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We’ve Spent Over A Year Hiking Through The Canadian Wilderness And These Are The Photos We’ve Captured (20 Pics)
We are Marta Kulesza and Jack Bolshaw, we met in a mountainous region of Ecuador beneath the volcano Cotopaxi. Our love for photographing summits turned into love for each other and soon the cogs in our brains started planning our next adventure together.
So off we went. First to the Amazon jungle, then to the Southern Alps of New Zealand, Tasmania in Australia, the European Alps, the Icelandic Highlands, and then to the Canadian Rockies.
Our leg muscles strengthened as we completed over 1000 km of trails and as the hikes turned our calves to stone, our minds were toughened by the extreme conditions we faced.
We summited mountains during the night to watch the sunrise, stayed up late to watch the sunset and drove close to 4000 km over a long weekend to capture the aurora. We had days that were above 40 degrees Celsius (+100F) and braved temperatures close to -50C (-58F) at night.
There wasn’t much we wouldn’t do. Here are a couple of photos that will probably make you want to see these places for yourself.
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Lady Aurora Dancing In The Northwest Territories
Whilst hiking in Tonquin Valley in Jasper National Park, a trip we did twice over 8 days, we rounded a corner on an enclosed section of the path when all of a sudden we were face to face with a grizzly sow with two young cubs. The most dangerous and unpredictable animal in the Canadian Rockies.
With a backpack full of beef jerky, we readied our bear spray, spoke even louder than before, and avoided direct eye contact as it can be perceived as a sign of aggression.
As we were standing our ground, the momma bear began advancing toward us with cubs in tow. With nowhere to go, we walked backward for what seemed like an eternity until the mother led her cubs through the bush toward the Astoria River near the Amethyst Lakes.
With our hearts in our mouths, we continued on, much sweatier than before.
Indian Ridge In Jasper National Park
Sunrise On Ha Ling Peak, Canmore
Canmore? Canmore!? Fans of Air Farce will get this. Otherwise.....
When a perfect weather window opened, we decided to camp on the first summit of the Pocaterra Ridge in the heart of Kananaskis Country. Whilst crossing the first avalanche path from the previous winter, the sky looked great. Clear and calm.
After a final surge, we were at the first summit, had set up camp, ate, and were in our sleeping bags, waiting for sunrise. Then came a slight breeze; a considerable gust, followed by a strong wind that eventually ended in intermittent hail storms with 125km/h blasts. Although our tent was pitched as well as it could be, we literally had to hold it up with our feet from the inside.
As the sun rose we decided to make a break for it as the hail had temporarily died down.
Whilst traversing down crunchy snowdrift, the light broke through the clouds, illuminating the eastern face of Mount Pocaterra. A moment totally worth the hardship of the night.
Floe Lake In Kootenay National Park
Sunburst Lake In Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park
Our next year started with a 3-month trip to New Zealand, an East Coast adventure in Australia, early summer in the European Alps, and then fall and winter back in Canada. We shared our experiences on Bored Panda. You can check it out here.
Berg Lake, Mount Robson Provincial Park
Tent Ridge In Kananaskis Country
We’ve been documenting our travels on our visually based website In A Faraway Land. It's dedicated to providing up-to-date travel information, road trip itineraries and hiking guides adorned with our photography.
Mount Sarrail Reflecting In Rawson Lake
Sarrail Ridge In Kananaskis Country
Abraham Lake, Western Alberta
Opabin Plateau In Yoho National Park
Spirit Island On Maligne Lake In Jasper National Park
Hiking Up The East End Of Mount Rundle
Pocaterra Ridge In Peter Loughead Provincial Park
Pocaterra Ridge, Peter Loughead Provincial Park
I didn't know they named a Provincial Park after him. But then, I'm from Ontario! Canadians will get that.
Jack And Marta In Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park
One of the very few photos we took together.
Mount Smuts, Spray Valley Provincial Park
Mount Birdwood In Spray Valley Provincial Park
Tent Ridge In Kanananskis Country
Wow this is incredible. I knew Canada was beautiful but this beyond what I expected!
I was born in B.C.🇨🇦 I have been along the highway that goes along the Frazier River. Not for the faint of heart. Been to Banff and Jasper. My closest friends got married on the shore of Lake Louise. My country is so unbelievably beautiful. Everywhere else here is too, just in different ways. Aren't we fortunate that way! So many places here have yet to be seen by a human being. All these places in these pictures, they take so much effort to find. I'm so glad for that. That way there won't be crowds of people flocking to these spots and ruin them. Human beings do that whenever we find really beautiful places. I want all of it to stay just like this for as long as this earth lasts.
Beautiful pictures!. I think it is worth mentioning that all (at least most) these places are in the same area (nearby Banff) so they can be visited in way less time than a year.
I've been to a few wonderfully beautiful areas in Alberta and British Columbia ...would go back in a heart beat even in the dead of winter (as that was the time of year I was there). It's amazing the feeling you get when you are standing there and drinking in all that beauty ...words cant describe it.
Wow this is incredible. I knew Canada was beautiful but this beyond what I expected!
I was born in B.C.🇨🇦 I have been along the highway that goes along the Frazier River. Not for the faint of heart. Been to Banff and Jasper. My closest friends got married on the shore of Lake Louise. My country is so unbelievably beautiful. Everywhere else here is too, just in different ways. Aren't we fortunate that way! So many places here have yet to be seen by a human being. All these places in these pictures, they take so much effort to find. I'm so glad for that. That way there won't be crowds of people flocking to these spots and ruin them. Human beings do that whenever we find really beautiful places. I want all of it to stay just like this for as long as this earth lasts.
Beautiful pictures!. I think it is worth mentioning that all (at least most) these places are in the same area (nearby Banff) so they can be visited in way less time than a year.
I've been to a few wonderfully beautiful areas in Alberta and British Columbia ...would go back in a heart beat even in the dead of winter (as that was the time of year I was there). It's amazing the feeling you get when you are standing there and drinking in all that beauty ...words cant describe it.