Published: January 17, 2020
Two Squamish friends are hoping to raise funds for local parks, inspire others and have a memorable adventure in 2020.
Shawn Campbell and Ben Haggar plan to summit 100 peaks in the Garibaldi Provincial Park.
“We hope to create memorable adventures and experiences for ourselves, and document and share those experiences with the local community and beyond,” says Campbell.
They compiled a list of 184 peaks in the park, but then narrowed it down to a final 100. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the park. They hope to complete this adventure in 2020; in fact, they started the new year by ski touring to the Round Mountain summit.
Their adventure works out to an average of two peaks per week, although others will involve multiple summits over multiple days in a row.
One source of inspiration for this project was Mark and Janelle Smiley, a couple from the United States whom Shawn met in 2013. At that time, they were attempting to become the first to complete the 50 Classic Climbs in North America.
Another source of inspiration was Cody Townsend, a prominent free skier from California currently attempting to ski the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America over the next 3 years and Scott Kranz, a Washington based photographer and adventurer who last year, completed 50 Summits in North Cascades National Park.
“I wanted to spend the year exploring the mountains close to my home with a group of like-minded friends and adventurers. We hope to create memorable adventures and experiences for ourselves, and document and share those experiences with the local community and beyond,” Campbell said.
The duo also plan to fundraise for the BC Parks and share their experience with a broad audience while raising awareness about responsible outdoor recreation and conservation efforts.
Shawn’s partner in this project, Ben Haggar, is a photographer, writer, filmmaker and polar guide. He will help document the Garibaldi 100 project via social media, written publications, presentations and film.
They also hope to partner with local agencies to provide research, conservation and educational opportunities for the park and lastly, raise money to enhance and protect Garibaldi Provincial Park.
“The project is a unique opportunity for us to explore our backyard, share our experiences with a broad audience and help raise awareness around responsible outdoor recreation and conservation efforts in the park,” says Campbell.
