Lynn Martel

Bernie Schiesser: Master of the Hills

Bernie Schiesser calls it fate, but the cast of characters in his bio reads like a who's who of Rockies history. Over the course of his long life, Schiesser's positive energy and remarkable contributions to many aspects of mountain life have firmly established him on that same roster. Here's the story behind the man – the pioneer, guide, and backcountry host, who will forever have a legacy in the Canadian Rockies. [...]

Three Things I’ve Learned: Dorothy Carleton

Mountains make the greatest teachers and provide us with countless opportunities to contemplate, question and learn. At the ripe age of 97, Dorothy Carleton recounts some of her life’s greatest lessons. [...]

Excerpt: Into the Depths

The terror, luck and tragedy of crevasse falls. "I was then lowered into the gaping hole. On one side the ice fell sheer, on the other it was rather undercut, but again bulged outwards about eighteen feet below the surface, making the crevasse at that point not much more than two feet wide...." [...]

Drawn to the High and Wild: Anna Smith

Known for her trademark laugh and generous spirit, Canmore-based climber Anna Smith was a prolific and cutting-edge climber whose passing has left a mountain-size gap in the climbing community of the Rockies and beyond. [...]

John E. Marriott Web Series Exposes Wildlife Issues

One of Canada’s premier wildlife photographers, John Marriott recently launched a brand new documentary-style, no-holds-barred web series tackling the most timely and controversial issues facing Canadian wildlife. Lynn Martel interviews Marriott about the impetus behind the web series and why he's hoping to inspire people to take action. [...]

Higher Love and The Quest to Ski Everest

Only one woman can become the first woman to ski down Mt. Everest. It was a lofty goal for Canmore’s Maegan Carney, and one that slipped through her fingertips in 2003. Lynn Martel reports on how Carney’s journey intersects with Kit Deslauriers’ successful descent of the world’s highest mountain in October 2006. [Photo: Jimmy Chin] [...]

Three Things I’ve Learned: Richard Guy

Mountains make the greatest teachers and provide us with countless opportunities to contemplate, question and learn. At 99, Richard Guy has had nearly a century of lessons during his life-long relationship with the mountains. In this installment of “Three Things I’ve Learned”, writer Lynn Martel taps into the wisdom of this mathematician and mountain adventurer, who truly embodies a life lived to the fullest. [...]

Karsten Heuer: A Life Shaped by the Y2Y Vision

Karsten Heuer is known for many things, in particular big journeys across the Canadian landscape. In this in-depth interview with the conservationist, biologist and author, Lynn Martel uncovers what has inspired his journeys, and where they've brought him today. [...]

A Youth Wasted Climbing: Interview with David Chaundy-Smart

No stranger to the world of climbing literature, David Chaundy-Smart and his recently published memoir, A Youth Wasted Climbing (Rocky Mountain Books), have already won the accolades of some of the most influential voices in the industry. In this interview, Lynn Martel gets behind-the-scenes with the author and digs into his writing process, his thoughts on climbing today, and how his adolescence has shaped him. [...]

Thinking Mountains Draws International Crowd to Jasper

Mountain regions, which comprise one-fifth of the world's surface, offer important areas of study for academics in a variety of disciplines, including natural sciences, the social sciences, and the arts and humanities. From May 5 to 8, 2015, scholars and speakers from around the world descended on Jasper National Park for Thinking Mountains 2015. The goal? To better understand mountain people, places and activities. [...]

Niagara Climb a Show of Gadd’s True Talents

Will Gadd’s ascent of Niagara Falls on January 27, 2015, may have been a climb up one of the world’s most famous waterfalls, but the climbing was just as difficult as the logistics of getting it approved. Here’s why Gadd’s climb was a culmination of a lifetime of learned skills – a perfectly executed professional adventure. [...]