kurt werby

Bodhnath

2012-01-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Bodhnath or Boudha, as the Nepali people call it, is one of the few places in the world where Tibetan Buddhist culture is accessible and unfettered. The lanes around the giant stupa are crammed with monasteries and workshops creating essential paraphernalia for Buddhist life. The enormous stupa pulses with life as thousands of pilgrims gather daily to make ritual circumnavigations, clockwise, around the dome, beneath the watchful eyes of Buddha, which gaze out from the gilded central tower.

Where it All Began

2012-01-12T20:43:00.001-08:00

In the spring of 1998 I had the opportunity to join a climbing expedition that was heading to Nepal to attempt to climb Mt. Pumori in the Himalayas. I had never left North America before and at 28 it was time to get out of my comfort zone. A number of years earlier I had met a friend of my boss who had trekked to Everest Base Camp to say goodbye to a friend of his who was killed during the first Canadian expedition to Mt Everest. After seeing the slide show and hearing his stories I was hooked and Nepal was somewhere that had me intrigued.

I met Tim Rippel in the summer of 1997 in Nelson, BC while working there. He was starting up a new trekking/climbing company and asked if I was interested in joining one of the expeditions he was looking to get climbing permits for in Nepal. It took me about 2 seconds to answer! Of course! A year later and a few dollars poorer I was on a Singapore Airlines flight over the Pacific with no idea what I was in for.

The minute I walked out of the Kathmandu airport I was hooked. I fell in love with the city and then the country after spending about 5 weeks there. I enjoyed the country so much I came back 2 years later to begin a grand tour of Asia, but that's a whole other story.

So 14 years after first coming to Nepal I once again find myself back in Kathmandu, and walking the streets of the city brings back countless memories from my previous times here. I still love it here even though it's changed considerably. There's some very swanky boutique hotels, a lot more restaurants, very little begging and the streets are surprisingly clean. The population of Kathmandu has exploded so the streets are a lot busier and there's a lot more cars and motorbikes. Thankfully the pollution spewing auto-rickshaws seemed to have vanished from the streets.

I've been on the road now for nearly 2 months and have visited 4 countries. I'll be heading home in a couple of days to wintery Canada. It's been quite the adventure this time around, both exciting and extremely difficult.

Impressions from Bhutan

2012-01-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

Arriving at the airport in Paro, I was sad to end my time in Bhutan. I feel I barely skimmed the surface of this intriguing country. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time there and was blown away with the experiences I had. My guide and driver were fantastic and the three of us got along great. We managed to play snooker and table tennis together, which the Bhutanese are fiercely addicted to and had some great laughs, as well. The scenery, architecture and sights were mind blowing and the people I met were very warm and generous.

I guess, for me, the difficulty with traveling to a country like Bhutan is it's mandatory for foreigners to be on an organized tour. Everything has to be planned and mapped out months in advance. All your fees, plane tickets and payments must me paid in full and only then the government will issue a visa which you receive on arrival. I don't typically do well on "tours" and really like to be in control of where I want to wander off to and how long I want to spend somewhere. This isn't really possible in Bhutan as the schedule needs to be followed, although there is a little latitude here and there. The fees a foreigner must pay to be in the country are incredibly expensive and are rising as of February, 2012. As of then it will cost $250 US/day per person to enter the country, not including your plane tickets. This gets you your accommodation, 3 meals a day, entrance to all sights, guide and driver. Not your typical backpacker holiday destination where in a lot of countries you can live for $30-40 US/day quite easily. This is also where the fees start. There's gorgeous 5 star resorts where one can drop up to $1400 a night and that doesn't include the $250/day/person.

A lot of the time I felt like I was being controlled as to where I could and couldn't go. Was this to keep me from seeing something I wasn't supposed to see or to keep the locals away from seeing me and my western influence? I really hope it was the latter. The expensive fees one has to pay are also a deterrent to keeping too many people from coming to visit.

From all the reading and research I did, the government is really trying to keep western influences at bay and fighting to retain the true Bhutanese cultures. I saw mobile phones, internet, televisions and the like everywhere and the majority of people are dressed in blue jeans and sneakers. However, you did see people still dressed in their traditional attire, the 'Kira' for women and the 'Gao' for men. The traditional dress is mandatory to enter anywhere that a Bhutanese flag is flying out front of. Buddhism is the lifeblood here and you see it everywhere. It's one part of the culture I can safely say will never be lost.

This is a country where 'Gross National Happiness' is more important than 'Gross Domestic Product' and it's one of the things Bhutan is famous for in the western world. Other than that most couldn't find this tiny country on a map. Democracy only came to Bhutan in 2008 when the monarchy declared they would set up an elected government. The people were outraged as their beloved King is who they admire and want to rule their kingdom. I questioned my guide quite a lot on the mindset of the people here. He assured me that they unfailingly love their King, their new government and the general state of the country. Although many are extremely leery of their neighbour to the south, India. It's a country where a social welfare system has been in place for 170 years, established by the first King and those who are less fortunate can ask the monarchy for financial assistance. The environment is more important than profit and a system is in place to ensure a minimum of 70% of forests remains at all times. There's free health care, medicine and education available to every citizen of the country, even those in the most remote villages although some still live without electricity and running water.

I found this country to be mysterious, intriguing and contradictory in so many ways. I want to be more than a tourist who's being ushered from sight to sight. To be able to dig deeper and not just skim the surface of this tiny kingdom will be a challenge but it's a challenge I'd like to return to. There's not many countries that I want to return to but this is one of them. I told my guide and driver that the highest compliment I could give them was that I wanted to return to their country and see more.

Shangri-La

2012-01-07T02:26:00.001-08:00

I've been in Bhutan for a number of days now and have been whisked around the western part of the country with my trusty guide and driver. I have seen some amazing scenery, architecture and met some wonderful people. Here's a few photos from my time here so far.....

