2018 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour Magazine

Ban Centre

Mountain Film Festival Magazine 2018/19 WORLD TOUR

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? CRAIG’S REACTION BANFF MOUNTAIN PHOTO ESSAY WINNER WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO ANTARCTICA A program of

Presenting partners

PROMOTION

Living your own adventure in Banff National Park THIS PLACE IS ALIVE, ARE YOU?

B

ANFF NATIONAL PARK is a modern-day mecca for adventurers. It is also the inspiration for and birthplace of Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, where adventurers from across the globe convene each and every year to share incredible stories, meet their heroes, and live their own adventures in the Canadian Rockies.

It’s the perfect place to live your best adventure — from climbing and mountaineering to epic adventures for the everyday biker, skier, and canoeist and hiker — in any season, you’ll be inspired by this place. Whatever your ability or

preference for adventure, you can do it here in Canada’s first national park.

During spring and fall, there is no better place to hike than along the trails of Banff and Lake Louise against the stunning backdrop of the snow-tipped mountain peaks. Here you will experience the famous, breath-taking aquamarine hues of Lake Louise and Peyto Lakes, surrounded by pristine mountain wilderness and awe-inspiring scenery.

During winter in Banff and Lake Louise, sparkling crystals of snow fall on the mountains, creating a picture-postcard

“There’s a reason why Banff is the inspiration for so many outdoor pursuits, because when you come here there are so many options, you really do get to live your own, personal adventure”

landscape and an even more incredible location for downhill and cross-country ski adventures. The golden triumvirate of ski resorts — Lake Louise Ski Resort, Banff Sunshine, and Mt Norquay, or ‘the Big 3’ as they are locally referred, combine to offer a large skiable terrain, in addition to the vast backcountry trails available throughout the park.

If snowshoeing is an interest, there are many options for all abilities. Or why not be totally inspired by a dogsled tour, an ice walk, or a fat bike ride — with their ultrawide, studded tires, they are the exciting, new means of exploration in winter, combining the opportunity for an adrenaline-filled adventure with stunning sight-seeing opportunities.

This is a place that attracts kindred spirits from around the world. The people who live here, and work here share a love of the outdoors, of adventure, of this place.

Like the diverse adventurers featured in this year’s Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, Banff National Park is a place you can come to be truly alive, to feel your pulse race, to be inspired and uplifted.

“There’s a reason why Banff is the inspiration for so many outdoor pursuits, because when you come here there are so many options, you really do get to live your own, personal adventure,” said Angela Anderson of Banff & Lake Louise Tourism.

And the best recommendation after an adventure to leave you rejuvenated and energized? Retreat to the natural mineral hot springs at the Banff Upper Hot Springs, with stunning views of the nearby mountain ranges before dining in one of Banff’s many world-class restaurants. Banff is experiencing a growing food scene, so why not complete your personal adventure with a dining experience at one of Banff’s many unique restaurants.

Each year adventure is celebrated at Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival. Why not find inspiration for your own personal adventure with a trip to the home of adventure, right here in Banff National Park? The journey awaits.

This place is alive, are you?

To get inspired for your next adventure in Banff and Lake Louise visit banfflakelouise.com

CLIF® NUT BUTTER FILLED An organic energy bar filled with delicious nut butter.

ORGANIC | NON-GMO

facebook.com/clifbar

©2018 CLIF BAR & COMPANY. MBC18.1536

@clifbar

CLIF ATHLETE BRETT RHEEDER REIGNING CRANKWORX FMBA SLOPESTYLE WORLD CHAMPION VERNON, BC.

Commemorate the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival with BUFF® Original Multifunctional Headwear, now featuring re-engineered fabric technology. Inspired by you. Visit buffmtnfest.com

95% RECYCLED

4-WAY ULTRA STRETCH

ULTIMATE SUN PROTECTION

LAT

47.953914° N

LONG

123.259339° W

Our Bridger Mid waterproof is built to take you amazing places.

Every component is designed to work together, starting with our O FIT Insole™ to deliver an unmatched fit, feel and performance for wherever the trail may lead. ObozFootwear.com

CONTENTS

Ban Centre

“Mountain biking is part of my soul. It has changed my whole outlook on life”

Mountain Film Festival Magazine

P. 28

2018/19 WORLD TOUR

Departments

Where Are They Now?

10 27 38 40 42

12 Where Are They Now? Mo Beck’s (Stumped) latest climbing feat; Lily’s latest exploits (the Jack Russell from Lily Shreds Trailside); Tashi from Tashi and the Monk grows up; Paul Prichard breaks more records; and Kilian Jornet wins the Marathon du Mont-Blanc.

Welcome Contest Film Award Sponsors Book Award Sponsors Last Words

P. 24

14 I H♥te Running Brendan Leonard’s tips on how to run 100 miles when you really don’t want to.

Features

18 When Love and Adventure Collide See how Norway’s most esteemed adventurers Aleksander Gamme (Crossing the Ice) and Cecilie Skog found love.

22 Survival of the Fittest How Sarah McNair-Landry (Into Twin Galaxies) survived trekking across Greenland with a broken back.

Cover photo: Valentine Fabre on the east face of Dent du Géant on the French/Italian border. © Ben Tibbetts Top: RJ Magar in RJ Ripper. © Joey Schusler Above: Craig DeMartino in Craig’s Reaction. © Cyn DeMartino

24 Craig’s Reaction How Craig DeMartino chose to survive after a life-changing climbing accident.

28 RJ Ripper The rise of Asia’s fastest mountain biker.

30 Winter in the Afghan Pamirs Beth Wald’s winning photo essay.

36 Surviving Venezuela Hosting the World Tour in Venezuela amid the deepening social and political crisis.

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

9

WELCOME

V

ASU SOJITRA hikes, climbs and skis with one leg. A film was made about it, Out on a Limb, in 2014.

