Uplift Adventures in the Canadian Rockies
We include destinations in Waterton, Castle Parks, and Crowsnest Pass, Alberta.
Our Story
Uplift Adventures is a small business homegrown in Crowsnest Pass. We have won provincial tourism awards and continue to inspire sustainable outdoor recreation throughout the Canadian Rockies. We mainly operate in the South Canadian Rockies, more specifically Waterton, Castle Parks, and Crowsnest Pass.
While we offer several year-round outdoor services and gear rental that are bookable online, Uplift Adventures also works closely with schools to provide curriculum-based programs and mentorship experiences. In addition, we provide private trips for corporations and have even worked with trauma and recovering addiction groups to help them get outside. We offer consulting services, including trail planning and mapping, interpretive programs, and environmental work.
Uplift Adventures is guided by our four main principles to create these outdoor experiences and knowledge for all types of people:
- To inspire people to CONNECT to the outdoors.
- To build CONFIDENCE in people to explore the outdoors safely and responsibly.
- To encourage an outdoor COMMUNITY to include all types of people.
- 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.

Heather Davis | Lead Guide & Owner
Adventure designer
Wildflower knowledge

Nathan Dahl | Hiking & Backpacking Guide
Nature knowledge
Can make a good cup of coffee
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.

Darren Davis | Lead Duty Officer
Zombie expert
Cheering on adventurers
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.

Kyra DuMontier | Brand Manager
Hype woman
Community supporter

Morgan Fines | Lead Climbing Instructor
Setting climbing routes
Inspiring youth to get outside

Rachel Jamieson | Wilderness First Aid Instructor
Maple syrup connoisseur
Loves to rope swing over water
Rachel is an Advanced Care Paramedic working full-time in the Crowsnest Pass. She is devoted to practicing paramedicine in remote and austere environments.

Lisa Larson | Hiking & Backpacking Guide
Breaking down stereotypes
Perfecting the bear hang
Lisa is a true flatlander whose parents loved to ski and filled the suburban with all seven of siblings every weekend to stay in a winterized 5th wheel in Fernie. Those winter weekends grew into an all-year love affair with the mountains. She later moved to Fernie and made a profession out of being a ski bum and spent the summers mountain biking and hiking. She has called the Crowsnest Pass home for the last 20 years, where she has raised two children. You will often find her in the mountains with her Golden Doodle, Gracie or teaching Avalanche Safety Training courses with her business, My Terrain.

Duncan Maisels | Hiking & Backpacking Guide
Loves to learn your story
Duncan has ‘been around a bit’ in the best sense, with around 20 years guiding in BC and Alberta, together with another 20 years prior in various places (Scotland, The Black Forest, Cyprus, Greenland, Norway, Turkey, Syria, Algeria, Eastern Zaire). Duncan has lots to chat about once you’re tired of learning about the Canadian Rockies, he will surely entertain you with stories of guiding around the world. Mostly, Duncan enjoys learning about you and experiencing the joys of being out there!

Colin MacLennan | Hiking & Backpacking Guide, Climbing Instructor
Loves to learn your story
Colin is an avid hiker, climber and adventure traveler. He was born in Canada and grew up in Toronto, then went to China on a University exchange when he was 21 and ended up living in Asia for the better part of two decades. Based in China for a total of 16 years, he worked as a guide throughout China, other parts of Asia and Africa for more than a decade. In late 2022, he settled in Crowsnest Pass with his wife and two young children to continue his guiding career in Southern Alberta. Colin speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.

Kristine O'Rielly | Hiking & Backpacking Guide
Bringing an east coast charm to the mountains
Loving every moment
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 apprentice 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.

David Relkoff | Climbing Instructor

Sabrina Ryans | Hiking & Backpacking Guide
Making gourmet backcountry meals
Finding private locations
Outdoor Ambassadors

Jack Bailey | 2022 Outdoor Student Ambassador
Finds adventure whereever he goes

Reese Pagnucco | 2021 Outdoor Ambassador
Mushroom finder
Inspiring others to feel connected
Reese is an Adventure Tourism Business Operations student, working her way towards a degree. Growing up in the Crowsnest Pass, she had the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains right at her finger tips which sparked a love for the outdoors right from the beginning.

Hillary Erickson | 2021 Outdoor Student Ambassador
Gear organizer
Encouraging a positive attitude
Hillary is the outdoor student ambassador for Uplift Adventures this summer. She was born with a heart for adventure and a love for the outdoors. Hillary loves telling bad jokes, country music, singing and eating Costco trail mix (mostly the M&Ms).