words :: Ned Morgan.
First, the bad news. According to the NOAA, human activities (yup, stuff we all do) continue to increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, boosting the greenhouse effect to record levels. Even during the pandemic, the global average concentration of CO2 hit a new high in 2020.
And though the greenhouse effect is actually a good thing (it makes the earth habitable by trapping heat that would otherwise escape into space), our continued over-contribution of carbon is amplifying it to unprecedented levels. That means glaciers are melting and snowfall is less reliable. And we don’t like that.
So what can we do about it?
Enter ski mountaineer Greg Hill—the embodiment of good news for earth-aware skiers. He’s offering a series of guided “green” backcountry skiing trips this winter, focusing on how to lower your carbon footprint while adventuring. While ensuring clients shred the Revelstoke region’s freshest, Greg will also help them offset their travel footprint, stay in an eco-hotel and eat locally sourced food. All provided transportation is via electric vehicles, including Taiga snowmobiles, to access the terrain deep into the Monashees. While most backcountry ski vacations involve snowcats, helicopters and hot tubs, Greg is aiming to cut out fossil-fuel waste and offer a ski experience designed to connect you to the mountains. We spoke to him recently from his home in Revy.
Mountain Life: You were already talking about “staying local” in the Electric Greg film a few years ago. Now it seems prophetic, and there’s yet another reason to stay closer to home. What do you want clients to take away from their sustainable adventure?
Greg Hill: The main goal is to show people that adventure can be done differently. I want to show that we can have better alternative trips because frankly, the industry has been slow to adapt. Most adventurers care deeply about the planet and want to be eco-conscious when they travel, we just need to offer options for them. I want to arm clients with new knowledge that will empower them to lower their carbon footprints at home. While we’re aiming to offset the footprint of this particular adventure, the bigger changes and impacts can happen in their daily lives.
I hope to leave them knowing that it’s just about being better, not trying to be perfect. Over three days we will rip around in electric cars, enjoy a mostly 100-mile diet (because things like coffee and rice aren’t produced locally), stay in accommodation powered by renewable electricity, and examine our carbon footprint on the trip and at home. Most importantly, we will discuss how we can make changes to reduce our impact. Rogers Pass is a high mountain route through the Selkirk Mountains in the heart of Glacier National Park. On our trip we’ll examine the beauty of glaciation and consider actions to preserve it.
ML: How has your past as a globe-trotting ski-mountaineer prepared you for your path today into eco-friendly ski-touring?
GH: As a backcountry ski hound I’ve seen our glaciers recede at alarming rates, and I couldn’t help but think how I’ve contributed to this. After all, I’ve calculated my environmental footprint during big adventure years and it wasn’t pretty. Over 30 metric tonnes if you’re curious, which is double the Canadian average (a country average that is among the worst in the world). Ouch. So I made dramatic life changes starting in 2017. I have shunned many global adventures in pursuit of backyard challenges and took a look at my home life to assess how to be more sustainable, including trading my truck for an electric vehicle, eating vegetarian during the workweek, and then during Covid, keeping my outdoor pursuits to within 300 miles of my front door—the approximate distance that one full tank of gas will take you. If we are going to take a trip anyway, we can think of making improvements at home as “earning” carbon credits that we can put towards our vacation. As a guide, one way I can have an impact is to change the very tours I offer—starting with turning a typical backcountry trip into a green-ski-cation and an adventure in environmental learning.
ML: How do you pick routes for maximum eco-friendliness that aren’t overrun with other skiers? Don’t you have to burn more fuel to go deeper into the backcountry to find the goods?
GH: Well, that’s easy since I know all the secret spots and am not worried about being overrun with other skiers. There is also much roadside access to great skiing (accessed through an electric vehicle) that we are not limited at all. Any deep backcountry access we’ll get to via electric snowmobile, the Taiga. Here is what the green skiing itinerary looks like:
Day 1: Start your Greener Adventure
We will electrically drive up to the famous Rogers Pass and access some incredible backcountry. Skiing on the snow that eventually melts into the coursing Columbia River below, and powers the dams that provide the electricity for our adventure. After an incredible day of enjoying nature we will return to our accommodation and relax.
Before your trip, I will have asked you to fill out a carbon calculator to see where your footprint is at. Pre-dinner I will give a presentation on the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint in your daily life. We will focus on discussing this footprint and where your largest gains could be. This conversation will continue over a locally-sourced dinner, either at your accommodation or at a nearby restaurant.
Ascent: 1,000+ m
Descent: 1,000+ m
Max elevation: 2,400 m
Hiking: 7-15 km | 4-9 mi
Driving: 150 km | 90 mi
Day 2: Testing our Energy on the Taiga
Hopefully* on the second day we will access our ski track via a Taiga snowmobile, the first electric snowmobile, exploring some deep snow in the Monashees. Ski touring through massive old growth we continue our discussions and evolve them into other ways of being a better earth-dweller. I.e.: Using less plastic, shopping with values and other environmental conversations. A relaxing evening, eating more locally-sourced meals and watching an environmental movie to continue with the inspiration.
(*I say “hopefully” as these might not be ready for the trip. Rest assured that once they become available I will be first in line to get one!)
Ascent: 1,000+ m
Descent: 1,000+ m
Max elevation: 2,400 m
Hiking: 7-15 km | 4-9 mi
Driving: 20 km | 12 mi
Electric Snowmobiling (if available): 30 km | 18 mi
Day 3: Calculating our Impact
The third day is back to Rogers Pass to explore more backcountry skiing or if the group simply wants a ski day at Revelstoke Mountain Resort which is powered by renewable electricity. Over dinner we will calculate all of the impacts from this amazing adventure and look at the different offsets, choosing the best ones and offsetting the entire trip.
Ascent: 1,000+ m
Descent: 1,000+ m
Max elevation: 2,400 m
Hiking: 7-15 km | 4-9 mi
Driving: 20 km | 12 mi
Returning home, I hope you will be inspired by your new ideas and potential. Ideally you leave excited that you have taken part in an exploration into green backcountry skiing, have been some of the first to explore these skin tracks in beautiful British Columbia, and are now armed with new knowledge to live a more sustainable life.
More about Greg’s trip with 57 Hours here.
