By: Heather Davis, Founder, Uplift Adventures
People ask me all the time: “What made you start Uplift Adventures?” Honestly, it’s hard to pin down just one reason. It’s a mix of personal healing, wanting to share the wild and stunning South Canadian Rockies with others, and doing my bit for our mental wellbeing and the planet. Let me share with you how it all came together.
1. Mental health
I started exploring the outdoors after my own traumatic events. The outdoors became part of my life and a way for me to process and reflect. It’s the entire reason why I studied biological sciences and environmental sciences-so that I could give back to the thing that gave me my life back. I don’t talk much about my trauma, partly because the past is a place of reference, not residence, and I choose to focus on the beauty and positivity that life currently offers, and partly because I believe in leading by example, showing that it’s possible to forge a path of growth and success despite the challenges one might have faced.
2. Sharing the beauty of Crowsnest Pass, Waterton and the South Canadian Rockies
I fell in love with Crowsnest Pass, Waterton and the South Canadian Rockies 10 years ago the moment I moved here. A few days into my job with Alberta Environment and Parks, I rounded a corner on a trail in the Castle area and before me opened up a stunning view of the Continental Divide. Like it was just yesterday, I remember thinking, “How do people not know about this part of the Canadian Rockies?” I was blown away and it’s had my heart ever since. My work takes me all throughout the Canadian Rockies, but despite exploring far and wide, I can’t get enough of this corner of the world and I want to share it with as many people as possible.
3. Making new friends!
And helping to improve their outdoor skills. I get to be part of so many people’s lives-and many of their ‘firsts’, too. I love watching someone summit a mountain or go outdoor rock climbing for the first time. I get to be part of this energy of experiencing the mountains and I feel so honoured to be part of these experiences. I love connecting people to the outdoors and building community.
I also take great pride in Uplift’s role as an educator. I wanted to empower others to have the skills and confidence to experience the South Canadian Rockies safely and have the knowledge to mitigate risks as much as possible.
4. A commitment to conservation and my community
I strongly believe that in order for people to be healthy, our environment needs to be healthy. This is a big part of why I studied sciences and why I continue to study as a graduate student. My goal has always been to build conservation tourism.
When I worked in the public sector, I managed projects that highlighted the need to reclaim and/or sustainably develop sections of the eastern slopes (the east side of the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies). We are way above our threshold for human-made disturbances, especially around Crowsnest Pass. In comparison to other areas in the Canadian Rockies, Crowsnest Pass is more than triple the disturbance levels.
With my unique set of skills, I am able to create tours where people can give back to the places they travel and explore with purpose. They can help conserve grizzly bear habitats or enhance water quality, all while exploring the Rocky Mountains. It is a win for our planet and a win for travellers.
Experience my personal favorites with Uplift Adventures
We’d love for you to join one of our adventures and experience the love of the outdoors that initially inspired Uplift Adventures.
Here are my personal top three experiences that we offer, each providing a unique glimpse into the beauty of the South Canadian Rockies:
The Alpenglow multi-day backpacking trip (2 days/1 night)
Sept. 6
This backpacking trip has it all! Mountain lakes, beautiful geology and colours, scenic views, and stunning sunrises. This is a trip where I don’t mind waking up early–in fact, I get a thrill out of it. Because during sunrise, the morning sun rays hit a giant mountain headwall just right, creating akaleidoscope of warm hues to light up the start of the day. You really don’t get to see that everywhere. Our next (and final!) Alpenglow backpacking trip of the season is on Sept. 6 (women only).
Wilderness First Aid course
I mentioned safety is a main reason for starting Uplift Adventures. That’s precisely why our Wilderness First Aid course is one of my favourite experiences that Uplift offers. We offer several levels of this course (from basics to advanced), but I want to focus on the entry-level course. Participants learn how to respond to emergencies in the backcountry, from how to treat minor injuries to handling major emergencies until professional help is available. If you spend a lot of time recreating or working in the backcountry, this course provides a foundation for advanced skills.
Learn more about our Wilderness First Aid courses, which re-start in November.
Private trips
Crafting personalized experiences is one of the best parts of my job because it allows me leverage all my knowledge and skills–navigation, risk assessment, route planning, environmental awareness, and many more–to create experiences that meet the unique goals of our clients. Whether it’s a lively bachelorette party or a corporate outing, bringing people closer together through shared adventures is highly rewarding. Do you have a group outing or team-building event coming up? Tell us your goals! Step into our world–we can’t wait to share with you the incredible stories and landscapes that inspired Uplift Adventures.