Land of the Thunder Dragon

2012-01-03T06:21:00.001-08:00

Steeped in myth and mystery, the little known Kingdom of Bhutan hides among the majestic peaks of the mighty Himalaya mountain range. Buddhism reigns supreme here and its history is steeped in folklore and mythology. It is said that a saint who had the ability to appear in eight different forms, one of them being Guru Rinpoche, visited Bhutan on a flying tiger and left the imprint of his body and his hat on rocks. School texts describe demons that threatened villages and destroyed temples until captured through magic and converted to Buddhism. Tales abound of ghosts who destroyed temples and angels who rebuilt them.

And this is my next stop on my travels through Asia...

This morning at the airport in Dhaka I was nervous to see so much fog and to see the weather forecast for Paro being snow. To my delight the Druk Air plane emerged out of the fog on the runway and pulled up to the loading ramp on time. Next thing I knew we were in the air and heading north. I was shocked to see the skies clear and the Himalayas open up on the horizon.

Now, the next thing I knew the Airbus 319 was playing slalom with the Himalayas! It was like something right out of a movie, seeing this giant plane manoeuvre through very narrow valleys on its side while the tops of the mountains loomed above us. As you approach the runway the plane actually has to go sideways to avoid a ridge which sticks out on the final approach. Pilots for Druk Air (the national carrier) are specially trained to fly through these mountains and actually have special licenses to fly these airliners in Bhutan.

More to come from this "last Shangri-La"!

Dhaka, Bangladesh

2012-01-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

Even though my visit to Dhaka was brief, it will leave an impression with me for a very long time. When I first decided to come here I thought it was a great idea for an "off the beaten path" place to visit. After talking with folks throughout India who have either visited or are currently living here, and hearing their thoughts and impressions, I was becoming very nervous and intimidated. This country has a real reputation of being the classic "basket case of a disaster" as Henry Kissinger once described. Tropical storms, floods, starvation, massive slums and intense poverty are all synonymous with Bangladesh.

It's a city full of stark contrasts. On one side there are slums and poverty but on the other you have a country that is trying to lead the world when it comes to climate change. Most of the vehicles in the city run on either natural gas or a small percentage are electric, as petrol and diesel fuel have almost been completely eliminated in the city. Plastic bags have been banned throughout the country and Dhaka was a lot cleaner than I expected. Bangladesh will be one of the countries most greatly affected by climate change and it's trying to do its part to change and lead by example.

I'm finding it truly difficult to describe my brief scratch at the surface of this city. My hotel was located in the Gulshan area which is where the embassies and expats are located. So it was a soft landing and a good way to get my feet wet. I walked over to a fantastic coffee shop/cafe which was recommended and started my day with a fantastic latte and one of the best fudge brownies I think I have ever had. After charging up with caffeine and sugar I dove into Old Dhaka, the southernmost part of the city along the banks of the oily Buriganga River, which is the lifeblood of both the city and nation. Standing at the Sadarghat boat terminal, life pulses both on and off the water and I think people were as fascinated with me as I was with them. There were lots and lots of curious stares in my direction which gave me the feeling that not too many foreigners venture here. After experiencing life on the river I moved into the streets of Old Dhaka and to see this sea of humanity moving through the narrow streets is something to behold. I have never experienced so many people, rickshaws, horse carriages, bicycles, and the odd taxi crammed into such narrow streets competing for space. To add a bit of extra ambiance to the afternoon the skies let loose and I had my first rain on the trip.

Tomorrow I am off to Bhutan and the Land of the Thunder Dragon where I hope to explore this hidden Himalayan Kingdom.

A few photos from today...

Kolkata, The End of 2011

2011-12-31T02:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, 2012 from krazy Kolkata!

Today is my last day in India as I am off tomorrow to start the new year in Dhaka, Bangladesh for a couple of days.

I hope 2012 brings lots of happiness to everyone!

Kolkata Once More

2011-12-30T02:47:00.000-08:00

Today I was back out in the streets of Kolkata wandering looking for subjects to photograph. I wasn't feeling very inspired and didn't really shoot many photos. In the end I spent more time with my camera away in my pack than I did with it out. However, I stumbled upon a little slice of heaven in this crazy city. A recommendation in my Lonely Planet had me wandering over to a small bakery which, thankfully is really near my hotel. I peered in the window and the place was crammed with people. Good sign. I decided to wander off and let the crowds disperse and would come back later. It was lunchtime after all and all of Kolkata seems to fill the street stalls, cafes etc during their lunch break. A couple hours later I walked in the door and was greeted by a wonderful array of fresh baked yummies! This is a sample of what I treated myself to and I am very happy to say that it is really, really good!! I might have to head back tomorrow as it's my last full day in India before moving on to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Kolkata

2011-12-29T02:57:00.000-08:00

Kolkata, or Calcutta conjures up images of human suffering and in your face poverty to most Westerners. One of India's largest cities is a daily festival of human existence, simultaneously noble and squalid, cultured and desperate. And it's a city I can't wait to leave!

My time in India is winding down and it's been quite the ride. I'm completely exhausted and running on frayed nerves. I guess it's a fitting way to exit the country then. To be chased out by the most frenetic city I think I have ever experienced.

Here's a few of todays photos. More tomorrow? We'll see.......

Forts and Palaces

2011-12-27T02:25:00.001-08:00

The formidable Amber Fort, just outside of Jaipur which dates back to 1592. Quite an impressive sight I have to say.

