On-Going >>> Green Drinks in Whistler
First Wednesday of every Month!
Whistler's Green Drinks gatherings are open to everyone interested in Whistler's sustanability. Happening the first Wednesday of every month, Green Drinks is a social networking event for anybody who has an open-mind and interested in discussing about the state of our environment. Green Drinkers are from all ages, backgrounds and groups.

Green Drinks are very simple and unstructured, there's no agenda or other formality - it's just a chance to meet regularly to chat, debate, socialize and connect with others in Whistler who are passionate about environmental and sustainability issues.

* FREE Granville Island BEER and appies with donation to AWARE

For more information visit Whistler's page on GreenDrinks.org here.
For more information about AWARE and the environment click here.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


Past Event >>> 10th Annual Enviro-Fest
Sunday, June 5th - Upper Village in Whistler
Be part of Whistler's Environmental Festival!

Supported by the RMOW and Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, the Enviro-Fest is an outdoor fair focused on showcasing the environmentally friendly choices offered in the community, highlighting sustainable business practices, providing information to help people make better choices and is a great opportunity for Whistlerites to reduce their ecological footprint. Packed with interactive displays, fun activities for kids, music performances and other entertainers, Enviro-Fest promises something for everyone to enjoy.

Past Event >>> BASS AT THE BASE
Special: AWARE Fundraser!
Friday, April 8th, 2011 at GLC
with DJs Milton, &E, Miss Instigator (Jess Tucker), Whatevan, Phroh, and Miss KosmiK (Marie Fortin)

For the past three years, Hilltrip organized an Earth Day Event, but this year Hilltrip did not do an "Earth Day Event" per se; instead, we decided to celebrate the Earth on April 8 because we believe EARTH DAY is EVERY DAY and we know a lot of people were going to be busy enjoying the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival on April 22.

To make it happen, Hilltrip teamed up with &Entertainment and Smooth Sound Productions to raise funds for AWARE (Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment) at their last BASS AT THE BASE party of the Winter Season.

The event raised a total of $655 from the door and raffle will be donated to support AWARE's environmental initiatives. Prizes for the raffle included a Whistler Bungee Jumps for 2, products from Helly Hanson, t-shirts from Whistler Junglist, a haircut by Jess Tucker at The Loft, a car wash at Podium Auto Details, and a round of golf at Nicklaus North.

BASS AT THE BASE has been bringing underground electronic music to the village in a festival-style atmosphere since December 2010 at GLC, Whistler's best live music venue.

Past Event >>> Friday, October 22nd
Jeremy Jones' DEEPER Snowboard Film Premiere
and POW Fundraiser
2 shows at 7 & 9 pm @ Millennium Place
After-Party at Moe Joes presented by Hilltrip


The most anticipated big mountain snowboarding film of the year, DEEPER took 2 years to make and finally came to Whistler on Friday October 22, 2010. Even local snowboard ripper Jonovan Moore was there in person to talk about his experience while making his segment in the film. The film was brought to Whistler by DOGLOTION.com and Hilltrip brought the After-Party.

AFTER PARTY
Hosted by HillTrip at MoeJoe's with DJ Praiz, Stevie James and Miss KosmiK (HillTrip's founders Marie Fortin). Prizes from our sponsors were given away and this there was a cat-boarding trip for auction. Proceeds from the silent auction and door were donated to POW (Protect Our Winters), Jeremy Jones' non-profit organization dedicated at uniting the winter sports community towards a common goal of reducing climate change's effects on our sport and local mountain communities. Fundraiser for POW and good times. In total $1350 was raised!!!

TOUR SPONSORS:
O'NEILL, Jones Snowboards, Transworld Snowboarding, Swatch, RECCO, and Clif Bar.

LOCAL EVENT SPONSORS:
Backcountry Snowcats, Arc'teryx, Evolution Whistler, Surefoot Whistler, Smartwool, Rossignol, RECCO

Hilltrip News

Hilltrip Presented GENERATIONS in Revelstoke & Whistler
On January 8th, 2010, Hilltrip headed over to Revelstoke for the Freeskiing World Tour Competition and present the short TGR film GENERATIONS, a Skiers' and Snowboarders' Perspective on Climate Change, at Outabouds Nightclub.

Than, Hilltrip presented GENERATIONS in Whistler during the Winter Olympic Games on February 25 and 26 at Millar Creek Café.

