Posted by Jane Carswell on Wed, Jul 28, 2010 @ 10:40 AM
Summer is synonomous with Family Vacations. We just returned from our family trip to visit grandparents on Sunday (10 hrs in the car each way from here to Saskatchewan) and then yesterday afternoon I met up with a group of guests returning from the Bugaboo Lodge Family Adventure. Curious to know how the trip went, I asked one of the kids for feedback on the trip.
Robson, who is turning 8 next month said "My trip to the Bugaboos was great, no, AWESOME! I wish we could have stayed for two weeks. I miss my new friends and I can't wait to tell my friends when they get home today about the helicopter and talking to the pilot in the front seat!"
His mom then asked him what his favourite part of the trip was and he said "Do I have to tell you just one, Mom? I had so many. Meeting new friends, water balloon fights, exploring the helicopter, sitting in the helicopter's front seat on the way home. Hiking in really cool places like yesterday in the grassy and mossy place with the huge spires all around us. Can we go 4 more times, Mom?!"
Then today I recieved the 'flower report' from the guides up at the lodge and was pleased to see a report on more than just the flowers! Sue, one of the guides on the Family Adventure told these stories:
"I was hiking today with one family, two very quiet boys aged 9 and 7 who never said a word. We had hiked all day along Black Forest Ridge. When we stopped at the place where the helicopter would pick us up I asked them what three words they would use to describe the trip to their friends when they got home to San Francisco. Animatedly they said "Fun...Awesome...Beautiful!" Wow. I almost cried. You never would have known that those were the words they had been thinking."
"On the other end of the spectrum were three guests, 89 - 90 years old that sat in lawn chairs at Tauck Lake today for 3 hrs with another guide. They said that they felt this was one of the most incredible experiences of their lives. Now how's that for a review! Beautiful elders who loved every moment of the trip, even though they didn't walk anywhere..."
For those of you that haven't quite made up your mind about what to do before school starts again next month, check out this Live Chat webinar recording with one of our Family Adventure Leaders, Mandi Kujawa and super-star Bugaboo hiking guide, Lyle Grisedale. There are a handful of spaces left on our August 11 Family Adventure at the Bobbie Burns and the August 14 Family Adventure at the Bugaboos. More fun than a 10 hr car ride to Saskatchewan. Guaranteed.
Posted by Jane Carswell on Mon, Jul 26, 2010 @ 12:14 PM
by The Wild Pair
The worst part of adventure travel isn’t the security checkpoints with prison-issue wands, puffs of air blowing in your face or gloved agents pawing through your belongings. It’s not the airline seats with their lumbar supports that spear your spine or the $2.25 you pay for a small bottle of filtered tap water at airport restaurants. It’s not the jetlag—which can be so brutal that your left foot doesn’t know where your right foot is walking—or the suitcase that vanished with the travel clothes, gadgets and gear you have spent half a decade assembling.
The worst part of travel is actually coming home. One day you are in Peru, gaping at Machu Picchu or in the Canadian Rockies, heli-hiking amid the granite spires of the Bugaboos. Maybe you’ve been cycling in Italy, trekking in Nepal, cruising down the Nile in Egypt, or sauna hopping in Finland. The next day, you open the door to your digs and…chaos.
The answering machine is blinking, there are hundreds or thousands of emails, the snail mail spills over the edge of a huge tub and stares at you from the floor. There are bills to be paid, deadlines to be met, appointments to be kept. Your hair needs new highlights, your car is due for servicing, there’s a leak in your office, you forgot to send your sister-in-law a birthday gift. The exotic fades as you slip into the quotidian and start trouble-shooting, catching up, returning calls, and squirming in the dentist’s chair. Hooray! You are home.
I have not yet figured out how to make homecoming a celebration. But I have a few tips if you are as overwhelmed as I am when you step over your own welcome mat.
1) Even if you are committed to NOT being wired when you travel, try to check your email at least once before the big return.
You will have a good idea of what awaits you and can perhaps forestall a crisis or two.