Climber, Mo Beck, was born missing her lower left arm. Gritty and irreverent, she stars in the film, Stumped — an examination on life: about facing fears and realising your true potential despite the very real obstacles this life can throw your way.

Finnish freediver Johanna Nordblad took our breath away in the film Johanna, as we watched her move effortlessly in freezing cold-water under blocks of ice, a love borne out of treatment for a biking injury that almost took her leg.

Today we are seeing more and more athletes and regular people from disparate walks of life conquer fears and blaze trails in the outdoors. We’ve always sought out diverse voices when looking for exceptional stories in our film competition and now it seems that filmmakers have answered the call.

From our home in Banff National Park, Canada, Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival has been celebrating people’s

personal triumphs — big and small — since its inception in 1976. Whether that’s being part of a professional expedition or fulfilling a lifelong dream to achieve a personal goal, we all recognise the hunger for exploration and the feeling of giddiness at the prospect of achieving it.

Each year we receive over 350 entries into our Banff Mountain Film competition — and the best films are brought to you, in 550 locations around the world, for the World Tour.

We try and make the selection as diverse as our audiences. People want the human connection and we are seeing more and more of this in filmmaking. The outdoors are for everyone and we believe that no matter your colour or your physical ability, your stories are as vast and impressive as the landscape itself.

So, sit back, enjoy the ride and we hope you take a few ideas away for your next big outdoor adventure.

Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival team

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL MAGAZINE Magazine Editor Louise Healy Magazine Contributors Afton Aikens, Nicky Lynch, Ryan Prather Festival Director Deb Smythe Programming Director Joanna Croston World Tour Manager Jim Baker Senior Producer, Media + Production Woody MacPhail Strategic Partnerships Manager Laurie Harvey World Tour Coordinator Seana Strain World Tour Program Coordinators Jean Bilodeau, Carolyn Cavaliere, Amy Gnutel, Mark Louie,Lauren Schmidt World Tour Onsite Coordinators Kristi Beetch, Nicci Brown, Jamie Carpenter, Michelle deCamp, Callan Field, Debra Hornsby, Dave Miller, Sarah Murphy, Paul Price, Ray Schmidt, Megan Smith, Charla Tomlinson, Heather Walter, Suzanne White Film Coordinator Brenda Williams Program Coordinator Megan Smith Festival Coordinator, Guest Relations Carmen Jackson, Patsy Murphy Volunteer Coordinator Debra Hornsby Production Admin. Coordinators Maryann Madsen, Nurdjana De Rijcke Video Packaging Leanne Allison, Guy Clarkson, Mark Tierney, George Wan Video Master Control Branden Charlton Live Graphics Sandy Macdonald Stage Manager Kate Duncan Technical Assistants Holly Elliott, Martin Finnerty, Paul Price, Clare Prosser MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Marketing Nicky Lynch Media Peter Harris, Jess Green Festival Design Kelly Stauffer, Christine Majer We wish to express our gratitude to Banff Centre without whose support we could not produce the Festival or Tour and to Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival founder John Amatt, and to former director Bernadette McDonald, whose visionary leadership elevated the Festival to the world stage.

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM AND BOOK FESTIVAL Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Box 1020, Banff, AB, Canada T1L 1H5 1-800-298-1229 email banffmountainfestival@banffcentre.ca Website banffmountainfestival.ca Box Office 1-800-413-8368 PUBLISHED BY FREEWHEEL DESIGN 516 Golden Ave., Ottawa, ON K2A 2E7 416-822-8166 Art Director Michael Zikovitz Project Manager, Print Jodi Andersen

“your stories are as vast and impressive as the landscape itself”

A program of

Sponsored by

Supporting partners

10

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

Presenting partners

WHERE ARE ↑ Stumped | “Jim went to poop without a can of bear spray, and that’s how he lost his leg. I sacrificed my arm in the rescue.”

Stumped climber Mo Beck takes a tonguein-cheek approach (and a potential Photoshop award) to her latest expedition with amputee Jim Ewing to the Northwest Territories of Canada to successfully climb the world-famous Lotus Flower Tower in the Cirque of the Unclimbables.

12

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

← Tashi and the Monk | Tashi is now nine-years-old, and from the multiple reports of her progress at the Jhamtse Gatsal Children’s Community in India, she has developed into a “smart, creative and caring child” who takes pride in looking after the younger children at the orphanage.

“Tashi carries the same crazy, wild, exuberant spirit, but over the years, she has learnt to channel it into building connections and relationships with others,” said one of her teachers. “She is affectionate and knows how to love, abundantly.”

Here she is with her mentor, Monk Lobsang, enjoying some free time playing music together.

clockwise from left: © Jhamtse international, © taylor Zann; © Jordi saragossa; © ross downard; © Paul Pritchard

We caught up with some stars of the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour to see what they’ve been up to in the last year…

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ↓ Kilian | Kilian Jornet, the world’s fastest mountain endurance runner, won the Marathon du Mont-Blanc on July 1, 2018, just three months after breaking his leg in a fall during a ski mountaineering race in the French Alps. Marathon du Mont-Blanc is no easy circuit — it ascends nearly 2,700 metres over the course of 42 kilometres. “I define myself as a lover of mountains,” said Jornet. “I like competing, but, above all, I conceive sport as a way to discover landscapes both inside and outside you.”

THEY NOW? ← Doing it Scared | “When I see how far I’ve come from being so close to death…I wake up every day and treat it like it’s going to be my last.”

In 1998, while Paul Pritchard was climbing The Totem Pole — the iconic sea-stack off the coast of Tasmania — he dislodged a rock which fell on his head, causing serious injuries and hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body).

Despite this, 20 years on Pritchard continues to adventure, break records and push boundaries for himself and others.

Most recently he completed an expedition that had never been done before — cycling 2,152 km from Australia’s lowest to highest points with four other team members who also had significant disabilities.

