GUIDING WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE

BY CECELIA MORTENSON

Flowing through the high mountains of the wild has long captivated me. One of my favourite ways to do this is heliskiing rugged peaks, vast glaciers and the forests of the Selkirk and Monashee mountains around my hometown, Revelstoke BC.

My best days always include a great group of skiers and riders also out living their best lives. I think this is one piece of the conversation I don’t often hear about: the relational piece of a perfect day powder skiing.

The old adage: “no friends on a powder day” lends flat in my world. Up there, deep in the mountains, there’s plenty of powder to share. And it’s the ecstatic smiles, hoots of joy, moments of awe and knowledge that your team is sharing this experience that truly make a great day.

There is no denying the real hazard while skiing avalanche terrain. I try to train my groups to work together in our pre-trip backcountry safety training. To support each other out on the powder fields - whether it’s recovering from a fall, searching for a lost ski or skiing through trees. And in that extremely rare event of an avalanche, it’s your team that will rescue you. Not only does this approach allow us to move more safely through the mountains, but it’s simply more fun when it’s a shared experience.

Women get this and seek it out. However, I think many men and other gender fluid folk are also yearning for the same experience: an unforgettable day or week in the high mountains, riding aesthetic terrain in fabulous snow with a team that has their back. A team that can share those bright smiles and experiences and where former strangers become lifelong friends and ski buddies.

People also want to learn, build their confidence and find that flow of movement in their bodies. A typical day in the mountains allows for this. This is one of my largest motivators as a Mountain Guide: to help people move through the mountains in a way that is fulfilling and safe. selkirk-tangiers.com

To this end I’m involved with a wide range of programs over the years.

InspiringGirls.org provides tuition free transformational adventure, art and science based programs for 16-17 year old girls*.

· OpenMountains.com is dedicated to creating more inclusive mountain culture and spaces for mountain adventures. AscendAethletics.com that believes in empowering women through athletics. I had the chance to support a team of Afghan young women climbing in the Panshir Valley.

· ThwaitesGlacier.org which is an international collaboration to study the most unstable glaciers in Western Antarctica. SIOOS (https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/SIIOS/#:~:text=What%20 is%20The%20SIIOS%20Project,of%20different%20planets%20 and%20moons)which uses a Sub-glacial lake in NW Greenland as an analogue to studying Europam, the icy moon of Jupiter.

As one of the worlds few female Internationally certified Mountain Gudies, and the 9th in Canada, I try to use my skills, experience and position of power to help influence the outdoor industry and society at large in my own small way. I believe that bringing people into the mountains and supporting their learning process is one of the most powerful ways to do this.

Whether it’s working with scientists studying polar ice on our planet (or in outer space), leading empowerment courses or working with guests dreaming to explore wild spaces within the majestic mountains of my backyard, I always try to create an inclusive place where we can thrive, learn and experience these powerful places.