Articles about Paula

A Calgary woman is planning to tackle an epic hike in the local chain of mountains to help children and women in a chain of mountains on the other side of the world.

Paula Duncan, a nurse who works in Canmore and Strathmore, will try to become the first solo woman to complete the 1,200 km Great Divide Trail that runs from Waterton National Park to Kakwa Lake in British Columbia.

In the process, she hopes to raise at least $25,000 to benefit Child Haven International and increase awareness of issues affecting children in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Tibet.

Why is it all right for these little kids to be living like this? You wouldn't tolerate that for your own child. And I get answers like, they're used to that over there, they're brought up that way or that is their culture... I'm not going to give up my Hfestyle over here. It won't make any difference.

"I find that a little bit frustrating. I think it would be neat to create some positive dialogue around these issues just to get people thinking a little bit," she said last Wednesday (May 17).

Duncan, an experienced hiker, developed this passion for wanting to do her part from trips to the Himalayas.

"I found Nepal affected me quite profoundly and I have always gone there as a hiker and a tourist and this is a way to give back," she said.

Child Haven International works to help destitute women and children in Nepal, India, Tibet and Bangladesh learn valuable and meaningful skills, while providing safe, caring environments and basic necessities such as food and water.

Duncan’s charitable work for Child Haven began nine years ago when she began to help plan events in Calgary for the organization. Last year, she ran the Calgary Burnco Marathon with other people connected to Child Haven, and she said after that, a long-distance hike was the next logical choice.

Duncan said she supports Child Haven as it does not westernize its charges, but maintains the values of their own religions and cultures.

Compared to the lives Duncan hopes to help, her fund-raising initiative will be a literal walk in the park and of the many challenges she will face during the summer, the only one that is causing her any worry is the river crossings.

"There will be some gnarly river crossings, the thought of which probably frighten me more than the bears do, especially with the flood last year. I'm sure a lot of the bridges haven't been replaced," she said.

What others would describe as challenges — bears, solitude and completing a long-distance hike — are not seen that way by Duncan.

"I love long-distance hiking and none of the hikes I've done have ever been long enough.

"Solitude: that's another one of my frequently asked questions. I really enjoy solitude. It’s like a mindful meditation,” she said.

Duncan has few worries about bears, saying she’s more concerned about driving down the Trans-Canada Highway to the trailhead than being in bear country.

But Duncan added she would take all of the necessary precautions, including carrying bear spray.

And while she is out on the trails, especially on the southern part of the trail, Duncan will share the trails with off-roaders, other hikers and people on horseback.

Duncan plans to carry a GPS and a satellite phone for the remote northern section of her route, but more as a courtesy to search and rescue teams in the event she does require help.

"Part of the attraction of being alone is being responsible for myself. Making my own decisions and relying on myself, so having a sat phone kind of negates that part of it.

"I'm sort of waffling a bit, because just because someone comes out with a new technology doesn't mean you really need it," she said, adding she has been told it can be easy to get lost in the valley bottoms in the northern section.

Duncan's 55-day journey will take her back and forth across the Continental Divide at least 30 times, according to the guidebook Hiking Canada’s Great Divide Trail.

For more information on Duncan’s hike and fund-raising effort, go to: www3.telus.net/public/dun2bry

1200km Great Divide Hike
Author: [ xtremepeaks ] Istvan Hernadi	Wed May 03 11:54:05 PDT 2006

Taking on the entire Great Divide Trail hike through the Canadian Rockies in one summer is a difficult goal. Doing it alone over 1200 kilometers of wilderness is even more ambitious. And raising funds for a charity while doing this makes it an extraordinary adventure. While most GDT hikers are content to stop near Jasper after some 1000 km of trail, Paula Duncan of Calgary plans to hike the entire distance of established trails from the US border in Alberta to Kakwa Lake, BC as on this map of her route. She will have to spend days finding her way through unmarked and largely overgrown trails in the southern and northern portions of the Great Divide. There is not just one well-defined route for the GDT from start to finish. Conditions may dictate detours and Paula will choose her own variations along the way, even climbing some of the summits of the Divide. Only the central trail system in the Rocky Mountains National Parks is well maintained and easy to follow. Many visitors come to the parks to hike this portion of the GDT as in a recent article by Aussies. On the GDT she will cross numerous mountain passes, ford un-bridged rivers, and spend weeks in remote wilderness where she may not see another person for days. It is a formidable adventure, but Paula is used to facing hardships on long treks, such as the ones she finished in the Nepal Himalayas, Thailand, and the Pyrenees in the past. Her passion is long distance hiking, backcountry skiing and alpine climbing. She loves to be in the mountains in her spare time during her busy schedule as a nurse in Calgary. A key to long distance treks is lightweight gear and Paula will minimize it by choosing light tent, sleeping bag, pack and footwear. Still she will be carrying a pack of up to 25 pounds during much of the trip. For answers to questions such as her preparations, views on solo travel and dealing with bears, click on this link. The 55 day walk will be difficult but not nearly as tough as the lives faced by destitute children in some of the poorest countries. Paula hopes to raise funds for Child Haven, a charity she has been helping for 9 years. Child Haven International provides care for these children through to high school in 7 homes located in India, Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh. Furthermore, vocational training and women's programs are provided to improve the lives of those who are disadvantaged. To learn more about how Paula's project came about and how to make donations to Child Haven, please visit her website. The hike will commence on June 21, 2006 with a planned finish date around August 25. She will arrange boxes of food dropped at towns and will be supported by her partner Simon Bryant. Her website will be periodically updated during the summer with photos and progress reports. We wish Paula the best of luck in her endeavor and in raising funds for Child Haven International to help many needy children in Asia. Istvan Hernadi Yukon and North editor

