The Sea to Sky is no stranger to the loss of adventurers who die, it is often said, "doing what they loved."
In the face of loss, those of us left behind have a choice; we can avoid the activity that cost us our friend or loved one, or we can choose to embrace life in their honour.
Choosing the latter is one of the messages of Matt Sorensen's powerful short film, For the Thrill of Stopping Time.
In the approximately seven-minute piece, which is dedicated to Jonathan B眉chner, who died with two other men last summer after reaching the summit of Atwell Peak in Garibaldi Provincial Park, B眉chner's friend, photographer Kieran Clarke takes (mostly) to the Chilliwack mountains.
The piece is told through Clarke's own words as he reflects on the gift and joy of mountaineering鈥攁nd of life itself鈥攚hich is also shadowed by risk.
The piece opens with a quote from author and counsellor Craig D. Lounsbrough, which sums this up.
鈥淲ithout mountains, we might find ourselves relieved that we can avoid the pain of the ascent, but we will forever miss the thrill of the summit. And in such a terribly scandalous trade-off, it is the absence of pain that becomes the thief of life.鈥�
Sorensen, a Vancouver-based cinematographer, said the film didn't start out the way it ended.
" I'm actually good friends with Kieran, and we'd been planning to do a film in the mountains for quite a while before, but after the incident that happened on Atwell, it kind of took a different direction, and we decided to dedicate it to Jon's life," he said.
The three mountaineers had set out to climb Atwell Peak, but did not return as expected by May 31, 2024.
An extensive search took place, but the men's bodies weren't recovered until July 8.
The tragedy deeply impacted not just the families and friends of those involved, but much of the outdoor recreation community in the Sea to Sky and beyond.
"The message of the film that we wanted to convey was that what happened on Atwell was super tragic, obviously, and it affected everyone in the outdoor community, but we wanted to show that, even though there's always going to be that inherent danger and the risk factor that comes with being up there, some of the best things in life can also come from that," Sorensen said.
The film also lets people who don't or can't get up in the alpine or backcountry see it through the eyes of those who can.
"Jon was a very talented photographer, and Kieran is also super passionate about it. And we just wanted to show how special it is to be able to capture the mountains through that. And I think it can be a good way of showing people who can't necessarily be up there in the mountains what the experience is all about," he said.
