Weekend Adventure Plans At Home: Watch This Stunning, Emotional Journey

May 15, 2020

Looking for some adventure inspiration to kick-off the long weekend? This touching film is the perfect fit

While mourning her late husband, Sarah Hornby craved an opportunity to connect with him through his biggest passion. Her goal was simple: she would attempt all 10 routes he created while researching his bikepacking in the Canadian Rockies guidebook in a single year. As she pedaled, her story transformed. From sadness and loss to a profound celebration of both his life and her own unique journey, she was choosing to live.

This short film blends Hornby’s story with stunning visuals filmed throughout the Canadian Rockies, creating a bikepacking film that reaches far beyond the cycling community. With the film’s release this week, we asked Jeff Bartlett, one of the filmmakers, about the experience:

Where did the idea for the film come from?

The first idea for a film came from Ryan Correy, Sarah’s late husband. Just months after his cancer diagnosis, we met to discuss creating a film about his return to competitive bikepack racing. Unfortunately, it was not possible. Ryan died after a nine-month battle with the disease. Nearly one year later, I spoke with Sarah and she mentioned that she planned to cycle these routes the following summer. We talked about the idea for a film and, not long after, Matt Clark from Stirl and Rae Media Haus joined the project and Salsa Cycles agreed to support it.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered while making the film?

The biggest challenge that we faced as filmmakers was balancing capturing the content we needed with giving Sarah the space she needed to have an authentic experience. We did not want to become part of the story.

What surprised you most about the experience?

From a visual perspective, we were blown away with the scenery in less-visited parts of Alberta and British Columbia. When we began the project, we expected our best footage to be from sections in Kananaskis Country and Banff National Park, but in the end, it’s the autumn colours in Castle Provincial Park and early-winter scenes near Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park that stand out.