Christmas in Rajasthan

2011-12-26T02:23:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays from Jaipur or as it's also known, The Pink City. I'm having a difficult time seeing the 'pink', it's more like a red or terracotta in most places. It's actually rather difficult to see much here as the pollution is rather thick most of the day. After Jodhpur and Udaipur, Jaipur feels really big and I guess it would with its 3.2 million people, who are all driving and honking their horns at the same time. I'd have to say that it's been my least favourite of my three Rajasthan stops. It's very busy and hectic and the hassle factor here is really high. Not only is every shop clerk jumping out at you to sell you something, the bicycle rickshaw drivers aim right for you when they come at you, just to see if you are paying attention or not. It's not a pleasant experience having one of them come straight for you in the middle of a really busy street.

It's been an interesting Christmas here. I've seen a few Santa hats bobbing along and my hotel has a rather sorry looking christmas tree outside the front door. Kind of strange as most of the guests at this hotel are Indian and I'm assuming most are Hindi and wouldn't celebrate the holidays. Once again the majority of foreigners have disappeared and there's not a lot around. I think most have headed south for Goa or Kerala to party on the beach with the package holidayers from Europe. There's been lots of talk with how few foreigners are visiting India this season. Apparently there's not many here this year and there's been a few theories why. Either people still have the Mumbai bombings fresh in their memories, their worried about instability with India's neighbours or they just don't have the money to spend and are just staying closer to home.

Well, one more day in Rajasthan and then I am off to visit Mother Theresa's neighbourhood and Calcutta and will bring in the new year there. Happy Holidays!

Udaipur

2011-12-23T01:53:00.000-08:00

I'm at the end of leg two in my travels in Rajasthan, here in Udaipur. It was a shock being deposited from my taxi in the centre of the backpacker ghetto. Through most of my time here in India I haven't been seeing a lot of foreigners. Up until now, that is. There's more foreigners, Bob Marley, pashmina shops, cafes and roof top restaurants than you can shake a stick at. So it's been nice to have people to talk with over dinner and share trials and tribulations of traveling in this country. Tomorrow I am off to Jaipur, known as the pink city, which will be my last stop in Rajasthan and my time in India is winding down. I'll be spending Christmas there so hopefully there will be some friendly travellers around to have a nice dinner with. We'll see, this is India after all and who knows what will happen!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Enjoy the photos and remember to click on the images to enlarge.....

More Jodhpur

2011-12-18T03:51:00.000-08:00

Here's a few more select photos from Jodhpur. I've been here for a few days now and the rough edges of the city are wearing away. It's a chaotic place with a labyrinth of narrow lanes and alleyways where everything tries to move along them at the same time. It's fairly easy to find your way around the city as you always have the giant fort looming overhead to keep your bearings. One more day in the blue city and then I'm off to the European enclave of Udaipur so this will be my last instalment from Jodhpur. Cheers...

The Blue City

2011-12-16T06:54:00.001-08:00

Jodhpur, otherwise known as the blue city....

More Varanasi

2011-12-13T05:33:00.001-08:00

Another selection of images from Varanasi. Tomorrow is my last day here and the place is starting to grow on me. There's a reverence here that you don't feel in other parts of India, especially along the ghats and the sacred Ganges. I'll admit that I was very intimidated by coming here but after a few days that intimidation has worn away. I can see why people say this is their favourite place in India. Up on the roads the touts are relentless but once you are along the river it's very festive and alive. There's a real energy about.

While I was editing images tonight I was going back and forth with whether or not to edit some of the photos into black and white. In the end I'm leaving them in colour as it's truly the only way to do Varanasi any kind of justice. Enjoy and click the images to enlarge...

Holy Cow

The Sacred Ganges

Offerings

The Ghats

Varanasi

2011-12-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

The name, Varanasi, conjures up all kinds of emotions, ideas and thoughts. It's a place of shocking reality, unrelenting chaos, and about as unapologetic as a place can be. As the Lonely Planet guide book describes, "it takes no prisoners".

It's a city in sharp contrast to what we know in the west. Here, death is openly celebrated and to be cremated along the banks of the holy Ganges River is the most auspicious place for a Hindu's journey. I visited Manikarnika Ghat today which is the main burning ghat but photos are strongly discouraged and I heard a story of an American couple who were actually roughed up for trying to take photos. I tried to be respectful and left my camera safely tucked away. Even still, I had people coming over to me warning not to take photos. I obliged.

Getting photos here in Varanasi is a real challenge. Cameras are not liked and you are either told off or asked for money if you try to take photos of people, and that's with asking permission first! I've come down with some kind of food bug, as expected in India, so have been laying pretty low. In this city you need all your strength to cope with all that is happening here. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be closer to normal health and can wander around a bit longer.

Here's a few from wandering around the city the last couple of days...

The Candy Maker and The Sadhu

The Kite Runner

The Ghats at Night

During the Day

A Place Like no Other

2011-12-10T01:45:00.000-08:00

My time here in India is ticking away. Some days the clock moves really fast and others drag along as if they have an anchor tied to them. It's been a challenging couple of weeks to say the least. I've never experienced anything as full on as the experience I am having here. That's both good and bad. The good... I've met some lovely people from around the world (thanks Helen and Ben) as well as some very generous, genuine people from India. I've been privilaged to see some spectacular scenery, some incredible architecture and a lot of history thrown in, too. The bad... well, trying to move around this country is an exercise in futility. With a population of 1.2 billion people and a serious lack of infrastructure, it's inevitable that major delays and altering plans happen. For me this is frustrating as I'm used to traveling by the seat of my pants. In India that's not possible. Everything has to be preplanned and in some cases weeks in advance.

This country is definitely not for the faint of heart. One minute you're standing awestruck looking at the some majestic temple and the next you are up to your ankles in so much garbage and filth, you might actually start to gag. I can't recall seeing so much garbage in other countries I have traveled and it saddens we to watch a teen age boy hurl empty water bottles, food wrappers, etc out the window of a moving train with no regard to what he is doing.

In the end, this country is a mix of so many things, you can't help but be challenged mentally, physically and emotionally.

Here's a few photos from what I've seen and done the last couple of weeks. Be sure to click on the images to see them larger.