2) Set the vacation response on your computer before you leave on a trip. It can say something like, “Hi, there. Sorry I will be a continent away from my computer from (fill in the date) to (fill in the end date). I will respond to you upon my return.” This lets folks know that you weren’t ignoring them, and they learn when you will be back so they can re-contact you then.
3) When you set the vacation response, allow yourself a day or two to land. Pick a return date that is day or two after your actual homecoming.
4) Don’t schedule too many things for the first week of your return. Allow yourself to re-acclimate slowly.
5) Do something pleasurable for yourself. A bath in Dead Sea salts. Print out your favorite photos from the trip. Go for a wrap and massage. Go to bed early. The emails will not evaporate if you don’t answer them right away.
6) Tell selected friends and family a few trip highlights, so the memories stay vivid and fresh in your mind.
7) Contact a new friend from the trip and moan a little about how overwhelming it is to come home and how you wish you were back on the trip again.
Bon voyage and bon retour. If you have any other tips for landing softly, by all means let us know. If you get an automated vacation response, you will know that the homecoming was too much, and we’re on the road again.
ABOUT THE WILD PAIR: Ellen Barone and Judith Fein,
They’re smart, sassy, savvy, award-winning travel journalists and photographers and now they’ve joined forces to become THE WILD PAIR, bringing you cutting-edge information and tips on how to turn your next vacation into a life-enhancing experience.
Posted by John Entwistle on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 @ 10:00 AM
For the first week of the summer season, I was invited up to the Bobbie Burns Lodge for some high flying fun. So, on the morning of July 6th I met up with a couple of other people from the office and the rest of the guests, and we were on our way up to the lodge! We did an afternoon hike so that the guides could figure out groups for the following day. Then we came back to an amazing dinner, drinks on the deck, and bed!
The following morning we were awoken by the bell at 7:15am for our stretch class. The stretch room was filled with all sorts of nervous chatter as today was the day that we would be tackling the via ferrata. With people moving back and forth, debating if they would do it or not, I was thinking nothing of it… I mean, come on, this thing is safe, you are clipped in the whole time... how bad can it be! So, after more contemplation over breakfast, we loaded the helicopter for the flight up to the base.
When we arrived at the start, Mark, one of our guides, pointed up to a distant peak. He then explained to the group that was where we would be in a couple of hours. At that point, it really didn’t seem possible that we would be sitting on top of something so far away.
So we started the climb. We reached the first rope across a patch of snow. This was great practice for the clip out clip in techniques for our harness system. After walking around the corner, we reached the first rock wall we had to climb…
It was at this point that I realized that I don’t do this sort of thing… I would be far more comfortable skiing down most of this, but climbing up… Yikes! On my way up the first pitch, which was only about 20 feet high, I thought to myself- Oh jeeze, I am pretty high up! And this was just the beginning...
For the 20 feet I felt was high at the beginning, would turn in to 3,000 feet by the end. And so I kept climbing, one iron step at a time. Winding our way up through boulder fields and ridgelines, we crossed planks, small bridges, and boulders. Eventually we hit a snack spot just below the first peak.
It was at this point where Sarah asked me how it was going. The only words I could think of were: “I am completely out of my element”. And this was true, because I was. After taking some mocking from the other group, we passed them to cross a snow patch to the start of the first peak. Now, the first peak truly does look impressive from any angle. Mostly because it looks exactly like the fang of a creature that could eat you. As someone who has never rock climbed on natural rock, I was intimidated to say the least. Of course the fact that I let the entire group ahead of me didn’t help either… Having to look up towards the summit to see nothing but the harness clad rear ends of my climbing partners all the way to the summit did not exactly instill the confidence in me that I needed. So, up I went. As I reached the Nimbus sub peak, I truly felt on top of the world. Even though the higher Nimbus peak is right beside you, connected by what can only be described as a behemoth of a suspension bridge, you still do feel like you are as high as you can go. It is at this point that you make the short decent to the start of the famous bridge.
