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Julia Kean Niles

@julia.niles

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Thank you SO much to everyone who came out to our 10 Year Anniversary party This evening was an incredible example of our community, and embodied the truth that it is always just people. People make things happen, people are what bring us together, and through people we can leave things better. With your help, we raised $7,000 through our silent auction!! This amount will go straight into our programming and accounts for ~25% of our annual operating budget. …If you thought that’s not a big budget, you’d be right! Our fully run volunteer team works tirelessly to help keep this vision alive, and any of your contributions, no matter the size, goes a very long way in creating backcountry spaces where everyone belongs and feels safe. A huge thanks to the amazing films, our wonderful partners, volunteers and killer auction item donations - without they the fundraiser would not have been possible! In no particular order we’d love to thank @julia.niles @mostlymeowntains @nscreativebc @nat_segal @radish_designs_ @g3gear @climbonequipment @luppolo_brewing @climbonsquamish @msa_adventures @seatoskygondola @revelstokemtnresort @redresort @samsaracycleclub @skiuphill.ca @aetherhaus @hiveclimbing @climb.base5 @inflowadventureco @comorgoplayoutside @vallon_official @7meshinc @rux.life @earnesticecream @plainjaneicecream @mec @itsblume @ninalaflammephotography @stefinitely @readwalkcreate @twosisters.farms @beckyhillustration ... and many more Photos by our photographer, board member and all round hype man @jojodas
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Three stories. Ten years of Mountain Mentors. One big night. 🎬⁠ ⁠ We’re excited to share the film lineup for MM10: Mountain Mentors 10 Year Anniversary Community Film Celebration!⁠ ⁠ Beauty in a Fall⁠ @nat_segal · @nscreativebc⁠ ⁠ Climbing Through⁠ @julia.niles⁠ ⁠ Zing Zing Bar⁠ @mostlymeowntains ⁠ ⁠ Join us October 15 in North Vancouver as we celebrate 10 years of Mountain Mentors, the people who have shaped this community, and all the adventures still to come.⁠ ⁠ Because a good party can do a little good too, proceeds from tickets, the auction, and our Shared Summit beer from @luppolo_brewing will help fund Mountain Mentors programming.⁠ ⁠ Come for the films. Stay for the community. Help us celebrate 10 years.⁠ ⁠ 🎟️ Tickets available via link in bio
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Last year @christieimages and @tifotos we created a new film! It’s call Midlife Crisis! We are accepted @thevimff and @ 2026 Reel Minds Mental Health Film Festival! THE START OF A BIGGER CONVERSATION While mountains provide the backdrop, the message of Midlife Crisis extends far beyond adventure sports. At its heart, the film is about the challenges we all face when life takes an unexpected turn. It explores mental health, relationships, identity, vulnerability and the importance of having people around us when things get difficult. Thank you so much for our sponsor to help this film to be an impact with other people. Many friends help with there stories! @hellyhansen @climbonsquamish @nemoequipment @tenacle.ca @blackdiamond @whistlerblackcomb Film premiere Nov 18 at the Rio @thevimff
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And that’s a wrap! Two weeks ago we finished up the second module of the 2026 @acmg.ca AG Exam, and then I just got the word this week that I’m one of the latest group of full ACMG Alpine Guides!!! It’s been a long journey to get here, with a lot of ups and downs including last year’s unsuccessful attempt at this exam… but I’m finally here! Thanks to a ton of folks for their support - @alawls (and @rockymountainace) at home, all my friends, colleagues and mentors at @yamnuskamtnadv, the great group of other candidates (especially my two exam partners @maryselh and @florinabeglinger). Honestly, I could go on and on here, but thanks all of you and everyone else I didn’t name. Guess it’s time to go skiing now? (Definitely not quitting climbing though!)
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It’s been an incredible summer so far! It felt like a bit of slower, wetter start but since then conditions and partners have been all-time. Thanks to everyone that I’ve been fortunate enough to share a rope and some alpine time with so far ✨🙌🙏 June: - @acmg.ca Guide Training Alpine, checking out some classic and not-so-classic routes in the Icefields parkway with @touchedanielle and @brendennielsen July: -first time to the @alpineclubcan Neil Colgan hut with @touchedanielle and Helen Sovdat, -two weeks in Squamish enjoying granite and working with inspirations @julia.niles @bronwynhodgins @amand.be @emclimber for @shemovesmountains - quick trip to the Tantalus with @touchedanielle and running in to @drewdepanicis and @spearheadmountainguides guiding stoked guests - 4 days in the Valhallas with @touchedanielle with primo weather and interesting climbing checking out routes by @summit_mtn_guides and @mr.neature August so far: - Artist week at the @alpineclubcan GMC watching @emily.beaudoin work her magic and volunteer leading alongside @rickcasson and learning from @famyot and @mikeatcoe I’m enjoying a couple days at home before launching into the next stint of “training” and exploring before my next longer block of work in September 😉🙌 … @rab.equipment.na
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What an INCREDIBLE trip climbing in Squamish with @shemovesmountains !!!
