Patagonia has a history of environmental do-gooding, and their latest mission revolves around preserving British Columbia’s Jumbo Valley, which has been threatened by development for more than 20 years. Partnered with Sweetgrass Productions, Patagonia recently released a short taken from the feature film Jumbo Wild, highlighting the human and environmental communities at odds with the proposed development in the area.
“What we are talking about is a sacred space in which they want to literally dump a village,” says Joe Pierre of the Ktunaxa First Nation tribe in the short. “I wouldn’t even get through the gates if I was to show up at the Vatican with plans for a resort. We’re the ones that have to prove our rights to the land.”
The journey Sweetgrass Productions captures soars high above British Columbia’s Kootenay Mountains and seamlessly intertwines sweeping vistas and descents of Jumbo’s high-alpine couloirs and pillow lines with the stories of the people who call the valley home.
“I feel like it’s a huge responsibility as a skier because the mountains can’t talk,” says B.C. resident and skier Leah Evans of the need to conserve the Jumbo Valley. The mountains may not speak, but through Jumbo Wild, they have a voice.
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For a list of tour dates for the full film, head to Patagonia.com
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