↑ Lily Shreds Trailside | She’s the loveable Jack Russell from Lily Shreds Trailside. When trail-shredder Lily is not busy modelling gear for adventure dogs or ripping up the trails in Park City, Utah, she is taking some time out to reflect in the mountains. We hear paddle boarding is her new thing. As her owner Ross said, “Small adventure dogs can fit pretty much anywhere.”

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

13

© Brendan Leonard

14

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

credit: all caps

Brendan Leonard keeping his spirits high during the treacherous Run Rabbit Run 100 mile race.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

I

H♥TE RUNNING (I REALLY DO) Brendan Leonard on how to run 100 miles when you really don’t want to

Y

OU’VE HEARD OF Brendan Leonard before, aka Semi-Rad — writer, artist, adventurer and filmmaker. Leonard is also the man behind the heart-warming documentaries The Important Places and Ace and the Desert Dog; both stories of human connections and the bonds that tie us to people others and the world around us. This time he’s produced a film where he is in front of the camera, embarking on his biggest challenge yet — training to run 100 miles (160 km) for an ultramarathon with one of his best friends.

In How to Run 100 miles, Leonard’s story focuses on

the tenacity of his friend Jayson Sime, who seems to have a super-human power to overcome anything life throws at him: he grew up one of six kids raised by a single mother, battled dyslexia and homelessness, got bullied in school, learned to fight literally and metaphorically, and worked his way to a successful career as a political organizer and later, a motivational speaker and coach. He also loves to run. Brendan Leonard, on the other hand, does not.

We caught up with Leonard to ask him why on earth, then, he would embark on the task of running the notorious ‘Run Rabbit Run 100-miler’ race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

15

celebrating 50 years of delicious, backcountry meals

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Semi-Rad’s take on running 100 miles ♥ When you get to eat as many Oreos and potato chips and pancakes as you like, you quickly realize this is a sport you can get down with

♥ The joy of realizing that

both eating and walking are a huge part of ultrarunning

♥ Very few people actually run 100 miles entirely

♥ Your brain goes to a cool

place during those long distances when you’re not talking to people

Brendan Leonard (left) and Jayson Sime put in 1,200 miles in training for the 100-mile race.

You trained 1,200 miles (1,931 km) in total in preparation for this 100-mile race. It doesn’t seem like you even enjoy running?

The act of running sucks, it’s true, but I’ve always wanted to tell Jayson’s story because he’s fought through so much adversity in his life with relentless positivity. Doing a race like this together seemed like a perfect way to do it. Not many of us get to develop life long memories and deeper relationships with our friends while running for hours and hours together on end.

all photos: © Brendan leonard

Ok, so you don’t enjoy ultrarunning but you must have always been into running?

Let’s put it this way — in high school I ran 100 metre races and at a push 200 metres. Once I managed to do the 400 metres, but was like, ‘I’m not into this long-distance stuff.’

Running 100 miles is one thing. Making a documentary about it is something else.

Was there an intense amount of pressure to complete the race because you were making a film about it?

The race was one of the hardest physical things I have ever done. The idea of not finishing it was a big worry in my mind. I had anxiety, heart palpitations and a lot of sleepless nights over it. There was definitely pressure.

When we reached the finish line there was

♥ Towards the end you are

huge relief that it was over and done. And I thought, all I have to do now is make a film.

Easy. But making the film proved to be an emotional rollercoaster, it was like doing another ultramarathon over the next six months.

not running, you’re more like a boat. You’re not moving on your own motivation, you’re just like a boat being pushed along by other people supporting you

♥ Persist until you succeed —

I went from zero miles to running 100 miles in two years

What is the best part about ultrarunning?

Definitely getting to eat all of the snacks at the aid stations. Eggs, pancakes and a cup of coffee after you’ve run 60 miles? Yes please.

It’s also a good mental game. I think you run the first 50 miles with your legs last 50 with your head. It’s what you learn about yourself while you’re doing it.

It’s huge for your personal resume.

And the worst part?

It’s probably the dark place you have to go and all the mental tricks you have to tell yourself to keep running. It’s not fun at all pushing through the lowest, hardest moments you’ve ever had, mentally and physically.

Final words?

I would not recommend to anyone to produce a documentary about running 100 miles while participating in it. But I still love the idea of developing the concept of a potato-chipflavoured electrolyte drink. I eat the shit out of those things during long runs.

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

17

When Love and Adventure Collide How Norway’s best adventurers found love

18

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

credit: all caps

W

hen Norway’s most decorated adventurers started filming a television show together a few years back, rumours were rife that there was exceptional chemistry between Aleksander Gamme and Cecilie Skog.

Audiences will remember Aleksander from the 2012 documentary Crossing the Ice which follows James Castrission and Justin Jones (Cas and Jonesy) as they race against Gamme to be the first to complete an unsupported round-trip journey from Antarctica to the South Pole on skis.

Considerably more experienced at traversing ice and snow (they don’t call him “the Norwegian who was born on skis” for nothing), Gamme quickly outpaced the Australians and was set to take the world record. But in a magnanimous gesture of sportsmanship, he waited two days in freezing temperatures, 3 km from the South Pole for Cas and Jonesy, so that they could all cross the finish line together as one team.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

credit: all caps

Aleksander Gamme (left), Cecilie Skog (right), their daughter, Vilja and their personalised skis bearing their faces.

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

19

SWISS + PREMIUM + QUALITY + PERFORMANCE

mammut.com

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

all photos: © aleksander Gamme

LEFT: Cecilie Skog and her daughters Vega (2) and Vilja (3) nestling in for a family sleepover in a snow cave in Norway during the winter, 2018.

BELOW: Aleksander Gamme during his 2012 solo expedition to the South Pole, documented in part in the film, Crossing the Ice.

Back in Norway, Cecilie Skog is one of Norway’s most respected mountaineers — she is also one of the few women in the world to have climbed the Seven Summits and to have skied to the South and North Poles.

A few years after Crossing the Ice, Gamme and Skog started filming a Norwegian series called The Dream Trip where they took people from various social and economic backgrounds on a trip of a lifetime.

