July 10, 2003 (Whistler, BC) – When the International Olympic Committee voted in Prague on July 2nd to award the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to Vancouver, Callaghan Country Wilderness Adventures Ltd. (CCWA) welcomed the announcement with excitement and anticipation. The company has been operating a Nordic skiing and ski touring operation in the Callaghan Valley since 1982, and has been one of the Bid's strongest supporters since the beginning. It was the company's President, Brad Sills that originally invited the Domestic Bid Committee to the Callaghan Valley to showcase the area.  “The Callaghan Valley is an undiscovered jewel,” says Sills.  “We have known for more than two decades that the skiing here is as good as it gets. It is the culmination of a dream, the realization that we will finally be able to unveil to the world this magical combination of rolling hills, ample cold snow, long season and pristine mountain vistas which make Callaghan Country an exceptional venue for free heel skiing and other wilderness experiences.”

Now that the Games have been awarded, the company will continue its leadership role and maintain its close working relationship with the transition team and the Olympic Organizing Committee (OCOG).  The Company has a signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Province and the successor to the 2010 Bid Corporation (OCOG) which sets out the principles by which the two entities will work together to produce the most comprehensive nordic ski facility in North America.

Callaghan Country operates on a 4,300 hectare land tenure which provides for the development and operation of cross country ski facilities and the business of backcountry recreation.  The company currently maintains approximately 32 km of groomed cross country ski trails in the valley, as well as a warming hut at Alexander Falls and a deluxe remote-access wilderness lodge, Callaghan Backcountry Lodge, located approximately 13km from the future site of the Olympic Nordic venue, nestled between Powder and Callaghan Mountains.

Under its current management plan, Callaghan Country will continue to refine its overnight lodge facility and enhance its day skiing venue at Alexander Falls. Last season saw the addition of three new bedrooms and a sewage treatment plant at Callaghan Backcountry Lodge as well as the construction of a brand new dedicated 13 km nordic access trail linking Alexander Falls to the lodge in the Upper Callaghan Valley. New for the 2003/04 season will be improvements to the fleet of grooming and transportation equipment which will strengthen the company's day use programs at both Alexander Falls and the Lodge. In addition, upgrades to its existing trail network will soon allow for better summer hiking and the introduction of unique mountain biking traverses.

The locally owned company has, over the past two decades, sculpted its small scale wilderness facilities to fit into ecologically sensitive sites and its focus has always been to keep its more intensive activities such as day cross country skiing in the southern part of the valley where industrial use is more prevalent. Given the more than two decades of experience that the company has in nordic ski area operations combined with its passion for the Callaghan Valley, the company feels it has much to contribute to the Olympic planning process.

“Our focus has always been to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for our guests that will reconnect them with the natural world,” says Sills.  “We remain committed to this objective and hope by combining our efforts with Olympic organizers, that together we will be even better able to position the Callaghan Valley as a world-class destination for both recreational and competitive nordic skiing, and self-propelled four season recreation of every kind.”

Callaghan Country Wilderness Adventures offers multi-day Lodge-based packages featuring a range of activities such as nordic skiing, alpine ski and snowboard touring, and snowshoeing. The company also offers a variety of instructional programs throughout the winter, as well as a range of exclusive day-trip packages for guests staying in Whistler Resort.  Winter packages start at $515 CDN per person for a standard 2-night weekend package.  All packages include return snowmobile transportation, meals, hosting, accommodation, nordic instruction, trail grooming, as well as A.C.M.G. guiding for all alpine touring guests.

For more information on Callaghan Country, or to make a reservation, phone 604.938.0616 or visit www.callaghancountry.com.