The bridge. The bridge is one thrilling thing to look at. 2x4’s unevenly spaced across a span with a 2500 foot drop to the valley floor below. It is seriously something straight out of Indiana Jones, minus the snakes, I hate snakes… So after 96 shaky steps across the bridge, you reach the other side where you never thought you would be so happy to hug a big piece of rock. Then you look up and you realize you now have to climb something higher than the peak you were standing on 20 minutes ago. So you unclip from the bridge, and clip in to the cable which leads to the summit. Of course when they built the via ferrata, the guides put the route as close to the edge as possible so that you could experience maximum exposure the entire way up. This I was actually ok with as I found that you quickly get used to the heights and it becomes much more comfortable. The climb to the summit finishes of with a section where you literally have to hoist yourself up on to the summit. This is one of the greatest feelings in the world as you push that last little bit to finally reach the summit. Once on the summit, we sat down to enjoy our lunches that we had packed that morning.
Of course, standing on the summit would seem like a great place to have a drink of water. At least that is what I thought. So I unclipped my water bottle from my backpack and wedged it between my legs. It turns out that stainless steel water bottles do not grip very well against metal carabineers. Next thing I know, one of our guides was yelling at those below to watch out as my water bottle bounced the 3,500 feet to the valley floor. Needless to say I was, by my own fault, very thirsty for the rest of the day.
Luckily for us, our decent was far more controlled and graceful than that of my water bottle. It involved rappelling, down-climbing, and snow sliding in rain gear before getting to the pick up for the flight back to the lodge.
That night I was so tired that I had a nap prior to dinner and was woken by the dinner bell, although I still think I didn’t actually wake up until about half way through dinner. Everyone had stories to share from their adventures of the day, with the biggest theme being the smiles from all who had accomplished something truly remarkable!
Posted by Jane Carswell on Sun, Jul 18, 2010 @ 09:06 PM
Article by Ellen Slaughter
Angie Smith, our yoga instructor, and I are just back from hosting the first “Bodacious in the Bugaboos” girlfriend getaway of 2010. And all I can say is...WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
In response to requests from last year’s “Bodacious Babes” for more of Angie’s soul-soothing yoga on a future trip,our “Yoga Rocks” firlfriend getaway was born. With all the classic elements of our popular “Bodacious in the Bugaboos” getaways – guided alpine hiking, sunrise yoga, laugh-out-loud fun and friendship intact, we added daily après-hiking yoga to this trip. So, late each afternoon we flew back to the lodge, and led by Angie, we quieted our minds and stretched our bodies. Everyone agreed it was the perfect complement to our high-octane days of hiking.
Little did we know that our CMH mountaineering guides in the Bugaboos had a big surprise in store for us. On our third day after a spectacular ridge hike in the morning, the “Bodacious Babes” geared up with climbing harnesses and helmets and pushed their limits on the brand new breathtaking Bugaboos via ferrata. What a thrill for each and every one of us!
A night of wacky celebration was the icing on the cake as the Bodacious ladies, lodge guests and staff danced, “limbo-ed” and “hoola-hooped” the night away at the “Tight ‘n Bright” party.
Add to all this Chef David Weslowsky's scrumptious meals, Guylaine’s mouth-watering baking, welcoming hospitality from all the staff and guides and a BIG dose of ROTOR FEVER and voila, we all came home with big smiles on our faces and memories to treasure!!
Stay tuned for news of two more “Bodacious in the Bugaboos” girlfriend getaways this August. A couple of spots are available on our August 26 – 29th trip. I invite you to come and live large with us in the Bugaboos! For more information please call 1.800.661.0252.
Ellen Slaughter
CMH Bodacious Trip Host
Posted by Topher Donahue on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 09:30 AM
It was on a 10-hour bus ride across the Peruvian Andes from Lima to Huaras, the bustling town at the heart of the Cordillera Blanca, where my suspicions about hydration packs were confirmed.
The twisting mountain road and the banana pancakes from breakfast were already wrestling with my tummy. Then I looked across the aisle and saw a fellow tourist’s hydration pack tube. It snaked from his backpack, along the stained seat edge, and under the passenger beside him. My stomach churned, and from then on, I’ve referred to hydration packs as “germ samplers”.
Sure, there’s a place for hydration packs. They work great for some outings. REI has a good article on how to choose the right hydration pack.
