Living the best adventure life, since 1958
February 21, 2026
~ submitted by Evan Martin
This was the second trip in the ski series that I’m organized this year. In preparation for upcoming overnight tours, the intention of this trip was to test out our winter camping setups and learn what it feels like to ski with a heavy pack. This trip definitely served both purposes! With over 30cm of snow leading up to this trip and a heavy snowfall warning the conditions were ideal.
Continue reading “Winter Ski Series – Overnight Ski Tour”
February 14, 2026
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
Every winter, our family makes an effort to go snow camping in Strathcona Park. It’s become something of a tradition — one that isn’t always easy to schedule, but is always worth the effort.
Continue reading “Holy Snap! Winter Camping at Helen Mackenzie”
January 10, 2026
~ submitted by Evan Martin
We started the day with a short discussion of expectations and what people were hoping to get out of this introductory session. Despite being an intro session, everyone in the group had some prior experience, so with too much delay we hit the trail at about 9:30. Although not cold, the heavily falling snow was wet and melting on contact. This combined with the wind made for a chilly start. Despite the cold, we were diligent and practiced a full send and receive transfer check.
Continue reading “Winter Ski Series – Intro to Ski Touring”
December 28, 2025
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
We had nearly a full group out for this early-season snowshoe trip, thanks in part to a recent snowfall that piled up just enough snow to make snowshoes worthwhile. In many spots, the snow was only about five inches deep—shallow enough that the picnic benches were still visible. If we’d wanted to, we could have stopped for a proper sit-down break!
January 3, 2026
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
“Wet” pretty much sums it up.
How wet was it? Wet enough that two people took one look at the trailhead and decided they’d had enough adventure for the day. When we arrived, rain was absolutely hammering down, pooling across the parking lot in what could only be described as a proper deluge.
Continue reading “A Very Wet Snowshoe to Mount Elma”
June 21, 2025
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
I’ve been to Nine Peaks before. It’s a relatively straightforward third-class scramble — if you’re on route and the environment cooperates. But when I picked this location months ago, I had no idea what conditions we’d face. I chose the longest day of the year and planned a four-day itinerary to give everyone a fair shot at summiting. In the days leading up to departure, I nervously checked four different forecast models twice a day, trying to build a reliable picture of what we’d face. Even as we departed, I was still holding my breath.
Continue reading “Nine Peaks”
July 5, 2025
~ submitted by Brian Fleming
Mount Regan is not a summit that gets a lot of visitors. One way to get there would take most people two or three days and has its own challenges. Luckily, we had an access agreement to get past a locked gate and could access the easier North Ridge route.
Continue reading “Mount Regan – North Ridge”
May 31, 2025
~ submitted by Evan Martin
Three Ramblers headed out from Bedwell Lake trailhead towards mount Septimus. We drove through torrential rain from Victoria, feeling pretty pessimistic about the forecast. However, the forecast was true to its word, and we departed the trailhead at 12:30 with clear sky’s. We began to encounter snow just prior to Baby Bedwell. It was patchy and generally supportive, but we had to be extra careful getting on and off staircases, crossing small streams, etc. the snow disappeared again as we crested and started descending into Bedwell Lake, but we reentered it again prior to arriving at the Bedwell Lake campsite at 3:30.
March 29, 2025
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
Throughout Paradise Meadows, signs of winter’s slow demise are everywhere. Though over two meters of snow still blankets much of the landscape, evidence of the coming summer is undeniable. Patches of open water are appearing along the edges of the lakes, and in some places, we could see water nearly twelve inches below the snow’s surface.
This was my first time tackling this route in winter. Typically, snowshoers take a direct path across the frozen lakes, but with the increasing melt, we opted to follow the shoreline instead. It was the safer choice.
March 30, 2025
~ submitted by Evan Martin
This winter, Evan W is stepping into the world of backcountry skiing with big ambitions—he’s eager to take on longer ski tours as his skills grow. While I’ve done my fair share of backcountry skiing, my experience has been limited to the mainland, making this my first year exploring the island’s terrain. Motivated by the opportunity to ski with Evan, I brought my gear over and planned a trip to Mount Becher, hoping to invite other Ramblers and share the experience while rebuilding the backcountry ski culture within the Ramblers. After our previous attempt to organize a trip to Mount Cokely fell flat, we were pleasantly surprised by the high level of interest this time. In the end, we had six people in the group, with a range of experience from first-timers to seasoned skiers, which made for an exciting and diverse adventure.
