Don’t let a lack of preparation when trail running in the wilderness put a damper on running wild.
That’s partially the message that Run Wild Vancouver Society, a non-profit, volunteer-based group of trail runners dedicated to raising awareness for safe trail running, wants to get across.
On Nov. 14, the society is hosting its third annual Fundraiser Benefiting Search and Rescue at Two Lions Public House on Westview Drive in North Vancouver.
To date, the society has raised approximately $32,000 benefiting B.C.’s volunteer search and rescue groups.
And while the society advocates the important work that the province’s search and rescue teams provide, its focus is on preventive education to keep incidents from occurring in the first place.
“I think that everybody realizes that the North Shore mountains are so close and sometimes I think people don’t realize how quickly things can go wrong. It just really takes a little bit of foresight,” said Heather Bretschneider, a Run Wild board member, spokeswoman and educator.
Last month, Bretschneider heard a loud pop in her leg while trail running in Revelstoke, B.C. As she had started her descent, weather conditions had deteriorated slightly and her leg gave way while turning into a slight bend on a trail.
After falling to the ground quite quickly, it was ascertained that she had broken her leg, she explained.
“It’s a long time to recover but it would have been much worse if I didn’t have extra jackets and extra food and a headlamp and tensor bandages and all that stuff. I had to hike out for two and a half hours,” she said.
Since the summer, the society has delivered five sessions of Survive Outside for Trail Runners, its workshop developed with the help of AdventureSmart. They have at least another 10 such workshops planned for next year.
“We talk a lot about the essentials that they need to have when they’re running and learning how to trip plan and all the responsibilities that come with moving quickly in the mountains,” Bretschneider said.
But why do trail runners even need safety training tailored specifically to their recreational activity? The answer is simple, according to Bretschneider.
“I think the biggest one is how far we can get very quickly, as opposed to a hiker who could take a full day to get into the backcountry. … Trail runners can access those areas quite quickly and so things can change.”
Also, she added, trail runners might have the inclination to travel fast and light and therefore overlook necessities that might be needed if they happened to get into trouble.
“They’re comprising it because they want to travel light,” she said.
In addition to the society’s fundraising campaign, they also produce a trail running calendar with impressive images taken by local photographers of North Shore trails and the surrounding area.
The upcoming fundraiser is part of the lead up to the release of the 2018 version of the calendar.
During the society’s first-year campaign, fundraised proceeds went exclusively to North Shore Rescue.
The majority of last year’s proceeds also went to North Shore Rescue, with the rest being distributed between search and rescue groups throughout the Lower Mainland and Sea-to-Sky corridor through the B.C. Search and Rescue Association.
“A fellow trail runner was lost and never found in the Chilliwack mountains last year, and so I really just think that helped to solidify our direction and purpose,” Bretschneider said.
Run Wild Vancouver Society’s third annual Fundraiser Benefiting Search and Rescue at Two Lions Public House is happening Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door) and include a beer from Deep Cove Brewing, appetizers, live music, door prizes, and a silent auction.
More information: runwildvan.com/3rd-annual-fundraiser-benefiting-search-rescue.
