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Outdoor Tips, Tricks, Inspiration and Activities | MEC Blog

One breezy summer day while arriving to surf Lake Erie with friends, Antonio Lennert witnessed something startling: over a hundred dead fish washed up along the shoreline. “It was a very scary moment,” he says. “None of us had ever seen that many dead fish on the beach before.” As the group got in the water, they saw [algae all around](http://www.lakeeriealive.org/), but since they’d driven for two hours to find good waves that day, they paddled out and surfed for a couple hours anyways. “Every now and then a dead fish would pop up next to one of us,” says Antonio. “It was pretty gross and terrifying.”

The Brazilian-born surfer and community activist has been noticing more and more changes in the Great Lakes over the years, and the damage is something he desperately hopes to repair. As the founder and Chief Experience Officer of [Surf the Greats](http://surfthegreats.org/), a northern surf culture and community organization and Toronto-based MEC Outdoor Nation collaborator, he leads beach cleanups, educational workshops and meet-ups in hopes of instilling a need to act in the local surf community. For Antonio, Surf the Greats is the manifestation of passion for adventure, exploration and the power of nature – something that was ingrained in him when he grew up by the ocean in Brazil, and when he lived in California and Australia before moving to Toronto in 2009.



“[I’ve] lost count of how many times I saw people putting their lives at risk without fully understanding the dangers of our riptides,” he laments. “And water is becoming a commodity as the years go by. But surfing the Great Lakes puts us in a privileged position, [one where we] witness all the pollution in the water. And that needs to change.”

[Pollution, contamination, debris and harmful algal blooms](http://www.waterkeeper.ca/blog/2016/9/2/lake-ontario-water-colours-what-the-lakes-hue-can-tell-you) are some of the largest threats to Canada’s waterways. The blooms are particularly concerning. A result of rapid algae growth due to the presence of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, they tend to occur in late summer and early fall, and produce toxins as cells die. For surfers, paddlers and swimmers who want to enjoy the water, the health issues that result from contact with the blooms can be wide-ranging and serious: muscle cramps and twitching, nausea and vomiting, cardiac or respiratory difficulty, liver failure and even paralysis.

Antonio has witnessed the blooms first-hand. “Sometimes we leave the water covered in algae or aren’t able to surf at all because of the toxicity,” he reveals. “Although many surfers still risk their health and go in.”



Wanting to enlighten fellow surfers and increase his safety knowledge, Antonio went to Costa Rica to take an open-water rescue course as well as the Surf & SUP instructor course put on by the International Surfing Association. Surf the Greats events, meet-ups and [wave forecasting workshops](/en/article/surf-the-greats-winter-wave-forecasting) are where he gets to pass that knowledge on. At a recent MEC Outdoor Nation and Surf The Greats event in the Toronto Islands called “Castaway,” 100 people gathered at a secret beach to SUP, do yoga, swim and participate in a [beach cleanup](/en/article/10-ways-to-protect-your-fave-paddle-surf-or-swim-spot). “We removed over 100lb of garbage from the beach and more than 10 tires from the lake,” says Antonio. His desire to connect people with nature through surfing goes hand in hand with a drive to care for it; it’s a new wave of thinking that plenty of Toronto-area residents are eager to catch a ride on.

“Next summer we want to expand our offerings to Prince Edward County and other parts of Ontario while growing our programming for Toronto,” says Antonio. Surf the Greats devotees and wave watchers can keep an eye on their inboxes and social media channels for sweet bonuses too, including info on pop-up shops, reggae night dance parties, surf photography exhibits and yoga classes.

*Photos by [Lucas Murnaghan](https://www.instagram.com/lucasmurnaghan/).*

*Want to try surfing and get involved? Check out**MEC Outdoor Nation** and*[*Surf the Greats*](http://surfthegreats.org/)* for the latest events and tag your freshwater Instagram pics with*[*#myhomewaters*](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/myhomewaters/)* to help share the love of Canada’s waterways.*



Meet Ontario's Surf the Greats. These Toronto-based surfers share some serious love for riding waves on the Great Lakes – find out how to join their events, workshops, dance parties and more.

Surf the Greats: for the love of waves | MEC Blog

Surf the Greats: for the love of waves

Chances are, throughout your workday, your left brain does a lot of heavy lifting. You’re setting realistic goals, coming up with unique strategies, and finding logical ways to see your plans through. And if you’re someone who loves the outdoors, you’re likely intermittently daydreaming about your next getaway. That’s when your right brain takes over. This is your free spirit side, full of imagination, keen to seek out sensory experiences, get moving, tap into your feelings and express yourself.

Everyone has a dominant side, and while right-brained types are usually considered more naturally creative, the difference between right- and left-brained is in the approach. Lefties see details first and piece them together to form a larger picture, while righties use visual reference and see a whole before working into the finer details. So, even if you may not consider yourself a “creative person,” you’re actually already tapping into your more expressive hemisphere when you’re out hiking, taking in a meteor shower, or trying not to trip on tree roots on a trail run.

