Canmore man who survived avalanche cycling to Montreal

Giordano Pillarella, who survived an avalanche in March 2024, is riding from his home in Canmore to Montreal in support of the group that helped with his recovery.

A Canmore man who survived an avalanche in the Rocky Mountains last year has made it his mission to help the organization that played a critical role in his recovery.

Giordano Pillarella was injured after he was caught in an avalanche while skiing in March 2024.

During his recovery, Pillarella received support from Mountain Muskox, a peer support group based in the Bow Valley for those who’ve experienced trauma or loss in the mountains.

He’s now paying it forward, raising money for the group through a 4,000-kilometre cycling trip from Canmore to Montreal.

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While his physical injuries have mostly healed, Pillarella said his mental health is still recovering.

“I felt like there was a ghost of me, an old part of my past that I wasn’t able to relive,” Pillarella told CTV News during his latest stop in Regina.

“I’d go to the same places that I used to ski, but I wouldn’t have that ambition to want to chase those goals.”

He says the biggest thing that’s helped has been accepting what happened and moving forward from it.

“Maybe I’m not able to do those things I used to do, but that’s OK.”

Pillarella began his journey Aug. 1 and hopes to make it to Montreal by Aug. 20.

He is collecting funds for Mountain Muskox using a GoFundMe campaign.