In June 2019, OnwardUP Campus collaborated with a local guiding operation, Yamnuska Mountain Adventures, to create a backcountry camping experience for Campers Village staff, a specialty outdoor retailer with stores in Calgary and Edmonton, AB. We had 10 staff and management join us from 3 locations for what turned into the perfect gear-testing adventure!
“On June 26th, 2019, our group set out on an adventure to put our gear to the test during the Rockies June-monsoon. The group hiked about 50 km over three days in the beautiful Lake Louise area. We hiked past the Lake Louise ski resort and spent our first night at the Baker Lake campground. Day Two we circumnavigated Skoki Mountain while fording the headwaters of the Red Deer River. Day Three we hiked past the famous Skoki Lodge and made our way over a beautiful mountain pass to return back to Lake Louise where we were greeted by fresh cinnamon buns from Laagans bakery and stashed cold brews. The trip was challenging for many ‘new’ hikers and we had very wet weather. This affected our ability to socialize into the evenings but was great for product testing and made for a rewarding and memorable experience.”
– Rob Owens, OnwardUP President & IFMGA Mountain Guide
This is what staff are saying about the experience and what they learned…
“Just because you have been doing things for a long time, always be open to new gear combinations. Also, double-check the team’s gear as a group before you go out. I still cant believe one of our team did not believe in rain pants!”
“A good way to test breath-ability of fabric is to try and blow air through it.”
“… The knowledge gained from experiential learning is invaluable. We used the product which is a powerful learning method.”
“Great event for product knowledge, and team building and culture.”
Images & Video from this event were captured by Michael Klekamp @ CameraOperator.ca