MEC’s Digital Asset Administrator [Jessa Gilbert](http://www.jessagilbert.com/) is a sterling example of letting your creativity flow outside. The New York native moved to Vancouver in 2013 and has been on a constant mission to meld her love of activity with her desire to explore outside, one that saw her transition from figurative painter to landscape artist.



“This place is magic,” says Jessa. “I take my studio outside into the wilderness, bringing along my sketchbook, watercolour paper, pens, brushes – the whole gamut, just on a smaller scale – and try to replicate the feelings and the sentiments of either getting to a peak or being within the environment.” When Jessa gets back into the studio, she works with acrylic paint at a larger scale. “I think about how I show the passing of time on a two-dimensional plane; how I take the trip at large and create something that speaks to how it was, or how we look at the environment around us.”

Another crew taking the studio outside is one of MEC Outdoor Nation’s newest Toronto-based collaborators (they were granted $5000 at the 2016 Think Outside Summit). [Outdoor Studio](http://www.outdoorstudio.ca/) is all about getting young urban creatives outside and connected to nature – the group links interested parties up with wilderness guides, outdoor instructors and creative mentors on multi-day trips and excursions. The studio is run by four creatives with a passion for getting outside: graphic designers Franziska Brand and Sarah Paul, visual artist Sarah Carlson, and advertising and marketing specialist Cherie Tsang.



“Making typically happens in a four-walled studio or in front of a computer screen. As a result, many creatives are unfamiliar with the outdoors and simply don’t have the knowledge to go out and explore on their own,” explains Sarah Carlson. “The great irony is, a desire to be connected to the land is a narrative woven through the creative histories of art, design and film. Outdoor Studio is a space that allows creatives time to meditate, explore and physically reconnect to natural spaces.”

Ready to join Jessa and Outdoor Studio and let your right brain take the reins? Here’s how to get outside and start making:

#### 1. Let go of your work zone
Being creatives themselves, Outdoor Studio was finding their colleagues don’t get outside as much because of a production-focused mentality, project deadlines and a pressure to rise to the top in increasingly competitive fields. “It’s important to merge creativity and recreation because they feed into each other,” explains Sarah Carlson. “Creative blocks are challenging, and it’s important to take a breather and step outside of your work zone to recharge,” adds Cherie.

By getting outside solo, or with groups like Outdoor Studio, you’re fueling your creativity, networking with like-minded people and adding a transitionary layer to your personal practice and artistic work flow.

#### 2. Make it part of your process
“If recreation is defined as what we do when we’re not working, then we absolutely need recreation to fuel our work,” says Cherie. For Outdoor Studio’s artist mentor, Sarah Carlson, recharging outdoors is central to prepping for her next big project or exhibition. She frequents artist residencies in highly natural settings such as Algonquin Park and the Yukon.

#### 3. Tap in to your senses
“I find clouds have such personality, they have this pulsing liveliness, and sometimes they really open up for you,” says Jessa. “I usually look far in the distance so I can see everything.” Here, she details more of her thought process when she’s in making-mode:



#### 4. Streamline your pack list
No matter what you’re doing out in the wild, some practical items should be a given: a [sturdy pack](/en/products/gear/packs-and-bags/c/1326?q=%3Asales-rank) with a [rain cover](/en/products/gear/packs-and-bags/rain-covers-and-pack-liners/c/1344), a [hydration bladder](/en/products/gear/hydration-and-water-bottles/bladders%2c-reservoirs-and-accessories/c/1229) (your cap can be helpful with watercolours), a [headlamp](/en/products/gear/lighting-and-headlamps/headlamps/c/1306?q=%3Asales-rank) if you want to keep at it after dusk, and a warm jacket like the MEC [Spicy Hoodie](/en/product/5037-102/Spicy-Hoodie) or [Commix Hoodie](/en/product/5036-944/Commix-Hoodie).

Carry a sketchbook (you can even get [waterproof ones](/en/products/gear/books%2c-maps-and-dvds/journals-and-writing-materials/journals-and-writing-materials/c/934)), a couple of pens and a pencil (in the winter your ink may freeze). If drawing isn’t your jam, then bring any materials that allow you to explore and make in the wild. Outdoor Studio suggests watercolours, pastels, carving tools and a camera.



“I bring a what is basically a [travel pouch](/en/products/gear/packs-and-bags/travel-pouches-and-packing-organizers/c/1354) with a couple brushes, pens, a pencil, a couple sketchbooks and a disposable film camera,” says Jessa. “Plus secret items like sparklers to mix it up and keep things light.” She also recommends making sure your watercolour set is non-toxic (acrylics are not compatible with Mother Nature), using a mechanical pencil so you don’t have to worry about a sharpener, and grabbing a Moleskine notebook for dry days. “The elastic band keeps the notebook closed and the pouch in the back can hold small drawings,” she says.

