Tyson Rettie—if you’ve heard that name before, you’ll know that he is an inspirational human with a goal to make the backcountry accessible to the visually impaired. If you’ve ever skied in a whiteout, severe fog, or even low light in the backcountry, you know how tough it is to navigate.
So, what about skiing with limited to no vision? Tyson is proving to the world that it’s possible and he’s giving others the chance to push the limits on what they thought was impossible. For the past few years, we’ve helped Tyson and his non-profit Braille Mountain Initiative raise funds to aid in allowing groups of visually impaired individuals to experience something that only few have ever done.
We at Valhalla Pure Outfitters were approached by Anthony Bonello and Bruno Long to partner with them and create a film showcasing Tyson’s journey, his goals, and his first ever backcountry skiing adventure. The experience would include a group of individuals who all have something in common—they were all visually impaired. But what they lacked in eyesight, they made up for in their determination to step out of their comfort zone and into the backcountry.
It was an easy decision for us to get behind this film project, and what a better team than Switchback Entertainment to take the wheel and create a film centred around accessibility in the backcountry skiing industry. We hope you are as inspired by it as we are. Share it far and wide when it launches later this year.
The Impact:
We have first-hand accounts from participants after the trip that it was one that they would never forget. Be sure to read about their unique experiences on our blog.
A huge thank you to Tyson and the Braille Mountain Initiative for creating this opportunity for these individuals—you’ve gone above and beyond what they thought was possible.