The Federation of Mountain Clubs
of British Columbia

December 2017 NEWSLETTER

FMCBC News

FMCBC fall 2017 roundup
 

It’s been a busy few months at the Fed! Here are some of the key issues our Executive Director, our volunteers (BIG thanks to you all!), and our staff have been working on:

  • Met with MLA Jordan Sturdy on Dec 6th to discuss the serious access issues in the heavily impacted Sea to Sky region
     
  • Held conference calls on Nov 9th with Jim Standen and BC Parks Lower Mainland Regional Director Jennie Aikman re:
    • Right to Roam
    • Singing Pass
    • Cypress BAC
    • BC Parks funding ideas
    • Increasing access to other provincial parks and Crown lands for backcountry access due to the high-volume pressure in S2S corridor
    • SCRD proposal to remove Chapman Lake from Tetrahedron Provincial Park
     
  • Follow-up call on December 11th with Jennie Aikman re:
    • Singing Pass – working group to be pulled together in spring 2018
    • Cypress BAC – working on refining details with BC Parks staff
    • Avalanche Canada backcountry brochure – circulated to membership clubs last week
     
  • Right to Roam – work on this initiative continues with FMCBC volunteers, Graham Litman and solicitor Morgan Blakely and we are hoping the resources of UVic’s Environmental Law Centre will join us in January
     
  • Exploring potential grants for digitizing around 40 boxed of Fed archives
     
  • Working on a few ideas related to BC Parks funding that include WA State Parks advocates
     
  • Encouraging  members to consider restructuring the way the Fed operates
     
  • Strategic planning – still awaiting the MEC decision on our grant application. Regardless, some form of strategic planning will proceed in the new year as the Board has requested and directed

For further information, check out Barry's seven-month synopsis, which provides a full report to the end of October.

Don't miss the Fall/Winter 2017 issue of Cloudburst
 

The latest issue of Cloudburst is hot off the press! It's packed with great reads, including articles on BC’s understaffed conservation service, the changing face of Kluane National Park, a record-breaking ascent of Mt Logan, the cabin stewards of Tetrahedron Provincial Park, Singing Pass Trail access, Tin Hat Hut enhancements on the Sunshine Coast Trail, and much more. And as always, there’s an excellent selection of trip reports and book reviews.

Click here to read it as a PDF

Click here to read it in Issuu

If you'd like a print copy, send your name and mailing address to cloudburst@mountainclubs.org and we'll happily mail you one.

Thanks to our loyal contributors, and to those who shared their stories for the first time. And don't forget that submissions for our Spring/Summer 2018 issue are due April 1st. We welcome your stories, photos (including cover photo submissions), reviews, trip reports, backcountry musings, and anything else you'd like to share.

 

Mountain Matters

Have you encountered unauthorized motor vehicles in BC parks?

The Comox District Mountaineering Club recently shared their frustrations with the unfortunate annual arrival of snowmobiles in Strathcona Provincial Park. Unfortunately, it’s a common sentiment here in British Columbia—the BC government estimates there are 200,000 off-road vehicles in our province. And while not all are used for outdoor recreation, chances are you’ve come across a motorized vehicle while spending time in a provincial park.

If you’ve spotted evidence of motorized recreation within BC Park boundaries, we want to know! Please collect as many details as possible—dates, times, photos, GPS coordinates, and registration plate/sticker numbers are especially helpful—and fill out our survey. The more we know about the type and frequency of unauthorized motorized recreation in our parks, the better equipped we are to find solutions.

 

In the News

LETTER: Backcountry skiers want road access for an early start - North Shore News, Nov 30, 2017

Seymour residents decry B.C. Parks for tree loss - North Shore News, Nov 30, 2017

Search for missing hiker Carl Couture called off until spring - CBC News BC, Dec 3, 2017

Trail building earns Lake Country man a commemorative medal - Global News BC, Dec 4, 2017

Wild and tiny: Baby-friendly hiking group seeking new members - CBC News BC, Dec 5, 2017

Shuswap Trails Roundtable continues to model community collaboration - Info News, Dec 5, 2017

Snowmobilers in Strathcona Park draw ire of hiking club - Comox Valley Record, Dec 8, 2017

 

Announcements

A big thanks to the Alpine Club of Canada for putting all 110 years of the Canadian Alpine Journal online! You can now access their flagship publication, dating all the way back to 1909, in a searchable, digital format. This is an invaluable resource—and fascinating reading. This is a public beta version of the archive and the ACC welcomes your feedback. Please feel free to send your comments to ArchiveBeta@alpineclubofcanada.ca.

Arc'teryx announced a product advisory for both 20L and 30L Voltair Avalanche Airbags. There's an issue with the battery which affects its proper deployment at extremely cold temperatures. View the full notice for more details.

There’s still time to apply for the MEC Adventure Grant. The grant, presented by VIMFF, enable local explorers and adventurers to undertake their dream expeditions. Applications close on Jan 12th, 2018.

Yukon First Nations and environmental groups have won a landmark Supreme Court case. Read all about it on the CPAWS website.

 

Feature photo credit

Thanks to the Skeena Climbing Society for this month’s feature photo (credit: Colin Parry). More details:

Kurt is climbing sport route called Fat Lip - 5.10a, it finishes with an exciting all points dyno to a mega jug! Unless you're extra lanky. The Exstew crag is located ~30 minutes west of Terrace on Highway 16. It boasts several single pitch sport routes (5.8 to 5.12) and two classic multi-pitch sport routes that provide awesome views of the Exstew and Skeena Valleys: Where the Wild Things Are (240m/8 pitches 5.8 grade II) and Hootenanny (240m/7 pitches 5.11 grade II).

Click here to view our Fall/Winter 2017 issue of Cloudburst.

Use our online form to report motorized recreation observed within BC Park boundaries.
 
Visit Canada Helps to make a donation to the FMCBC . All donations go towards our Member Club Grant Program
 
The FMCBC is always looking for volunteers. Click here to find out how you can get involved.

The FMCBC is a proud member of:

 

As always, the FMCBC would like to thank Mountain Equipment Co-op for supporting the FMCBC through their generous contribution of office space from which to base our administration.

Get in touch with us

mountainclubs.org
fmcbc@mountainclubs.org

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