#### 5. Get ready to learn
“[Being outside] has taught me to be grateful for the environment I live in,” says Jessa. “Sitting there and really being patient and taking the time to actually *look*. So often we interpret things through our smartphones and devices – we’re just snapping an image and moving on, and I think its important slow things down, appreciate what’s around you and just wait. See what the clouds do, see how the colours change, think about how the environment feels and affects you. It’s also great for keeping your hand-eye coordination going.”

#### 6. Leave your insecurities at the door
Don’t worry about making things perfect. Everybody was an amateur at some point in their life, but it’s through the struggle of making that you find change and growth.

“When people say ‘I can’t paint’ or ‘I can’t draw’ or ‘I don’t know how to look at art,’ – it’s really just about letting go,” explains Jessa. “The way you experience and interpret it is totally authentic. It’s not about how you relate to anyone else’s skill or what’s good or bad. If you’re out there and you want to be creative, you should just do it. There’s no reason not to.”

She adds that it’s important to acknowledge that you even *have* the opportunity to be creative. “It’s freeing to just try to play. Doodle and have some fun; keep it light. You don’t start out creating masterpieces, you start small and build.”



Feel like you can’t put a view into words? Make outdoor art instead. Get tips and inspiration from artist Jessa Gilbert, who brings her studio into BC’s backcountry, and Outdoor Studio, a Toronto-based crew of creators.

How to do anything: Make art in the wild | MEC Blog

How to do anything: make art in the wild

My dad, Gerald Krabbe, has been a long-distance bike tourer for many years – he rode Vancouver to Halifax in the 2000s; his group of friends does a week-long mountain tour each summer; and he led a Jasper to Banff bike ride for students at his school for many years. My grandfather was a road rider too. It’s in our blood.

This past summer, he had planned a massive month-long ride from Waterton Lakes National Park where Alberta meets Montana, through BC and into the Yukon, finishing at the Arctic Ocean in Inuvik ([route map](https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/48.9981749,-113.6607486/Inuvik,+NT/@64.5711881,-140.1206752,7.99z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!3m4!1m2!1d-114.9570373!2d50.5528624!3s0x53705cfaf57b940f:0x3d16390c7319d877!3m4!1m2!1d-117.3965548!2d52.4158645!3s0x539d53b2ffc72a03:0x4e57f172b2c1f70!3m4!1m2!1d-139.363867!2d64.040939!3s0x5148e173ea265e6d:0xa83963031b90cdc7!1m5!1m1!1s0x5114923f95f996d1:0x522391a237afb784!2m2!1d-133.7230177!2d68.3607437!3e1)). The trip would total more than 3800km of riding. My mom didn’t want to see him go solo on the last 633km of dirt road between Dawson, YT, and Inuvik, so naturally, I volunteered to join him. I’d ride my motorbike from my home in Squamish to Dawson, where I’d pedal with my father for the last 8 days.

Two weeks prior to meeting him, I wrote down some thoughts:

“[I’ll join my dad at] the part of the trip where he’ll be at his fittest, where he’ll have his patterns of movement dialed and rehearsed into a smoothly oiled drivetrain of efficiency – where he’ll grow more excited every day as the idea and scent of the ocean comes near. Right at the culminating week, a road biking virgin will stumble into his grand tour, ineffectively using mountain bike terminology to try and relate to his experience.”

I was scared of what I should be scared of, but I didn’t take my own self-deprecating humour seriously enough.



My faded red KLR would suffer through relentless days of full throttle road travel. Yes, there are flights to Whitehorse and Dawson, but if this weapon is in your garage, why not make an adventure of it? Half of my ride north was spent retracing the route my dad had pedaled days and days earlier. Along the way I’d describe him to gas station attendants and tourists, and without fail they’d remember and tell me how interesting and amazing his journey sounded. Then they’d look at my bike-on-a-bike and say, “Well, it’s no question where you get your ideas from.”



*Left:* Rain and long haul truckers were my main fear along the first 3000km trek from Squamish to Dawson.

*Right:* There are very few places you’ll find gas, groceries or people in this remarkably varied and stark region. In seeing the Northern Rocky Mountains I immediately regretted my need to pass through them quickly.



The Alaska Highway is teeming with wildlife. From the perch of my jalopy I saw a grizzly and three cubs, nearly 100 indifferent bison hanging out in the ditch, a porcupine that wanted to pop my tires and a moose with a rack bigger than my arm span.



*Left:*Holding your body up on a motorbike can make you feel worse than you may imagine. Luckily, Mother Nature put Liard River Hot Springs on my itinerary as I flirted with the Yukon border.

*Right:*I nearly dropped my camera into the spring after I snapped this and heard some tourists on the far side piping up about a bear lumbering through the woods only 15m from the water’s edge.



News of the worst floods in years reached us shortly after I arrived in Dawson and met my dad. With people and cars stranded and a ferry out of commission, we headed to Diamond Tooth Gerties to watch cancan shows shoulder to shoulder with overly excited tourists.



*The*sourtoe. A questionable right of passage in Dawson: whiskey of your choice, toe in whiskey, whiskey to mouth, toe to lips, shudder, laugh, regret.



