7 Summits in 7 Days!
The Cariboo Mountain ChallengeThe Mountain hiker who wins a challenging seven summit race in BC’s Cariboo region will come away with a unique prize: a beautifully restored character home in Wells, 80 kilometres east of Quesnel.
The house is the grand prize in the Professional division of the new Cariboo Mountain Challenge, organized by Dave Jorgenson and Cheryl Macarthy, who also operate the Bear’s Paw Dinner Café and Whitegold Adventures in Wells.
“This is all to create awareness and fun”, says Macarthy. “All we really want is for people to enjoy these mountains as much as we do. We also we wanted to allow people with a competitive spirit to have something really attractive to shoot for, too."
Most hikers may opt to enter the Recreational Level, where they have until September 10 to complete seven of eight designated day hikes near Wells. Each hiker collects a unique token from the summit cairn at each peak. When participants return with a complete set of tokens, they receive a piece of World Famous Cranberry Carrot Cake, and tea of their choice, from the Bear’s Paw Dinner Café in Wells. According to Jorgenson, “There is no entry fee at the Recreational level, the summits don’t need to completed on consecutive days, or in any particular order, and we encourage people to bring us photographic proof of each summit visit so we can post their progress on our Wall of Fame during the course of the summer.”
But at the Professional level, the stakes and requirements are much higher. For each of seven days, starting August 31, 2005, participants will race, in a timed event, to a different summit and back, along a prescribed route. The grand prize for the best accumulated time on September 6 includes a fully restored character home in
Wells with an estimated value of $90,000, and, of course, a satisfying piece of Cranberry Carrot Cake from the Bear’s Paw Dinner Café.
Second prize includes a Ford Escort car. For their $7,000 entry fee, each participant receives seven nights accommodation at the Wells Hotel, all meals during the event, t-shirts, and passes to nearby Barkerville Historic Town.
Jorgenson says, “The professional level is hard-core, and requires a big commitment, but this concept is really for all of us. We’re getting keen participation in the Recreational Level, and that’s what we want.” “The best thing about this project is that it raises awareness about our community, the fabulous and untapped hiking resource that we have here, and also, our connection to our roots through Barkerville. With that in mind, 50% of all our profits will be fed right back into the operating and marketing budget for Barkerville Historic Park.”
Box
206
Wells BC
V0K 2R0
Canada
Phone:
1 250 994-2345
Toll-free (N America): 1 866 994-2345
Fax: 1 250 994-2347
