A new television show aims to explore some of beautiful British Columbia's picturesque wilderness areas, including Squamish's own Garibaldi Provincial Park.
Wild at Heart is a 13-episode series airing Wednesdays on the Knowledge Network, beginning March 28. Each installment will focus on a different park, trail system, or natural wonder. The fourth episode, entitled "Mountaineering in Garibaldi" is set to broadcast on April 18 at 7:30 p.m.. It will focus on the areas glaciers and Fissile Mountain.
The show's producers decided to include Garibaldi Provincial Park in the series, mainly because of its picturesque landscapes and challenging hiking trails.
"Named in honour of the 19th century Italian patriot, Guiseppe Garibaldi, the park is known for its natural beauty and its endless hiking opportunities," said Andrew Poon, spokesperson for the Knowledge Network. "Garibaldi Park's rich geological history, diverse vegetation, snow-capped mountains, iridescent waters, abundant wildlife and scenic vistas all contribute to the immense beauty."
The series follows Chili Thom, a landscape artist and certified wilderness guide based in Whistler, as he takes a different set of four urbanites on a wilderness adventure every week.
"Each episode challenges a different group of city slickers, couch potatoes or workaholics to break out of their comfort zones and try a new activity in one of our beautiful parks," said Poon. "Wild at Heart participants were recruited from a province-wide casting call for people who are craving an outdoor experience but are unsure of where to begin. Some of the participants are overcoming personal tragedy or looking for a fresh start, while others simply want to get fit or prove that they can rise to the occasion."
The participants showcased in the episode focusing in Garibaldi include: Aiko Petch, a 25 year-old ESL teacher from Vancouver who grew up in New York State; Debbie and Loren Stephens, a 50-year-old couple from West Vancouver who sells exercise equipment; and Gurminder Manhas a 26 year-old Indo-Canadian from Surrey who has never experienced camping, which he says is "not part of Indian Culture."
While the park is best known for its namesake peak, the 2,678 metre Mount Garibaldi, the episode features Thom taking his four charges on a trip up the glaciers of a different peak, Fissile Mountain, a 2,439 mount settled in the park's Fitzsimmons Range.
"Worried about being able to complete the trip, Gurminder and the others test their limits as they ascend to the dramatic ridgeline approaching thee summit of this magnificent peak," said Poon.
Wild at Heart premieres with an episode about the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, goes on to explore wilderness sites extending to all corners of the province, and concludes with a show about rock climbing in the Bugaboos.
