Video & Photo Epic: Don't Not Go - The North Shore Triple Crown

“It’s a little wet... But it’s ok, we ain’t made of sugar,” says Joe Schwartz as he wrings his soaked gloves, water dripping onto his already-saturated shoes. Joe is around a third of the way through the Triple Crown. Along with Andrew Shandro and Aaron Bradford, his goal is to climb and descend three of North Vancouver’s mountains - Seymour, Fromme and Cypress - all in a single day.

The motivation for such a ride remains a mystery for the uninitiated, but for those versed in the art of suffering, the reasoning is clear: without adversity there is no appreciation. Think about the all the little things you might enjoy a daily basis; a latte from your local coffee shop, a cold beer while kicking back in a comfortable chair at the end of the day. It’s so easy to take such creature comforts for granted, but when you’ve put your body through the proverbial wringer, there’s an unequivocal gratitude for life’s little luxuries that quickly bubbles to the surface.

Soaked to the bone and exhausted to the point of delirium. They say time flies when you’re having fun... so does that also mean it slows to a crawl when you’re experiencing hardship? Or does it mean that you appreciate those fun moments so much more? When self-doubt begins to take hold in the face of adversity, it’s the reward at the end that keeps you going. The reward of of saying that you made it. The chance to gorge on food and drink that’s never tasted so good. The reward to just rest.

Endure. Overcome. Enjoy. When you know the sweet suffering of a big ride, little things don’t seem that little anymore.