Backcountry ski and snowboard female mentorship program starting in Revelstoke

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A new non-profit society dedicated to pairing females into season-long mentorships in backcountry skiing and snowboarding has launched in Revelstoke, B.C.

In an effort to reduce barriers to entry for women in the backcountry, Ascent Mentorships will be pairing up to 40 women in the Revelstoke area together for a five-month-long mentorship for the 2020/21 winter season. They hope to increase confidence among women in the region and create a supportive and encouraging environment for women to strengthen their skills. With their support and blessing, the new society is modelled off of a very successful, existing program operating in the Sea to Sky called Mountain Mentors. Ascent Mentorships will be funded through grants, donations and are currently looking for sponsors who would be interested in helping to build a larger community of female backcountry users.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities visit: https://www.ascentmentors.ca/sponsorships

“After about 200 responses to a survey in the community, it was clear that there was a lot of interest in a program like this,” says Emily Wright, founder of Ascent Mentorships, “All of the feedback that we received from the survey really accentuated the motivating factors for wanting to create Ascent Mentorships.”

For those looking to get involved for the 2020/21 season, applications for both mentors and mentees will open early September. For more information on the program itself, visit: https://www.ascentmentors.ca/program. Ascent Mentorships is a registered non-profit society dedicated to pairing women into season-long mentorship relationships in backcountry skiing and snowboarding.

Our goal is to reduce commonly-observed barriers to entry for women in the backcountry touring space within the Revelstoke, B.C. area. We hope to increase confidence among women in our region and create a supportive and encouraging environment for women to strengthen their skills. For more information visit our website or follow us on Facebook, or contact Emily Wright Founder & Executive Director, Ascent Mentorships [email protected]