Category: Human interest

  • 5 Reasons to Take a Wilderness First Aid Course

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    I heard screaming in the distance as I hurried down the path. My friend was holding her hand covered in blood. A finger lay on the ground a few feet away from her. I froze in fear for a moment before I composed myself. It was a rubber finger. The blood was fake too.

    5 Reasons to Take Wilderness First Aid
  • How many women are featured in climbing magazines? (Spoiler alert: not enough!)

    I quickly realized when you take away the women in ads or just standing around, it leaves you with very few women actually climbing. So I thought I’d do a little research…

  • Is hiking alone safe?

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    When I tell people I hike or backpack alone, it invites a number of reactions, including: What is everyone so worried about? 1. Large mammals People are very concerned about bears and cougars. Vancouver Island has some of the highest concentration of cougar and black bear in the world, so this is not entirely misplaced.…

  • Solo backpacking trip to Albert Edward

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    After successfully defending my master’s thesis at the end of August, I collapsed on the couch and did nothing for several weeks. It was necessary. I did eventually get bored, but still felt like a hermit. So I decided to head up Albert Edward — the sixth highest peak on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Park.…

  • Things that really surprised me about the Camino de Santiago (and some advice too…)

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    Things may not go according to plan.

  • Tips for treating a climbing finger tendon injury

    Early in the outdoor climbing season, I woke up and my finger was swollen. It hurt to the touch. Horrified, I started googling: finger tendon injuries, pulley tendon injuries, flexor tendon injuries. I found a lot out there, but the articles and forum posts did not help me. In some ways, they have made it…

  • Ten ways we can make rock climbing welcoming for more women

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    Update 2024: Some links have been removed or updated where possible to reflect changes in the ten years since this was posted. We live in a sexist world. Rock climbing is better than many sports, but does not get a free pass.This post is for everyone who thinks we can do better. For leaders in…

    crop climber tying safety rope during training
  • Bearanoid

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    One evening in July a few years ago, I came close to walking into what I thought was a large black dog.  It was dusk on a the beach on the Juan de Fuca trail, a few hour drive out of the city.  Many people were still up, eating from coolers.  Letting their dogs romp…