Divide & Conquer

A Calgarian is spending her summer backpacking the 1,200-kilometre Great Divide Trail -- by herself

Lynn Martel, For The Calgary Herald

Published: Thursday, July 13, 2006

When it comes to long distance mountain hikes, Paula Duncan can't get enough. With several Himalayan treks and a 10-day solo hike of Jasper's 173-kilometre North Boundary Trail behind her, Duncan decided to spend 55 days this summer hiking the 1,200-kilometre Great Divide Trail from Waterton Lakes National Park to B.C.'s Kakwa Lake Provincial Park, located northwest of Grand Cache.

Not content to simply walk the wilderness route that crosses the Continental Divide 30 times -- and likely become the first woman to accomplish the trek solo -- Duncan is aiming to raise $25,000 to benefit Child Haven International, a charity that runs homes for orphans and destitute women, children and seniors in India, Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh.

"The long-distance hikes I've done have never seemed long enough," said Duncan, 43. "I love being out there. I love walking, the simplicity of it and getting in the rhythm of doing it day after day.

"Living out of a backpack helps cut through the superficial and superfluous that one tends to get bogged down in, and you come back more focused on what is truly important."

Starting out from Waterton on June 21 -- summer solstice -- along the scenic Carthew Alderson Trail for 23 kilometres to the Akamina Creek campsite, Duncan said goodbye to this writer and her partner, Dr. Simon Bryant, the next morning. Detouring from the main trail, she bushwhacked for half an hour to access steep open slopes to the 2,446-metre summit of Mount Rowe, from where she followed largely snow-free ridge tops for another 15 kilometres.

"I like to go places I haven't been before," Duncan explained. "If I've done a section of trail before, I'll look for alternatives. There are always all these side trails. Sometimes, I think every hike is just a reconnaissance for future trips."

Duncan was inspired by the book Hiking Canada's Great Divide Trail, written by Canmore's Dustin Lynx, which she read after running the Calgary Burnco Marathon last summer.

"After the marathon, I thought, 'Well, this is just a different kind of marathon,' " she said.

Duncan began researching the route, bought a global positioning system unit and mapping software, investigated the lightest backcountry equipment available and ran her dehydrator continuously since January to prepare nutritionally dense meals. At its heaviest, her pack weighs just 14 kilograms (31 pounds), including rain gear, sleeping bag, tent, stove, fuel, food, toiletries and requisite mountain clothing. She'll make supply stops in Coleman, Canmore, Field, B.C., and Jasper.

While making every effort to lighten her pack, however, she purposefully gained 5.5 kilograms before starting out.

"I put whipped cream in my coffee and butter on everything," she says laughing, all the while conscious of such North American luxuries. In countries such as India and Tibet, destitute is measured at less than one good meal per day.

A licensed practical nurse who works at the hospitals in Strathmore and Canmore, Duncan has helped organize events with Calgary's Child Haven support group.

"After trekking in Nepal, I've found being involved with Child Haven is a great way to give back to a place that affected me profoundly," she said. "I think what they do is very effective -- raising children through vocational schools so they can grow up to be self-sufficient."

Among her reasons for supporting Child Haven are that more than 90 per cent of money raised goes directly to the eight homes it maintains, that girls and boys are treated equally without regard to race, religion or caste and that the non-denominational organization refrains from imposing western values and attempts to raise the children according to the highest ideals of their own cultures.

As for bears on the trail, Duncan said her choice is for all whistles, no bells, plus an air horn and bear spray.

"When you encounter hikers wearing bells, you often don't hear them until they are 20 feet (six metres) away. When I need them, my noisemakers can be heard over a kilometre away," she explained.

"I know there will be situations in which I will be fearful, such as river crossings, or bear encounters, but I feel I have enough experience and skills to handle those things. I'm very careful with my food, and I'm very aware of bear signs. My general philosophy is to deal with these as they occur.

"When you're hiking solo, you see more, hear more; it allows for a mindful meditation. When you're with someone, you talk a lot and you miss stuff. I have a more profound wilderness experience when I'm by myself.

"It's wonderful to wander, to see what each day brings -- new landscapes, challenges in terrain. And a further appreciation and gratefulness for being in a life and situation where I have the privilege to be out doing this."

At press time, Duncan had hiked 450 kilometres to reach the Sunshine Village Ski Area, where she was picked up by Bryant and brought to Calgary. She's not home for a rest, though, but taking time away from her trek to join a mountain climb with the Alpine Club of Canada. After that, she'll return directly to the Great Divide Trail.

"She's looking and feeling very strong," says Bryant, who says what Duncan is doing is "marvellous."

"I'm humbled by her persistence and her endurance."

Although there have been wildlife encounters along the way, none have been bears. One morning, Duncan awoke to find her carbon fibre trekking poles missing. They turned up seven metres away from the tent, carted off by a ground squirrel who had chewed up the handles and straps. Bryant jokes the animal contributed to making Duncan's gear even more lightweight.

Her planned finish date is Aug. 26. To donate or to follow Duncan's progress, visit www3.telus.net/public/dun2bry, or go to www.childhaven.ca.