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Where have you been and what have you seen or done?
Where have you been and what have you seen or done?
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The Boulderfest & Nova Scotia
By Dave Crothers  At this point in my life most of my family and friends know that rock climbing has become more than a passion, it’s an obsession. Some encourage and support my love for the sport while others just don’t understand, but I guess that is how the world turns. I feel fortunate to be healthy enough to enjoy climbing and have the opportunity to be involved in such a great community.  Last weekend I had an opportunity to travel out to Nova Scotia for the 2010 Boulderfest on Dover Island and I took it. I left work on Thursday afternoon and headed to my new apartment in Burlington, VT. In all the excitement for the trip, I loaded my car in five minutes time, and of course forget a few essentials. Remember that checklist idea I talked about a few weeks back? Yeah, I should take my own advice.  I left town on a beautiful clear afternoon driving to Montreal to meet my friend Mark before I caught a flight out the following morning. Mark and I met on my motorcycle trip through Latin America.You can read about one of my moto adventures through the Peruvian Andes in the Travel Journal of News & Citizen.  The drive up to Montreal follows corn rows and fruit farms alike. As I approached the city, crossing the St. Lawrence River, the sun was slowly fading below the horizon silhouetting the city center. I negotiated traffic and followed street signs spelled out in French. It’s amazing that with only an hour’s drive north from Morrisville you can be in a completely different culture.  I finally met up with Mark and we hit the streets to find some local fun. We walked the crowded sidewalks until we found a pleasant pub to serve us Canadian beer and food. We talked and worked out details for getting me to the airport the next morning. It was decided I would leave my car with him so he could run some errands and I would get a ride to and from the airport. Up early the next morning I made my way smoothly through the airport and to my terminal. My experience flying in Canada was amazing. Air Canada reminds me of what it must have been like back in the good ol’ days of flying, where people smile, don’t charge you for baggage, and you get plenty of room to move around. It was a luxury compared to flying in the U.S. | The flight only took an hour and a half and once off the plane I hopped a bus into Halifax, where I spent the day carrying around a huge backpack with camera gear exploring and talking with people. Halifax reminded me a lot of home, but nestled up in the Martine. People would smile and greet you, stop and let cars into traffic, allow pedestrians to cross the roads, and look you in the eye with a smile and ask you how you are. Vermont is the same way; I fit right in and felt right at home.  After exploring the city, I tried to make contact with the organization Climb Novia Scotia to see if a ride would be available to Dover Island the following morning. I posted a message on their forum and within minutes received a call, had a ride, and a couch to crash on! My initial plan was to stay with Ryan – a contact I made through couchsurfing.com. Some may be familiar with the non-profit organization because the News & Citizen wrote briefly about it in an article a few months ago. I ended up staying with Ryan on my last night in Halifax.  My first night in Halifax was with Ben, one of the event organizers. He took me out to eat the famous Canadian dish Poutine. It’s a plate full of French fries, gravy and cheese curds, mmmmm….  We didn’t stay up too late because we planned to be up early the next morning. We hit the road around 7:30 a.m. making our drive south to Dover Island. We met the rest of the crew and I began snapping pictures. The Island was amazing, surrounded by the cold beautiful Atlantic Ocean. The coastline is made of sharp granite that made climbing a treat. The extra grip from the rock really makes a difference.  I didn’t do much climbing, but the little that I did gave me inspiration to get back there as soon as I can. The community of climbers there are friendly and happy to show you around. They are proud of what they have developed. In such an amazing place I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t become mesmerized.  Whether you are a climber, traveler, or looking for a new place to explore, Nova Scotia is worthy of any checklist. There is plenty to see and some of the famous areas include Pleasant Point Park, Peggy’s Cove, and the many picturesque lighthouses. So when planning your next trip consider the Martine, you won’t be disappointed. |