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This is Squamish ✨ Join us this July.
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8 days skiing and sleeping in the Canadian backcountry 3 different ways I wish I could say this trip went exactly how I hoped. I skied and laughed a lot with so many amazing humans but I also cried A LOT. The reality of burnout figuratively slapped me in the face (after literally kneeing myself in the face) and although I’ve come a long way from Hyland Hills, I still have so much more to learn in these big mountains. I’m walking away with regrets and irritating hindsight, but I’m also walking away healthy, with a bunch of new friends and a genuine hunger to get back up here next year. For now, I’m going to go lie in my own bed and try to be kind to myself ✌🏼 #ski #skiing #backcountry #backcountryskiing
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The mountains keep calling. And sometimes, so do the women we’re meant to walk beside. I fell in love with backcountry hiking during Covid — long days, quiet trails, regular Stawamus Chief laps. The meditative rhythm of each step, each breath. Nothing to tend to but the present moment. When I saw Julia Niles’ post about Women Mind Big Lines, it was an immediate “Hell yes.” The first time I saw Julia, our babies were tiny and we were both at story time at the library. We never spoke — I was too shy — but I was mesmerized by her beauty and grace. I imagined her as a mountain woman and quietly hoped our paths would cross. Years later, when our kids were in kindergarten, we finally spoke. She looked me straight in the eyes, with the most radiant smile and a huge, grounded heart. Getting to know her was worth the wait. I was honoured to support this powerful, women-led backcountry series last weekend — guiding movement and breath alongside mountain mentorship — as we help women build confidence, trust themselves, and move boldly into big terrain. Beyond the lift lines, we find our line — and our power. ✨ And how amazing —> every retreat supports single mothers in the Sea-to-Sky. 🔗 link in bio to learn more about Mountain Mindset, Women’s backcountry series and @julia.niles
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All of @theskijournal Volume 19 is finally out in the world! As 19.4 starts to hit mailboxes, I’ve been reflecting on what it is that I love so much about this work. The skiing, yes. Of course it’s a dream come true to go skiing for work. But the answer I keep coming back to, the reason why writing about skiing will never get old, is how much it fuels my curiosity. No story is the same, no issue is the same, and every day I feel like I learn something new. I’ve learned so much from the skiers I’ve interviewed, the people I’ve shared meals and ski turns with all over the world, our thoughftul and creative team on staff, and our many contributors. An open mind and a willingess to ask a LOT of questions is the biggest lesson I’ve learned while writing about skiing for the last 10 years, and it continues to deliver. Chronic illness has reshaped my life for the time being, and while my season has looked quite different, with no trips, no guiding, and only a fraction of the days on snow I would have planned, it has also allowed me to remember just how much I love this sport and community. I’ve been grateful to have something like @theskijournal to pour my heart into, even if right now it’s often from the sidelines. Because when our bodies don’t allow us to ski as much as we’d like, skiing is still pretty darn fun to talk about. No matter where I am in my journey, there’s always some kind of way to find joy in skiing. I hope you get the chance to dig into the stories our team brought to life this year in Volume 19. Skiing is just the best.
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Adventure beyond the lift lines—into big terrain with skill, confidence, and community. I’m deeply honoured to be invited by local Mountain Guide Julia Niles to co-facilitate movement, breathwork, and embodied support for Women Mind Big Lines — a women-led backcountry ski & snowboard touring series for women and female-identifying folks. This progressive series is designed for those seeking adventure, resilience, and self-trust in the backcountry. Together, we blend technical mountain skills, mindset, and strong community support as we step beyond the crowds and into wild spaces. ✨ And 100% of proceeds support professional cleaning services for single mothers in the Sea-to-Sky — supporting women at home while we support one another in the mountains. Progression:
• Retreats 1 & 2: Foundational backcountry skills, safety, and confidence in approachable terrain
• Retreats 3 & 4: Bigger terrain, winter camping, and deeper technical learning 🔗 Learn more: mountainmindsetsquamish.com
📌 link in bio to Mountain Mindset @julia.niles - Mountain Guide
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