Mahatma Gandhi's House

In The Streets

The Taj Mahal

The Potter, Ganj Village

Chhatris- Ancient Cenotaphs, Orchha

A Different Side of Delhi

2011-12-01T21:08:00.001-08:00

Being an avid golfer I thought I would do something a little different from the typical backpacker scene here in Delhi. There are several courses dotting the city but only one with a lot of history, which dates back to British rule, The Delhi Golf Club, first established as a municipal course in the early 1930's was then changed to a private, members only facility in 1950. There are 2 courses to play here but the main 18 hole course is only available to members or non-members who are accompanied by a member. The other course is a 9 hole 'executive' course where the non members can play and is where I had my first Indian golf experience.

I decided to go for the full package and hired a caddy and a fore-caddy (who goes searching for lost balls amongst the snakes in the trees). The rental clubs were a little less than quality but it was still the experience over the golf that I came for. It was great having the caddy, who's knowledge of the course was incredible. I'm not surprised as he has been working there for 35 years and he told me his brother is one of the golf pros and has been working for the club for 50 years!

Afterwards I sat sunning on the deck of the clubhouse, overlooking the 18th green of the main course and watched the members come in after their rounds. A beer was definitely in order as was an amazing bbq chicken tikka. As I was playing at the course I was privileged to be able to eat on the deck and non playing patrons had to sit downstairs where it was no where near as nice. You could tell I was amongst the money of Delhi. I was told that this was one of the most exclusive places in Delhi where Kings, Queens, Politicians, corporate CEO's and others spend their time here. It was a stark contrast from the other side of the fence where it's filthy dirty, noisy, chaotic and there's 20+ million people trying to go about their day.

In all it was a great experience and I'm happy I was able to afford it as it's not in the backpacker budget range of things to do.

A little side note... I was disappointed this morning when had discovered my caddy had actually stole from me. It wasn't a lot but just the principle of things. I had brought a number of golf balls, tees, a glove, etc with me and I discovered the next morning that the caddy had stolen a sleeve (3 balls) of expensive Titleist golf balls. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, this is India, where, when opportunity knocks....

Me and the caddy

The 4th hole

Apres...

Ottawa Wanderings...

2011-10-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Travel Images

2011-10-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

In spirit of my upcoming travels to Asia I thought I would go through some images from past travels. These are a few photos from several different countries I have been fortunate enough to have visited.

Burma (2007)

Laos (2010)

Sri Lanka (2004)

Ethiopia (2009)

Cambodia (2010)

Cuba (2009)

Vietnam (2010)

Cuba (2009)

Fall Road Trip

2011-10-10T17:27:00.001-07:00

A Thanksgiving road trip took Allison and I to New Brunswick via scenic Maine to check out the fall colours and get in a couple rounds of golf along the way. We took the very scenic Route 27 from southeast Quebec and stopped overnight at Sugarloaf Mountain resort. The fall colours were just at their peak when we arrived, thanks to the cold temperatures, clear skies and frosty mornings.

Let the road trip begin!

"String of Pearls" Hole #10 at Sugarloaf Golf Club

Hornby Island

2011-10-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

A few images from a trip to Hornby Island last spring. I was there for work and we timed it as the Herring were spawning. The water was milky white in the mornings and the seagulls and seals were going crazy as the water was teeming with life.

Herring Roe

Grandfather Stones

2011-08-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough couple of weeks, to say the least. A week ago yesterday I found out that my Mom passed away unexpectedly and it was a real blow to me and my family. Allison and I have moved to Ottawa for a year and it seems really strange to have gotten on a plane and fly in the opposite direction of home. I'll be heading home next week to meet with my family and say goodbye to my Mom one last time. The story I am going to share seems rather fitting and the timing is something else.

The day Allison and I were vacating our place (in Vancouver) so the renters could move in, I received a phone call from my friend Mark in Vancouver. He told me he had a package for me and was going to pass it along to his partner who in turn would pass it along to Allison before we left the city. What he told me next really took me by surprise.........

He told me he talked to a friend of his who is a Native American, full-blooded Ojibway, and lives in the Vegas area and had told her about the accident my friend Heather had last US Thanksgiving. Wilma took the time and went up to Red Rocks and performed a tobacco ceremony, purely out of kindness and generosity.

I have sent a message to Mark to pass along to Wilma with my sincerest thanks and gratitude. I also said I would share her act of kindness with Heather's closest friends and I would also like to share it with everyone, to show one person's kindness, generosity and spirituality. Thank you Wilma!

(Click on photos to enlarge)

More Coq

2011-02-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

Another day spent touring at the Coquihalla. The complete opposite from last weekend's epic day of deep powder. We ended up on the wrong side of the arctic front hitting the interior of the province. Clear skies, really cold temps and a frosty wind were the order of the day.

Needle

Greg heading up

Wayne and Greg

Scott and Greg

Reflections

Greg

Epic Powder Day

2011-02-16T21:06:00.001-08:00

A serious powder day was had last saturday on the Coquihalla with Andrew, Sheri and Scott. We were expecting a big storm to roll through during the day but what came through was a snow train! By the end of the day there was over 70cm of fresh, new, light and fluffy powder. The conditions were like nothing I have ever skied in before. Chest deep blower all afternoon and by the time we hit the bottom of our runs, our skin track was filling up very quickly.

We got back to the car as darkness was setting in and were surprised to see the car almost buried in new snow. It took the highways department's grader, some shoveling and pushing to get the car out of the parking lot and negotiated through the throngs of 18 wheelers stopped to chain up.

Andrew

The Crew

The Pit

Heavy Snow

Searching

Finding

Deep

Deeper

Deepest

Photo Courtesy Andrew Fodor

Chief Pascal

2011-02-08T20:46:00.001-08:00

A stormy day on Chief Pascal up along the Duffy Lake Rd with Jonathan, Dave and Kathy.

