1st Mountaineers

July 28, 2016

SUMMIT: Mt. Rainier!

On July 28, 2016, Simon (17, B.C.), Kier (14, B.C.) and Spencer (14, Ontario) stood on the summit of Mt. Rainier (14,410’/4,394m)!

To pull this off, the team spent a night at Camp 1 at Camp Muir (10,50′) and the following three nights at Camp 2 at Ingraham Flats (11,200′).  Well, technically, we only spent two nights (the first night and next day we relaxed while our bodies acclimatized to the altitude) at the Flats since the second night (and the better part of the next day) was spent climbing the mountain.  After returning from the summit, we got a well-deserved night’s sleep at Camp 2 and then hiked off the mountain and headed home the next day.

Here’s a video of our adventure…

For the full story and more photos (and videos) check out our adventure blog post.

Our destination…Mount Rainier (14,410’/4,394m).

Camp 2 on the “Ingraham Flats” (11,200′)

And then, around 4 am, it comes… . A faint line forms across the eastern horizon that steadily grows and increasingly bathes the land beneath it in its warm red glow. . As the stars give way to the light of a new day, we continue working our way up the mountain. The giant yellow blazing ball will come in a few hours, but for now it’s easier to see where we’re going. Up!

“Dawn Patrol”

“On the Edge of Forever in the Land of the Titans”

It’s time to get off this beast! Strange sport mountain climbing…you work so hard to achieve a thing, only to give it away the moment it’s in your grasp.

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July 18, 2016

We had two back-to-back weeks of mountaineering camp up in the mountains this year!  The first week was all-girls and the second was all-boys.

The weather was challenging (snow and rain) throughout both weeks but, at dawn on both Thursday mornings (July 7 & 14, 2016), after three days of training, the skies cleared long enough for each team to make it to the summit of Youngs Peak (9235’/2815m).  To expedite our descent down the 500 foot tall glacial headwall this year, we set up a nearly 400 foot rappel line using two 60 metre ropes tied together.  What a blast!

Here’s a video showcasing the all-girls week…

“Piolets and Ponytails”

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July 30, 2015

Another successful mountaineering camp this year!  We were able to get the full team to the summit of Youngs Peak (9235’/2815m) after three days of training.  Seven team members came from Ontario and five from British Columbia.

Click the title before pressing play or “vimeo” after pressing play to watch in full HD.

Click any photo below to start a full screen carousel slide show with captions.

The participants at the 2015 Mountaineering Camp: Rogers Pass are ready for a week of alpine adventure!

Rope Team One enroute to the summit of Youngs Peak (9235’/2815m) in the early morning during the 2015 Mountaineering Camp: Rogers Pass.

The view from the summit of Youngs Peak (9235’/2815m) during the 2015 Mountaineering Camp: Rogers Pass.

15 year-old Mountaineer Scout Randi showing her stoke during the 2015 Mountaineering Camp: Rogers Pass.

April 23, 2015

For the latest information on our annual Mountaineering Camps: Rogers Pass check out the official website.

If we can solve all the logistical issues, we’ll be hosting our first ever Advanced Mountaineering Camp: Tantalus Range based out the Alpine Club of Canada’s Haberl Hut high up in the Tantalus Mountains at the north end of Howe Sound above the town of Squamish!  [Update:  Advanced MCamp will happen in 2016.]

The fine art of campsite selection…..nailed it!
Upper Joffre Lake, February, 2015

August 29, 2014

What a summer!  We spent two weeks in Rogers Pass running our two week-long (back-to-back) 2014 Mountaineering Camps (week one’s team summited Youngs Peak [9,235′] but week two got hit by a storm that cheated the team out of their summit attempt).  We took a week off and then headed down to the States to take a crack at Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier.  We didn’t summit either mountain but we did have some high alpine fun and learned a lot about both mountains.  We’ll be back next year to have another go at them!

Mt. Rainier at sunset. August 17, 2014

June 22, 2014

Our new Mountaineering Camp website (mountaineeringcamp.com) has launched!  This is the official source of news and information about our annual invitational (composite) week-long mountaineering school in the mountains of British Columbia.  This camp is open to all Scouts and Venturers across Canada.

The 2014 Mountaineering Camp will once again be based out of the Asulkan Hut in Rogers Pass, Glacier National Park.  Check out the helicopter cam video that we made last year (we hooked two GoPros to the helicopter that brought in our food for the week and filmed the entire trip from Golden to Rogers Pass) to see where we get to play again this summer (go full screen and jack up the resolution for the full experience – bonus points if you like Imagine Dragons “Radioactive”):

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May 16, 2014

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January 25, 2014

We hope everyone is getting out and having some fun winter adventures!

“Full Moon Rising”
Garibaldi Provincial Park
January 18, 2014

August 2, 2013

Summit: Kilimanjaro!

14 year-old Mountaineer Scout Simon (left) summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
at 9:30 am on Friday, August 2, 2013!
Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft./ 5,895 m.) is the highest mountain in Africa
and one of the fabled Seven Summits.

July 24, 2013

Destination: Kilimanjaro

Cue the music….the adventure begins!

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July 18, 2013

Destination: Kilimanjaro

On July 24, this 14 year-old Scout will begin his journey to the other side of the world in an attempt to climb one of the legendary Seven Summits!

Follow his adventure as he travels from Vancouver to the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for his ultimate challenge (July 28-August 3).

If he’s tough enough and can adapt to the thin air of extreme altitude, he’ll reach the Roof of Africa (19,341 ft./5,895 m.) at dawn on Friday, August 2!

Follow his climb in real-time on our MapShare page and see daily stories and photos on our Facebook page.

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June 14, 2013

Our 1st Annual National Invitational Mountaineering Camp in Glacier National Park is almost here!

