´As easy as burying our heads in the sand can be, the unfortunate truth is we’re in the middle of a self-created shit storm: climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, social injustice - oh, and a pandemic thrown in there for good measure. It’s not enough to say we care about the places we ride anymore. We need action. And we need it now.’
“Everything just flows when we’re outdoors. It’s like magic. We’re more open. We’re free” - Marlon Patrice of We Go Outside Too, a group aimed at providing a safe space for underrepresented individuals to unplug from inner-city life and connect with nature while encouraging solidarity and unity within the Black community.
It was unnerving how quickly the call for full lockdown had come. But as with any crisis; with urgency comes action. Moving swiftly, we swooped up surplus food from anyone who would donate it, to redistribute it to those who would need it. For Morzine’s local charity Montagne Verte, a food bank was the obvious solution.
Spending so much time outdoors, it’s hard not to feel a sense of responsibility for our environment. When we’re out hiking, biking, skiing or climbing in our natural playgrounds day in day out, we notice changes…
Storytelling plays a vital role in activism. It’s how we humanise issues and create emotions that fuel and drive meaningful action. It’s been such a pleasure to work on a new project with Patagonia - a brand I’ve always admired for their conviction in putting story above product.
A perfect summer day in the Portes du Soleil. Images by Jack Ashhmans.
In that moment, time seems to slow down. I see everything, unusually registering small details as I pass, invariably linking each action and movement to the previous one. Absence of thought and unwavering awareness of the present moment keeps me running on instinct. We reach the bottom and it’s over in a blink of an eye.
As we regain some form of momentum in the coming weeks, changing rhythm again, it’s important we listen to what has been emerging within this pause. To hear our deep knowing that tells us the health of humanity is undeniably linked to the health of our planet.
