Uplift Adventures in the Canadian Rockies

We are located in Waterton Lakes National Park, Castle Provincial Parks, and Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Our home office is in Crowsnest Pass and we work closely with the Kilmorey Lodge in Waterton.

We are proud to operate on Treaty 7 lands. We work closely with the Blackfoot Nations and are grateful for our collaborations on programs like our Wild Foraging Course and Legends of the Sky. We hope the future holds more collaborations. Thank you for allowing us to work on these traditional lands and accepting our ancestors. We have fallen in love with the places we now call home.

Our Story

Hi adventurers. My name is Heather and I’m the owner of Uplift Adventures – and I'm addicted to everything mountains. I love the mountains. I started exploring the mountains at a young age and I would listen in awe to stories told by one of my uncles about his time being a Parks Canada Warden in the early days in Jasper and Pacific Rim National Parks.

Why is the outdoors important to me

When I was a young adult, I had some traumatic events that led me back to the outdoors. I found peace in the outdoors. I would close my eyes and envision being in the mountains. This was when I decided that I needed to move to the mountains full-time. However, first I set myself on a journey of learning and returned to school to study biological and environmental sciences. I wanted to give back to the thing that I felt gave me my life back: the outdoors.

moving to crowsnest pass

I ended up moving to Crowsnest Pass in 2014 to run a disaster relief program for the government after the 2013 floods that impacted the eastern slopes. Previously I lived in Jasper, worked for 7 years for a large tour company, and worked in oil and gas doing reclamation and remediation. I knew Crowsnest Pass because we would stop briefly on route to Fernie or Whitefish when I was a tourguide, and I ran in Sinister 7 before living here. I remember sitting with my husband at Rum Runner and as I looked around, I said, "I can live here.” Little did I know at that time that I was going to buy a house stumbling distance from Rum Runner.

I moved here and have a clear memory of being shown my work area, which was the Castle, Livingstone, and Porcupine Hills, and turning the corner to look up at the Flathead Range along the Great Divide. I thought, “Wow! I can’t believe I get to work here and few people even know about this area.” I had spent so much time exploring the mountains and yet knew little at that time about this area. It blew me away and I was hooked. I fell in love with the South Canadian Rockies.

BECOMING A GUIDE

While I worked for the government, I knew that I wanted to start an adventure tour company. I wanted to share this beautiful part of the world with others and help build a sustainable economy in Crowsnest Pass. I had started a local outdoors club too and grew that club before starting Uplift Adventures. I researched what it would take to start a company and found the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). I started taking courses and doing my mentorship so that I could start a company. This was exceptionally hard because I could not find any guides locally to mentor under, so it meant constant travel to other areas in the mountains. I will admit though… I wasn’t complaining. I love to explore and see new places. That is part of being a guide. I worked in the environment field for over 10 years at that point, worked in the backcountry, trained staff to work in the backcountry, and managed multi-million-dollar projects in the backcountry before starting Uplift Adventures. Yet, when I did my training with ACMG, I learned SO much! I highly recommend hiring ACMG guides and strongly believe in quality with high standards. Being a guide is awesome, but what a lot of people fail to understand is that professional guides are trained to take care of people and it no longer becomes about us – it is about YOUR experience. While we have a lot of technical skills, the biggest difference between a recreationalist and a professional is the well-being of who we are adventuring with. You come first.

OFFICIALLY STARTING UPLIFT

The process to become a guide with ACMG took about 3 years for me. In the meantime, I was already starting Uplift Adventures. As I was writing the business plan, I realized that I needed a name for my business. That was actually the hardest part of writing a business plan (well, and cost forecasting). I had such a hard time with making a decision, so I invited my friends over for a party. I served liquid creativity in hopes to get some unique ideas. It sort of worked but Uplift Adventures was not created that night. I still didn’t have a name after a night of brainstorming, but the next day I sat down with a friend and we looked at a thesaurus. We looked up the word: mountain. Uplift came up as an option. Uplift is the geological process for mountain-building – the rock is uplifted because of tectonic plates pushing against each other. But uplift is also a feeling I get when I’m in the mountains. This was perfect – it is nerdy and a feeling – and Uplift Adventures was named.