Cut Block

Jonathan

Cerise Creek Trail

Jonathan & Dave

Kathy

Stormy

Old Man's Beard

Jonathan

Dave

Kathy

Mt Sproatt, A Chilly Day

2011-01-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

Had a full on backcountry day to Mt Sproatt with Jonathan, Kathy and Craig from MEC. We ran into Jonathan's friends Anne-Marie and Mike in the parking lot and they joined in for an entertaining day. We had everything thrown at us... Boiler plate ice in the trees, hammering winds on the summit, icy cold temps, some hidden powder shots and high speed snowplowing in the dark by headlamp to finish the day off. Great fun!

Kathy in the trees

Mike getting close to the alpine

Getting hammered by wind

Jonathan reaching the alpine

Rainbow Mountain

More wind...

An icy summit

Blustery

Red Rocks Memorial

2011-01-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

At the end of our trip to the desert south-west we were in Las Vegas. Our last day was spent up in the Red Rocks National Conservation Area, where our dear friend Heather had a fatal climbing accident. Allison and I made the decision to hike into Oak Creek Canyon where the accident happened and leave behind something in Heather's memory. We brought from home a Healing Stone with an Inukshuk inlaid on one side. On the other I wrote a note to Heather,"Rest in peace dear friend. You will always be loved and never forgotten." We left it tucked under the base of a juniper tree, along a beautiful ledge, with a magnificent view of the surrounding area. Here's a few photos to share from the day.

The hike into Oak Creek Canyon

Coq Habit

2010-12-20T20:24:00.000-08:00

I pulled out the avalanche transceiver, skins and the rest of my backcountry gear and made my way up to Iago Peak near the Coquihalla summit. Scott, Steve and Jacques joined in for a fantastic day out in the mountains. A certain someone was smiling down on us as the clouds parted and we were rewarded with blue skies and beautiful weather. The stability was great and the snow light, fluffy and untracked.

Yak Peak

On the Ridge

Needle Peak

Steve

Scott

Heading Back Up

Reflecting

My View

Steve getting first tracks on "Heather's Birthday Run" :0)

Jacques

Steve getting first tracks on "Heather's Birthday Run" :0)

Baker Days

2010-12-12T21:22:00.001-08:00

Was down at the cabin for the weekend and met up with Greg and Tomoko for a day of riding the lifts at Mt Baker.

A Memorial Day

2010-12-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

Andrew, Michael, Jasmin and I went for a walk in the rain up the Callaghan Valley. It was a day to honor my dear friend Heather who was being laid to rest in Toronto. Emotions and memories filled the day and it was good to be out with friends, old and new.

Heaven on Earth

2010-11-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

I am uploading these photos in memory of a very dear friend, who was tragically taken from us last friday, November 26th. These photos are from a very special place for me, the Bugaboos. It is my favorite place in the entire world and I have visited it on numerous occasions, to hike, climb, wander and just bask in the immense spirituality of the area. Heather was fortunate enough to visit the Bugaboos this past summer and fell in love with the area. I wish I could head there today to take solace and reflect.

False Creek

2010-11-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

Morning

2010-11-06T15:58:00.001-07:00

Sometimes getting up early has its advantages...

Vancouver

Paris, France

2010-11-02T17:44:00.001-07:00

Photos from a recent trip to Europe. A larger selection of photos can be seen here.

At the Louvre

Festival

Vespa

Shakespeare and Co.

Musee du Louvre

Tour Eiffel

Bakery

Locks of Love

Artist

Cafe au Lait

Mona Lisa

London, UK

2010-11-02T17:38:00.001-07:00

Memorial

London Eye

Thames

Posters

Valdes Island Kayaking

2010-09-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

A weekend of kayaking to Valdes Island, in the Northern Gulf Islands, BC. More photos from the trip are available here.

Kill Me Thrill Me & Comfortably Numb

2010-07-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Headed up to Whistler with a crew from MEC and had a great ride on Kill Me-Thrill Me and the first third of Comfortably Numb, before escaping down to the Green Lake trail back to Whistler. More photos can be seen here.

Kathy - Comfortably Numb

Kathy - Kill Me Thrill Me

Jo - Kill Me Thrill Me

Jonathan-Kill Me Thrill Me

Dave-Kill Me Thrill Me

Kathy-Kill Me Thrill Me

Half Nelson

2010-07-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

A fantastic new trail in the Garibaldi Highlands above Squamish, BC.

Emma and Ali

2010-05-30T20:27:00.001-07:00

When Allison and I went to Cuba last December we had the opportunity to combine a backpacking trip with a work colleague's wedding. The wedding was with Allison's work colleague Emma who was marrying a Cubano, who she had met while visiting Cuba on previous vacations. Ali lives in Camaguey and has never left Cuba but will now be joining his wife in Canada, soon. It was a great opportunity to experience some Cuban culture most others wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to. Emma asked if I would mind taking a few photos in case their hired photographers photos didn't turn out. Here's a few from the day...

Burma Night

2010-05-25T17:22:00.001-07:00

is an annual fundraiser that is celebrated in June to commemorate the birthday of Burma's Nobel Laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. This years event is hosted by the Pacific Burma Roundtable and will take place on Saturday June 19, 2010 6:00 pm at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre located in downtown Vancouver. The proceeds are donated to Association Assistance for Political Prisoners Burma which helps the families of political prisoners in Burma. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased by calling Deanna at 604.331.4454. Come and enjoy good food and have a good time while supporting a good cause! For more info, please email freeburma@live.ca.

I will be presenting a slide show from my trip to Burma in December 2006. Here's a sneak peak to the show...

Baker Once More

2010-05-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

A few of us headed up onto the Coleman Glacier to enjoy a sunny spring day on the north side of Mt. Baker...

