If one was to search for the Fountain of Youth, it may not be immediately obvious to climb a mountain. But for those in search of anti-aging remedies, 72-year old Nanaimo resident Ambrose Knobel may have found a good lead in his passion for hiking.
The avid hiker has climbed Nanaimo’s Mount Benson more than 150 times, having recently completed his 170th hike in April 2018. Inspired by the peace and tranquillity of the forest, he walks and hikes as often as possible.
“It feels good to be outside,” says Ambrose. “I love scenery and fresh air. When you walk with someone, you can actually hear them instead of traffic.”
After spending 30 years in Prince George as a heavy-duty mechanic, Ambrose retired to Nanaimo in 1999 when he fell in love with the mild climate that enables him to enjoy the outdoors year-round.
“Being active is important to me. It makes me feel good,” he says. “When we moved to Nanaimo, I saw the mountain and immediately wanted to go up.”
But falling in love with Mount Benson and hiking was no coincidence. Born and raised in Switzerland, mountains are in his blood.
“I first started to like hiking in Switzerland. My parents took our family into the Alps often,” says Ambrose. “In Switzerland, when you go on holiday, you travel into the mountains because it is so beautiful.”
Inspired by his experiences in Switzerland, he sees a lot of potential for Mount Benson to become a major tourist attraction on Vancouver Island. “I would love to see Mount Benson transformed into something similar to the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish,” says Ambrose. “If this was Switzerland, we would have had a cable car 50 years ago and a pub at the summit. The Swiss see the potential in mountains more than we do in Canada.”
Meanwhile, Ambrose continues to climb Mount Benson at least once or twice per month. He even tries to squeeze in an annual hike of Mount Arrowsmith.
“I never get tired of it; there are many different trails. I will continue hiking for as long as my body will permit it in rain, snow or sunshine,” he says.
His best year was in 2015 when he completed 28 hikes of the mountain. Ambrose has maintained a log since his first hike of Mount Benson on September 21, 2002. “I am hoping to reach 200 hikes by 2020,” says Ambrose. “It’s not a race. I’m not trying to break any records. I just enjoy doing it because it’s fun.”
His most challenging hike on Mount Benson was when he attempted to spend the night at the summit. “I once tried to sleep overnight, but it got way too cold, and so I hiked down in the middle of the night in pitch black darkness with only a headlight to guide me.”
According to Ambrose, Mount Benson is slippery in the winter when the roots and rocks are wet. With several steep sections, the rugged trail is not always easy.
“My favourite time of year to hike Mount Benson is usually in the fall. The temperature is quite mild, there is less haze, there are hardly any insects, and the air seems to be at its cleanest,” he says. “But most conditions can be managed by dressing accordingly, wearing crampons and using walking poles.”
In addition to walking daily, Ambrose visits the gym three times a week, where he does knee exercises to maintain the level of fitness necessary for routine hiking. “When you climb up Mount Benson, the exercise is a challenging cardio workout. But when you go down, it can be equally challenging on the knees.”
Ambrose prefers hiking over other outdoor activities as it is more strenuous. “Walking isn’t a good enough exercise to be completely fit. I once encountered a man similar in age to myself hiking Mount Benson with his daughter. They asked me how old I was and how often I hike,” he recalls. “It turned out that I was older than him. He explained that he can walk all day on flat ground, but struggles going up a hill. He thought he was in great shape as an avid walker, but there is a big difference.”
For first-timers, Ambrose advises them to climb hills in order to train. Ensure that you are wearing proper footwear and always be prepared for inclement weather as it can change anytime. In addition, don’t leave late in the day in case you fall behind. Inexperienced hikers will typically take five to six hours. Ambrose usually begins his hikes at approximately 10am and is finished by 2pm.
When he isn’t trail grooming on Mount Benson or maintaining the Canadian flag at the summit, Ambrose is a dedicated volunteer sharing his time with the Royal Canadian Legion and the Nanaimo CatNap Society. He also enjoys photography, having captured stunning shots from Mount Benson, which have been published for the last five years in the annual calendar of the Nanaimo Area Land Trust.
The retiree maintains a passion for vintage Japanese motorcycles, which he spends his time meticulously restoring, in addition to showing them off at classic bike shows throughout BC and Washington State. Ambrose is also an active rail enthusiast, passionately advocating for the return of the E&N passenger rail service.
His next adventure will bring him to the United Kingdom this summer where he intends to walk Hadrian’s Wall Path, an 84-mile coast to coast trail travelling past Roman forts and settlements along the path of Hadrian’s Wall. “I was inspired to do this walk because of my fascination with Roman history and ruins,” he says. “The scenery is also amazing.” Ambrose will walk across the English countryside from Newcastle to Carlisle.
When he returns home, Ambrose will surely have another hike up Mount Benson in his upcoming plans. “It’s getting popular. The trails are now well marked with sign posts and coordinates. There are also various routes from moderate to more strenuous trails. I can’t count the number of people I see anymore, whereas, in the early days, I would only encounter one or two.”
Although he has hiked Mount Benson alone on many occasions, Ambrose prefers to share the experience with others. “We live in such a beautiful place. I love hiking because it is always a surprise,” he says. “When you see Mount Benson from the ground, it’s just a hill. But when you get up there, the whole world just opens up.”
As for the Fountain of Youth, perhaps the late American mountaineer Finis Mitchell said it best, “We don’t stop hiking because we grow old – we grow old because we stop hiking.”
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