After I wrote the business plan, I entered a competition with Growing Rural Tourism that was funded by Travel Alberta. My business plan was selected in the top 3 and I was invited to a conference to speak in front of 200+ audience members. I got to speak for 10 minutes about my project, as well as the other 2 contestants. The audience did a live vote on who was their favourite, and I received more than 70% of the votes. I won $10,000 and a business mentor for my first year of business. Uplift wasn’t even a registered business yet, but it went from a concept to a business very quickly after that. Uplift Adventures became an official business March 5, 2018. I left my job with government August 2018 to focus on building a business.

Since 2018, I have taken a concept and grown Uplift to include year-round trips, tours, and courses. I’ve expanded into Waterton Lakes National Park which included even more training and I can happily say that I also became a Professional Interpreter with the Interpretive Guide Association for all of the Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks. I loved this certification and it taught me even more about mountains!! I want to know as much as possible. I have also expanded the company to include outdoor rock climbing, backpacking, cross-country skiing, day hiking, snowshoeing, wilderness first aid courses, navigation courses, and MORE! One of my favourite things to do is find smart and passionate people and showcase them to the world. There are currently 16 professional guides and instructors that work with Uplift Adventures, and several more partners. It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride to get to this point. Some major highs and some major lows. So, I celebrate those highs with all of you because that is what uplifts me.

WHAT NOW

In addition to Uplift Adventures, I work in academia and continue my career in science. You can read more about me under my section of Our Team. I am writing this in 2025 and am over half way through completing a Masters of Science. I am studying the effects of recreational trails on plant communities in Waterton Lakes National Park. I say that we are given such a long and beautiful life so that we can learn as much as we can. I love nature and I plan to build something called conservation tourism. I want to build conservation projects for you to come join us in the mountains. This is where our tagline, ‘Explore with purpose’ comes from. Explore, have fun, and give back to the places that you travel to. I hope to work with academia, tourism operators from around the world, and take ALL of my 8+ years of education and life-time of experience to give back to this big beautiful place that I call home. If you are reading this and this sounds exciting to you, please reach out to me. I am eager to build a team of excited individuals and make this dream a reality.

IN SHORT

Uplift Adventures is guided by our four main principles to create these outdoor experiences and knowledge for all types of people:

  1. To inspire people to CONNECT to the outdoors.
  2. To build CONFIDENCE in people to explore the outdoors safely and responsibly.
  3. To encourage an outdoor COMMUNITY to include all types of people.
  4. To CONSERVE the outdoors for people now and into the future to enjoy.

Our ultimate goal at Uplift Adventures is to create something we call: Conservation Tourism. We want to create either reclamation or sustainable development projects where people can give back to the places they are visiting. We have members of our team who are environmental scientists with a lot of experience in development and reclamation, and have worked on recovery programs. We want to take this experience to rebuild some of the damaged landscapes from historical mining, exploration, and neglected trail use in the Canadian Rockies and encourage people to explore with purpose.

Our Team

Dedicated, adventurous people. Getting people outside is our profession and career, not just a lifestyle.

things to do in Waterton in the winter

Heather Davis | Lead Guide & Owner

Heather founded Uplift Adventures in 2018. She comes with years of working as a Professional Agrologist in the environmental science field, running backcountry trail programs for government, and leading tours for large tour companies. She now operates the company with a vision of creating conservation tourism and trying to support professional guides in this growing profession as a certified guide. She also currently works as the Natural History Instructor at the College of the Rockies in Fernie and as an hiking guide instructor with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. In her spare time she volunteers to help grow tourism sustainably in the region, and loves to rappel into a cave, travel around the world and explore big mountains.

Nathan Dahl

Nathan Dahl | Hiking & Backpacking Guide

Nathan grew up in Alberta, and so he has had the pleasure of being near and in the Rocky Mountains his whole life. He enjoys all aspects of walking through the mountains - whether taking the path less traveled on remote overnight trips, or taking in the familiar sites visited by tourists time and again. Nathan has been guiding for over a decade, so you're sure to hear some interesting stories and learn a thing or two about the spectacular mountain environment that we call home. 

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darren davis | lead duty officer

Every business has a behind the scenes person. Darren has a technical-working brain, which helps when gear breaks or when we need to purchase new gear. By day, he works as a Civil Engineer Technologist. You will find Darren helping our guests stay safe while we explore.

