TrailSTOKEd

kokanee ridge
Photo: Bruno Long – http://www.brunolong.com

Perpetual forward motion.

I don’t know how many times I uttered or, at times, gasped those words to myself but it seemed to do the trick. Some 9 hours and 36 minutes after starting the second 5Peaks TrailSTOKE ultra marathon on 29 August, I crossed the finish line, feeling drained, soggy and elated at what i’d achieved. Continue reading

Mount Bourgeau – Truly Epic

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Summit bound…

Mount Bourgeau. Altitude 2,931m, named by James Hector in 1860 after Eugène Bourgeau, a botanist with the Palliser Expedition. First climbed in 1890.

125 years and countless hikers and runners later, Canmore Runner puffed his way to the summit in the great company of Mike Fitzpatrick, coordinator of Canmore Trail Culture and Mount Bourgeau alumni. Continue reading

Rundle Traverse – Not for the Faint Hearted or Those Without Rope

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Mount Rundle, looking west.

I don’t consider myself faint hearted but i’m not sure i’ll be doing the Rundle Traverse anytime soon. Unlike local runner Simon Donato and Ryan Atkins that is, who last week completed the 23km run along the eleven peaks of Mount Rundle, with some 3,100 metres of elevation gain in 10 hours 25 minutes – beating Dow Williams’ FKT by 2.5 hours. Continue reading

So, what about those trails?

As I said not so long ago, as trail running destinations go, Canmore is exceptional. The number and variety of trails is truly incredible, all set against the most stunning of backdrops. The trails present all manner of possibilities and challenges depending on what you’re after. Continue reading