On the road

Heliotrope Ridge

Scott

Mike

Anna

Baker

Spring in Vancouver

2010-04-20T18:28:00.001-07:00

Baker

2010-04-15T13:02:00.001-07:00

A glorious day in the Mt Baker slack-country...

Big Air

Table Mtn

Blueberry Chutes

Powder Days

2010-04-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Andrew

Nak

Trees

Scott

Mountain Therapy

2010-03-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Tszil

Matier

Iago

Great Bear

Yak

Thailand

2010-03-22T13:25:00.001-07:00

Some photos from the temples at Ayuthaya

Wat Phra Ram

Frangipani

Wat Phra Ram

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Offerings

Wat Ratburana

Laos

2010-03-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Some photos from Don Khon, Champasak and trekking near Tha Khaek in Southern Loas.

Champasak

Village Children

Trekking in Phu Hin Bun National Park

Don Khon - Si Phan Don

Tuol Sleng

2010-03-16T13:47:00.001-07:00

When in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, a visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum should be something every visitor to the country should see. Once a centre of learning Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and transformed into Security Prison 21, or S-21.

Like the Nazi's, the Khmer Rouge were meticulous in keeping records of their barbarism and each prisoner who passed through S-21 was photographed.

The classrooms were turned into torture chambers and today, remain as they were found when the Vietnamese liberated Phnom Penh in early 1979. Blood stains remain on the floors where people were left to die while still chained to bed frames and voices still whisper from the walls of the dingy rooms.

Cambodia

2010-03-16T12:44:00.001-07:00

A selection of photos from Phnom Penh, The Temples of Angkor and Kratie in the north-east.

Angkor Wat

The Bayon

Mekong River Sunset - Kratie

Fishing on the Mekong - Kratie

Family Commuting - Phnom Penh

Royale Palace - Phnom Penh

Ta Promh

Banteay Kdei

Ta Som

Vietnam

2010-03-16T12:19:00.001-07:00

Photos from a recent trip to Saigon and the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam.

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Quan Am Pagoda

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Binh Hoa Phuoc Village

Cai Be Floating Market

Chau Doc Market

Cai Be Floating Market

Ang Pagoda - Can Tho

Cai Be

Cuba

2010-01-08T21:31:00.001-08:00

A few photos from a recent trip to Cuba. More photos are available for viewing here

Havana

Trinidad

Vinales

Trinidad

Havana

Camaguey

Trinidad

Vinales

Coquihalla Country

2009-11-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

A great day trip below Iago Peak...

More photos available here

Julian

Lea-Marie

Tony

Mike

New Season

2009-11-11T20:26:00.001-08:00

Baker backcountry...

Oldies

2009-11-08T15:55:00.001-08:00

Sir Donald

Pigeon

Cobalt

Forbidden

My Town

2009-10-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

On saturday I decided to head out and take advantage of the(last) nice weather hear in our fair city. Conditions were ideal in the morning with bright overcast and my need to get some walking time out pounding the streets. I felt so inspired after a couple of hours walking that I decided to head back out after the sun went down and take some shots in and around Granville Island saturday night.

More photos available here

False Creek

Clifton

Windows

Granville

House

Run For the Cure

2009-10-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer will affect most of us in one way or another. This year Allison and I found out that her Mom is one of the many who are inflicted with this disease every year. She is doing well now and has finished her chemo and radiation treatments.

Today is the North American wide 'Run For the Cure' to raise money for breast cancer treatment. Allison signed up to do the run and I came along to take some photos to send to her Mom. I had heard that the event here in Vancouver has a big turnout but I was stunned to see so many people standing at the start line, waiting to pass under the arch of pink balloons. My guess is there were 30,000+ heading off for either the 5 km loop around False Creek or the 1 km walk around the Plaza of Nations. Here's a few photos from today...

HDR

2009-09-29T16:46:00.001-07:00

Experimenting with high dynamic range software...

Flow

2009-08-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

I have recently decided to start bringing my small point and shoot Panasonic Lumix camera while I am mountain biking. The camera is limited with the low light conditions deep in the dark coastal forests on the north shore here in Vancouver, so with its limitations I have to be more creative. Here's a few pics from a ride Scott and I did up on Mt Fromme, the world renowned free-riding/ mountain biking area here on the west coast.

More photos are available here

Speed

Going Up

Blur

Test of Metal

2009-06-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

At some point last fall a friend asked me if I would be interested in signing up for a mountain bike race in late spring 2009. It took me a minute to think about it and I replied "sure", not fully knowing what I was getting myself into. He filled me in on the upcoming Test of Metal which is held annually in Squamish, BC on the third weekend in June.

Registration for the race happens on January 1 starting at 6:00 pm online. I guess the organizers are looking to see how dedicated the participants are with having the registration on new years day, with hangovers in tow. I was off backcountry skiing that day so Allison signed me up, luckily, as the race sold out in only a couple of hours with 1000 people officially entered. To make things more difficult there was a server problem and a major glitch in-sued!

So it was official, I was now entered in the legendary Test of Metal mountain bike race and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Seeing as it was only January I was still in ski mode and had no thought of getting on my mountain bike.

Come the end of April and the melting of the winter snowpack it was time to dust off the bike and start riding. A couple friends were also entered in the race so we decided to head to Squamish and start "training". After riding a portion of the 67 km course I quickly realized I was in way over my head. Time to start getting serious with the training.

In the end I was riding twice a week and rode the full course 2 times before the race. My training was progressing really well and each time I rode the course I shaved 20 minutes off my previous time.

