Words: Emily Berkel | Images and video: Ryan Funk

On Tuesday September 24th we hosted our first ever FATMAP Explore day! A community outdoor adventure on the North Shore of Vancouver, BC for FATMAP members.

A small group of local Explore members and key individuals from the local outdoor ecosystem descended on Deep Cove Yacht Club, eagerly anticipating what the day had in store. 

After a meet and greet over breakfast from the local cafe, Covert, we introduced the group to Alec Ritchie from North Shore Rescue.

Alec talked to us about planning an outdoor adventure; from taking the essentials, to trip planning, training and hugging a tree (stay where you are). Interspersed with real life emergency situation examples and stories of his experiences volunteering with North Shore Rescue, Alec had us captivated from start to finish. Emily Berkel, head of community and partnerships for North America at FATMAP, ran a workshop to prepare the group for the morning adventure. The group worked together to gather the necessary information to prepare for a technical hike on the North Shore mountains of Vancouver. 

Hit the play button below to hear the scenario they faced:

The group were sent a waypoint with the latitude and longitude of the point they were to reach and the route up Seymour mountain. We worked together using the features on FATMAP to determine the exact elevation gain of the hike, the distance from the trail head to the waypoint as well as the gradient at certain points of the route. We also used the hiking distance layer to ensure we could complete the hike by sunset.

| How to Plan the Perfect Hike with the Travel Distance Layer

Once we had gathered all the necessary information, we met our driver from Whistler Rides who took us to begin our hike. Alec lead the hike and approached it from a Search and Rescue perspective, sharing useful tips along the way. Throughout the hike there were points when the group used FATMAP to determine which direction to take. 

The recent heavy rainfall made for some interesting river crossings along the route (check out the photos!). At this point, Alec talked the group through the safest ways to cross and we each chose our preferred route, some walked barefoot through the river, some crossed on a slippery log and some used hiking poles to step on wobbly boulders to the other side.

Near the summit, the group were tiring, especially after a few steep scrambles and were grateful to use FATMAP to determine the exact distance and elevation remaining to reach the waypoint. At the waypoint the group searched and successfully found a hidden envelope containing FATMAP vouchers for each attendee. 

The hike down through the beautiful temperate rainforest and tall trees of the North Shore mountains was more gentle. We crossed bridges, passed waterfalls and used FATMAP to follow the route and return back to the trailhead safely.  Throughout the hike we didn’t pass a single person, we had found a hidden gem on the North Shore Mountains of the bustling city of Vancouver, BC.  

Check out the full hike below

Back at basecamp, aka Deep Cove Yacht Club, a delicious lunch had been prepared and we took a well deserved break as we reviewed the mornings adventure, discussing ideas for new features in FATMAP and what’s in store for the future. The afternoon kicked off with a jam packed presentation from Mike Darbyshire about planning a paddle adventure and navigating the coastal waters. Mike is the Operations Manager at Deep Cove Kayak and a Stand Up Paddleboard athlete from North Vancouver.

Mike talked us through how to find and interpret information necessary to know before a paddle adventure such as; tides, currents, wind and weather. We discussed how the current tide and wind at Deep Cove would influence our decision as to which direction to paddle that afternoon. The afternoon adventure was hosted by Deep Cove Kayak and our guides Logan and Tam got us kitted out and took us out in the Indian Arm.

Due to the light southerly wind and the tide going out, we decided to head North to check out Tug Island so that the return journey would be easier to paddle. Logan showed each of us how to lead a kayak adventure and what to look for when navigating the coastal waters. He also talked to us about the local history both recent and First Nations as our entire day took place on the Tsleil - Waututh Nation. 

We used the information from Mike’s presentation and our experience padding in the Indian Arm in the afternoon workshop, where we brainstormed on what useful information and features we would like to see in FATMAP to help plan future adventures on the water.   Full of fresh air, new ideas and exhausted from the days adventures we jumped on the bus, a mere 45 minutes back to downtown Vancouver.

I’ll leave you with this note from one of our attendees, he was pretty stoked to join us!

The inaugural FATMAP Explore day was an all round success and we are already looking forward to our next one!

If you’d like to join us next time feel free to let us know where you are located by contacting us on hello@fatmap.com or dropping a comment below.

Emily heads up Partnerships and Community for North America. Originally from London, UK, she now calls Vancouver, BC home. An avid skier, sailer and hiker, Emily is happiest when spending time in the outdoors.