Climb Every Mountain

Carlin Val was only 14 years old when he went on his first climb, but he knew that he’d found his calling—even though he’s afraid of heights.

“The strength and the integrity of the equipment reassures me that I’m safe and that I’m having fun,” Carlin says.

Since then he’s reached the summit of two mountains in Peru and, as part of a fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association, climbed the tallest mountain in North America—Mount Denali in Alaska.

“Mount Denali is about 6.1 km high, just over 20,000 feet,” Carlin says. “It took three weeks and the temperature was  -40 C. By the time my team summitted, we’d been climbing non-stop for 18 hours and we just made it back before a bad storm hit.”

It was this love of testing his limits that prompted Carlin to study outdoor recreation at Lakehead. The program gave him the opportunity to challenge himself and to spend time with like-minded wilderness enthusiasts.

“We went on an ice climbing trip near Nipigon, a voyageur canoe trip from Fort Frances to Kenora, and in my fourth year, a dog sledding trip,” Carlin says. “It was awesome!”

In addition to his Honours Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation (2008), Carlin earned a Bachelor of Arts (2008), and a Bachelor of Education (2009) from Lakehead. These degrees have come in handy in the life he’s built as an adventurer, an educator, and an entrepreneur. 

Carlin launched his company At Last Adventures in 2014 to offer expeditions and instruction in climbing, paddling, and caving. He also recently opened the first indoor climbing facility in Owen Sound, Ontario—where he and his family live—called the Climber’s Crush.

Pictured right:  At Last Forest Schools (ALFS) instruct children between the ages of 18 months and 12 years. All three of Carlin’s children—Willow, River, and Summer—attend ALFS in Owen Sound, Ontario.

Much of Carlin’s time during the school year, though, is taken up with running At Last Forest Schools (ALFS), which he and his wife Debbie, a fellow Lakehead education grad, founded in 2016. 

They’d hoped to enrol 12 students in ALFs first year of operation but, to their delight, 54 students signed up. Since then, demand has continued to grow, and the couple now have 13 locations in Southern Ontario and are working on a franchising model that will allow them to expand across Canada and into the United States. 

They modelled ALFS on the forest schools that were first established in Denmark in the 1950s. Like the Danish schools, ALFS offers children play-based learning in nature that ranges from climbing trees, building shelters, and fire lighting to birdwatching, hiking, and making crafts. This complementary programming to traditional schools—students attend ALFS one to two days a week—fosters resilience and independence in youngsters.

“We empower students to make decisions,” Carlin says. “For example, if a child wants to climb a tree, we ask them questions like ‘Have you ever climbed a tree before and is the tree alive or dead?’”

Pictured left: An ALFS student learns how to make a spoon.

Carlin has also discovered that forest school improves children’s focus when they are back in their regular classrooms, something that’s earned them the support of educators.

“We thought we’d face opposition from school boards, but they’ve been our biggest source of referrals,” he explains. 

Carlin’s intense work schedule doesn’t give him much free time, but even when he’s on vacation, he doesn’t like to laze around. During a recent trip to Utah, he and his family went slot canyoning, canoeing, and hiking. And he has even bigger plans for the future.

“When our three kids reach their teens, we’d like to take a year off to sail around the world,” he says.