Saturday June 20 was the big day. Me and nearly 1000 suited up and were shivering at the start line around 10:45 in the morning waiting for the start at 11:00. I can't describe the feeling of being surrounded by that many people moving at a high rate of speed. One needs to experience it for themselves! The race was incredible to say the least. Hundreds of people lined the streets and trails to cheer us all on and give us moments of inspiration. I never thought that many people cheering you on could make you ride that much faster. Luckily I didn't have any incidents on the course or any flats or mechanical problems. Unfortunately for many they couldn't say the same. So many people lined the course with fixing flats or trying to fix other mechanical problems. Then there were the poor souls who were in nasty wrecks or laying in agony on the sidelines writhing in pain from cramping up. Once again I was very fortunate to not have any health problems,cramps or bonking either.

I set a goal for myself to finish in around the 4 hour mark and according to my watch I came in at 4 hours and 10 minutes which I was ecstatic with. It was an amazing experience in the end and I would probably do it again in the years to come but there's lots of time until next years registration. Now it's time to dust off the hiking/mountaineering boots, ice axe and backpack and head into the mountains on foot. Also I've been neglecting my camera a bit too much as well so it will be a busy summer of loading up on stock images for the agencies. I hope everyone has a happy, fulfilling summer in the out of doors and look forward to seeing everyone on the trails.

For more info on the Test of Metal click here

The Wonders of Photoshop

2009-05-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

After watching this it has to make you wonder how real some of the photos out there are. This person has some mad editing

skills. The debate of what constitutes a photograph comes into effect here. Is this a photograph or just an artistic drawing of an image?

You decide...

Quebec

2009-04-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

Chateau Frontenac

Statement

Mural

Seminary

Art

More photos here

An Icy Diversion

2009-03-24T19:20:00.001-07:00

Wayne, Jonathan and myself decided to take a quick trip up to Mt Seymour last sunday morning. The sun was shining and the forecast was for nice weather in the morning and a bit of weather to move in late in the afternoon.

Once we stepped into our skis we quickly realized we were in for a bit of an icy day. More like curling rink pebble to be more precise. The photo here is a little deceiving to say the least. It was surprisingly quiet given the sunny skies and it being spring break with all the kiddies out of school. Guess they are all down in the city shopping up a storm or something.

After a bit of a scary climb up the face to First Pump Peak we quickly stepped back into our skis and headed for the icy top. You can see Jonathan here making his way to the summit. In the end even though the snow was so "firm" it was still a great day out on the snow and some alpine therapy. In the afternoon we waited out the thaw and got some decent turns on some spring corn on the way out.

Wayne admiring the good ice.

Jonathan & Wayne

Jonathan carving some corn

Ski Season 09

2009-03-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting with a couple of programs on my computer and have put together a short slide/video show of some ski trips from this winter. I have been pretty fortunate to have timed trips this year and have had some great and safe days in the mountains even though the general snow pack has been pretty dodgy.

I'd like to send out a huge thanks to everyone I have been out with and thanks for letting me chase you around and point my camera in your direction!

Yellow Sticky Notes

2009-02-22T10:01:00.000-08:00

I heard an interview on CBC last week with filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns about his short film project using yellow sticky notes. This is from his website: "After realizing that yellow sticky note "to do" lists were consuming his life, animation filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns decided to visually self-reflect on his film making journey by animating on the same sticky notes that caused him to ignore major world events for the last nine years."

You can read more about the filmmaker and the project at: http://www.youtube.com/user/hapanimation

http://www.hapanimation.com

Everyone should see this short film, it's absolutely brilliant!

Winter Recap

2009-02-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

Those of you who are backcountry enthusiasts don't need me to tell you what the state of the snow conditions are this winter. For those of you who aren't, this winter has been one of the deadliest on record. An extremely unstable snow pack has left even the veterans of the mountains shaking their heads in disbelief with how dangerous it has been here on the south coast, and most of southern BC for that matter.

Mt Rainier at sunrise from Mt. Seymour

However with some common sense, caution and good timing there is still some good snow to be found in the mountains this winter. The Coquihalla summit area of the Cascade Mountains has had some great days with a few having really deep powder on some north facing slopes in the trees. We have been playing it very safe so far this winter and only venturing into the alpine for the first time this weekend. The stability is improving but people are still really nervous to get out into the bigger terrain. It seems like this winter is going to be a 'conservative terrain' winter. The likely hood of things settling out to a typical coastal snow pack are quite unlikely.

East Ridge of Nak Peak, Cascade Mtns

There's still a lot of the season to go and I think there are a lot of backcountry enthusiasts praying to Ullr for lots of snow, little wind and consistent temperatures below freezing.

North facing glades above Coquihalla highway

New Years Day 2009

2009-01-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

A few of us (Greg Kacy, Scott Myles and myself) decided to kick in the new year with a day of powder up on the Coquihalla. Because of really high avalanche hazard our destination for the day was the trees below Needle Peak, which is usually a popular backcountry destination. Luckily for us everyone was still in bed nursing hangovers and we had the mountains to ourselves. Although this meant there would be no trail broken and we would have to set it ourselves.

On the drive up we were skeptical about the conditions as the amount of snow we saw looked pretty slim but after setting off from the car and the higher we got, we were surprised to see a fair bit of snow up near tree line. Once we reached our high point and stopped for some lunch, a couple of folks from Kamloops showed up and joined us for the first run down in the glades. We ended up skinning back up 2 more times and in the end had 3 really great runs before heading back to the car and the Home restaurant in Hope for our celebratory New Years day dinner.

Greg and I shot some video and stills and he put together a short video of the day. I'm realizing how useful my little Panasonic LX2 is becoming for fun little projects like this.

I hope everyone had a great start to the new year and all the best in the days to come. See you out in the snow and play safe!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

I'd like to take the time to wish everyone a happy holidays and all the best in the coming year!

Christmas has come and gone but the snow is still here in Vancity. I'm astonished to see how much has fallen so far this winter and it seems like it will never end. At least shoveling so much snow is making for good exercise.