Sparks flew and soon after filming the series, Norway’s most esteemed adventurers became Norway’s most adored couple. Today the pair are keeping the extreme sports blood line running while parenting their two daughters, Vilja (3 years old) and Vega (2 years old).

“It’s been a huge adventure becoming parents to two amazing kids,” said Gamme. “But it’s also been a challenge changing our lives to be at home every day with routines, diapers and lack of sleep.”

Initially the pair thought they could continue to adventure while prepping to be parents. When Skog was pregnant with their first daughter, they decided to film a television series Family Joy on a 12-metre sailing boat, in the Mediterranean. “It didn’t turn out to be a dream trip at all,” admitted Gamme. “Cecilie was sick a lot of the time…and I got quite sea sick too,” he quipped.

Following in the footsteps of his friend and Antarctic adversary, Jonesy, who, in 2017, trekked 1,600 km with his wife and toddler daughter through the outback of Australia, Gamme and Skog try to ‘micro-adventure’ with their children as much

Gamme says it’s been a transition for both himself and Skog, but admitted the need to adventure will always be with them, in some shape or form.

“I find it’s quite challenging balancing all the needs and expectations in this totally new world I’m in, and

“We still adventure, we actually slept in a snow cave with the kids this winter” —Aleksander Gamme as possible. They now live outside of Oslo in the “vast wilderness that surrounds the city”, are developing their skills as sport climbers and try to incorporate some of their other personal goals into family outings.

“Things change and what matters to you in your life changes, that’s why being a parent is the best adventure so far,” said Skog. “We find we are more present in those everyday, small micro adventures and discovering new things through our children’s eyes.”

“Cecilie has been amazing in this process of parenting,” added Gamme. “And we still adventure. We actually slept in a snow cave with the kids this winter which was fun,” he said. “We also ran a forest marathon with one of our daughters in the stroller.” And the reason? “We didn’t have a babysitter, so we decided to bring her along.”

at times I do feel the bigger need to head back out on another adventure again,” he said. “But I won’t stay away for long, I’ve definitely realized how soon you miss out on the really important stuff with your kids.”

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

21

Survival of the Fittest

How Sarah McNair-Landry defied the odds

The team navigating a frozen river in the film Into Twin Galaxies.

OPPOSITE: Sarah Mc Nair-Landry (left), Ben Stookesberry (centre) and Erik Boomer get ready to kayak the ice cold waters of Greenland.

22

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

credit: all caps

BY RYAN PR ATHER AND AFTON AIKENS

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

S

ARAH MCNAIR-LANDRY has the Arctic in her DNA. Hailing from Baffin Island, she was the first woman to be recognized as a Master Polar Guide and is the youngest person to reach both the North and South Poles.

In 2016, Mc Nair-Landry, along with Erik Boomer and Ben Stookesberry, went to find a barely-known Arctic river they had seen on Google Maps. They set off on a 1,000-km kite skiing/kayaking adventure of a lifetime across the Greenland Ice Cap pulling 45-days worth gear behind them. Their exploits are documented in the film Into Twin Galaxies — A Greenland Epic.

Early into their trip, on the southeastern edge of the Greenland ice sheet, a blast of Arctic wind hit the three kite-skiers. Sarah McNair-Landry’s safety latch jammed and the gust took her flying six metres into the air. She dropped headfirst onto the ice, cracking her helmet and briefly blacking out.

But they were on a mission. McNair-Landry carried on, despite the pain, traversing dangerous terrain on uneven ice to kayak a wild Arctic river. Here, we talked to McNair-Landry about the trip.

You’ve crossed Greenland six times now. On this trip, you were seriously injured early on. What made you decide to push forward? Or did you consider turning back?

I broke my back (a 40 percent compression fracture in my T8 vertebrae) early on in the expedition.

Even though we were able to consult doctors with our satellite phone, we weren’t able to diagnose the problem in the field, which made it a tough decision as to whether I should stay or be evacuated. I just had to play it by ear and keep going.

all photos: © sarah Mc Nair-laNdry

How did your recovery impact the experience of the expedition for you?

I was in a lot of pain throughout most, if not all, of the expedition. The first two days I wasn’t carrying any weight; the guys were carrying my load, which meant we were travelling really slowly. It definitely made the whole thing harder.

“We all had our moments where we were the weakest, and we all had our moments where we were the strongest” more mentally prepared for that type of stuff I am. My strategy — similar to Ben and Boomer’s strategy — is you just have to kind of laugh at things. The fact that the first river wasn’t even there…maybe we were laughing a little less, but you do have to see the humour in it and it is what it is.

Before you started this journey, your team found the rivers you wanted to kayak on Google Earth and named them Twin Galaxies. Tell us about the moment when you first saw those rivers in person.

How surreal was it?

The whole landscape surrounding the river was so much bigger than we had ever imagined. The river we scouted using Google Earth mapping was from 2012 and seeing it in person, it was so much more dramatic.

It really felt like everything had been scaled up from what we imagined and it humbled us.

Nowadays you’ve taken up paragliding. How has that experience been?

In some ways the wings are similar to kite skiing but not being on the ground makes it incredibly different.

It’s been a pretty fun experience but slightly terrifying at the same time.

You were on this journey with extreme kayakers Ben Stookesberry and Erik Boomer (also your boyfriend) and you brought your expertise in kite skiing and navigating glacial terrain. How did each of your strengths interplay?

I think we made an awesome team because we all brought something to the table. We all had our moments where we were the weakest, and we all had our moments where we were the strongest. Because we all had different skills, we really had to trust each other and we really had to work together.

You’ve said the conditions on this trip were worse than you expected; you had to cross crevasses with heavy gear in tow, day after day. On a 45-day expedition of this nature, how do you keep your spirits up?