I use them on occasion. But only in environments where I’m pretty comfortable ingesting almost anything the mouthpiece might touch and when I need my water bottle to collapse when it’s empty. Some manufacturers now put little covers over the mouthpiece, which helps a little, but dirt and nasties still seem to find their way under the thing.
Including the Petri dish effect of hydration packs, there are six major reasons I prefer old-fashioned water bottles:
- The Germ Sampler.
- I love stopping, taking off my pack, sitting down, looking around at a piece of wild splendor, sipping from a cool stainless steel bottle, and having a little chat with my adventure partner.
- There are few things worse than being miles up the trail and hearing your partner say, “My water broke...”
- In cold weather, even the fancy hydration packs with insulated tubes freeze much more quickly than wide mouth water bottles – as if a few millimeters of foam will keep water from freezing in a little tube.
- Sucking plastic, when you’re already sucking air, is highly unpleasant compared to chugging effortlessly as if from a glass.
- With a water bottle, every time you take a drink you get a pretty good idea of how much water you have left. With a hydration pack, you get thirsty, suck down all your water without paying attantion, and then when you run out you beg your adventure partner to share their water.
Now I use stainless steel water bottles whenever humanly possible. Even if you doubt the potentially harmful effects of storing water in plastic, or prefer using old soda bottles for environmental reasons, water from a stainless steel vessel just tastes better.
Photo of enjoying a water break at while heli-hiking at CMH Bobbie Burns by Topher Donahue.
Posted by Jane Carswell on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 @ 09:54 PM
by Ellen Barone for CMH Summer Adventures
“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it” ~John Steinbeck
Sure, you vowed to love each other “for better and for worse,” but who said anything about trekking Machu Picchu, tackling a via ferrata in the Canadian Rockies or a culinary bike tour through Tuscany, for that matter? For many, adventure travel wasn’t what they had in mind when they promised ‘til death do us part’.
Not to worry. In nearly two decades of marital globetrotting, I’ve learned a thing or two. In fact, my married life started when my now-husband, Hank, and I eloped during a 3-month vacation. Two years later, we packed up the Subaru and didn’t return home for more than a year. And for the past decade we’ve divided our time between homes in Old and New Mexico.
In addition, I put the word out to my, facebook friends and twitter followers, asking for their best strategies for how to travel together AND save the marriage. Listed below is a collection of our best advice. What are your secrets? Use the comment box below to sound in on the subject.
1. Choose the right spouse: That’s exactly what BootsnAll Italy expert, Jessica Spiegel (@Italylogue) posted in reply to my twitter shout-out. She’s joking right? Well kinda. She did, after all, publish the following quote on her wedding invitations: “The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right traveling companion.” - Adrian Anderson.
In my case, Hank and I didn’t know when we married that our future would be quite so mobile. And trust me, we’ve improved our roadside manner considerably over the years. Our #1 hard-won rule of travel? Do not make the other person responsible for your happiness. Whether you’re in Timbuktu or Topeka, commit to respect individual preferences, communicate your needs and appreciate each other as you ARE and your travels – and marriage - will be the better for it.
2. Divide and conquer: Even if your spouse IS your perfect traveling companion, allow time in your itinerary to go your separate ways. I love exploring a new destination on foot, without an agenda and with a camera in hand. Hank is happiest chatting up the regulars at a local coffeehouse or touring with a native guide, getting to know a place people-first. Often those preferences overlap and we hang out together, then separate again for a while. Later when we regroup, as Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of CruiseCritic.com points out, “There’s so much more to share when you come back together.”
3. Let it go: When it comes to control issues, leave em’ at the border faster than you can say “lost luggage”. Nothing ruins a trip more than thinking you’re in charge.
“Not being a control freak helps,” recommends writer/consultant Deston Nokes. “Usually one is running the schedule and the other feels victim. Just letting go and enjoying the experience can really ease the stress.”
“Trade off being the ‘tour guide,’” suggests freelance writer Shelley Seale. “My boyfriend let me do all the leading, out of niceness thinking he was letting me do what I wanted. But it’s exhausting! Take turns being the one to plan, and lead, the itinerary for the day. It’ll be more fun for both people.”
