The VIMFF Coast Mountain Adventure Grant

The route follows the hydrological boundary of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Temíxw, skirting the edges of the Sims, Elaho and Clendinning watersheds. Within Coastal mountaineering lore it is known as the Stoltmann Traverse after a young mountaineer, Randy Stoltmann, who made the journey in 1993. Randy was inspired by the journals of Stanley Smith, a man who walked through these mountains one-hundred years prior. In turn I am inspired by Randy and his way of being in the mountains, of moving slowly, not bound to any one specific goal other than becoming more acquainted with the area. As a photographer I am looking forward to carrying my camera on this journey to help share the experience. Randy and team spent 16 days on the route, covering 120km and just under 10,000m of elevation. The 2024 trip will be done in the same style, in honour of Randy and his approach to the mountains. As he wrote in 1993, “Stop. Think. Listen. Hear the roaring vastness of a great valley, or the sigh of the wind in the treetops, or the eternal thunder of breakers on the shore. Then go back and speak to the world from your heart.”