Last week a Vancouver ski enthusiast by the name of Stephanie Jagger left on a nine-month quest to ski more than four million vertical feet in nine months, which is the equivalent of skiing Mt. Everest from the peak to the base 137 times.
It's a serious quest for Jagger, although it started in an unassuming way while on a ski trip to Whistler Blackcomb with friends in 2008. She was getting off a chairlift when she saw the "Raise Restraining Device," sign, and decided to make that her philosophy.
"The sign woke me up from a daydream," she said. Previously she had entertained the idea of skiing around the world, but it was never more than a dream. "But then I found myself sitting on a chairlift and I saw it. The sign read 'Raise Restraining Device' and I immediately asked myself what my restraining device was and what was holding me back from going after my goal."
Jagger's quest will include five continents and 12 countries, including remote resorts like Ushuaia, Argentina and Gulmarg, India. Her journey will end where it started at Whistler Blackcomb.
She left on July 18 for Chile and the Portillo resort where many of Canada's winter sports teams train during the summer months.
Jagger is keeping the public informed of her journey, which she calls The Vertical Feat, at www.theverticalfeat.com.