>>> See the trailer on YouTube here >>>

Enviro-Fest 2009 was a Huge success!!!
Enviro-Fest is a festival where local residents and guests can learn about environmentally friendly choices offered in the community in a fun and interactive manner. With humble begging in 2002, the festival started as a way to celebrate Whistler's achievement in protecting our environment and moving toward sustainability. Held from May 25th to 31st, the festival included film screenings, guest speackers, discussions, workshops, nature walks, kids activities and the famous Enviro-Fair on Sunday which featured over 45 exhibitores with a Local Farmers Market done in collaboration with the Whistler farmer's Market, LIVE MUSIC all day from DJ Chris CHill, Kostaman, Krista-Lynn Martens, Susan Holden, Jon Shrier, Rachel Thom and Adam Bowen among others, and full of fun-filled activities to keep people excited about the various environmental activities happening in Whistler.

>>> Visit our Enviro-Fest SHCEDULE OF EVENT >>>


April 29th, 2009 - Wassabi Collective @ GLC, Whistler
Whistler was treated to Wassabi Collective and DJ Bruno Be with ecstatic drummers KosmiK Girl and Garuda on April 29th at GLC. With Wassabi Collective is a progressive Canadian five-piece - they can bounce on a reggae groove or launch into a pulsating, tribal soul shakedown. They can switch with ease between hip hop punches and organic electro textures, ribbons of soul and trance winding throughout. They can rock and jam and funk it out, they can do it slow and sweet, or fast and furious, and they can do it all night…like they did in Whislter…it was freakin' cool.

April 20th, 2009 - The Green Gathering @ Merlins, Whistler
Earth Day on 4:20…the smokiest day of the year!
Starting at 3pm, The Green Gathering showcased a slate of artists ranging from Kostaman (guitar, bass, and vocal), Sean Rose (guitar and vocal), Rachel Thom (vocal), Dana-Marie (guitar and vocal), Jana Marie (keyboard and vocal), Russ Thomas (harmonica), Music Monk (guitar and vocal), Steve, Krista-Lynn Martens (Guitar and Vocal), Rich Cochrane (guitar and vocal), MC Ginny, Sara Jennings (spoken words), to KosmiK Girl (ecstatic drumming and dancing), Garuda (didgeridoo, djembe), JimiRay (DJ), Bruno Be (DJ and Didgeridoo) and more…

Throughout the event, money was raised for AWARE (Association of Whistler Area resident for the Environment) and the Bands Against Hunger Society with raffles and good deeds.
Thanks everyone for coming and co-creating the event…
ALL in celebration of Mother Earth and Her Goodness!!!


January 30th, 2009 - Hilltrip host a My Own Two Feet Premiere in Whistler
"My Own Two Feet" is a hi-definition, human-powered adventure snowboarding film produced by Leeward Cinema in association with Protect Our Winters (POW). POW is using this film to spread the word about sustainability and to raise funds for local environmental or educational efforts in the places it is shown. In Whistler, the premiere supported Hilltrip's local environmental sustainability and educational efforts in addressing the climate change issue.
>>> Read more about the My Own Two Feet Premiere >>>

April 14th, 2008 - Hilltrip donated $1,000 to Protect Our Winters
In an effort to raise awareness about global warming and take action towards change, Hilltrip hosted the first Protect Our Winters (POW) Fundraiser in Canada at GLC on Monday April 14th. Featuring CLIF BAR S.O.S Winter Road Trip documentary and a live auction, the event raised $1,000 for POW's advocacy and renewable energy projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. POW is a non-for-profit, founded in 2007 by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones, whose mission is to build a united front of winter sports enthusiasts in an effort to restore our winter climates.
>>> Press Release: 1st Canadian Fundraiser to Benefit POW – Featuring two movie premieres and a live auction
>>> Press Release: Hilltrip donates $1,000 to Protect Our Winters – Helping the winter sport community move toward sustainability

January 2008 - Marie Fortin featured in SharedVISION
Marie Fortin, founder of Hilltrip was featured as a visionary in SharedVISION last January. SharedVISION is an independent monthly magazine for those interested in sustainability, integrative health, and personal growth.
>>> Read Shared Vision magazine visionary profile of Marie’s here.

