Page 65 - Sharp November 2024

days of hiking and climbing with our respective new Promaster watches strapped on for the adventure. The CMH Bugaboo Lodge is the home of heli-skiing, however, its summer activities offer extensive high-elevation hiking as well as a via ferrata climb. Once again, the Promaster offering was more than up for the task as we tracked our elevations using the latest version of the Altichron (1,500 metres at base camp, and beyond 2,300 metres when hiking), as well as timing the duration of the climb on the all-new 35th Anniversary Promaster Land U822. This new reference is one of three anniversary models and offers a huge amount of functionality in a robust and lightweight titanium package. Multiple time zones, countdown timers, an alarm, and a chronograph are all on hand, with displays split between analog hands and a high-definition LCD.
Aggressive as these excursions were, and as rewarding of an experience as it was, the conversations to be had with the Promaster ambassador teams were an obvious high note. Each of these adventurers has incredible stories to tell, as much about their accomplishments as about their respective struggles. Talking with Jeff Shapiro about his climbs in the Himalayas, charting new routes up mountains, or being trapped and sleep-deprived on a climb not knowing if summiting was possible, the earnestness of his sharing of this lived experience in casual conversation was an eye-opening and humbling experience. His passion for adventure and facing new challenges is an inspiration, as is the way in which
he’s continued to pivot from one form of adventure to the next. Over the course of one dinner, he and Gadd began excitedly discussing the idea of a combination parasailing and rock-climbing adventure in the months ahead, speaking in the same casual fashion that you’d ask a friend if they were up for grabbing cocktails this weekend.
The ability to pivot out of a bad situation seemed to be a recurring theme in stories told by our newfound friends; it makes sense, as all good stories involve overcoming adversity in some capacity. Lo and behold, we would have our own run-in of this nature as we landed on the mountain for what was meant to be one last leisurely hike on our last day of the trip. Inclement weather was on the horizon, and despite the plan to have a clear flight window in the afternoon, things quickly turned for the worse within about 20 minutes of our drop-off. A storm was moving in fast, and our only way out was the long way down. What was meant to be a two-hour hike at elevation spiralled into a five-and-a-half-hour march down the mountain, dropping nearly 1,000 metres in a heavy downpour.
What could we do, but layer up, swap stories, and keep moving forward? The lessons shared immediately sunk in, and despite being a troupe of soggy wet rats by the time we hit base camp, with some of our gear looking worse for wear and watches ticking away like clockwork, we were all left smiling through the exhaustion. Go Higher, Go Deeper, Go Further, Go Beyond. This is the Citizen Promaster way, and I think we all lived up to the challenge nicely.
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NOVEMBER 2024 65
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