Ha ha…Well Ben’s a really good singer, we sang a lot of 80’s songs. I find the more expeditions I do, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

23

“When I get overwhelmed with health stuff, I know I can still go climbing and it resets my clock every time”

Craig DeMartino continues to defy critics and is climbing harder than ever before.

OPPOSITE: In hospital after his 30-metre fall with his wife Cyndy, daughter, Mayah, and son, Will.

FILM FEATURE: CRAIG’S REACTION

Craig’s Reaction

A story of strength and resilience

I

MAGINE THIS — falling 30 metres. That’s like falling from a ten-story building. Both your feet shatter and you break extensive parts of your spine, neck, arms and ribs.

This is exactly what happened to Craig DeMartino in 2002. He was climbing with a friend in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado when a terrible miscommunication occurred between them. DeMartino then accidently fell nearly 30 metres onto the rocks below. He survived but his life was changed irrevocably.

He then had a choice to make — retreat into his new existence or carry on living the life he had previously lived, albeit with some major changes.

Craig’s Reaction, the new film by Cameron Maier, is Craig DeMartino’s comeback story.

“Craig says life is 100% circumstance and 90% his reaction to it,” said director Cameron Maier. “What I learnt from spending time with him is that anything can happen to you in this life, but it’s how you deal with it, that’s what defines the kind of life you have.”

In the years following that fateful day in 2002, DeMartino waded through the pain and frustration of recovering from his extensive multiple injuries. He soon decided the best way to improve his mobility and get back to the quality of life he wanted was to cut off his right foot.

He became an amputee. His positivity, however, never seemed to waver. And a few years later, though it terrified him, he got back into a climbing harness. It was a simple decision, spurred on by his five-year-old daughter finishing a pitch and innocently asking him, “Are you going to climb next, Daddy?”

And that was all he needed.

In 2006, DeMartino made headlines around the world by becoming the first amputee to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan in a day. He went on to use his prosthetic foot to climb his way to medals at the Extremity Games, the X-Games for athletes with disabilities. And later, he became a sponsored athlete, spending his time between Canada and France.

Ten years on from the accident that almost almost killed him, DeMartino led the first all disabled ascent of El Capitan with fellow amputees Pete Davis and Jarem Frye, captured in the 2012 short film, Gimp Monkeys.

The feat caught the attention of climbers around the world. “I never liked being helped by able people”, said climber Mo Beck, who

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

25

NOMIC & ERGONOMIC

Photo © www.kalice.fr

Steep and steeper.

The new NOMIC maintains its world-famous swing and excels at climbing steep ice. Crafted for swinging and hooking into delicate or mixed lines, the ERGONOMIC is the choice for those climbing steeper or overhanging terrain. Both tools feature an overmolded dual handle, adjustable GRIPREST, modular head, and hydroformed shaft. www.petzl.com

FILM FEATURE: CRAIG’S REACTION

all photos: © Cyn DeMartino

was born with only one arm (you’ll remember her from the 2017 film Stumped). “So, to see what he did in Yosemite with an all adaptive ascent, I was like, f*** yes. We don’t need to be guided or hauled up, we don’t need anybody.”

It’s been 16 years since that fateful day, and DeMartino still continues to defy critics by climbing. The 53 year old now spends a lot of his time running adaptive climbing clinics and giving motivational talks all around the US on championing adversity through difficulties and post traumatic growth.

He has also managed to climb grades as hard as 5.12 along with introducing scores of fellow athletes

with disabilities to the joy of climbing.

“The most comforting thing I can do is to go climbing,” said DeMartino. “It’s where I can shut stuff out. It’s really calming. When I get overwhelmed with health stuff, I know I can still go climbing and it resets my clock every time.

It became this great physical therapy.”

His attitude of refusing to let setbacks and disabilities hold him back — he is now climbing harder than he did before the accident in terms of grades, technique and efficiency — shines through in Craig’s Reaction.

“Craig can really change the way you look at life,” said Maier. “He has this gift of provoking an introspective growth in people he meets. It’s quite incredible.”

CRAIG’S RECORDS First amputee to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan in under 24 hours.

First amputee to climb the Nose of El Cap in under a day.

Leader of the first all-disabled ascent of El Cap.

Two time national paraclimbing champion (US).

Two time bronze medal winner at the Paraclimbing World Championships.

Contest Enter to win the Grand Prize 13-day adventure for two to Antarctica with World Expeditions!

Enter at: banffmountainfestival.ca/contest

There is a place that’s the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Enter to win an experience to Lake Louise. This iconic mountain destination is the perfect place to live your adventure.

Plus lots of other prizes from festival sponsors

FILM FEATURE: RJ RIPPER

RJ RIPPER

The rise of Asia’s fastest mountain biker

K

ployer of Magar’s mother’s, seeing Magar’s keen interest in bikes, gave him a BMX. Later, he spent months doing odd jobs saving up the $25 it cost to buy his own second-hand mountain bike. He then taught himself how to ride by analysing YouTube videos of famous bikers.

Soon enough he wanted to upgrade to a downhill bike, but money was tight. Magar’s mother worked as a house maid and his father a construction worker, and poured what little money they had into their children’s education.

So, Magar made the decision: if he couldn’t afford a new bike, he would just have to make the bike he wanted himself. He got to work and began constructing a downhill bike from junkyard scraps of metal — an old spring from a scooter and a GI pipe, more commonly used for household plumbing.

Unencumbered by any fear, he rode that same bike in his first race, the 2013 Nepal National Championship, and cruised home in sixth place. In the years since then, Magar has gone on to become the fourtime National Champion, is Nepal’s fastest mountain biker, and in 2018 he was also named a National Geographic Adventurer. He also now earns a living as a professional mountain bike guide.

“What we really wanted to understand was why was

“I’ve never heard of or seen a story like this” —Joey Schusler

credit: all caps

IDS AND BIKES tend to go together.

And though Nepal, more usually associated with mountaineering exploits, is not the likely breeding ground for worldclass mountain bikers, somehow Rajesh (RJ) Magar has managed to carve out the position as one of Asia’s top mountain bikers.