July 2006
Hilltrip's First TerraTrip Blog Post on The Bio-Diesel Trip
The first Carbon-Offset project to be supported by Hilltrip is The Bio-Diesel Trip, which will help Kathleen Marcotte convert her car to run on biodiesel to travel south of Whistler and than back to Quebec. While traveling Kate will be writing stories about her biodiesel trip and they will be available on TerraTrip.org's blog for everyone to read.
Go to TerraTrip.org and read Kate's exciting adventures >>>

June 2006
Hilltrip has a presence at the World Urban Forum III
From June 19th to 23rd, people from all around the globe gathered in Vancouver for World Urban Forum, the first of its kind by including youth at such a scale and by letting the people speak up. Marie Fortin of Hilltrip attended the conference and came back filled with faith.

An Inconvenient Truth FACE Humanity
Climate change is an inconvenient truth and the name of a must see movie documenting the journey of Al Gore to fight global warming. By exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it, Al Gore points out that climate change is a moral issue, not a political one and it's unethical to let it happen.
To read more about An Inconvenient Truth on TerraTrip.org, click here >>

February 21st, 2006
Hilltrip Goes To The David Suzuki Foundation’s E.O. Wilson Circle Donor Appreciation
The evening was very uplifting and energizing for Marie Fortin and Haley Haggerstone who attended the reception. The two Hilltrip collaborators had the chance to discuss about climate change and carbon offsets with Morag Carter, Director of the Climate Change Program at the David Suzuki Foundation (DSF). Moreover, they had the honor of meeting David Suzuki, and his daughter Savern, the newest/youngest Board Member of the Foundation.
Since 2004, Hilltrip has donated $1,750 to the DSF Climate Change Program, and has thus been a member of the E.O. Wilson Circle of the DSF.

February 18th, 2006
Avalanches Can Kill So Get Smarter
Avalanche Awareness is part of making our mountain lifestyle more sustainable because being aware of the risks involved in going backcountry is as important as knowing where and when to go. In order to understand the risks of going in the backcountry a little better, Marie Fortin from Hilltrip did a Recreational Avalanche Course (RAC) on February 15th to 17th with Perry Beckham from the Pacific Alpine Institute last February. Going backcountry is a great way to get closer to the wild, reconnecting with the environment, and realizing the importance of conserving it. "Being in the backcountry is so inspiring. There's nobody around and because I have to hike to get to where I want to go, I usually take more time at thinking. When hiking, I also take more time at contemplating at how beautiful the mountains covered with snow are and how I want to ensure this beautiful ecosystem sustain for generations to come." says Marie.

FYI - Ski and Snowboard Wax Toxicity
Who would have thought ski and snowboard wax are a big threat to our environment and us? Tyler Braly from Hillbilly Wax-Works and Ethica Enviro-Wax probably know more than the average Joe Blow about the toxicity of the wax on the market right now.

Tyler explains, “every season, thousands upon thousands of kilograms of ski wax are applied to skis and snowboards. Beeswax, pine tar, the natural materials once used to wax or seal skis have long since fallen by the wayside. Nowadays, conventional ski wax is made from varying blends of low-grade paraffin and synthetic fluorine chemicals, and therein lurks the problem. Paraffin wax is a waste byproduct of large scale petroleum and petrochemical refinement. The low-grade paraffin used by ski wax makers is junk material to Big Oil, the unwanted materials made incredibly cheap to purchase. As such, paraffin is non-renewable, unsustainable, and is a material directly related to the continued abuse and reliance upon fossil fuels.” Only that fact should rig a bell to the dumb and dumber of this world.

Just think about it for a sec; every time you melt wax, you release several hazardous chemicals that are classified as human carcinogens and every time you ride, the wax end up in nature.

We might not know all the effect wax has yet, but we know enough to start making conscious choices and trying not to use wax made with low-grade paraffin and synthetic fluorine chemicals. I say trying because all the wax on the market right now is basically made from those toxic material and it’ll take a while before regulations on those same materials be in place to protect us.

So my word on it is don’t wait until wax made from low-grade paraffin and synthetic fluorine chemicals are banned and start using environmentally friendly (and human friendly) wax buyng eco friendly wax that is biodegradable.

For more information please read Tyler Bradley’s article “Toxins on the Slopes” here >>


About Hilltrip
Based in Whistler, BC, HillTrip is an organization run by mountains lovers for mountain lovers and all those passionate about our lifestyle.

Global warming is happening. We need to FACE it; accept it, adapt to it and fight it. Hilltrip is here to help you FACE GLOBAL WARMING by educating and giving opportunities to do just that.

Read more about Hilltrip here >>