4. Go solo. Don’t laugh. I meet more happily married people off exploring this beautiful blue planet sans spouse than you might imagine. Hank and I included. “Leave the bugger behind, writes Chardel Lewis (@NewYorksTrio). And why not? Who’s to say a little heli-hiking vacation with your sister, or setting off alone for a yoga retreat, won’t do the marriage good?
“Dick & I are celebrating our 50th Anniversary this year,” says veteran travel journalist and author, Sally Moore. “And one of the ways we’ve solved the problem [travel compatibility] is not traveling together when I’m on the job. He hates my usually frantic schedule of interviews, photo shoots, etc., and I don’t like worrying about whether or not he’s enjoying the trip. Keep work and pleasure separate.”
5. Love the one you’re with: Remember those bumper stickers that remind you to practice random acts of kindness? Well, be sure to keep that in mind when he won’t ask for directions or she wants to stop at ‘just one more’ boutique. “In traveling, as in marriage, the old saying applies: Instead of being right, be kind,” says L.A. publicist Stacy Lewis (@slewismopr).
“After being stranded in the Miami airport for two miserable days because I misread our flight’s departure time, I discovered I’d married a Saint,” said Frances Crockett, my seatmate on a recent flight. “He missed two days of work and all he ever said was, “It was an easy mistake to make.” Can you imagine? I learned a lot about my husband, and myself, from the experience.”
6. Tell it like it is. Don’t let your vacation dreams get lost in translation. Communication is important when it comes to returning home from a trip still talking. “Successful spouse travel starts with being straight with one another about likes and dislikes,” advises life coach Gwen McCauley (@GwenMcCauley). Being truthful about your needs and listening to your partner’s desires is indeed a big piece of the travel puzzle. Be sure to discuss in advance your expectations. Or, when all else fails, “get a room or suite with two bathrooms …” J Stacy Small (@EliteTravelGal)
Travel expert Ellen Barone did what many of us only dream of doing: at the age of 35, she traded a successful academic career for the wild blue yonder and set out to explore the world and herself. In the decade since that intrepid decision, she has turned passion into profession journeying to more than 60 countries in search of evocative images and life-enriching adventures. Learn more at EllenBarone.com
Posted by Jane Carswell on Wed, Jul 07, 2010 @ 11:04 PM
I reached up to wipe the sweat out of my eye as I scanned the rock infront of me for a handhold. "I can't figure out where to put my foot", Alysha called out below me. "You're doing great. There's a spot to your right," replied Rob Rohn, Director of Mountain Operations for CMH Summer Adventures.
This morning we were part of a group trying out the yet-unnamed via ferrata route the guides have built on a ridge northwest of the Bugaboo lodge.
"We have seen a decline in the desire for traditional mountaineering routes," said Peter Macpherson, Assistant Area Manager at the Bugaboo Lodge. "But at the same time, there's been an increased interest in doing 'something thrilling'". Back in 2007, in response to that increase the guides at the Bobbie Burns constructed the
Mt. Nimbus via ferrata route which thrills visitors to the lodge on a weekly basis. This summer guests to the Bugaboos will also get a taste of that same thrill.
After crossing a snow-slope where you could literally feel the sun melting the snow beneath your feet, our group of 10 gathered at the base of the route. ACMG certified mountain guide Bob Sawyer helped us don our harnesses and via ferrata gear then lead us through a safety briefing of how to stay connected to the permananetly fixed cables that make up the route.
A combination of steel cables and rebar rungs line the route up Trundle mountain. The Bugaboo guides installed the route last week once enough snow had cleared to safely access the route. In places along the route I found myself searching, seemingly in vain, for the next place to put my foot or hand to raise myself up, up, up the mountain. I'd find myself thinking "They need to put another rebar step in here. I'm stranded." Then with a little more focus and shifting my body against the rock I'd find a way up. The feeling of accomplishment was intense everytime I overcame one of these challenges. And the encouragement from the guides and the other members of our climbing party kept us all in high spirits. In amidst conversations about siblings, wildflowers and handholds, we shared jokes, sang songs and lived in the moment. Other cares left behind for the day.
