Hammer Canada couple tests their limits as wildland adventurers
By Spring and Leigh McClurg
"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." - Fred DeVito
Our journey as wildland adventurers began the day we decided to hike The Chief, a steep trail near the British Columbia coast that locals refer to as "the stairmaster." We had arrived in our new home of Squamish, British Columbia, just days earlier. Because we had lived a sedentary life for the previous six years and hadn't tackled anything like it before, it would be a true test of endurance.
It was one of the most difficult hikes we had ever done. But once we reached the top, we were so elated that we wanted to know just how much farther we could push ourselves.
The desire to be in the mountains and to enjoy the journey, unlimited by our physical abilities, keeps us pushing. The ability to look at the horizon, see a distant peak, and know that we can reach its top, motivates us to continue moving each and every day.
The mountains are our training ground. They allow us to test our physical limits while surrounded by nature's amazing beauty. Each time we awaken on a summit and peer through our tent door to see the sun rising above the nearby peaks, we know that this is what we have trained for.
Fueling for the journey
Over the last few years, we've learned that we must couple hard work and motivation with proper nutrition to get the most from our efforts. We ensure that we fuel with real food made with real ingredients. Hammer Gel and Hammer Bars have long been our go-to source for long runs and hikes. When recovering from a long day in the mountains or climbing at the local crags, we have Hammer Recoverite smoothies. Not only have we noticed a huge difference in our endurance using these products, but our recovery time has been cut in half ... so we can get back outdoors faster to do what we love!
Each and every moment we spend outside is time well spent. Every step we take in a wild alpine meadow, every bolt we clip on a local rock climb, and every puddle we run through on our local trails makes us feel alive. HN
7 Great Pebbleshoo Adventures
1. ASCENDING JOFFRE PEAK (April, 2012)
A milestone summit: We ascended via an aesthetic and steep gully known as the "Aussie Couloir." Many British Columbian mountaineers share stories of cutting their teeth on the rock and ice of Joffre Peak.2. EXPLORING ATHELNEY PASS (August, 2013)
Our favorite adventure of 2013. We visited three peaks under perfect conditions, and then hiked out on our third day. We will definitely be back to explore more.3. SUMMITING NIOBE, TANTALUS RANGE (August, 2013)
We ascended snow slopes and easy ramps. The scrambling was enjoyable and in no time at all we were standing on the summit of Niobe, looking down on Lake Lovely Water. It was good to be reminded that the mountains can feel easy and safe in equal amounts to feeling difficult and scary.4. STAR CHECK MULTI-PITCH ROCK CLIMB (June, 2014)
Our first multi-pitch climb together; we moved well and stayed efficient building our climbing systems. We both felt comfortable and confident, and had no fear of falling.5. CLIMBING COPILOT (August, 2014)
The route to the top follows a steep and loose gully. It's steep enough that some parties choose to rappel the route rather than down-climbing it. We chose to rappel down for the practice.6. TRAIL RUNNING ON MT. PRICE (September, 2014)
The trail to the summit of Mt. Price in Garibaldi Provincial Park is amazing, lined mostly with wild blueberry bushes that we gorged on as we ran. Astounding views from the top.7. ICE CLIMBING ON MT. BAKER (November, 2014)
With temperatures too warm to ice climb near Squamish, we headed south to Mt. Baker to revisit the broken ice and crevasses near its base. It felt good to be swinging ice tools again. Being surrounded by a world of ice is always surreal.
