It appears an unsanctioned dance party planned for a remote area of Mount Seymour will go ahead Friday night, despite concerns from local search and rescue members.
The party, dubbed "Hike Rave," is scheduled to begin with a trek up the Dog Mountain trail around 7:30 p.m. and end just before midnight, according to a Facebook event page with more than 300 RSVPs.
Organizers at Party4Health, a group that describes itself as promoting health-conscious events, said they don't condone drinking or drug use, but the rave still makes volunteers at North Shore Rescue uneasy.
"I think it'd be great if it's drug-free, but the reality is that's always going to be around and you're in a very remote setting there," said team leader Mike Danks.
The trail is five kilometres start to finish and is considered in the easy-moderate difficulty range. But it's still an area North Shore Rescue visits often, with plenty of people needing help down, even in full daylight.
"If you have people unfamiliar with that terrain, you get them in there when it's pitch black at night, there's great concern for potential injuries, for people getting lost and so on," Danks said.
"It's a real recipe for disaster."
Those concerns are shared by Metro Vancouver Regional District, which noted that events like these require a permit.
"None was sought nor would one be granted given the extreme dangers," a spokesperson said in an email.
Metro Vancouver told CTV News it has asked the organizers to cancel "Hike Rave," but organizers Jacques Martiquet and Arian Granchelli said they haven’t received any such directive, and they intend to move forward as planned.
According to the pair, Party4Health is about offering alternatives to conventional nightlife events that glorify drunkenness and other forms of inebriation.
“Healthy party culture involves physical activity, genuine socialization, non-judgement as well as natural euphoria,” Martiquet said.
They have put on about half a dozen events so far and have a number of others planned, including the “Vancouver Undie Run” in August that also ends with a dance party.
For the “Hike Rave,” they will be lugging two 120-watt speakers up Mount Seymour to facilitate the music, and they expect hundreds of people to join them.
"It's just combing in what we love, which is partying, and what we're so lucky to have in Vancouver – the mountains," Granchelli said.
The pair said they’re not concerned about bothering anyone with the noise, given the remote location. They say they’ve encouraged attendees to wear appropriate footwear and bring supplies but also plan to hold a safety briefing before setting out, which will include instructions to use the “buddy system” to help ensure everyone gets off the mountain without issue.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Penny Daflos