Our group this morning consisted of myself and the Bugaboo Lodge staff and guides who are already at the lodge preparing for the first guests of the Summer Adventures' season who will arrive on Friday. I asked Tanya, one of the lodge staff members who celebrated her 25th birthday today on Trundle Mountain, how she felt about the experience. There was no disguising the trepidation in her voice at the start of the day where she described her fear of heights. "There's just an amazing sense of accomplishment. I can't believe I did it!"
After two and a half hours on the rock we completed the route, removed our harnesses and thanked our guides before sitting on the summit to enjoy lunch and bask in the sun. As we got up to leave and continue hiking along the glorious Black Forest Ridge I commented to Alysha "Hmm, all that and I never even broke a nail."
If you'd like try your hand on one of CMH Summer Adventures' via ferrata routes this summer, or if something more horizontal is what your after, contact CMH Reservations at 1.800.661.0252 or visit us online at www.cmhsummer.com.
Posted by Topher Donahue on Fri, Jul 02, 2010 @ 09:16 AM
The easy answer is: NO PACK AT ALL.
For anyone who doesn’t bring a pack, CMH lodges provide daypacks that are small enough to hike or climb unencumbered, but big enough to hold your lunch, water, sunhat, and jacket. With a helicopter to provide easy escape from the mountain elements, we have a lot of options and you don’t need to carry too much.
If you want your own pack for heli-hiking and other summer adventures, that’s great. Using your own pack is nice. But don’t fret it. That’s why we call it HELI-hiking. It’s not about the pack.
Even a trusty book bag works, but a pack with a little more space makes packing - and then later finding your sunscreen in the bottom of your pack – that much easier. If you prefer your own, here are a few things to look for in a good heli-hiking pack:
- Around 25 litre capacity - buy your friend the bigger pack.
- Roomy exterior pocket for easy access to cameras and trail favors - tight pockets look cool in the store, but are a pain to use.
- Lightweight material and design with no frame or super-light internal frame - heavy helicopter should equal light pack.
- Hydration system is handy but not necessary – why not just stop and look around while drinking?
- Ventilation along the back area – it gets warm heli-hiking under the bright alpine sun.
- External strap system of some kind in case you need a little extra space - adventure travel doesn't happen by the litre.
Touching mountains as wild, vast and un-developed as the Columbias of British Columbia with only a small daypack on your shoulders is a treat that only heli-hikers get to experience. The light-footed sensation of moving easily through such terrain, surrounded by untouched wilderness the likes of which few modern humans ever see, is alone worth the price of admission.
Heli-hiking-as-good-as-it-gets photo by Topher Donahue
Posted by Jane Carswell on Wed, Jun 30, 2010 @ 03:26 PM
The most common myth around heli-hiking, CMH Summer Adventure's core activity, is that it is either too easy or too hard. The term conjures up...well, nothing consistent in the minds of travellers.
In reality, heli-hiking is just as hard, or just as easy, as you want it to be. Here's why:
1. Our guests, not our guides, set the gait.
We're not kidding when we say this. At the Bobbie Burns lodge, for example, we accommodate a maximum of 44 guests and we have 7 guides available. That means we can have 7 different levels of walking, hiking, and trekking groups. We've been working on this formula for over 30 years now and rarely do we have a guest leave without getting exactly the hiking experience they are after.
2. We cater to non-hikers.
Whether it's a hike, walk or amble, each heli-hiking day is tailored to each guests' fitness, experience and wishes. Frankly, we'd be crazy to drag you out on a hike that's way too ambitious and send you home feeling battered and miserable. After all this is your hard-earned vacation, not boot camp. If you want to cover very little ground, but really take the time to appreciate the magnificent, awesome scenery, we've got a guide for that.
3. We challenge experienced hikers.
Last summer I hiked in the Bugaboos with a couple from Toronto in their mid-40's. At the start of our hike on day one, Karen looked our guide Kevin in the eye and said 'I want to hike until I cry.' She wasn't kidding. Kevin wasn't quite sure what to make of her but he and his mile long legs set off and she was right on his heels. They hiked all day, stopping only for water and snacks and lunch along the way. I dropped back to join a less-ambitious group! At the end of the day I asked Karen how her day was. "I had the best day of my life." Funny thing, two other people in the lodge told me the same thing that night at dinner - a Grandmother in her 70's, and a 17-yr old travelling with his Mom and sister.