*Left:*Twenty-four hours after being told Dempster Highway could be closed for weeks due to flood damage, we pedaled out with low expectations and high hopes.

*Right:*By 8am on the second morning, we had passed the highest point on the Dempster.



*Left:*Camp failure. Due to several poorly-tuned features on my bike-trailer combination, a lack of training prior to the trip and two aggravated knees, I had to give up the ride on day three.

*Right:*Failure didn’t mean entire failure – my goal was to join my dad on his massive journey and help get him to the finish line. Though my bike was heading south in the bed of a truck, I would carry on by thumb, hitchhiking as my father rode his bike.



*Left:*A math teacher’s cycling tour is prone to be a little more digit intensive than other riders. He dubbed his trip “#49to69at59” for riding the 49th parallel to the 69th parallel at 59 years of age.

*Right:*Just after I met my dad in Dawson, he admitted somewhat sheepishly that he was having a ludicrous amount of fun on the journey – so much fun he almost felt guilty and indulgent. This shot is from the last day after he sees me climb out of a stranger’s car and he coasted down to the final river crossing of the entire journey. I have no doubt the same silly smile was plastered on his face for the entire last day, even if no one was there to see it.



Over a couple thousand kilometers, some things will wear out, some things will change, and some things will grow.



### 

*This was MEC Ambassador [Reuben Krabbe](/en/explore/mec-ambassadors)’s first road ride – his comfort zone is trails on his*[*mountain bike*](/en/ideal-for/cycling+mountain-biking/products/gear/bikes/c/854?q=%3Asales-rank)*. MEC lent him the*[*MEC Provincial Road 222 Bike*](/en/product/5042-832/Provincial-Road-222-Bicycle)* for his Dempster Highway journey with his dad.*



MEC Ambassador Reuben Krabbe joins his dad on a bucket-list bike tour in Canada, including the Dempster Highway in the Yukon.

Dempster Highway: biking, bonding and sour toes | MEC Blog

Dempster Highway: biking, bonding and sour toes

Like many people, Brittany Phelan gets pumped by the experience of speed and facing challenges head on. She also never hides her competitive side, which is essential for her career as a ski cross athlete. But when the weekend arrives, her pro-skier side makes room for her love of the outdoors. Her goal is to make great memories in nature with her good friends and partner, and to do so far away from the stress of performing on the ski hill.

To find out more about how skiing and her life outside connect, we caught up with Brittany by phone in Switzerland, where she’s training.



### Where it all started
Born in Mont-Tremblant, Brittany first hit the slopes at the young age of two. When she was 15 years old, sitting on a chair lift at Tremblant, she learned that she’d been accepted on the Quebec Alpine skiing team. That defining moment in the life of this now 25-year-old skier is just one of the countless happy memories she associates with Tremblant.

She’s been recognized internationally for her skiing, including a fifth-place finish in slalom at the World Junior Championships in 2011 and tenth place in slalom at the World Cup in Zagreb, Croatia, in January 2013. She’s a huge fan of Hermann Maier, Melanie Turgeon and Eric Guay, and skiing’s in her blood.

### Shift to ski cross


In 2015, Brittany made the decision to devote herself full-time to ski cross. A relatively new discipline, [ski cross](http://www.alpinecanada.org/ski-cross/ski-cross-101) is the winter equivalent of BMX racing or motocross, where skiers go head to head on the same course at the same time. The most difficult part of her transition was getting used to skiing with other competitors, but her slalom experience negotiating curves gave her a clear advantage over many of her competitors.

To excel in ski cross, you’ve got to love big thrills, feel comfortable in the air (because there’s no shortage of jumps and rollers on the course) and be fast. You’ve also got to be able to adapt to different weather conditions – and to the manoeuvers of your competition – and have a strong competitive spirit.

In the seconds before the start of Brittany’s races, she visualizes the chosen route very carefully, one last time. At this crucial moment, two words echo in her head: *go* and *fast*.

### Life outside
Life outside is “the way to live,” states the young athlete. So it isn’t surprising to learn that Brittany’s a real outdoor junkie. When she’s not on the slopes, she kayaks, hikes, climbs, skateboards, cross-country skis, and above all, she loves mountain biking. If she weren’t a skier, mountain biking is what she would practice professionally.



In Brittany’s summer months, nothing is better than a weekend with the gang speeding down forest trails. During the winter, cross-country skiing in fresh snow makes her happiest. Evenings around a campfire or fireplace with friends and her boyfriend after a beautiful day outside are as worthwhile to Brittany as the glory she gains through competitions.

She’s also keenly aware that present-day technologies may distract young people her age from playing outside. Leading by example, she inspires others, and explains that that when you get a taste for being active outdoors, you become aware of what is really important – it’s like a refocusing of your values naturally happens, in addition to a feeling of general well-being. Depending on the activities you do outside, the outdoors can also be a great source of adrenaline (she gets a real taste of this through ski cross).



