Mountaineering and the Bow Hut

by Rick Chin 6 Comments

And so the mountaineering adventure begins! Sunday, June 28. It was an early start to the morning. I was up at 5:30 am for the requisite coffee and eggs breakfast before gearing up and driving to Canmore for 8:30 am. For what, you ask? Months ago I signed up for the 6 day Introduction to Mountaineering course through Yamnsuka Mountain Adventures. I have been hiking and scrambling for many years, but glacier travel was a bit beyond my scope. It was time to explore those skills, and the mountains … [...]

East End of Rundle: In Photos

by Rick Chin 1 Comment

East End of Rundle. Or EEOR, as it's commonly known. It's a relatively easy scramble with the potential for sections with lots of exposure. On this particular day, the weather was gorgeous and it seemed like everyone and their dogs wanted to hike either Ha Ling or EEOR. I have never seen the Goat Creek parking lot so busy! If you drove from Canmore to the Goat Creek parking lot, a quick walk back along the gravel road will take you to an electrical pole near the Bow Crow Forest sign. The trail … [...]

Packing for an All-inclusive Vacation

by Rick Chin 2 Comments

So what exactly should you pack for an all-inclusive vacation to Mexico, Cuba, or any of those one-week destinations that North Americans flock to during winter months? This is the question I asked myself prior to my recent trip to Mexico. I usually forget what I pack for vacations and find myself spending far too long deciding whether or not those shoes that I never wear in my day-to-day life will finally come in handy on the beach, or if I should bring that icebreaker sweater to a 30 degree … [...]

Tulum: Undiscovered?

by Rick Chin Leave a Comment

The Riviera Maya ranks as having some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. But for me, the selling point for this region of Mexico compared to others is the Mayan ruins in the area. There's Chichen Itza, one of the new 7 world wonders; and there's Coba, one of the most important sites of the Mayan civilization, and the only one you can still climb. (Note: The Mexican government has been saying for years that they are going to ban climbing Coba. It may be a tourist tactic, but climb it … [...]