4. We have a helicopter.
The glory of using the helicopter to access the remote ranges of the Canadian Rockies is that we eliminate days of bushwacking (because there are no trails where we hike, and few other people have been here) to get you to the kind of hiking you want to do. If you aren't keen on uphill, then you and your guide and group will fly to a high mountain ridge that you can meander along, or to an alpine meadow where you can wander through the brilliant colours of our wildflowers. If uphill gain is your thing, then start in the valley bottom and climb, climb, climb to your heart's content. We've got a guide for that, too.
Whatever kind of outdoor, walking experience it is that you desire, we guarantee that you will find it on a CMH Summer Adventure. You can choose your adventure - mountaineering, adventure trails, zip lines, via ferrata, yoga, painting retreats and Girlfriend Getaways. All of it as hard, or as easy, as you would like.
Posted by Topher Donahue on Tue, Jun 29, 2010 @ 11:11 AM
I visited the CMH Bobbie Burns Lodge in the summer of 2007 as the guides were putting the finishing touches on the now legendary Mt. Nimbus Via Ferrata. Traversing the knife-edged ridges, straddling the tiny summits, and walking across the airy suspension bridge was exciting enough while tethered into a bombproof harness and cable. Building the thing must have been outrageous. To find out a bit more about the installation and its strength, I tracked down Carl Trescher, a British Columbia native and mountain guide. After experimenting with a small via ferrata on Mt. Syphax, Trescher went to Europe, the birthplace of adrenaline sport, to learn from the masters.
TD: What kind of training did you do in Europe?
CT: I did a High Ropes Instructor Course. I concentrated mainly on the building aspects of the course and learned lots of different techniques for setting up ziplines, portable and permanent cable structures and protection systems as well as specific rescue techniques with cable based systems.
TD: The forces on the suspension bridge must be massive. Do you have any idea how much force is placed on the anchors if a person is standing in the middle of the bridge?
CT: Surprisingly, the forces placed on the anchor system of the suspension bridge are pretty low. Safety is by far our main priority. We distribute the load between 4 main cables, which then distribute the loads to their separate anchor systems. A separate safety cable and anchor system is used for fall protection. We use a dynamometer to measure the force on most of our structures and maintain a safety ratio of around 10:1 or greater. Measuring the force on the bridge anchors comes in under 2 kilonewtons (the force of about 204kg) with someone standing in the middle.
TD: 10 times stronger than needed! That’s nice to know. So how strong is that?
CT: We use expansion bolts to build our anchoring systems for the bridge. These systems are theoretically capable of holding around 100 to 135 Kilonewtons. (The force of over 13,000kg.) Should be strong enough!!!
TD: How long did it take to install?
CT: The Mt. Nimbus Via Ferrata was built in a series of phases of two summer seasons. About three weeks of construction time was taken to complete each phase. The material required to build a via ferrata a sure weighs a lot and some days it sure felt a lot longer!!
TD: How do average people do on Mt. Nimbus in terms of both fear and physical difficulty?
CT: The average person and first timer does incredibly well on the via ferrata. The great thing about it is you are going to some outrageously wild places and situations in the mountains, yet it is completely safe and not difficult so the average person is more than able to physically do it.
Most people do quite well with the fear also. We designed the via ferrata with a bit of flow starting off with easier sections and slowly building as we climb Nimbus Tower. For those looking for a bit of adventure this is definitely the highlight of the trip. We try to get to know people on the first hiking day as a lot of people are physically able to do the ferrata although not every person would necessarily enjoy it. That is one of the great things though about summer in the Bobbie Burns as there is still all the great hiking and classic mountaineering as well as the adventure trails and via ferratas.
Have you done the Mt. Nimbus Via Ferrata? Did it feel strong enough to you?
Mt. Nimbus Via Ferrata photo by Topher Donahue