Biggest adventure
Bandit and I hiked a 230km section of the Great Divide trail in the Rockies over 12 days together in 240km, through night hiking in a heat wave, 20km+ days averaging 1000m of elevation gain per day. My 20lb pup took it all in stride, and has always taken on every adventure we go on! From thru hikes and technical scrambles in the mountains (sometimes with a ride on the shoulders) to ski touring powder days dropping cliffs (on purpose) and riding shotgun on the back of my gravel bike, Bandit never lets his size slow him down.
Closest call
Bandit has had a lot of luck in his three and a half years, and has only had one involuntary close call with a bear while a friend was watching him and I was on a work trip! He bolted (in the opposite direction thankfully) from a bear they ran into within 2m, and he hid in the bush just before sunset for a few hours. All of my friends went out to help look for him, and thankfully he was found before nightfall...as I freaked out two provinces away. Not fun!
Why Bandit deserves the crown
Bandit has always surprised the heck out of anyone he meets, as he's well known on my social media, but everyone expects him to be so much bigger when they meet him! He keeps up with everything we throw at him, and has become pretty rowdy all on his own (re: Bandit dropping a 6ft cliff ski touring intentionally). Bandit has taught me that stereotypes and labels aren't one size fits all, and that as long as you're keen, you can do anything you put your mind to.
