About

Well it appears that you managed to get lost on the internet and somehow arrive at my adventure blog! Please feel free to browse through this site and enjoy the adventures and accompanying photos I have so many fond memories of. I guess if you’ve made it this far your wondering why I even have my own site. As an adventurer yourself, I’m sure you have reached that point where all the stories about your greatest memories begin to blur into one amazing, but slightly fuzzy memory. Well this is my way of documenting my adventures in detail while keeping them organized and easy to recall. I figured if I’m doing this anyway, why not open it up for you to browse…or perhaps even become inspired and push your own sense of adventure!

The best description I have ever heard about myself was made very astutely by a 14 year-old girl I had on a backpacking trip in McCarthy, AK. We were at the back of the group trying not to think about how heavy our packs were while chatting about school, favourite foods, and of course…silly boys! When she learned that I had just had my celebrated my 30^th birthday and had yet to find the love of my life she took it upon herself to help me with this endeavor. What better way to find true love than to create a ‘The Bachelor’ profile for me? Over the 7-day trip, she worked with my full support to create the following:

“Hi, my name is Ryan. I’m 30 years old and am looking for someone to go bushwhacking with. They need to stick to me like my crampons stick to the wall and if they don’t follow LNT, I don’t follow them.”

Short and sweet! Thanks Charlotte J

Growing up moving around the East coast of Canada and the US, I was exposed to the outdoors as an average kid would – playing hockey, soccer, assorted other sports and ski and camping trips once a year. It wasn’t until after I graduated from University in NB, Canada, and drove out to the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia that I knew what I had been missing. The drive from Calgary into the stunning Canadian Rockies remains my favourite drive in the whole world! It’s as if once I pass through the threshold of the city and traffic and smog and into this new world, something whispers in my ear “now leaving civilization, it’s time to play”. Then my heart smiles that smile that engulfs your whole body in goosebumps and I feel like I’m home! It has been an incredible journey ever since that drive across Canada in 2012 figuring out just what this world is all about, and where is my place in it?

To my absolute shock, there were already people who knew about the mountains! Hiking, skiing, rock climbing, backcountry huts, cross country skiing, biking, slacklining, parasailing, the world just blew wide open! So I did what any Canadian searching for a life in the mountains does – I moved to Banff! It was the only place I had ever heard of and for good reason. A stunning town with all the mountain activities you could imagine right outside the door. Well it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the mountains, winter, and the lifestyle that came along with this new world. I quickly began travelling around the world just wondering what else was out there, and how much snow they get?!?! I spent seasons in New Zealand, Japan, and in South America (mainly Chile) in a constant state of awe. Finally after four years and seven winters I found what I had been looking for. The backcountry! Working as a snowboard instructor had been an amazing experience but within 30 minutes of my friends convincing me to get out on a splitboard, I knew that this is what I was meant to do for the rest of my life! The question now was…how? Where do I even start??

This question continues to run through my head every day – even after many years, many, many friends and mentors, and many, many, MANY hours spent exploring the backcountry – which is what brings me here. Coming from a non-existent understanding of the industry I was about to dive head first into, I had a lot to learn. As I continue to work towards the ultimate goal of creating a life in the mountains by becoming an ACMG certified guide, the thought of joining the elite who have dedicated their lives to the mountains keeps a hot fire burning. It just so happens that along the way, it is absolutely mandatory to get out and play! So this is my more or less, my resume. Enjoy!