Learning new things, getting out of her comfort zone and facing her fears are what ski cross, mountain biking and getting outside have done for Brittany, the young skier from Mont-Tremblant who’s made a name for herself internationally. She’s been an MEC member since 2010 and is a big fan of getting outside, just like you and me.





Pro skier Brittany Phelan races ski cross, and has come a long way from her beginnings at Mont-Tremblant. Find out what she loves to do when she’s not ripping down the ski hill.

Portrait of a pro: Ski cross athlete Brittany Phelan

The Seeking Nirvana ski crew is back for another series of strange adventures. Watch Canadian skiers Mike Henitiuk, Riley Leboe, Matt Margetts and MEC Ambassador Joe Schuster in search of winter, year-round.

#### Seeking Nirvana | Part 4: Towers Above the Sea


There was a time, back in the day, when the ski season had a beginning and an end. When we would pause after a long winter and look to other challenges to occupy our time. This was before the thought and possibility of an endless winter had really entered our mind and heading to the southern hemisphere would be unattainable for most. Follow 4 skiers as they embark on a journey of a lifetime from the highest Chilean mountain regions to the endless coastal waves. From the Towers to the Sea.

@seeking.nirvana

Featuring:
Mike Henitiuk ~ @mikeheni
Joe Schuster ~ @joe_schuster
Matt Margetts ~ @mattmargetts
Riley Leboe ~ @rileyleboe

Locations:
Valle Nevado Ski Resort, Santiago, Chile
Hotel Alaia, Pichilemu, Chile
Ski Arpa Catskiing, Los Andes, Chile
Valparaiso, Chile

Special Thanks:
Valle Nevado - @valle_nevado
Hotel Alaia - @hotelalaia
Ski Arpa - @skiarpa

Co-Director, Editing, Sound Design and Color Grade:
Leigh Powis

Cinematography:
Jamie Tanner
Taylor Laughran

Narration:
Colby James West
Jay Henitiuk

Seeking Nirvana 1.4 - Towers Above the Sea



There was a time, back in the day, when the ski season had a beginning and an end. When we would pause after a long winter and look to other challenges to occupy our time. This was before the thought and possibility of an endless winter had really entered our mind and heading to the southern hemisphere would be unattainable for most. Follow 4 skiers as they embark on a journey of a lifetime from the highest Chilean mountain regions to the endless coastal waves.

Want more backcountry ski radness? Check out [Seeking Nirvana Parts 1 to 3](/en/article/seeking-nirvana-captures-backcountry-ski-radness).

*All videos via****[Seeking Nirvana](https://vimeo.com/user48494445)****on Vimeo.*



Follow 4 skiers as they embark on a journey of a lifetime from the highest Chilean mountain regions to the endless coastal waves. Featuring Canadian skiers Mike Henitiuk, Riley Leboe, Matt Margetts and MEC Ambassador Joe Schuster

Seeking Nirvana Part 4: Towers Above the Sea | MEC Blog

Seeking Nirvana: Towers Above the Sea

At 70°42’25.67″N and 71°29’46.83″W, Baffin Bay is a frozen ocean of crisp white and blue. This land of rock, ice and water was carved and cleaved over two billion years from the Canadian Shield. Our team of three – Marc-Andre Leclerc, Brette Harrington and I – travelled across that same frozen expanse by snow machine toward the eastern fjords of Baffin Island to climb Great Sail Peak.

Several years in the making, our expedition finally unfolded between June 17 and August 5, 2016. The sense of adventure was palpable; with no trip reports or guidebook to direct us, we stepped into the unknown.



The hamlet of Clyde River, Nunavut, is well above the Arctic Circle, so on the summer solstice we were sent off with an endless sunset. Our guide, Levi Palituq – a local outfitter and hunter – and his team navigated us towards the Walker Arm fjord. Though conditions were deteriorating on the ice as summer and the breakup approached, our sleds managed to dodge massive cracks in the splintering ice sheet. For two days we circumvented the open water, sometimes skipping across ice chunks to help bridge the icy waters when the cracks travelled out to sea. As we approached the Sam Ford fjord, the sheer size gave the impression of entering a massive canal with 1400-metre walls. A feeling of insignificance washed over the team as the fjord swallowed us like a great whale.

When we arrived at the southern edge of the Stewart Valley, silence and a low hum settled around us like a blanket. The rising talus, endless ridge lines of granite walls, hanging glaciers and sweeping canyons made the valley seem mythical in scale.



We moved gear toward the windswept beach on the southern edge of Stewart Lake, and spent five days cautiously moving across it, finally arriving at our advanced base camp with a mountain of gear and five weeks of food. We set up our tents in a meadow of moss campion and gazed up at the crown-capped summit of Great Sail Peak. These walls had seen just two ascents until the summer of 2016, and although world-renowned athletes had climbed the face, none had come to free climb.

The logistics of free climbing in the Arctic can be extensive, but after five trips to the eastern fjords, I mapped out a strategy of travelling on the ice in late June and then waiting for the melt, which would give us the best chance of catching summer temperatures. We intentionally trapped ourselves – once the breakup started, there would be no possibility of extraction without a helicopter or icebreaker from Halifax. Our team knew the consequences and recognized the importance of being self-sufficient. We had 30 days to attempt to climb Great Sail Peak.