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kyra dumontier | brand manager

Kyra is a Licensed Practical Nurse and during her days off you can usually find her doing all sorts of outdoor adventures, specifically hiking, backpacking, camping, paddling, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. You'll often find her with her dog, Ember. Having grown up in Lethbridge, she moved to the Crowsnest Pass in 2018 in pursuit of a more adventurous lifestyle in the mountains, and safe to say that she's absolutely enjoying it!
Climbing Instructor

morgan fines | lead climbing instructor

Morgan has enjoyed the squeeze of a climbing harness, the helmet tan, and the thrill of tying knots with the wind in his hair since 1997. His climbing career started in Manitoba, but he's found his "niche" in Southern Alberta, with a special place in his heart for Emerald Lake, Crowsnest Pass. He has plenty of experience and training by the ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides) including CGI level 2 (climbing gym instructor), and TRCI (top rope climbing instructor). He is passionate about helping beginners enjoy rock climbing! Together with his wife and two daughters, he spends as much time adventuring as he can, including: rock climbing, ice climbing, route building, hiking, mountaineering, skiing, backpacking and collecting ticks. He funds his expanding gear closet by working as an Automation Engineer in Lethbridge. You might call him an "anchor" of the climbing community in Southern Alberta. Morgan has been instrumental in setting up new areas for Uplift Adventures’s Outdoor Climbing Programs.
Rachel Jamieson

rachel jamieson | wilderness first aid instructor

Rachel is an Advanced Care Paramedic working full-time in the Crowsnest Pass. She is devoted to practicing paramedicine in remote and austere environments.

professional guide

duncan maisels | hiking & backpacking guide

Duncan has 'been around a bit' in the best sense, with around 20 years adventuring with clients and friends (and clients who are now friends in BC and Alberta, together with another 20 years foolin’ around in other parts of the world (Scotland, The Black Forest, Cyprus, Greenland, Norway, Turkey, Syria, Algeria, Zaire (as was)). Many tales, many mishaps :-). Mostly, Duncan enjoys learning about you and experiencing the joys of being out there! Duncan also owns an adventure guiding company in Fernie and loves sharing his passion for the area with others.
Chris Mullally

chris mullally | hiking & backpacking guide

Chris grew up in northern Alberta, but has always been motivated to make the mountains home. Chris brings with him over a decade of work experience in the outdoor recreation industry, from being a backcountry ski lodge custodian to a whitewater canoeing guide.  Now living in Fernie BC with his wife and daughter, he is always keen for an adventure.  Chris is an ACMG Apprentice Hiking Guide, and outside of work he loves to hike, bike, camp, ski, and occasionally get lost in the backcountry!  Above all, he is a people’s person, and he loves meeting new people and making connections on and off the trail.
Chris Mullally

sarah nurcombe | cross-country ski instructor

Sarah is an outdoor enthusiast, with a background in Outdoor Adventure Leadership education, as an ACMG Hiking Guide, and as an outdoor adventurer in many summer and winter activities. Sarah also runs her own business, Fit2Function, as a personal trainer and running coach. She has been enjoying the nordic ski trails at Allison Chinook for over 25 seasons, and plans to do this sport for many more years to come. Sarah spent 10 years as a volunteer coach, trained through Nordiq Alberta, with the Crowsnest Pass Nordic Club before becoming a CANSI Level 1 Coach. Sarah wants you to be successful on the Skinny Skis! It is an incredible way
to enjoy the snow and explore in the winter.

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kristine o'rielly | hiking & backpacking guide

Born and raised in the small fishing village of St. Brendan’s, an island off the east coast of Newfoundland, Kristine grew up with the Atlantic Ocean, humpback whales, and icebergs in her backyard. She attributes her rural upbringing for her love of nature. After seeing a photo of the Alpine Club of Canada’s historic Abbot Pass Hut in a 2011 issue of Canadian Geographic, Kristine felt drawn to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. A visit to that very same hut in 2015 and a little luck (or perhaps it was fate?) landed Kristine a full-time job in Calgary, Alberta and she’s been busy exploring western Canada ever since. Kristine is a certified hiking and winter hiking guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). As a guide, Kristine loves to help others push outside their comfort zone. She also loves to teach others how to minimize their impact while recreating. A type 1 diabetic for 27 years, Kristine believes that everyone – regardless of background and ability – belongs in the great outdoors.

