Explorer Spotlight: Matt Hosford

Name: Matt Hosford | Age: 27 | Location: Vancouver B.C. (Whitehorse, Yukon as of June 1st)

What’s your day job?
I am an environmental consultant. I do groundwater and soil analytical studies for contaminated sites in Western Canada.

What are your favorite things to do outside?
Backcountry skiing and hiking with a good group of buds. The combination of fresh air and laughter just can't be beat.

What first drew you to the outdoors?
My parents were really into the outdoors growing up. We did a lot of really cool trips together. I used to hate being dragged out there as a kid but by the time high school was over, I was spending most of my free time planning trips.

What’s your favorite hometown adventure? ...and, almost as important, where’s your favorite spot to get a beer after?
Any mountain along the Howe Sound. There are so many peaks with insane views. They're easy to access and most of the time you'll only pass 4 or 5 people along the way. The Howe Sound Brewery is a great spot to hangout after any trip.

What’s your essential gear that never gets left at home?
First Aid Kit, water purifier, fire starter, head lamp, map, GPS, camera and a knife.

What’s your favorite trail snack?
The classic. Trail mix (high smarties to peanut ratio is essential!)

Any go-to soundtracks when you’re hitting the road?
Radio?! Who needs a radio? Ready, Harry?

What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened while you were adventuring? And/or, the funniest?
I was caught in a lightning storm just off the summit of a volcano in Nicaragua. The sounds were deafening and the light was straight up terrifying.

Who’s your number one adventure partner-in-crime? Who inspires you?
My twin brother Owen and I grew up doing trips anytime we could. Sadly, he passed away last year while mountaineering in the local mountains. He continues to inspire me today by reminding me that this life is precious and that we cannot squander it doing things we don't want to do.

What are your top destinations for adventure travel?
Utah. Place is just insane.

Pacific Northwest. I might be a little biased, but this area is just full with epic adventures. And with four seasons, you can go to the same place four times in a single year and it will be a different experience each time.

Nicaragua. So many volcano adventures, great surfing, easy to get off the beaten path and it's cheap. Que mas quieres?

What’s on the top of your must-do adventure list right now?
The Araroa Trail in New Zealand. 3000 km traverse from the top of the north to the bottom of the south island. Translation: Epic.

Anywhere in Nepal and Tibet. The culture and religion in this part of the world is deeply connected to the mountains. It's a beautiful thing and I need to experience it.

Iceland. Every photo that I see of this place looks like something out of National Geographic.

Show us your most memorable photo, and tell us about it!
This photo (above) was taken in Denali National Park, Alaska. My buddy Luis, my brother and I hitched hiked through Alaska and the Yukon for a month. Living out of your pack back, laughing the whole time and having a real sense of freedom was something truly special. We spent a few nights in Denali’s backcountry. The amount of wildlife we encountered and the vast mountainous landscapes changed the way I looked at adventure forever.

And last but not least…What’s your personal motto?
One life to live

Check out more of Matt's adventures here.