Rebeccah Kellman is a gregarious, adventurous, passionate and sometimes hard-to-reach woman. She picked up skiing at an early age and quickly noticed the lack of coloured folks on the mountains alongside her. After moving to Canmore in 2016 so that she could climb more regularly, she started the Darken the Mountains blog, where she documents her experience as a Black woman living in and exploring the Bow Valley.
Many individuals from racialized communities want to experiment with mountain sports, but it can be difficult to find mentorship and the community to turn the want into a sustainable reality. Through Darken the Mountains, Rebeccah connects adventurous spirits with experienced guides and mentors who can teach people to recreate responsibly and safely in the mountains. Rebeccah is an advocate for inclusion and diversity in the outdoors and has worked with organizations such as SkiBig3 to provide ski lessons to racialized folks. Her mission is to make the outdoors more accessible and inclusive for those who come from communities where mountain recreation may be inaccessible or is not part of the usual practice.
For many people, the only thing standing between them and their new favourite activity is an invitation. Rebeccah’s dedication to taking up space in the outdoors has led to many others finding joy on the slopes, and the creation of a community of Black and People of Colour who can enjoy playing in Alberta’s wild spaces.
