2024 Mountain Hardwear GMC Photo Contest Winners
What a season at the Remillard GMC! A stellar crew and setting made for some incredible entries in our photo contest this year! Mountain Hardwear has returned to sponsor the GMC Photo Contest, providing the following prizes:
We thank Mountain Hardwear for sponsoring this exciting contest and for all the participants who submitted their photos and stories – we loved going through them!
This Year's Selected Winners:
We’d like to thank everyone who entered the contest! We had a blast going through the entries, and we hope you made some unforgettable memories that go beyond any photos you may have taken.
Without further ado, here are our winners!
Alex Mackenzie “Rainy Day Geosymposium”
Alex Mackenzie “Rainy Day Geosymposium”
1st Place – Alex Mackenzie
A strong photo incites an emotional response, and we definitely got that from Alex’s photo! Sharp peaks with vertical bands show us the texture of the terrain around Remillard, the mist provides mood but also depth to the mountains, and the final touch of climbers in the foreground gives us scale and a sense of our humble place in the hills. Play your favourite epic soundtrack to this image and get psyched to head into the mountains! Congrats, Alex!
2nd Place – Priya Biswas
Sometimes our planet gives us something extra special to make an experience even more unforgettable—check out those Northern Lights! With the namesake peak of the GMC, Remillard, in the background and the stroke of colours in the sky, we think this photo encapsulates so much of why the GMC locations are so special. You may not see the Northern Lights at every GMC, but the settings always make you pause. Great job capturing this, Priya!
Priya Biswas “Camping Under Northern Lights”
Priya Biswas “Camping Under Northern Lights”
3rd Place – Vince Lauzon
The Courthouse ascent was a favourite among GMC participants this year, and we think this photo captured the exposure of the experience quite well! The glacier on the right (which gives access to the ridge) shows height, the fog on the left leaves room for a bit of imagination (but participants will know the vertical relief on that side…), and the team roped up gives a nice sense of the teamwork needed to navigate this type of complicated terrain. Well done, Vince — you’ll have a sweet pack for your next ridge adventure!
Vince Lauzon “Courthouse Descent”
Vince Lauzon “Courthouse Descent”
Honourable Mentions:
Join in on the fun for 2025!
The GMC takes place in a new location each year. Helicopter access grants us the privilege of exploring an area that would take days of heavy hiking to access. Sites are chosen for their access to snow, rock, and mountain objectives, along with their beauty, remoteness, and historical significance, and the Hatteras Group is no different.
In the case of Hatteras GMC for 2025, it is a location we have held the GMC before. The GMC has been visiting the Northern Purcells/ Bugaboos area since 1946, and with climbing like this you’ll see why it’s been hard to stay away! Over the years as the Bugaboos have become more developed and accessible, we have been moving the camp slowly northwest along the glaciers, last visiting the nearby area at the Vowel Glacier in 2008. We can’t wait to show you to some of our favourite peaks!
This area of the Purcells is comprised of both alpine granite and metamorphic layers of phyllite and quartzite. The climbing is described as “some of the most interesting in the northernmost Purcells” by Robert Kruszyna and William L. Putman in their 1997 guidebook of the area. The long ridge lines between peaks allow for some breathtaking traverses as you navigate the complex series of glaciers in the area.
Whether you seek remote alpine summits, gourmet chef-prepared meals at 1,800 metres, or the camaraderie of like-minded individuals, the GMC offers it all. We are expecting high demand for the Hatteras camp this year.
If you’re an artist, check out our dedicated week designed just for you.
If you’d like to use our basecamp to explore the area without guides, check out our Independent Camp.
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