All from racing on a bike he built himself, forged from junkyard scraps and tested on the rugged trails of the Himalaya.

Magar’s story caught the attention of filmmakers Ben Page and Joey Schusler, who also share a love of mountain biking. In The Frozen Road, Page documented his solo cycle through Canada to the Arctic Sea in 2016, while Schusler’s 2014 film, The Trail to Kazbegi followed four riders on an epic bikepacking expedition through the Caucasus Mountains in the Republic of Georgia.

When the pair heard about this gritty Nepali biker making a name for himself on a ‘beat up clunker’ he welded together, they knew they had to investigate the story further. “I’ve never heard of or seen a story like this,” said Schusler.

RJ Ripper documents RJ Magar’s life growing up in the poor confines of Kathmandu. When he was about 10 years old, a stroke of fate intervened and an em-

28

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/ 19

below: © ben Page; inset Photos: Joey schusler

RJ was so enthused by mountain biking and what it was about mountain biking that made him try so hard, in the face of so many hurdles in his life, to succeed,” said Page. “That’s what we were really interested in.”

Shusler agrees. “These kind of success stories don’t really exist in Nepal because mountain biking is a very expensive sport that most people can’t afford to partake in,” he said. But for the 21-year-old it is an intrinsic part of who he is. “Mountain biking is part of my soul,” Magar says. “It has changed my whole outlook on life.”

In making RJ Ripper, Page and Schusler spent a few weeks in Kathmandu getting to know Magar before heading up to the Mustang Valley to film him on the trails of the Himalaya.

And since the film was released, Magar’s profile in Nepal has exploded. People are starting to take notice of the boy from humble beginnings with the dogged determination to pursue his dream.

And next on the cards?

His aim is to compete in the mountain biking World Series, which takes place mainly in Europe and North America — difficult locations for Nepalis to gain visas to compete in.

Schusler remains eternally optimistic and philosophical about Magar’s future: “If RJ’s tale is one of overcoming hurdles and obstacles then this is just another life obstacle which I’m sure he’ll be able to overcome by the sheer force of his own will and determination.”

ABOVE: Magar with the remnants of the bike he made himself.

BELOW: RJ Magar, One of Asia’s fastest mountain bikers, ripping it up in the Himalaya.

For more about Colltex in North America And COMBIN phosphorescent visit www.roirecreation.com

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

29

credit: all caps

30

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/ 19

Winter in the Afghan Pamirs

Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition

BY NICKY LYNCH

credit: all caps

“I think they were really surprised to see me show up in the middle of the winter,” says photographer Beth Wald on her return to the remote, isolated mountain world of the Afghan Pamirs. →

A small population of Kyrgyz live a nomadic life year-round on the high plateau of the Afghan Pamirs, moving seasonally with their herds of yaks, goats, sheep, camels and horses, on which they are completely dependent—for food, clothing, shelter, fuel, and as currency.

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

31

BANFF MOUNTAIN PHOTO ESSAY COMPETITION

“The warm hospitality of the Wakhi and Kyrgyz families made it one of the most special, otherworldly journeys I have ever made”

With a Wakhi guide, a local yak wrangler, and a few yaks, Wald had set out on a one-month winter journey through the Wakhan corridor in the Afghan Pamirs. Her third visit to the region, and first in winter, was all part of a larger project to document the nomadic lives of the local Wakhi and Kyrgyz peoples. “I was particularly interested in seeing how the Kyrgyz spent the winter and wanted to really feel — and then try to express in pictures — what life is like in this remote region,” said Wald of her winning photo essay, Winter in the Afghan Pamirs.

Wald’s initial fascination in the area began over 20 years ago in a used bookstore when she picked up Caravans to Tartary, a photographic book which documented the nomadic journeys made by the Afghan Kyrgyz in the 1970’s. “I had hoped to follow a caravan in winter but due to the lack of snow in the passes they were mostly going down to trade in smaller groups and using yaks instead of horses and camels,” said Wald. As a result, she found her experience to be much more intimate than her earlier trips, as she was welcomed into their homes during the harsh winter. She was also able to re-connect with some of the families she had met on earlier visits. “I would hang out in the mud huts or yurts, mostly with the women and children, using the few words of Kyrgyz I knew, then would go out when the men were taking the animals out to graze, or bringing them back to camp for the evening. I just followed the rhythms of their life.

“Overall, it was a really hard trip, very, very cold and I felt very alone at times, a bit lost in that frozen alpine environment, but the warm hospitality of the Wakhi and Kyrgyz families made it one of the most special, otherworldly

32

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

Kyrgyz girls in traditional red robes brave frigid temperatures and icy winds as they fill plastic jugs with water at a stream near their family’s winter camp (4,200 metres), and load them on to their donkeys—a cold but necessary daily outing. All women and girls wear red; after marrying, the red headdress is replaced with a white one.

OPPOSITE LEFT: A Wakhi man sprinkles sand on a frozen river so that he and his yak won’t slip on the ice, during a journey up the Wakhan River into the higher regions of the Little Pamir to trade with the Kyrgyz. The Wakhi are thought to be indigenous to the region, which is named for them.

OPPOSITE RIGHT: Kyrgyz women prepare a meal of yak meat and bones in a mud hut at their family’s winter camp. For cooking and heat, they rely completely on the dried dung of their animals, as there are no trees in the high valleys of the Pamirs.

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

33

BANFF MOUNTAIN PHOTO ESSAY COMPETITION

“The people in the photos seem so fragile in a way, so overwhelmed by the landscape but such an integral part of it” journeys I have ever made.”

Reflecting on this particular series of images, Wald added: “The people in the photos seem so fragile in a way, so overwhelmed by the landscape but such an integral part of it.”

