Trip Reports

In mid-August 2024, seven visually impaired hikers, five volunteer sighted guides, and two ACMG hiking guides from Playwest Mountain Experience set off on a memorable five-night adventure in the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. The trip commenced with a night of front-country camping, designed to help participants become familiar with essential skills such as pitching a tent, setting up a sleeping pad and sleeping bag, and effectively packing and adjusting a 65-liter backpack. This first night also included an introduction to backcountry etiquette, covering leave- no-trace principles, bear awareness, backcountry toilet protocols, and basic safety information. It was an opportunity for participants to get to know each other and prepare for the days ahead. We warmed up our hiking legs with a short 2km walk to the Radium Hot Springs for a soak in the mineral pools.

Early the next morning, the group loaded into three trucks and traveled to the Chalice Creek trailhead outside Brisco. The first day of hiking involved approximately 300 meters of elevation gain, technical trail sections, and two challenging creek crossings, including one with a rope/pulley system for safety. We set up camp in a scenic open meadow.

On the second day, we continued our ascent toward Chalice Ridge on a steep but less technical trail. We treated ourselves to bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon for lunch—fuel for our hardworking bodies! That evening, we camped beside the beautiful Elsay Lake, where we enjoyed an evening of storytelling and raucous laughter. During the night, a dramatic thunder and lightning storm reverberated through the valleys and illuminated the insides of our tents.

The following morning, after checking a weather forecast via an Inreach device, which predicted significant precipitation over the next couple days, we decided to turn back to allow extra time for potentially slippery trail conditions. Prioritizing safety, we chose to exit the backcountry and spend the remainder of the trip hiking on the Rockies side of the Columbia Valley.

Despite the change in plans, the group remained adaptable and enjoyed two day hikes during the trip’s final days. Our first day hike took us to Pedley Pass. We navigated through dense clouds, fog, and heavy rainfall.

On the final day, we drove up Mount Swansea to the upper parking area and hiked the switchback trail to reach the summit. At the top, we enjoyed PlayWest’s famous cheese fondue and participants shared their favorite (and least favorite) memories from the trip. We celebrated each other’s accomplishments, reminisced about the highlights, and laughed about the challenges. Finally, we said our goodbyes as the participants loaded onto a bus to the Calgary airport. The success of this adventure was a testament to the resilience, adaptability, and sense of humour of everyone involved!

It was unfortunate that this year’s trip was cut a few days short due to an illness amongst the group.

We were able to provide the opportunity for blind and visually impaired skiers to ski fast and independently, which is rarely possible in a resort environment.

Many thanks to Great Canadian Heli-Skiing for making this event possible and to all of you who contributed!

On January 14, 2022, the Braille Mountain Initiative team, blind skiers and guides returned from a week of backcountry skiing at Purcell Mountain Lodge.

The week was filled with new learning opportunities and challenges for our participants and volunteers. As the week progressed our participants began moving efficiently up the mountain, asking great questions about backcountry safety and skiing a few hundred meters with minimal guidance or crashing.

At the end of the week we were proud to say that Peter, Donavon and Spencer are the first blind and visually impaired skiers to receive the Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 certification.

The feedback we received from all of our participants on the trip was that this was a life-changing experience. 

We couldn’t have hoped for a better week and none of this would have been possible without the knowledge and dedication of our guides: Greg Hill and Carey Austerman, as well as our Volunteers: Harry Bolger, Kate Johnson, Garret Lindquist and Steve Mellor.

This photo shows Mark, Spencer and Tyson with all their ski gear on their back heading up for an exciting day of summer glacier skiing. The Braille Mountain Initiative team gave them a serious work out that day! 

The following day we rounded out the trip with some sport climbing. We put Mark and Spencer on some challenging routes for their first time and they both learned quickly and topped out on their first climb. Pictured is Spencer hanging in his harness taking a break and enjoying the scenery.

Our first year of operation was a challenging one with all the obstacles that Covid created with fundraising or simply trying to get people into the mountains.

That being said, we were still able to get a couple of people out there. In mid-January with the help of Toby Creek Adventures, Render Digital Media House and some friends, Mark and Tyson were able to do some exciting but challenging backcountry skiing in the Purcells.

Are you legally blind, fit and interested in exploring Canada’s vast backcountry? Are you interested in supporting our mission or volunteering? Just want to know more about Braille Mountain Initiative? Please fill out the form below and we will get back to you in 24 to 48 hours.