The Canadian Mountain Network celebrated International Mountain Day 2016 with a week of fantastic events at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. World-renowned mountain climber Sonnie Trotter presented the week’s highlight event, Life in the Vertical World with Sonnie Trotter. His presentation was candid, relatable, and inspiring, leaving his audience buzzing with optimistic energy after a Q & A session that had more questions than there was time to answer.
Sonnie Trotter. www.sonnietrotter.com
Sonnie Trotter grew up in Ontario, Canada, where he began climbing from an early age. As a teen, he developed the strength and skills that would push him to the highest level of sport climbing at the local rock gym and the Georgian Bay Cliffs. By 23 he became the first Canadian to climb a route rated 14.c, one of the hardest in North America. Sonnie continues to develop new climbing routes around the world as a Patagonia-sponsored climber.
Trotter presented in 3 parts. The first was an overview of his past and breakthrough into professional climbing. The second was a collection of photos and memories from his favorite places in the world to climb, and experiences following the traditions of climbers who inspire him. The third part shared details about Trotter’s current Big Rocky Mountain Project in the Front Ranges near Canmore, Alberta. With lots of humor, adrenaline-fueled adventure stories, and a down to earth approach to the challenges and trade-offs that come with life as a professional climber, Sonnie Trotter kept his audience on the edge of their seats and left them hungry to fall in love with their lives again.
Life in the Vertical World with Sonnie Trotter was sponsored by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.
This event was part of the Canadian Mountain Network’s 2016 Mountain Festival, made possible through the generous support of the University of Alberta faculty of Science, the University of Alberta faculty of Arts, NSERC, Campbell Scientific Canada, Canadian North, and Marmot Basin. Search #IMD2016CMN to find live-tweets and posts from the 2016 Mountain Festival!
See the Canadian Mountain Network’s YouTube channel for more Mountain Festival videos!
Sonnie Trotter Keynote -International Mountain Day Festival Hosted at the University of Alberta