The Chilcotins Is Our Kinda Playground
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An alpine lake at our doorstep, hundreds of miles of trails, snow-capped peaks all around. The perfect place to get into all kinds of wild.
We’ve done a lotta trips in our day, but this trip to BC’s Chilcotin Mountains hit different. We grabbed our fall gear and rallied the ultimate “yes” crew for five days deep in the backcountry; where the days ran long, the routes ran longer, and nobody, not even our gear, flinched when the challenges got bigger.
We boarded a float plane that made our bones rattle, got dropped off on an alpine lake (NBD), and that was it. No cell service. No changing our minds.
No discussion needed. We were going all in.
The only thing on our itinerary: do everything
We couldn’t pick one adventure, so we picked all of ‘em—mountain biking, hiking, bouldering, camping. And the Chilcotins was the perfect place to do it. We took one look at our surroundings—an alpine lake at our doorstep, hundreds of miles of trails, snow-capped peaks all around—and said “yeah, this’ll do.”
One thing just kept rolling into the next, so we rolled on with it. Hiking to the tree line, yelling every 20 meters to let the bears know they had company, biking ‘til our quads begged for a break, and hangin’ out at camp with makeshift ping pong and long discussions about Eat-More chocolate bars. Back-to-back-to-back adventures with women who didn’t need to know what was next, and went for it anyway.
We ended with a massive, all-day ride back to base, with plenty of hike-a-biking, a tricky descent, and a front flip or two.
And somehow, after eight hours on the trail, we still weren’t done. Not even close.
Gear that passed every test possible
We’re used to traveling light, but float plane-light is a whole other level. Every pound of gear had to earn its place.
So we brought the pieces that could pull double-duty and keep up with every change of plan:
Rugged, repeat-ready sweaters
- Sierra Sweater from Krimson Klover: Tough enough for five full days in the backcountry, soft enough to sleep in.
- Devyn ¼ Zip from Krimson Klover: One seriously strong sweater. Keeps up with everything from fireside chats to impromptu bouldering sessions.
- Por Vida from T9: Warms fast. Washes faster. The first thing we packed and the one we wore the most.
Denim that lasted the whole trip
- Duer Stretch Canvas Denim Pants: Crushed double-duty while bouldering, limbo-ing, and everything else.
- Ripton Forager Denim Pants: Looks like workwear. Handles hike-a-bikes and downhills with ease.
Baselayers that pulled their weight
- Firebyrd Baselayers from T9: Lightweight warmth and stink-busting power that kept five days of sweat under wraps.
Women who define ‘full send’
This crew knew how to go big without missing the good stuff in between, ‘cause that’s where the real magic happened: killing time before dinner with a quick bouldering sesh. Jumping into alpine lakes for an ice cold “shower.” Trading books and sweaters around the campfire.
All because of these incredible women:
Freya – The GOAT adventure photographer
Ingrid – Producer + logistics wizard
Andie – Art director + professional clothing wrangler
Nafeesa – Powder hound in Pakistan
Tulie – Hasn’t met a trail she won’t run
Demi – Certified energy dealer
By the end, we were wrecked in the best way. Blistered. Dirt under our nails. Legs on fire. Sunburned in weird places. Five days deep in the same pair of socks. Fully ready for another round of horseshoe ring toss. Hungry for more Eat-More.
- And nowhere near ready to go home.
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