31st of May, 2019
Jim Haberl hut. Tantalus Range, Squamish BC.
Whenever I think of Squamish, this feeling of mountains closing down on me arises. I got used to it now, after spending so much time here, but it can be overwhelming. Living in Squamish sometimes feels like living in a big bowl, surrounded by giants. It cuts off our sunrise and sunset time because everywhere you look, majestical mountains stand, covered in trees, rock or snow.
And if you are in Squamish because of those, you know how good it feels when you take yourself up and down on these giants. Mountains are where we find peace and tranquility. We are never alone, but still, we get to enjoy a break from the “real world”. The reason why we love our coastal mountains so much is because of the fear factor that accompanies us on every trip and every assent that we take. Fear introduces the adrenaline to the body and pushing our limits, pushing ourselves creates a fraction. It feels good.
I love to live my life in balance. Lately, having 10 drops of CBD oil per day, I’ve been feeling more in line with myself, healthier, my skin and hair are getting better. I truly recommend CBD oil, especially for the adventure lovers who enjoy spending time in nature!
The Tantalus Range wasn’t as meant to be in these last few years. I’ve had a couple failed attempts, due to the bad weather conditions that like to come with living on the coast. There are two ways to get up there, either by walking for 14 hours after crossing the Squamish river or by a 7-minute
Today I woke up to a beautiful sunny day and cloudless sky. Drove to Squamish airport and packed up the helicopter. 7 minutes later it feels like we are in a completely different atmosphere. Completely different views. The air is crisp and fresh. There are mountains on the other side that don’t seem to end. Beautiful north face of Sedgwick that I would love to ski one day, Alpha in the clouds and mt. Dione, the first target for tomorrow morning far, far away. Jim Haberl hut is cozy, spacious and built with lots of windows to soak in the views and observe the conditions on this mountain.
The classic Squamish feeling of mountains closing on me was gone. Stillness, warmth, and silence. When the wind calms down, there is nothing for us to hear. Only silence. This other feeling overwhelmed my body, feeling of being above everything, away from everyone. All of a sudden, I don’t feel so little.
June 1st 2019
A moment of confusion flows over my body as I wake up.
Where am I and what is this place? I have to cover my eyes, pure golden light is pouring through the window, making it impossible to look outside.
I fell asleep late last night. I’ve been tossing and turning, overthinking about life mostly. The 4 hour afternoon nap didn’t help me be any more tired at night I guess.
I spent yesterday’s »free time« snowboarding the neighbor slopes, and runs around the hut. There is some great terrain that still holds under the late spring snow.
Days are longer here than in Squamish. You go to sleep with light and wake up with light. It reminds me of my days in Yukon.
Today I woke up at 6 but the sun was so high up, I thought it was 9 or even 10 in the morning. The air was fresh. Crispy. And the snow was frozen, which made it easier to walk around on. As I write, I often find myself looking up and turning my head from one big window to another. I get easily distracted by beautiful views. There are a lot of mountains around me. I wonder what they’re called. I see Sedgwick, a popular heli-skiing destination. Alpha and Dione. Mountains after mountains after mountains. Some summits haven’t had any assents yet. Which makes them even more appealing and I want to climb up even harder. Do others ever get enough? My parents don’t, and they’ve seen some big stuff.
Read more: Climbing in Piedra Parada
Read more: Trekking In Bariloche
Looking towards N/W, these mountains can go on forever. Jim Haberl hut lays in the heart of Tantalus Range. With Serratus mountain behind us, we are looking up to Mt. Tantalus and Mt. Dione, when gazing up North. I want to come back later this summer and climb new routes, take a dip in Zenith lake…
When the wind stops, the silence is almost deafening. I pack my backpack light and look up Mt. Tantalus. Is it just me, or do peaks look for far away and intimidating, before you reach the top. But once you are up there, none of that really matters because you’re on the top and the hard part is behind you.
I walked for several hours with my snowboard strapped on my back. 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2. I didn’t want to stop.
Clouds started to roll in as I slowly approached Mt. Dione in the mid afternoon light, gently hugging the peaks of Tantalus giants. Whenever you look towards Tantalus, it seems like there is always something cooking up there, way up high in the clouds. I really didn’t want to get caught up in a storm, or a thick fog for that matter. I fastened my pace. 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2. The snow was getting softer by the minute and every step I took, felt unstable.
I reached the wall of this mystical and to me unknown mountain and looked around. The glacier I was on was several meters thick on the edge, but you can clearly see some potential crevasse opportunities. It was steep, where I stopped so I didn’t want to waste time. I radioed the rest of the group but heard nothing back. I strapped one foot into my snowboard, securing it first so I wouldn’t slide down the hill as I was getting ready. And then put on the rest of the gear, slowly and steadily. With great caution.
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The way down was amazing. The snow was soft and easily ridable. I was screaming with happiness and flying through the cold afternoon air. The views were amazing and I got to the hut way quicker than I’d hope.
I spent the rest of the day drinking tea by the wooden stove, soaking up the words of Jim Haberl and his adventures around Africa, Himalayas, K2, and Alaskan expeditions. There is so much more, for me to learn, I realized. But this is only the beginning.
More about Alenka
My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love shooting nature, sports, sports in nature… underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! I’m stoked. Very simply put, I am a stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for a sunrise, ready to go to the airport and take a random flight… I’m stoked on living and I love what I do for work.
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainabilty and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.
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