MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Winter / Spring 2018

68 MLCM WINTER/SPRING 2018 Coast Mountains, February 2017 Martina I don’t know what to do… I’ve led us into a trap of menacing, hanging seracs. Crevasses gape everywhere with dark, endless pits and narrow snow bridge teeth that I ski across while holding my breath. The last snow bridge collapsed with a resounding “whoomp,” dropping me an inch but holding. It’s the whiteout. I thought this way would work, but it keeps getting worse, every ski-length forward is more dangerous than the last. My navigation tools are useless, all I have is luck and intuition. And Mum, tied half a rope-length behind. My vision blurs with tears of frustration. A Mother, a Daughter, and a 2,300-Kilometre Coast Mountains Ski Tour words :: Martina & Tania Halik photography :: Martina Halik Mum looks as calm and optimistic as ever. She’s waiting for me to decide – no sympathy there. I take off my skis and clamber up a neighbouring serac to try get a view out of this enclosed white world, some hint of where to go. It’s been weeks of traversing already, so much struggle, and we’ve covered only a tiny fraction of the route – Squamish to Skagway. Something like this happens almost every day now, the weather is not our friend. I’m so damn tired of feeling desperate and scared and angry… and responsible. Walk Hard EPIC TRIP Coast Mountain siesta.Tania takes a breather.