We hauled bags of gear and food to the wall, established an approach route to the main ledge system 300 metres up, and committed. We free climbed, jugged and hauled our way up the lower wall, free climbing seven pitches of intricate and steep climbing up to 5.12. As we were team-freeing the route, not every member needed to lead each pitch.



We arrived on the ledge that breaks the lower face from the upper two-thirds of climbing. To our surprise, there was a team of climbers already camped there. We knew a pair of Belgians and three Italians were attempting the same wall that summer, but we hadn’t yet met and we couldn’t see them from our camp, so we’d assumed they were farther up the valley. Their team of five had eyed up the same line as us and scooped us in Baffin Island!

So we gathered our thoughts and decided to move down the wall to redirect our energies to a slender turret at the north edge of the wall, away from the main attraction and the belly of the giant.

> Climbing in Baffin Island can feel like travelling to the edge of the earth and falling off – a place where time is hijacked by light and shadow.
>
We mixed free climbing and aid climbing as we moved up, hauling our gear, cleaning the rock and rehearsing difficult moves as we attempted to establish a big wall free climb. In 150 metres, we covered granite, intrusions of diorite, feldspar and mica and even a wall of Precambrian igneous, the ancient core of North America.



The difficult pitches required multiple attempts. A series of discontinuous cracks led to a blank 30-metre traverse. The team free climbed pitches of 5.12 and 5.13 below the traverse, with Marc freeing a bold 12+ crack and a bouldery 5.13 section. We set a portaledge camp below the traverse and morale was high. Then, the storm hit.

A raging south wind blew in off Baffin Bay and mixed with a northern high pressure. With cold air aloft and the rising topography in the fjord, we got slammed. The forecasts had been consistently inconsistent and we were trapped. We hunkered down, tapping into our self-preservation and survival modes. We waited, sure it would pass, but soon any lingering morale morphed into festering. On first few days of the storm, the winds blew any remaining optimism out to sea – then snow and rain arrived and continued for five days. Wall life was desperate; our portaledges acted as sails and my lighter single ledge was buffeted so hard it swiveled 180 degrees numerous times. Snow accumulated below and above, turning the turret into a popsicle. Out of options, we had to make a move: up, or down.



Clad in GORE-TEX and puffy jackets, Brette started us off. She launched across a dramatic traverse above our ledge camp, establishing the team in a faint and shallow corner system. We continued upwards by freeing more difficult corner pitches and leading in blocks, with the leader and second free climbing while the third jugged with a pack. But the free climbing was short lived, as the steepness of the wall gave way to incipient seams and the sky started to transform into drifting layers of fog and rain.

We resorted to mixing aid and free climbing, pushing up tight corners and face seams connected by wet cracks. Brette led an ugly and wet overhanging off-width and handed the sharp end to me. The summit of the turret was guarded by a series of chimneys drenched in snow and a fresh layer of verglas – definitely the team’s psychological crux of the route. We’d been climbing in the rain for hours and were cold, wet and faced with a couple hundred metres of frosted and iced-up chimneys. Morale was low.

This didn’t feel like rock climbing, but more like mixed climbing with rock shoes. I stemmed and pressed up the cracks, and avoided the low-angle ledges covered in ice by climbing the cracks on the side walls. The pitches came together but only because we knew we wouldn’t get a second chance.



The summit of the turret jutted up in three sharp nipples and we extracted ourselves from the chimneys onto a shoulder with easy access to the glacier on the back side. The true summit loomed in the rain clouds above, another couple pitches of wet but moderate climbing. We left it for another day later in the trip. We dropped our gear and peered over the edge, swallowing our stomachs in the process, and reflected on the sheer size and emptiness that loomed below us.

The clouds parted to show the remnants of the storm, snowdrifts overflowing from the glacier, and fresh white on all the peaks. We celebrated with some forgotten food at the bottom of my pack, hugged and watched the sun rise over the black, glistening walls and snowy glaciers to the north.

*Joshua Lavigne’s Baffin Island Great Sail Peak climb was made possible by*[*MEC Expedition Support*](/en/explore/outdoor-impact)*.*

*In early 2018, Marc-Andre Leclerc and his climbing partner were reported missing in the Medenhall Towers of Alaska. Tragically, the climbing community has lost these two respected and experienced alpinists; they will be remembered and greatly missed.*



Ambassador Joshua Lavigne on the Arctic’s greatest big wall.

Baffin Island: Great Sail Peak Expedition | MEC Blog

Baffin Island: Great Sail Peak

Not so long ago, Anna Pearson woke up at 2:45am, walked 8km up to Cascade Lookout in Manning Park, BC, and watched the sun slowly creep up from behind the mountains, turning the sky shades of gold, rose and powder blue. There’s no doubt that morning’s sunrise meant something special to all 50 strangers who witnessed it as a part of MEC Outdoor Nation and [Chasing Sunrise](/en/article/chasing-sunrise-36-hours-in-the-unknown)’s [Chasecamp](/en/article/chasing-sunrise-36-hours-in-the-unknown) weekend, but for Anna, it meant something different.