Wald’s essay was selected as the Grand Prize winner of the Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition by the jury of award-winning photographers Jeff Kerby, John Price, and Jane Sievert. “Our imagination was swept

34

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

away by these wonderful images from the rarely visited Afghan Pamirs, and we were moved by Wald’s ability to connect with these people who still live in a traditional way,” said Kerby, a previous recipient of the prize in 2017 for his photo essay, Guassa Geladas.

Beth Wald would like to acknowledge the Aga Khan Foundation/ Aga Khan Development Network who assisted with her journey and who have been unfailing supporters of the people of the Wakhan Corridor.

Visit banffmountainfestival.ca for more details on learning opportunities at Banff Centre in mountain photography, adventure filmmaking, and mountain and wilderness writing.

HELLYHANSEN.COM

A Bactrian camel stoically braves a snowstorm at a Kyrgyz winter camp. These woolly, double-humped camels used by the Krygyz are domestic relatives of the wild and critically endangered Bactrian camels of southern China and northern Mongolia.

WARM UP WITHOUT FEELING WEIGHED DOWN. CHOOSE LIKE A PRO.

LIFALOFT™ HYBRID INSULATOR JACKET

CHOOSE A JACKET WITH NEW LIFALOFT™ TECHNOLOGY. 20% LIGHTER AND STILL WARMER THAN STANDARD INSULATION.

Presented by:

Proud Supporter of

DENNIS RISVOLL / PROFESSIONAL SKIER

WORLD TOUR HOST

Venezuelan tour hosts Frida Ayala (left) and Orlando Corona continue to host World Tour films despite the social unrest.

Surviving Venezuela

What is the biggest struggle facing Venezuelans today?

Frida: People can’t afford to live. The inflation is so high here that, on average, basic commodities cost twice as much one month as they did the previous month. More than four million people have already fled Venezuela in search of a better life. The worst part about the current situation is that people don’t feel that their lives are important or that they can keep their families safe.

36

What do adventure films mean for people living in Venezuela?

OrlandO: Many people who are involved in the adventure community here see our struggle being like that of a mountaineer. A mountaineer on an adventure will face challenges from which he will have to overcome and grow. Our struggle here in Venezuela is similar. The World Tour means so much to us because it allows us all to dream of a better life, of new possibilities. It also gives us the space for some new, fresh energy that we all need.

How does the current social, political and economic crisis affect you on the tour directly?

OrlandO: Ten years ago a ticket to the World Tour screening cost about $10. Now it costs $0.20 cents. The minimum salary per month is just $2 so, for some people, buying a ticket to see films is the equivalent of a day’s food. People have to decide whether they spend money on a ticket to see these films or do they buy food for their family? To go to the movie theatre or do they eat?

What is the future of the World Tour in Venezuela?

Frida: We will do everything to keep the tour alive because it gives people here hope. We are almost at a point where our society is about to col-

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

lapse. People need something to believe in and to dream about. These films we show are all about endurance and overcoming obstacles in the mountains. People here relate to that. The films they come to watch allow people to escape the life they are living here and to be in another world, even for an hour. It’s hugely important, psychologically speaking, for our entire community.

“People need something to believe in and to dream about” Final thoughts?

Frida: As a toddler, my son, Tomás, used to hand out raffle prizes at our shows. Now he is 16 and works as our projectionist. It has always been a family affair. We started showing Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival films to Venezuelans in 2002 because we knew people needed something to believe in.

We will continue to show these incredible films to Venezuelans because as long as we can do this, we can continue to provide the “soul food” we all need to make it through these tough times.

© Frida ayala

B

anff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour travels to over 40 countries in the world sharing the best mountain films from the Festival in Banff.

One of the World Tour locations is Venezuela, which is currently in the midst of a six-year economic and social crisis. Despite incredible challenges, our World Tour hosts still manage to present films that lift and inspire Venezuelans, as well as going to great lengths to help nurture local filmmakers to produce films that showcase the superb outdoor adventures that can be experienced in Venezuela.

We caught up with World Tour hosts Orlando Corona and Frida Ayala, who have been presenting the Tour in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, since 2002, to find out more.

2018 BANFF MOUNTAIN

FILM COMPETITION AWARDS

Grand Prize

$4,000 Sponsored by MEC

®

Creative Excellence Award

$2,000 Sponsored by Rumble Supershake

Best Film — Exploration and Adventure

$2,000 Sponsored by ROI Recreational Outfitters

Best Film — Mountain Culture $2,000 Sponsored by Helly Hansen

Best Film — Mountain Environment & Natural History $2,000 Sponsored by ChopShop

Best Film — Climbing

$2,000 Sponsored by the Alpine Club of Canada

Best Film — Mountain Sports $2,000 Sponsored by Smartwool

Best Film — Snow Sports

$2,000 Sponsored by Boréale Explorers

Best Short Mountain Film $2,000 Sponsored by Sherpa Adventure Gear

Best Feature-length Mountain Film

$2,000 Sponsored by The North Face Banff owned + operated by Highline Outdoors

People’s Choice Award $2,000 Sponsored by Osprey

Summit of Excellence Award Sponsored by Norseman Outdoor Specialist and Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Mountain Idol Award

Sponsored by Banff Mount Norquay, Rab and the Alpine Club of Canada

38

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

PROMOTIONAL

WAKING UP AND KICKING ASS

credit: all caps

ELANA ROSENFELD HAS A MOTTO : Life is complicated. Coffee shouldn’t be.

Rosenfeld cofounded Kicking Horse Coffee from the small confines of her garage in 1996 in the East Kootenay town of Invermere, BC. Early on, she made a decision: the only thing she was interested in using was coffee that was good for both coffee drinkers and for farmers alike.

But to make a kick-ass coffee she didn’t just need coffee beans. She needed a lot of exceptional coffee beans. And she needed to source them consistently and dependably. And that’s not simple given that coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world. It is also an industry that can be volatile, unpredictable and subject to dramatic price fluctuations.

“Just a few years after starting out we began sourcing Fairtrade and organic beans for some of our coffees,” said Rosenfeld. “It was a newer concept, and many people told me it couldn’t be done but I knew we could find a way.”

