If you’ve ever daydreamed about ditching everything to head into the mountains, you understand the positive shift that disconnection and solitude can bring. There’s something life-altering about spending uninterrupted time in the mountains.
Note: This story (originally published in 2019) was updated in 2021. Information is accurate at the time of publication; we recommend you contact any businesses directly to confirm availability and familiarize yourself with their COVID policies.
Kootenay Rockies | Cariboo | Northern British Columbia
BC is home to ten major mountain ranges and is the most mountainous region in Canada. From the glacier-worn Canadian Rockies to the highest peaks of the Coast Mountains, ranges extend from all edges of the province making it the ideal place to reset when you need it most. Learn about three ways BC’s mountains can change you for the better.
The daily demands of multitasking can lead to exhaustion and the need to swap our behind-the-screen view for something a little grander. Whether you’re seeking complete solace in the back country or a more leisurely respite, time in the mountains allows us to disconnect from daily life and reconnect with nature.
Give yourself the gift of disconnection at one of these digital detox retreats in BC’s rocky interior. Sleeping sans distractions at the mountain’s base is a great way to become energized and enlightened, and the quiet of fall is the perfect time to go.
Mountains symbolize strength and stability. Simply being in their presence brings a feeling of certainty that we can lose touch with over time. By placing yourself in a broader landscape, you literally and figuratively see the bigger picture and how you fit into it.
Navigating trails in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park by foot leads to awe-inspiring views of neighbouring valleys and meandering crystal blue lakes. Seeing this vastness from above allows you the time and space to put your surroundings—and your life—into perspective. Sometimes all it takes is distance from the every day to more clearly see where you’re headed.
Spending time in nature has a lasting effect on us, and research shows that the bigger the nature the better. A retreat to the mountains can teach and shape you by bringing clarity and a wider perspective.
Spending time in BC’s mountains not only clears your mind but it inspires a sense of wonder and curiosity. It’s that jaw-dropping feeling that comes over you when you clear the last ridge to a summit and a panoramic view. Or when your mind becomes still enough to hear the gentle sounds of a glacial stream in the distance. It’s a feeling similar to disbelief, but it lingers far longer and affects us for the better.
When you’re perched on the edge of a mountainside, or looking up from a cutting valley, your environment can look especially remote and removed. With their unique glacial proximity, interior BC’s Bugaboos in the Purcell Range are an ideal place to stand in awe, marveling at the way nature has sculpted the landscape over time.
The spectacular Spectrum Range in Mount Edziza Provincial Park offers another path to awe. Here, sweeping volcanic formations are painted with a unique and unforgettable geological colour palette. There is no vehicle access to the park, but you can hike in or book a flightseeing tour for a life-altering experience.
The arrival of fall in BC brings with it exciting opportunities for change—to try something new, become unstuck, and widen your perspective with a retreat in nature. Whether you challenge yourself physically by hiking among BC’s peaks or you take in the view from afar, you will benefit from the power of place and scale, returning home feeling refreshed and reconnected with yourself and the natural world.
Always check trail conditions before you head out, and no matter what outdoor activity you are planning, be prepared.
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