As she later recapped on her personal blog, [*Daily Insanity*](https://www.dailyinsanitycollective.com/blog-1), “… taking on new adventures, meeting new people and exploring the world … was my way of showing the monsters that lived inside my head that I was in control of my life and that they would never be able to stop me from pursuing my happiness.”

The Ottawa-based McGill University grad has spent the past five years coming to terms with her clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder, following what Anna describes as a breakdown and emergency situation over a summer during university. Now, with a healthy routine in place, she bravely chronicles her thoughts on relapse, remission and therapy on the blog, and touches often on a core part of her daily practice: exercise and outdoor activity. “I’ve been doing ballet since I was 4 years old, but I kind of stopped when I went to school,” she says. “Now, being active is hugely important to my daily routine – hiking absolutely has its advantages. My friends say they’ve never seen me so happy.”



It’s a lesson those involved in Canadian charity [Jack.org](https://www.jack.org/) know well. Alexis Lahorra and Jacob Halloran are young leaders with the organization, and help start conversations to end the silence around mental health issues. “I wish people knew that we all have mental health,” says Alexis. “Although 1 in 5 young people will live with a mental illness in their lifetime, 5 in 5 of us have mental health and we all need to care for it.” It’s a sentiment that Jacob echoes. “Just like our physical health, our mental health can fluctuate from well to unwell,” he says. “I’d love for everyone to know that it’s okay to fluctuate across this spectrum.”

Truly, the two go hand in hand. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the [Canadian Mental Health Association](http://ontario.cmha.ca/mental-health/connection-between-mental-and-physical-health/) describe mental and physical health as “fundamentally linked,” further noting that key aspects of prevention of poor mental health include “increasing physical activity, access to nutritious foods … and fostering social inclusion and social support.” A recent [Stanford University](http://news.stanford.edu/2015/06/30/hiking-mental-health-063015/) study also found quantifiable evidence that “walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression.”

For Alexis, who has faced depression and anxiety as a result of cyberbullying, being outdoors not only decreases her stress levels, but ups her overall happiness. “There is something so soothing and relaxing about being around trees, mountains and fresh air,” says the Montreal resident. “I like to bring a journal with me. I use that time to disconnect, reflect and enjoy the moment.”

Jacob is adamant that people should not have to suffer in silence because of the stigma that surrounds mental health and mental illness, and sees himself as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. “Love is love, and health is health,” he states. As a marathon runner based in Halifax, he sees activity as his go-to for mental health self-care. “I love distance running because it offers me a chance to lose myself in the moment and let go of daily stresses. Spending time outside helps me keep my life in perspective.”



Youth from Jack.org’s national network recently met with their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Victoria, BC, while the couple was on their second Canadian tour; an event that will surely help quell lingering public stigma about mental health.

Continuing the discussion is something that is vitally important to Alexis, Jacob and Anna. “I always knew I wanted to share [my story],” says Anna, who first divulged her personal experience in a McGill student publication before starting her blog. “Total strangers wrote to me, sharing similar stories,” she says. It’s something that happens more frequently now as a result of *Daily Insanity*. “It’s not always about giving advice,” she says of being there for strangers. “I just try and listen and be there as a support. I let them drive the conversation.”

One piece of advice Anna is quick to give, however, is not to introduce activity at a vulnerable time. She admits to initially taking up running as a coping mechanism for her depression and anxiety, eventually developing an eating disorder and an injury. She suggests recreational group activities as a first step because they come with built-in community and support. “When you recover from a downward spiral,” says Anna, “you realize all the little things you take for granted, and the outdoors has a way of really highlighting that.”



Having recently reconnected with a friend from high school who had reached out and said she’d faced similar struggles, the two are back from a hiking and camping trip through Lake Louise, Banff and Field. At home, she donates her time as a karma yogi at her local studio and gets outside often at Gatineau Park, which she calls a hidden gem. The active moments afford her the clarity she needs to see her mental health clearly. “It makes me think about what matters,” she says. “What I really want.”

*MEC was proud to provide youth mental health organization*[*Jack.org*](http://jack.org)* – and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – with*[*MEC Alpine Ally*](/en/product/5042-392/Alpine-Ally-Jacket)* and*[*Hydrofoil*](/en/product/5053-812/Hydrofoil-Stretch-Jacket)* jackets for an official Royal Tour event in Victoria Harbour, BC.*

*Top photo credit: [Ivan Calderon](http://www.ivancalderonphotography.com/).*



Forget the 6-pack – being active has serious benefits for your mental health. Anna Pearson and Jack.org's Alexis Lahorra and Jacob Halloran share their personal stories.