Thank you Parks Canada for allowing us to spend a week above 7,000 feet at the Asulkan Hut in Rogers Pass!

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A new year…time to raise the bar!

October 3, 2012

The Boss agrees:
“Yes….this IS supposed to scare your mother.”

Well, we lost a couple of boys over the summer but were lucky to recruit a couple of keen new lads so I guess we’re going into our second year of operation even.

We’ve had our first backpacking camp up at Cheakamus Lake last weekend and the boys had no problem at all carrying their loads.

The next challenge will be to take those loads up into the alpine.

Our  second annual Investiture Ceremony on top of the Stawamus Chief will take place in two weeks.

Our first trip up into Garibaldi Park will take place in three weeks.
If all goes well, we’ll climb Black Tusk and later take a stroll on Helm Glacier with crampons and ice axes.

Before you know it, the snow will start to fall and we’ll be in the middle of another amazing winter here in B.C.

We are planning a special Mountaineering Camp for next July in Rogers Pass (the week before the national Jamboree) that is open to all Scouts in Canada.  There are still plenty of spaces available for Scouts and a few spaces left for qualified leaders/instructors.

We are also planning a climb of Mt. Athabasca after that camp (probably summiting on the opening day of the national Jamboree).  Sign up for both the Mountaineering Camp and the climb of Mt. Athabasca if you want the raddest adventure in Scouting in Canada next summer!

If you want to take your adventuresome nature into more exotic locals, you might also consider joining us next summer when we climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,341′) in Tanzania!

If you want the ultimate challenge and adventure, join us in 2015 when we travel to the Himalayas in Nepal for a trek to Everest base camp (17,598′ – Sagarmatha National Park) followed by an expedition to climb Baden-Powell Peak (19,324′ – Langtang National Park).

Bar:  Consider yourself raised!

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“Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 19,710 feet high,
and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa.
Its western summit is called the Masai ‘Ngaje Ngai’, the House of God.
Close to the western summit there is a dried and frozen carcas of a leopard.
No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.”

― Ernest Hemingway, The Snows of Kilimanjaro

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The Year So Far…

May 25, 2012

The boss is pleased!

Now that the winter camping season is over, let’s do a quick recap of the year so far:

Camps:

October:          Alice Lake Orientation Camp  (2 nights)
November:      Joffre Lakes Winter Camp I       (1 night)
January:          Joffre Lakes Winter Camp II      (1 night)
February:        Joffre Lakes Winter Camp III    (2 nights)
March:            Joffre Lakes Winter Camp IV      (1 night)
April:              Joffre Lakes Winter Camp V      (2 nights)
May:               North Shore Area Camporee      (2 nights)

Hikes:

October 2:         Sunday Morning Hike @ Alice Lake
October 11:       Night Hike @ Cypress I
October 16:       Baden-Powell Trail Challenge: Part I – Black Mtn.
October 29:       Investiture Ceremony: top of the Stawamus Chief
November 8:      Night Hike@ Cypress  II
January 10:        Night Hike @ Cypress III
January 28:        Snowshoe Hike @ Garibaldi Park I  – Recon
February 4:        Snowshoe Hike @ Garibaldi Park II – Red Heather Shelter
February 7:        Night Hike @ Cypress IV
February 18:      Snowshoe Hike near Upper Joffre Lake (plus Scout Investiture)
March 6:             Night Hike @ Cypress V
April 14:             Snowshoe Hike to Upper Joffre Lake & Matier Glacier (plus Leader Investiture)

Special Events:

September 10:     North Shore Candlelight Tribute to Veterans
November 11:      West Vancouver Remembrance Day Parade
April 3:                 Tour of North Shore Rescue’s Operations Centre

Not too bad for our first year, eh?

And we’re not done yet!

Don’t forget these exciting upcoming events:

• May/June:              Rock climbing during remaining regular season meetings
• July/August:           Hiking & camping in the mountains of S.W. British Columbia
• August 7-9:            Tour of CFB Comox & Change of Command Parade
• September 8:          North Shore Candle Light Tribute for Veterans
• September 15:        Rainier Mountain Festival, Washington State
• 2013:                      Canadian Jamboree, Alberta
• 2015:                      World Scouting Jamboree, Japan

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“Those who say it can’t be done

should get out of the way of those who are doing it.”

— Joel Barker.

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The Start of a New Scouting Year and a New Scouting Group!

September 14, 2011

Well, the new scouting year has finally begun.

What would the boss have done with the internet?

The 5th West Vancouver Scout Group fell dormant a number of years ago but now they’re back!

The “5th” is based in the Gleneagles/Horseshoe Bay area of West Vancouver.

At our inaugural meeting on September 13, we had a good turnout.

We currently have eight scouts: two with previous service as Scouts (a natural choice for Patrol Leaders) and six new recruits!  I expect to see a couple more new recruits attend our next meeting.  Not too bad so far.

With three leaders (two veterans and one new recruit), we’re off to a good start!

Now, to get all the registration paperwork out-of-the-way and all the boys into uniform!

There is so much to do.

Our first camp is only a few weeks away…

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Follow our continuing adventures by clicking on the “Our Adventures Blog!” menu.

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Finally, remember that you can ENLARGE ANY PHOTO on this website by clicking on it (press “back” to return to the original page).

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For all readers of this web site:

If you have any comments, suggestions or content that you want added…please just email me or post a “comment” in the appropriate section.  I will respond!  I want this to be a community resource for Scouting and need your input and support.  For example, if you think I’m off the mark regarding any of my Gear recommendations or Skillz information, let me know.  Let’s have a dialogue.  Thank you!

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BTW…this website is a work-in-progress…don’t laugh too loudly as I stumble about trying to make everything work properly (hey, this is my first attempt at creating a web site).

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Happy trails…