In our neighbourhood here in Fairview Slopes, the city barricades off our street because of how steep it is. My guess is it's as steep as Oak Street which is a couple blocks away and it comes in at 28 percent grade. Pretty steep if you ask me. Anyways, with so much snow on the street and the steepness, I couldn't think of anything better than ski it. The neighbours were sticking their heads out the windows and those who walked past had a quick chat before I set off. Everyone around hasn't ever seen someone ski down the street before.

On Christmas Eve day I dragged Allison out with my Panasonic LX2 to video this monumental achievement. Well, it was good for a laugh anyway! It's not every day you can say you skied down your street, especially here in Vancouver.

Tis the Season

2008-12-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks as though the winter season is kicking off. December has rounded the corner and all the stores are playing Christmas carols. It's time to start making that wish list to send to Santa, with all the new outdoor and photography gear I'd like to see under the tree!

Last night I went and saw the Best of the Banff Film Festival here in Vancouver, which turned out to be a sold out event. The Hollywood theatre was packed with Gore-Tex and an eager audience looking to get psyched for the season ahead. The line up of films didn't disappoint and I sat on the edge of my seat the whole night. There were great films about Canada's wonder boy, Sonnie Trotter climbing Grit Stone to high speed mountain biking and some crazy wags base jumping into a cave in China that would swallow a small town. But the film that left the biggest impression on me was a film called "The Fine Line-A 16mm Avalanche Education Film".

Being a backcountry skier I was really looking forward to seeing this film. It turned out to be very powerful and the crowd went stone silent once it started. There were some incredible interviews from people who have survived being buried and some amazing footage of people being swept away in slides.

The Fine Line - A 16 mm Avalanche Education Film.

It made me look back to my past experiences in the backcountry and the level of education I have to be out there safely. I'm a firm believer of getting educated before venturing into these places and have taken a couple of avalanche courses over the years and highly recommend that everyone do before going into the unknown. There's a certain amount of knowledge needed to be out searching for powder in this uncontrolled environment. Also it's extremely important to have the right gear to be out there and having a shovel, probe and avalanche transceiver are mandatory. Time to add those to your Christmas wish list if you are wanting to take on the world of backcountry skiing. One thing that we should all make a ritual as well, is to put brand new batteries in our transceivers at the beginning on every season. Most of the new transceivers recommend NOT using rechargeable batteries. Unfortunately it's not great for the environment but sometimes our lives might have to come first.

I'm really psyched to be getting on my skis soon and have the opportunity to be shooting out in the snow. Being out on a sunny day with tons of fluffy deep powder and good friends make for a great day of shooting photos. Once the season starts I'll keep updates of some of the places we are venturing out to. I'm ready to go, especially after seeing all the great films last night!

Winter's Arrival

2008-11-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

After watching it pour rain at the cabin all day on Saturday I thought that maybe I should head up to Mt Baker ski hill and see if the white stuff was falling instead of the wet stuff! The further along in the rain I went, the more my heart sank, until I saw a brief break in the clouds and all the tree tops were white. Instantly I got excited and was encouraged to proceed to the top (upper parking lot). I could tell I was starting to gain elevation as my ears were popping and soon enough the rain let up and the road began to get slushy. After a couple more switchbacks it was snowing!

I made my way to the upper parking lot at Heather Meadows where I was surprised to see it full of people and cars. Snowboarders, snowshoers, lookey loos and the odd die hard backcountry skier were all heading to play in the snow.

I decided to jump back in the car after snapping a few pics, to make my way back to a warm and cozy fire at the cabin. It looks like winter is finally starting to awaken and you could see everyone up at the ski hill was excited to see the snow falling. Hopefully the snow gods will be friendly this winter and give something similar to the last couple of winters.

Tea for Irrawaddy

2008-11-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

Come join high Tea for Irrawaddy at the UBC Golf Club and buy/bid on beautiful arts, crafts and photos from Burma, either for yourself or as a gift. All proceeds will aid Cyclone Nargis Relief efforts in Burma. Tickets: $40

On sunday November 23rd from 1:00 - 4:00 pm

more info: freeburma@live.ca or 778.322.6014

This event will be a great opportunity for those of you to come and enjoy an afternoon of good food, entertainment and supporting a great cause. There is going to be high quality handicrafts and art work from Burmese artists and I have supplied a number of photos to be auctioned off as well.

Since Cyclone Nargis, the people on the Irrawaddy river delta have been suffering on a scale unimaginable to most people. Their government has left them to die and the outside world has quickly forgotten now that the medias eye has turned to somewhere else in the world.

I have been fortunate enough to have met some incredible, inspirational people in the last year. Rod Germaine, Kyi Min Saw, Maria Hla Tin and the energizer bunny Deanna Scott, who are all heavily involved in the plight of the Burmese people. Check out The Just Aid Foundation to see some of the incredible work they are doing.

Earth Hour

2008-03-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ok...... time for the inaugural post!

Did you unplug last saturday night? I decided to head over to the ol breaker panel and switch off all the power to the house. Frankie (the cat) and I spent the evening sitting in the dark, reading on the couch and watching out the window across False Creek to all the gleaming lights still on downtown. I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed that Vancouver didn't step up to the plate to do it's part. With only a 3 1/2% decrease in energy consumption compared to the 7 % in Toronto, Vancouver was really lacking in it's initiative. British Columbia prides itself on being green and pro environment but to me came across as a bit hypocritical with the whole Earth Hour event (with the exception of Hartley Bay and North Vancouver). To see cities like Bangkok switching off the entire downtown grid was pretty impressive. What did our Mayor do? He turned off Science World and the sails at Canada Place. Big deal!

Even though the whole event was symbolic and set up to create awareness, are we really any further ahead? I'd sure like to hope we are. The global community seems to be taking this pretty seriously. So maybe as gas guzzling, energy sucking Canadians it's time we do as well.