Reese Pagnucco

reese pagnucco | hiking & backpacking guide

Reese was an Outdoor Ambassador for Uplift back in the day and we love having her on the team. Reese is an Adventure Tourism Business Operations graduate and aspiring ACMG guide. Growing up in the Crowsnest Pass, she had the Rocky Mountains right at her finger tips. This sparked a love for all things outdoors, hiking, skiing, etc. Reese has been living in Fernie, BC the past couple of years working for a sustainable tourism project and fine tuning her backcountry skills/knowledge! Reese is passionate about connecting people with nature and If you’re looking for mushroom facts or trail snacks, she’s got you covered! 

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laura rance | cross-country ski instructor

Laura started coaching with the Crowsnest Pass Nordic Club in 2020 where her passion for teaching cross-country skiing as a CANSI-certified coach was ignited. While living in Canmore, she was drawn to the sport for the intensity of the work-out, but over the past 14 years cross-country skiing has become so much more. Moving to Pincher Creek in 2019 she discovered that cross-country skiing is something you can enjoy on groomed trails, across the field behind your house, or through the winter wonderland wherever you decide to go. Whether you’re brand new to the sport or want some pointers to improve your confidence, Laura is keen to make the experience fun!

Climbing Instructor in Crowsnest Pass

david relkoff | climbing instructor

Nature is best enjoyed in a hammock.  While nobody of any notoriety can be quoted as saying this and the apparent laziness in this statement, it is David’s guiding philosophy.  However, this philosophy needs to be qualified: enjoying nature from a hammock is conditional on an earning it through a fulfilling nature experience first.  The more fulfilling the nature experience, the better.  David’s happiness stems from his experiences in the out of doors.  Committed to life-long learning and sharing his passion for the out of doors, David has become a ski instructor, a climbing instructor, and a moving water canoe instructor.  Vagabond in nature, David has paired work and travel to amass nearly two decades of experience teaching climbing to youth and adults both in an indoor and outdoor setting on three continents.  Working for Uplift Adventures as a top rope climbing instructor, David continues to share his passion for climbing and stretching his client’s comfortable bubbles in a safe and fun nature experience.  Remember, nature is best enjoyed doing what you most enjoy with those you most enjoy.
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sabrina ryans | hiking & backpacking guide

Sabrina has been working in the outdoor industry for 20 years as a hiking guide, canoe guide/instructor, and outdoor educator in the summer. In the winter months, she works as a professional ski patroller and avalanche technician. Sabrina is as passionate about helping others connect and enjoy natural spaces as she is about good food. Despite having moved out of the Pass in 2022, her heart remains stolen by the South Rockies and loves that Uplift allows her the chance to return and share her love of the landscape with others. You can find her out in the Rockies, in a canoe, or hiking, rock climbing, trail running, or backcountry skiing, most often with her dog Vika along for the adventure! Sabrina is an Apprentice Hiking Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Paddle Canada Instructor Trainer in Moving Water Canoeing, a Hiking and Paddling Field Leader Instructor with the Outdoor Council of Canada, and has taught numerous outdoor leadership courses.
professional interpreter

sara quackenbush | hiking guide

As a certified four-season Professional Interpretive Hiking Guide with the Interpretive Guides Association (IGA), and with a background in geology, Sara is passionate about building connections between people and the natural world. Sara’s dream of living in the mountains brought her to the scenic Crowsnest Pass where she enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, nature journaling, whitewater kayaking, and snowboarding. When not outside she can be found in her sewing room, making and repairing outdoor gear for her next adventure.

Ambassador Program

Do you want to represent an amazing team of adventurers in the Rocky Mountains? Uplift Adventures is looking for new Ambassadors for our team! We are looking for Ambassadors who:
  • Are passionate advocates for the outdoors and love to explore with purpose.
  • Will share stories about the hikes, courses, company values, and other unique experiences that Uplift Adventures offers.
  • Provide invaluable contributions to our mission of promoting exploration and respect for the natural world through conservation.
Our Ambassadors understand that every adventure, big or small, can uplift your day! Does this sound like you? Then follow this link to apply for our Ambassador program!

We are accredited and recognized through:

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National Geographic Mapguide Destination
Wilderness Medical Associates