Why being active outdoors matters more than ever | MEC Blog

Why being active outdoors matters more than ever

When you surround yourself with outdoorsy types, your notions of what’s normal become skewed. In the MEC community, it seems like there’s always someone sending a crazy peak, crushing a half marathon or organizing a lunchtime party in the park – you’re pretty much guaranteed to meet people who are into the same good times outside as you are. So, while I might have found the idea of a one-night midweek camp-out crazy just a year ago, now I get giddy at the thought. 



Our crew of five left from the office to summit [Mount Seymour](http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mt_seymour/) on a foggy Wednesday evening in early August. We grabbed our [overnight packs](/en/products/packs-and-bags/backpacking-packs/overnight-packs-35-55l/c/1340) followed the twisting trail up from the main parking lot, and Missy frequently pulled out a GoPro to film the first of many memorable moments as we navigated into the backcountry, the sun peeking through hazy clouds at the top.   



Tents pitched and sleeping bags unrolled, we found a small circling of rocks and set down for a potluck dinner. Local brews, cider and wine washed down our tapas-style hummus and fixings, plus kale and quinoa salads and a bar of [chocolate](/en/products/camping-and-hiking/kitchen-and-hydration/food-and-drink/snacks-and-energy-bars/chocolate-bars/c/1669) to share. Elyse, Senja and Rebecca brought out [glowy lanterns](/en/products/camping-and-hiking/headlamps-and-lighting/lanterns-and-candles/electric-and-led-lanterns/c/1517) that lit up our little spot, and we were up till nearly midnight laughing. 

The morning sun softly lit up the sky from under low clouds as we packed up and headed to Mystery Lake. After a refreshing morning dip, we dug into rosemary rocksalt bagels and toyed with the idea of breaking out the [Aeropress](/en/product/5046-862/Coffee%26-Espresso-Maker), but there was no need – we were all wide awake from the swim. 



For 15 sweet hours we’d seemingly had the mountain to ourselves, laughing over dinner, listening to the wind sweep through the trees and snacking on sun-warmed blueberries. I’ve lived in Vancouver for nearly a decade and always saw the outdoorsy stuff as a weekend endeavor – but even if it takes an hour or two to get somewhere, random nights with friends out in nature under the stars are worth the distance, no matter where you are or what day of the week it is. #### What was worth the weight 
**1. A camera
**Missy was our resident videographer, filming a bunch of mini-clips that resulted in a sweet souvenir video of our overnight. While her particularly teeny camera didn’t weigh much, it definitely made me look into a new mirrorless camera for the next one.



Wednesday Warriors: 15 hours in the Wild



**2. Cheers-worthy drinks
**My pack definitely would’ve been far lighter without the few cans I’d stuffed in at the parking lot, but raising some adventure mugs over dinner made it worth it.

**3. Good food**
Or at the very least, some hot sauce or [spices](/en/product/4014-607/Multi-Spice-Pack) to give your dehydrated stuff some zip. Tip: make sure it all fits in your [bear bin](/en/products/camping-and-hiking/health-and-safety/bear-safety/bear-canisters/c/98) before you leave including toothpaste, gum and anything else with a scent.

**4. Mood lighting** 
From dinnertime to our tent hang later, the [lanterns](/en/products/camping-and-hiking/headlamps-and-lighting/lanterns-and-candles/c/1307) beat our headlamps for keeping everything dreamily lit. Next time I’d grab one that turns your water bottle into a lantern. 

**5. A cushy sleeping pad and pillow** 
For me this is an absolute must-have. Before I got my light [camp pillow](/en/product/5046-842/VectAir-Pillow), I’d bring a heavy airplane memory foam one, and that was still worth it to not have a sore neck. An [insulated sleeping pad](/en/product/6008-339/vectair-insulated-sleeping-pad) means extra warmth when the sun goes down.

**6. Breakfast and coffee** 
Okay, we didn’t have coffee (the lake woke us up), but if you’re a [coffee addict](/en/article/a-coffee-addicts-guide-to-camp-coffee), it’s pretty essential. Plus the post-swim bagels totally hit the spot. If you’re into big camp breakfasts, don’t forget your [cookware](/en/products/camping-and-hiking/kitchen-and-hydration/outdoor-cookware/c/1274).

**7. Swimsuits and camp towels
**That morning dip was definitely one of the highlights of our little adventure. If you’re near a lake on a summer hike, you’ll want your [suit](/en/ideal-for/watersports/products/clothing/swimwear/c/1036) and [towel](/en/products/camping-and-hiking/health-and-safety/bath-and-sanitation-products/towels/c/811) handy. 

#### What wasn’t worth it (this time) 
We packed a few extras with every intention of having the most awesome camp-out ever, but when you’re only doing a quick overnight, sometimes there just aren’t enough hours to see all your plans through. We didn’t end up setting up our hammock, I didn’t read the book I brought along, and we didn’t break out the playing cards.

Lesson learned: don’t underestimate the power of good conversation and good company outside. 



There's always room for bagels. Find out what made the cut – and what we could’ve left behind – on our midweek camp-out adventure.

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