She persevered and almost immediately she saw a change happening.

“Very early on we saw that people were really connecting with us and the quality of the coffee,” said Rosenfeld. “By 2007 we took it a step further by going 100 per cent Fairtrade and organic. We introduced

whole bean, organic, Fairtrade coffee, which there wasn’t any of in the marketplace at the time. It was really a no-brainer.”

What Rosenfeld stuck to was the idea of producing a coffee that is pure, full of flavour, and good for you.

To this day, Kicking Horse Coffee only sources highquality Arabica beans that are Fairtrade and organic.

“It’s a commitment to quality, but also to people. It means that money from the coffee beans we buy goes back into the communities that produce those beans.

It means that those farmers and their families aren’t exposed to pesticides or harmful farming practices,” said Rosenfeld. “It means smart farming, planning for tomorrow, and not sacrificing the future.”

For Rosenfeld, it also means not compromising. Not settling for anything less than the best.

“We want our coffee to taste great,” she added, “but we want to feel great about our story too.”

Today, Kicking Horse Coffee is North America’s #1 selling Organic coffee.

Waking up and kicking ass never felt better.

kickinghorsecoffee.com

2018 BANFF MOUNTAIN

BOOK COMPETITION AWARDS

Banff Centre is the only time you can wear hiking boots to a concert hall.

Grand Prize

Phyllis and Don Munday Award $4,000 Sponsored by the Alpine Club of Canada

Mountain Literature The Jon Whyte Award

Banff Centre is .

$2,000 Sponsored by The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Adventure Travel Award $2,000 Sponsored by Fjällräven

Mountain Image Award

IATION

SS

OC

Your Passion. Our adventures.

N A DI A N M O

A

CMG

S

CA

TAIN GUIDE UN

OF

$2,000 Sponsored by Lake O’Hara Lodge

Guide Book Award

$2,000 Sponsored by Association of Canadian Mountain Guides

A

Experience the best of the Canadian Rockies Mountain Fiction and Poetry Award

climb : ski : trek : learn : explore

$2,000 Sponsosred by Grimm’s Fine Foods

Mountaineering History Award $2,000 Sponsored by Rab

Mountain Environment and Natural History Award

$2,000 Sponsored by Town of Banff

Mountaineering Article Award

Canmore, AB, Canada | 1-866-678-4164 yamnuska.com canadianrockieshiking.com backcountryfood.ca

Sponsored by University of Alberta and the Alpine Club of Canada

Proudly sponsoring the

SUMMIT OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

40

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

Last Words Festival and World Tour tidbits and your feedback

Heard around the world…

Give this man an award I came home after the festival so inspired that I found myself doing push-ups. Kid you not.

A lifelong love affair I’ve been coming to see films on the World Tour since I was 12 when my father took me.

I have been hooked ever since. Now I am 27, my father has passed on but the tradition lives, and every year I sneak out of work (with no regrets) and get inspired to take on my own adventures. Thanks for the smiles, heartaches, laughter, and knowledge!

Soul food I watch these films to be inspired to be “more”. I am amazed at what people are doing and how they are living life untethered. I want to aspire to be “more”, enjoy “more”, live “more”... Seeing and hearing these adventuring spirits shows me a window into a world and life I didn’t know existed or could be desired / accomplished. Thank you!

Lost for words I was left incredibly inspired and speechless. My passion for exploration, outdoor adventure and international culture was ignited and stimulated by each film in their own individual ways. I want to thank you for showcasing these daring, profound, and beautifully cultivated perspectives for the risk takers of the world to aspire to emulate within our own lives. I strongly believe that organizations like these are what keep the

• @BanffMtnFest • @banffcentre • #BanffWorldTour

42

• BanffMountainFilmFestival • BanffCentre

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2018/19

world moving by connecting us through important messages like these. Thank you for making it possible!

40

countries

550,000 people

Listen to your school teacher…

I plan to bring my entire gifted and talented class to the show next year. It will be a blast.

Higher Love Every year, at least one of the stories brings me to tears. All the films inspire a sense of adventure, demonstrate joie de vivre, and show how strong the human spirit is. There is nothing like this out there, I LOVE this film festival. Thank you for sharing it with those of us that can’t make it to Banff!

Social Media @daddybookins: When you realize tickets are sold out for @BanffMtnFest in #Tucson for your kiddos birthday and can’t make it to the #Sedona venue so you purchase tickets for #Pasadena and gear up for a 380 mile road trip. That’s some dedication! @lalovesdurm: An incredible, adrenaline-filled world tour, yet again! Thank you @nathanocracy: It’s the @banffcentre film festival world tour tonight. The highlight of my year. @mozeeski: Enjoying some breathtaking views at this year’s #Banff Mountain Film Festival @xavermatt: Inspirational night out @BanffMtnFest London. Keep pushing those limits!

• youtube.com/ banffcentre

• @banffmountainfestival

35

films shown in…

…1,100 screenings around the world

20,000 attend the Festival in Banff each year

“I cherish mountain adventures with my parents and brothers or my wife and our kids just as much as ventures on technical mountains like Fitz Roy. To me, Deuter is a brand with history – and future!”

MICHI BÜCKERS WITH THE NEW TRAIL 30: Michi is a certified mountain guide and Deuter brand ambassador. He started his career as a road bike racer. Today his list of outdoor sports is long and he loves to combine them all into epic days.

We are the forgers of dreams, the crafters of comfort.

We are ceaseless in our commitment to Rab’s exacting standards, ingenuity and pioneering spirit.

We are the bond stronger than any rope.

More than 30 years since our founding we continue to find inspiration in the untamed spirit of the mountains where we climb, the friendships we forge on the peak.

We are the kindred spirits.

We make rugged, high-performance mountain clothing and equipment, by climbers for climbers.

We are the mountain people.

W W W. R A B . E Q U I P M EN T