Get Behind The Scenes Of The Backyard Project With This Exclusive First Hand Account Of A Big-Mountain Trip With Some Serious Consequences

Justin Lamoureux's "Backyard Project" has been gaining steam as he drops a new episode every two weeks. The latest of the 15-minute episodes to be released – a nice sweet spot in terms of length if I do say so myself – is entitled "Tribulations" and shows some of the hard work and dissapointment that goes into an effort like this before the crew finally gets the goods in a rarely ridden zone of epic proportions, the Tantalus Range outside Squamish, BC. 

Lamoureux is joined on this trip by snowboarder Dave Henkel, who was so amped on the trip that he wrote the following account of the mission shortly after returning. Enjoy this behind-the-scenes look into a very serious big-mountain trip and then enjoy the episode above.
 

If you've ever made your way to Whistler, British Columbia on the Sea to Sky highway, odds are you've been captivated by the rumbling glaciers of the Tantalus mountain group that lies to the west as you make your way through the cheakamus canyon north of Squamish.   

The origin of the name, as well as the names of many of its peaks, are from Greek mythology. Tantalus was doomed in Hades to be half-submerged in cold water with fruit dangling close but not close enough to eat, which is where the word tantalize has its root. Allegedly the name was conferred by a local mountain climber who was "tantalized" by the sight of the range's impressive spires and icefalls from across the turbulent waters of the Squamish River. 

For me, as a big mountain snowboarder, I find myself stopping almost weekly at the tourist pullout to study lines and dream about someday getting up there to climb and ride some of it's exposed and intimidating 8500 foot summits.

For the past ten years I've been reading obscure tales of brave ski mountaineers who dared to get up there and pioneer new lines.  The likes of Eric Pehota, Trevor Peterson and Johnny Foon to name a few.

These days, getting a closer look at the Tantalus has been made much more attainable by the Alpine Club of Canada who opened the Jim Haberl memorial hut in 2006.  The hut is situated in an ideal setting smack dab in the middle of the gnar atop the Serratus-Dione col at 6800 feet.  From the hut you can see the lights from Mt.Seymour, West Vancouver, Nanaimo and Seachelt.

I can tell you from experience that the Tantalus is a trip that doesn't happen easily.  The only really "safe" time to try and ride these mountains is during a short window of stability in the spring.  You need the weather to cooperate, the hut to be available, and finding like minded ski/snowboard mountaineers who have both the riding and climbing ability necessary can be a challenge even in Whistler.

So after two or three failed attempts to put this trip together in previous years I was beginning to think that it wasn't in the cards for me.  Then I got a message from my longtime friend Justin Lamoureux that he and fellow shredder Kyle Wolochatiuk were putting a trip together super last minute for his backyard snowboarding project.  Justin has been working on riding some 30 odd mountains surrounding his home in Squamish for an Arc'teryx webisode project to be released next fall.

"Hell Yeah I'm In!!!!"

Like every trip I had tried to plan before, our group quickly dropped from around six people to three for one reason or another.  Four would be nice, but we can still make it happen with three.  Travelling safely on a glacier or in serious mountain terrain like this would be foolish with any less than a group of three.  If you ever make it up there you'll almost immediately know what I mean. 
 

Rider: Justin Lamoureux

There's a different feeling up there.  Instantly you feel smaller and less significant as you watch the mountains unfold below you.  Everything is a blind roll.  There isn't a lot of benching or flat areas, it's just 8500 feet down into giant avalanche paths cliffs and seracs  in every direction.  Nearly all the peaks we intended to bag were protected by large bergshrunds.  I recall thinking that the mountains were so much more alive than anywhere I had ever been in the coast range.  Constant sloughing and snow shedding can be seen and heard all around you which makes for an Erie feeling.  You're always on the lookout for looming cornices, gaping holes, dips in the snow that could indicate a failing snow bridge over a crevasse or any other number of hazards awaiting you around every corner.

You get the feeling that the mountains are granting you safe passage but for a limited time only…

Dave Henkel rides Serratus Mountain. Photo: Wolochatiuk/'the backyard project'

For us, we couldn't have nailed it any better.  The timing was perfect!  Stable conditions, sunshine, full moon, nobody else in the cabin, great pow on the north facing aspect and long days made for prime conditions to get after it, and get after it we did!  By the end of the four day trip we had bagged multiple lines on four different peaks including Alpha, Serratus, Niobe and the Red Tusk.

I came away from the whole Tantalus experience with a renewed respect for the mountains, feeling humbled and alive!  I strongly recommend this trip to anyone looking to cross that line from big mountain skier/boarder to full on mountaineer but a word to the wise.  "When is comes down to it, two ice axes are better than one haha".

Jim Haberl was an ACMG mountain guide and one of the first two Canadians to summit Pakistan's k2, the second highest mountain in the world.  His partner on K2, Dan Culver was killed making his way down from the summit.  Haberl would later join his fallen friend after being taken in an avalanche in Wrangell St-Elias National Park, Alaska in 1999.

Filmer/rider Kyle Wolochatiuk sneaks in a quick speed-flying lap