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| Erin & Erick at Tilicho Lake, Nepal |
Erin Trainer
I owe my passion for the outdoors to a huge city park located just metres from my childhood home in Coquitlam, B.C. I spent a good chunk of my childhood running, exploring and biking through its kilometres of trails. I remember feeling the freedom, the quietness and the independence that shopping malls and urban sprawls just didn’t have. To this day, each time I travel somewhere new it’s like being in that park – a place with endless possibilities.
After graduating high school, I worked at Manning Provincial Park Resort in southern B.C. for two summers. During my time there, I hiked or mountain biked almost every trail on the map and even some that weren't. The best part of my job was providing visitors with advice. I took pride in sharing my knowledge about the park, its history and special places the brochures left out.
I’m inspired by travel and outdoor adventurers like Les Stroud (Survivorman) and Rick Steves (Rick Steve’s Europe.) They encourage their viewers to get out of their comfort zone and take chances. I’m also a big fan of the TV show “Departures” on Outdoor Life Network.
I’ve travelled around B.C. and the Pacific Northwest (U.S.) and overseas to Australia, Europe and most recently Nepal. When I’m away from home, wherever I am, I set my mind to open and let my curiosity lead me from destination to destination.
I live in Victoria B.C. but I also call the Okanagan Valley home. My partner Erick and I spend our weekends on the road or on the trail – with a map in our hand – and no travel plan.
I owe my passion for the outdoors to a huge city park located just metres from my childhood home in Coquitlam, B.C. I spent a good chunk of my childhood running, exploring and biking through its kilometres of trails. I remember feeling the freedom, the quietness and the independence that shopping malls and urban sprawls just didn’t have. To this day, each time I travel somewhere new it’s like being in that park – a place with endless possibilities.
After graduating high school, I worked at Manning Provincial Park Resort in southern B.C. for two summers. During my time there, I hiked or mountain biked almost every trail on the map and even some that weren't. The best part of my job was providing visitors with advice. I took pride in sharing my knowledge about the park, its history and special places the brochures left out.
I’m inspired by travel and outdoor adventurers like Les Stroud (Survivorman) and Rick Steves (Rick Steve’s Europe.) They encourage their viewers to get out of their comfort zone and take chances. I’m also a big fan of the TV show “Departures” on Outdoor Life Network.
I’ve travelled around B.C. and the Pacific Northwest (U.S.) and overseas to Australia, Europe and most recently Nepal. When I’m away from home, wherever I am, I set my mind to open and let my curiosity lead me from destination to destination.
I live in Victoria B.C. but I also call the Okanagan Valley home. My partner Erick and I spend our weekends on the road or on the trail – with a map in our hand – and no travel plan.
Erick Thompson
I have been exploring the backcountry most of my life. As a young child, I vividly remember hiking through the forests near my home and climbing trees. In elementary school, we spent our lunch hours running through trails surrounding our playground.
At the age of 13, I spent nearly two months camping beside the Yukon River in Whitehorse. A few years later I toured the U.S. southwest, visiting an archaeological site in New Mexico, Mesa Verde cliff dwellings in Colorado and several other magical locations. This is when I developed my passion for capturing unique experiences on film.
Throughout my life, I have traveled extensively around North America and overseas to parts of Europe and Nepal.
I began my media career during my teens - working as a freelance photographer and film extra. When I was 17, I landed a job as a radio DJ in New Brunswick and later joined ABC Television as an assistant to talent and crew during the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary.
For the past decade, I have worked as a television news anchor and reporter in Victoria. I thoroughly enjoy the creative process of writing and editing my own stories. I won an RTNDA award (Radio and Television News Directors Association) for a feature series, which I produced and filmed in Nepal in 2009.
For me, every trip begins with good research and a basic plan – but it's the unexpected experiences along the way – that make it an adventure!
