orning Star Staff
An Enderby politician wants to combine technology, tourism and fitness.
Coun. Tundra Baird is promoting the concept of the Cliff Crunch, similar to the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver.
“I thought we should have something in Enderby that allows people to time themselves and also educates them about the area,” she said.
With the Grouse Grind, runners can swipe a card at the base of the course, and again at the top of the trail. Your results will appear on a monitor in a central location and you can also check them online.
Baird, who has done the Grouse Grind, says the trail up the Enderby Cliffs is an ideal location for a program where hikers and runners can time their progress with a mobile device.
“It’s a fabulous way to engage tourists and people who live here. We can use technology to encourage people to be active,” she said.
Baird has had discussions with the Shuswap Trail Alliance and the Splatsin and the goal is that the initiative would promote the Shuswap culture.
However, there is no timeline to bring the Cliff Crunch online as one major hurdle needs to be overcome.
“We need a corporate sponsor to make and maintain the app,” said Baird.
If the app takes hold and the Cliff Crunch proves popular, Baird would like to see an actual challenge take place for athletes.
“It would be like an adventure race,” she said.
