Like Verdi’s opera, we kept the best for last. Or the most difficult should we say.
We were faced with more than 13 kilometers and 3 major climbs including Citadel Pass, which alone is 500 meters of elevation gain. We got up a few minutes before dawn and were on the trail by 7AM. It took us 3 hours to climb the first 4 kilometers and get to an elevation of 2380 meters. It’s on this spot, in the shadow of Citadel Mountain, that we crossed over from British Columbia to Alberta.
Even though we had climbed the biggest hill of the day, 9 kilometers were still separating us from Sunshine Village, our final destination. It’s while traversing this section, called Sunshine Meadows, that we had an unexpected but very enjoyable encounter: a grizzly! A beautiful 2 or 3 years old cub was happily strolling by in the prairie about 134 meters in front of us. Like most bears, it stopped to look at us, sniffed the air and left once it saw we were humans. A very beautiful moment, considering that seeing a grizzly was a dream come true for many of us.
Luckily for us, the weather forecast was wrong for the most part: we were expecting very heavy rain. Instead, we walked under blue skies for 11 of the 13 kilometers of our final hike. And, only 2 kilometers away from the end, the sky became grey as if the Rockies were sad to see us leave. It then rained a few tears at first, followed by big drops accompanied by heavy, sustained wind. This weather followed us all the way to Sunshine Village where, like magic, the sun pierced the clouds to shine on our group that was hugging and congratulating one another. Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction…
Back at the Alpine Club of Canada’s Clubhouse, we realized how a warm shower, pizza, fresh salad and a comfy couch are invaluable luxuries. After dinner, we lived a high moment of the expedition: the distribution of the diplomas and the closing circle. Each participant, young and old, had to pick a word to describe their experience. Beauty, unique, inspiring, perseverance, transcending your limits, group, scree run, butterfly, happy, surprise, meeting, complicity, achievement, rebirth, strength, determination, unforgettable, courage, confidence, hockey, height. The sharing is sincere, eyes are shining and throats are tight.
Tomorrow, the teens will come back home after having lived an unforgettable expedition. For many, this is the experience of a lifetime, an experience that will give them tools to live the biggest adventure of all: the adventure of life.