I grew up savage and wild, riding dinosaurs and taming sharks.

Okay, I may have exaggerated just a little. I grew up in a kibbutz in the north of Israel, and spent the majority of my childhood playing outside. Really outside, as in creeks, rivers, canyons, mountains, forests and the like. I moved to Vancouver, BC Canada in late 2005, and discovered that most of my outdoors skills and training did not translate very well. The predators are bigger (and actually lethal,) and the need for water was replaced with the need for warmth and the ability to melt snow for water. The snow, cold, and an abundance of wetness were also quite new... This was a bit of a challenge. A lot of new things to learn and old skills to adapt. But eventually I learned the ways of the frigid north (okay, "the wet north," but that didn't sound as epic, did it?)

I have become a fan of the BC backcountry, with its beautiful and secluded mountains, glaciers, alpine meadows and crystal clear lakes. I have picked up rock climbing, mountaineering, ski touring and mountaineering, and ice climbing. These days I generally strive to spend at least half of my weekends in a year away from civilization.