Swimming in the Lake

In the early morning, Dr. Marie-Ève, Geoff our guide and I went to the Lodge to leave a few non-essential items and also to pick up the recharged electronic material. This morning, we leave the Alpine plateaus around Mount Assiniboine for a three-day itinerant trek to Sunshine Village, where our journey will end. We joined the group some 30 minutes later, about four kilometres from the camp that night, or rather that day, because we got there around noon. I say about because nobody here has the time. It is always quarter to. Here, tents are installed on gravel platforms.

Today’s main event was definitely the swim in the icy lake known as Og Lake. The first challenge was to pick up the Frisbee thrown 30 metres further. Of course, we did not have to keep asking Mikael for him to jump into the water. In the background, Cindy was already in the middle of the lake, slowly crossing to the other shore. Those two are very impressive. They can stay in the water and are in no hurry to get out. Then everybody went in, each at their own pace. Arnaud, Stéphanie, Larissa and Mario took the opportunity to wash (outside the lake, as soap is not permitted in water bodies). A few minutes later, Jessy challenged them to swim to a rock, about 40 metres away. He thought that his challenge was going to be refused, but he was caught in his own trap. Simon, Youssef, Geoff, Mario, Mikael and I accepted the challenge. The swim there went well, but Jessy took at least 20 minutes to decide to swim back.

This afternoon the group was divided in small groups. Aurélie, Youssef, Jessy, Arnaud and Big Geoff played cards, Janny, Simon and I took a nap, Steph, Larissa, Jemmy and Vincent talked, Julie, Marie-Michelle, Mario, Marie-Ève and Olivier took a walk, and Cindy and Mikael … swam some more. Now it is time to make supper. Not because we’re hungry, but because we want our bags to be lighter tomorrow. Ah, I forgot! There are a few mosquitoes in the last two days. It’s amazing how the general mood, although very good, has become more relaxed.

Today I’ll turn the blog over to Larissa. Thank you, Larissa!

“Cancer affects everyone so differently. For me it took all my strength and confidence, going from being invincible to having a life-changing disease was very hard. Then I found the Foundation. The mountains in British Columbia are insanely massive, beautiful, breathtaking, and overwhelming. My goal was to reach a summit, and I truly wasn’t sure it was obtainable; the possibility to fall off the side of a mountain became so real, so fast. It all hit me once we stopped halfway up to put more layers on and, not long after, we were hiking in snow. The wind was incredibly hard, and BAM! the side of the mountain just dropped off. My heart started beating out of my body; we were like mountain goats scaling the side of a mountain. Getting to the top was a very emotional moment. It took everything I had in me, and I finally concurred something harder than cancer. I left on top of the mountain. It’s safe to say that I now have my STRENGTH AND CONFIDENCE back.

It’s such an empowering feeling, like 100 bricks off my shoulders, and I never looked back. I couldn’t have done this without the foundation and now my new friends.”

Nicolas Tremblay, Blogger and Photographer for the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation