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We did it! 101 participants!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Trip Reports
Leg 1
Ski & Board on Whistler Mountain
[[coming soon]] Leg 5
Downhill Mountain Bike Riding
Leg 7
Cross Country Mountain Bike Dragging
[[coming soon]] Leg 9
Critical Mass
Leg 6 up the Chief
Rain clouds and wind be damned; all 34 participants of Leg 6 of the OARD were determined to hike and climb a mountain! (by Kelly Franz)
On Friday, May 25, 2008, four climbers and a full gaggle of hikers set out to climb the Chief in Squamish. At about noon and after a stylish torch hand off from Leg 5's armour clad mountain bikers, amidst rock trucks and excavators in the under-construction Grand Wall parking lot, four rock climbers set out for two different routes up the wall. Jer and Andrew climbed the Squamish Buttress route, while Katy and Kelly climbed the Grand Wall route with the torch dangling from harness alongside all the climbing gear. After racing up the peak and after only a few close calls with the challenges of the climbs they all finally made it up. At about 5:30 the climbers topped the climbs within minutes of each other to be met by a crowd of hikers already assembled on top. A few minutes of rest, the passing of the torch to Rebeka and company, and a gratuitous summit photo, and the satisfied crowd made their way down the 600m back to the starting point. This completed the successful and fun Leg 6 of the Outdoor Adventure Relay for Darfur.
Behold the Grand Wall! While meeting with a very cool reporter from the Squamish Chief Newspaper, the Leg 5 mountain bike riders arrived with the torch.
Two teams began the climb up the Chief: Andrew and Jeremy on Calculus Crack to the Squamish Buttress...
And Kelly & Katy on the Grand Wall, bearing torch...
meanwhile, mouses were lurking in the forest, meandering ever upwards.
making vertical progress against the greatest of odds, by all means available
and then sat back to drink beer on the summit
meeting locals
x
"chill" out
and salute the sun and ocean
and then arrived the climbers
and they all descended happily ever after
Photos from the Rally
in all, we wrote over 100 hand-written letters to the Prime Minister
Letter writing by the Olympic Clock. High school and university students were the driving force behind this effort. The connection between the Olympics and human rights is readily clear to us. It's time for all Canadians to see the connection.
Ivan Tucakov of Tambura Rasa!
Let us remember that the prime minister is a civil servant. We are his bosses. This is how we ask our employee to do his job appropriately.
Didn't notice the (steady) rain whatsoever! Did it rain? I can't remember now.
Sudanda
petition signing
Joel, fmr president of STAND-UBC
"Mr. Cat Myopia"
the torch concludes its journey from the summit of Whistler Mountain!
Rebeka
Dave
Jeremy and Pat
Senator Mobina Jaffer
Birpaul
Connor Mcguire
Tenzin from Canada Tibet Committee
Connor Mcguire
Pat with Canadian Red CrossLeg 7 Trip Report
(with several excerpts by Luisa Giles.)
Leg 7 was slated to be a 45-km cross country mountain bike ride from Squamish to the head of Indian Arm. We anticipated crossing through snow for a for just a few of those kilometers... (cue foreshadow music clip).
leaving Squamish, in the shadow of the Chief (leg 6)
and then began the snow at 450m, somewhat lower than expected on the north side of the pass...
and then continued the snow until way lower than expected on the south side of the pass.
riding wasn't on
Luisa's take on this:
We began the very gradual 25km descent to Indian arm, everyone was still full of beans and finding the whole experience a generally joyous one. We passed 500m elevation, then 400m still snow everywhere and all around us. At this point although the group was still extremely positive I could sense the "when the f#&k will this be over?" feeling. I must say it was the most mentally challenging thing i have done in some time. The monotony really got to me.
more from Luisa:
The killer was at 350m (and 18km rd marker; as seen above) when we got to road so removed our snow gear got all excited only to ride around the corner for more snow :(. Luckily the forest service people had conveniently placed km markers at this point so we were able to see exactly how slow we were going.
finally, at 200m above sea level, we reached dry road.
It was tough, it was fun and the group really made it, and lets face it its nothing compared to what people in Darfur are going through.
After 25km of dragging our bikes through the snow, we cycled for 45 minutes to the ocean.
Jason and Melvin, who had cycled the Sea-to-Sky Highway prior to the "snow adventure" then hopped into a canoe and paddled home in the dark---SPOC (Self-Propelled Outdoor Club) style.
Its funny how the type II fun [fun only in retrospect] creeps up on you because by the time we were on the boat and I was looking at the pictures I already had forgotten the mental torture of slushy snow with a bike. Well I am sure by the time the next one comes around I will have all together forgotten any kind of pain or misery and be ready to do it all again.
Leg 7 was slated to be a 45-km cross country mountain bike ride from Squamish to the head of Indian Arm. We anticipated crossing through snow for a for just a few of those kilometers... (cue foreshadow music clip).
leaving Squamish, in the shadow of the Chief (leg 6)
and then began the snow at 450m, somewhat lower than expected on the north side of the pass...
and then continued the snow until way lower than expected on the south side of the pass.
riding wasn't on
Luisa's take on this:We began the very gradual 25km descent to Indian arm, everyone was still full of beans and finding the whole experience a generally joyous one. We passed 500m elevation, then 400m still snow everywhere and all around us. At this point although the group was still extremely positive I could sense the "when the f#&k will this be over?" feeling. I must say it was the most mentally challenging thing i have done in some time. The monotony really got to me.
more from Luisa:The killer was at 350m (and 18km rd marker; as seen above) when we got to road so removed our snow gear got all excited only to ride around the corner for more snow :(. Luckily the forest service people had conveniently placed km markers at this point so we were able to see exactly how slow we were going.
finally, at 200m above sea level, we reached dry road.
It was tough, it was fun and the group really made it, and lets face it its nothing compared to what people in Darfur are going through. 
After 25km of dragging our bikes through the snow, we cycled for 45 minutes to the ocean.
Jason and Melvin, who had cycled the Sea-to-Sky Highway prior to the "snow adventure" then hopped into a canoe and paddled home in the dark---SPOC (Self-Propelled Outdoor Club) style.
Its funny how the type II fun [fun only in retrospect] creeps up on you because by the time we were on the boat and I was looking at the pictures I already had forgotten the mental torture of slushy snow with a bike. Well I am sure by the time the next one comes around I will have all together forgotten any kind of pain or misery and be ready to do it all again.
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