We are Marta Kulesza and Jack Bolshaw. We met in a mountainous region of Ecuador beneath the volcano Cotopaxi. Our love for photographing mountain peaks turned into the love for each other, and soon the cogs in our brains started planning our next wilderness adventure together.

These are 20 beautiful photos of the Canadian backcountry with incredible stories.

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Sunrise on Ha Ling Peak, Canmore

We met in a mountainous region of Ecuador beneath the volcano Cotopaxi. Our love for photographing beautiful nature turned into a love for each other, and soon, the cogs in our brains started planning our next adventure together.

Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park

So off we went. First to the Amazon jungle, then to the Southern Alps of New Zealand, Tasmania in Australia, the European Alps, the Icelandic Highlands, and then to the Canadian Rockies.

Tent Ridge in Kananaskis Country

Indian Ridge in Jasper National Park

Our leg muscles strengthened as we completed over a 1000km of trails and as the mountain hiking turned our calves to stone, our minds were toughened by the extreme conditions we faced.

Lady Aurora dancing in the Northwest Territories

We summited mountains during the night to watch the sunrise, stayed up late to watch the sunset and drove close to 4000km over a long weekend to capture the aurora. We had days that were above 40 degrees Celsius (+100F) and braved temperatures close to -50C (-58F) at night.

Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park

We encountered grizzly bears, moose, black bears, elk, mountain lions, and other Canadian wildlife.

Mount Birdwood in Spray Valley Provincial Park

There wasn’t much we wouldn’t do. Here are a couple of short stories from our adventures accompanied by our nature photography that’ll make you want to see these places for yourself.

Floe Lake in Kootenay National Park

While hiking in Tonquin Valley in Jasper National Park, a trip we did twice over eight days, we rounded a corner on an enclosed section of a path when all of a sudden we were face to face with a grizzly bear with two young cubs. The most dangerous and unpredictable animal in the Canadian Rockies.

Mount Sarrail reflecting in Rawson Lake

With a backpack full of beef jerky, we readied our bear spray, spoke even louder than before, and avoided direct eye contact as it can be perceived as a sign of aggression.

Sunburst Lake in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park

As we were standing our ground, momma bear began advancing toward us with cubs in tow. With nowhere to go, we walked backward for what seemed like an eternity until the mother led her cubs through the bush toward the Astoria River near the Amethyst Lakes.

Sarrail Ridge in Kananaskis Country

With our hearts in our mouths, we continued much sweatier than before.

Tent Ridge in Kanananskis Country

Abraham Lake, Western Alberta

When a perfect weather window opened we decided to camp on the first mountain peak of the Pocaterra Ridge in the heart of Kananaskis Country. While crossing the first avalanche path from the previous winter, the sky looked great. Clear and calm.

Hiking up the East End of Mount Rundle

After a final surge, we were at the first summit, had set up camp, ate, and were in our sleeping bags, waiting for sunrise. Then came a slight breeze; a considerable gust, followed by a strong wind that eventually ended in intermittent hail storms with 125km/h blasts. Although our tent was pitched as well as it could be, we literally had to hold it up with our feet from the inside.

Pocaterra Ridge, Peter Loughead Provincial Park

As the sun rose, we decided to make a break for it as the hail had temporarily died down.

Pocaterra Ridge in Peter Loughead Provincial Park

While traversing down crunchy snowdrift, the light broke through the clouds illuminating the eastern face of Mount Pocaterra. A moment worth the hardship of the night.

Mount Smuts, Spray Valley Provincial Park

Berg Lake, Mount Robson Provincial Park

Our next year starts with a 3-month trip to New Zealand, an East Coast adventure in Australia, early summer in the European Alps, and then fall and winter back in Canada.

Opabin Plateau in Yoho National Park

We’ve been documenting our travels and the incredible beauty of nature on our visually based website In A Faraway Land. It’s dedicated to providing up to date travel information, road trip itineraries and hiking guides adorned with our photography.

Jack and Marta in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park

One of the very few photos we took together.