THANK YOU!!! (We leave tomorrow, June 9 so this is the last post for a while.)
We have raised $6136; just barely over our goal to raise $6000 when we accepted the opportunity to guide with YL Beyond Malibu. Thank you to everyone who is sharing our experience in this way. We have been able to pay for ALL of our expensive equipment, clothing, training and certifications!
We will still continue to raise money through the Buy-a-Print program (explained below) to help us get back on our feet when we return in September. We hope to be settled by September 15th, so expect to hear from us by then if you have expressed an interest to Buy-a-Print!
Thank you again for your interest and support. We are excited for this adventure and are eager to share stories when we return!
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SNOW TRAINING
Finally! almost 10 years after moving to Bellingham for school, graduating, getting married, and living life as usual, Alaina and I have spent our first night snow camping on Bellingham’s pride and joy, Mt. Baker. We had a great time learning how to self arrest on a steep hillside, how to cross a glacier on a rope team, and how to perform crevasse rescue. We didn’t have to spend time on the glacier to learn, but instead practiced on some safer areas near Artist’s Point. It also snowed on us, which is unusual for this time of year. It was a great opportunity to test our gear and discover some items we still need to pick up before we leave on June 9.
We enjoyed the Beyond community as we all came together for our final Seattle training session. The next time we all meet will be in Egmont, BC for our Wilderness Advanced First Aid training. We hope you enjoy some of the images from our time in the snow… For now, we take a break and claim our Christmas gift which is a bike trip in Moab. We are out of town, but will post again when we return.
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ROPES TRAINING
Last weekend we had our ropes, rock and rappel training in Anacortes. We tested our rain gear as we learned how to set up top belay, bell ringer belay, and rappel systems. We learned how to implement anchors to tie in our systems and also how to equalize these anchors for maximum weight distribution. It was so fun to put to use the book work we have been learning and to play with all of the equipment we have been investing in over the last month.
We realize that what it took to purchase good gear is really worth it. We will be safer and more efficient in the mountains as we help others experience ‘the freedom of the hills’.
We also grew much closer to our friends on the guide team. I think I relate better through experience, which brings me closer in relationship to people. This weekend was another example of how a shared experience can grow a person and bond a group. I know this will be the case this summer as we bring strangers into the BC mountains and return good friends.
Only a month or so and we will be arriving in base camp wild eyed.
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DONATION BY PAYPAL
Donations to help us pay for our summer can be made via PayPal. You can visit my donation page on the website which looks like the screen capture below, or contact me for my PayPal information.
Thanks to all who have already stepped up to help!
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MAP & COMPASS TRAINING
One skill that I have always desired is to successfully use a map and compass. It is becoming a lost skill (or art) due to advancements in Global Positioning Systems (GPS). GPS is a miracle according to Dave, our map and compass trainer. There is definitely a benefit to using GPS. During a white-out or at night, where taking a bearing can be difficult with low to no visibility, the GPS can save lives. Yet, a map and compass weighs less and won’t run out of batteries… It is a system that has been used for centuries.
For our second training event as a first year Beyond guide, we learned triangulation, adjusting declination, compass marching, taking a bearing, and locating landmarks in conjunction with our physical surroundings and our topo maps. It was an awesome weekend. We practiced orienteering and made deeper connections with the other guides.
Did you know that the degree from the horizon to the North Star (in the Northern Hemisphere) is the same number as the latitude you are standing? In Seattle, we are about 47 degrees latitude and the North Star is 47 degrees above the horizon. Interesting, I know.
We also had a breakout session of learning camping stoves, helmets and harnesses, fitting backpacks and how to properly pack them. Our training weekends are always intense, packed with information. We are filling up our knowledge base so that when the summer arrives, we will be fully prepared to lead safe trips that impact lives.
Our next training weekend will be in Anacortes, WA where we will be learning rock climbing, rappelling, ropes systems etc… Can’t wait.
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SEND ME TO BEYOND
I will be volunteering my entire summer with Young Life’s BEYOND MALIBU Adventure with my wife, Alaina, AS MOUNTAIN GUIDES. We are thrilled about the opportunity to be wandering the British Columbia coastal range above the Princess Louisa Inlet, facilitating, growing, exploring, and establishing community with high school kids from all over North America.
How you can HELP: Consider purchasing a print from a select portfolio of images taken from my time in the mountains. As a professional freelance photographer who specializes in outdoor content, I am excited about the opportunity to bring my camera along for high quality, unique images of a very remote area.
How this works: Contact me by email about any of the print size options below. Make an advanced payment or deposit (Yes, you are purchasing something you haven’t seen yet, but what a surprise! You love surprises.)
In September, you will receive a private link to a gallery of select images (At least 25 images) from which you may choose to print. Notify me of your choice and receive a limited edition print for your office, home or giving at Christmas. (I can even send directly to another recipient if you provide an address and personalized greeting.)
Included are a few example images of what you can look forward to. These images were taken on my last trekking trip in the Himalayas of Nepal.
Print Options & Prices: *note: standout examples are seen below
- 16×20 w/ 3/4″ Standout $90
- 24×30 w/ 3/4″ Standout $366
- 30×40 w/ 3/4″ Standout $435
- 16×20 Canvas $193
- 24×30 Canvas $240
- 30×40 Canvas $342
Other donation options: if you don’t care to have a limited edition print and you just want to donate for our equipment purchases (crampons, ice axe, backpacks, boots, etc.) you can send a donation directly to us.
You can also send a tax deductible donation to (and make sure to put Brandon Sawaya in the memo section) :
Young Life Beyond Malibu, PO BOX 15662, Seattle WA 98115
BEYOND Malibu: The program is celebrating it’s 40th year sharing faith in Christ with adventurous kids and adults from all over the continent. Here is an excerpt from their website:
“The uniqueness of each trip is built around variables present in your group: the individuals involved, trip leadership, route, weather and God’s particular plan for the week. Your trip will be challenging and you may experience rain, snow, wind, and sunshine. It will push you individually to reach “Beyond” your normal capacities and learn to trust others and God, work together to accomplish a goal, and overcome fears. You will be challenged spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Although challenges can be difficult at times, groups who have not been in superb physical condition have enjoyed and benefited from a Beyond experience because the Beyond leadership and staff gear each trip to the physical condition and needs within the group.
Come to Beyond Malibu expecting that you and those with you will say, along with hundreds of others since the program began in 1970, “It was the best week of my life.”
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THANK YOU for visiting this blog, for being curious about what I have been into these days, and for considering helping in this way.
Brandon
Most amazing photo’s I have seen yet!!! Love it love it love it….