails crew continues to redefine what mountaineering is all about and what happens when we create a safe space for learning so that we begin to see ourselves represented.
Thank you Open Mountains Project for the invitation, for planning the trip, and for guiding our group.
Words by Colour The Trails.
Photos by Rachel Reimer
Reducing Barriers to Access for Women in Alpine
DIRTBABES COLLECTIVE - JULY 2022
Dirtbabe Collective partnered with Open Mountains to offer an Alpine Climbing Camp in the Bugaboos Provincial Park, from July 12-15.
This camp served five female participants, ages ranging from early twenties to late thirties. The intention of the camp was to dismantle barriers for women entering the alpine environment, whether this be financial, experiential, mental or emotional barriers. Dismantling these barriers was done through offering a discounted fee for our participants, offering technical skill instruction and mentorship, therapeutic framing and processing before, during and after the camp.
The team offering this program was comprised of two facilitators; Sarah Steele Johnston and Sasha Yasinski (Co-founders of Dirtbabe Collective), Eva Capozzola (Photographer & Videographer), Merrie-Beth Board (ACMG Mountain Guide), and Josh Majarossy (ACMG Apprentice Alpine Guide).
During the camp, snow travel, glacier travel skills, crevasse rescue, rope rescue, crack climbing technique, anchor-building and cleaning were taught. This culminated in each participant being guided up an objective in a team. The objectives completed on the trip were Lion’s Way, McTech Arete and a group mission up East Post Spire.
In all, participants were actively engaged in both the technical and therapeutic aspects of the camp, it was a moving process.
Photos by Eva Capozzola
Backcountry Photo Workshop
AUGUST 2022
In early summer internationally published adventure photographer Laura Szanto approached us to collaborated on an outdoor photography workshop in Revelstoke, BC for the 2SLGBTQ+ and women+ community.
Despite the short amount of time we were able to provide a day of backcountry hiking and photography workshop in the Selkirk Mountains with the support of and ACMG Hiking Guide.
Our group of four focused on interpretive knowledge in the area and moving through hiking terrain as well as outdoor photography basics such as shutter speed, ISO and exposure. The day was completed with a sunset shoot over the Monashee Mountains.
It is our hope to grow this program to be an overnight hiking and camping trip.
Support provided by Tourism Revelstoke.
Photo by Laura Szanto
2SLGBTQ + Climbing Camp
SEPTEMBER 2022
In early September we offered a 3-day outdoor rock climbing event for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and more (2SLGBTQ+) in Revelstoke. The program was open to queers and allies 16+. With room for 8 participants priority was given to folks with intersectional identities.
Climbing took place a short drive out of Revelstoke. We split into two groups and offered both introductory climbing as well as mentorship for participants to build on their previous climbing experience.
The program was led by mountain guide Cece Mortensen and ACMG top rope climbing instructor Janet Wong. During the camp, participants were photographed and filmed by professional queer photographer and director Ryan Paul Collins and will be included in his upcoming short documentary ‘People Like Us’.
Photos by Rachel Reimer, media by Ryan Collins coming soon.
