When Lili Lambert first entered the CMH scene, she was one of few women in the guiding world.
After 25 years of guiding, she now stands apart as the lead guide and Area Manager at CMH Revelstoke. Lili is CMH’s only female area manager, and is a driving force for making space in the mountain landscape for new female guides.
An early start
It wasn’t long after she could walk that Lili found humble beginnings learning to ski on Canada’s icy East Coast slopes.
Night skiing under the stadium lights was the most affordable way for her family to get on snow, and before long, they were heading to the mountain every weekend.
It was here where her mother—a passionate skier who’s still skiing at age 85—set the foundation for a life of mountain pursuits.
With a vertical rise of less than 300 m at their local resort, Lili had to find new ways to push her limits. Like many skiers from the East, she joined the hill’s race team.
“You were either a ski racer, or you skied moguls,” Lili says. “I was a ski racer and I was really passionate about it.”
“Skiing has always been my passion. That’s how I got my first job, teaching skiing on the weekends as a teenager.”
With her love for the mountains—or East Coast hills, perhaps—solidified, she moved through her early years teaching skiing. Following university, she took a year to head west, landing in Banff where she stayed put.
“I stepped off the bus and I looked at the mountains and I knew this was where I was going to spend my life,” Lili remembers. “It was my place. It felt right in my heart.”
Forging her path
Upon landing in Banff, Lili did everything she could to make sure she was spending as much time as possible on the mountain.
“I was doing snow removal, I was a chambermaid, I was a waitress, and I was teaching skiing,” she notes of the multiple jobs she took to make it happen, cementing her commitment to the age-old ski town hustle.
While teaching skiing at Lake Louise, Lili learned about the ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides), and was inspired to pursue a career as a guide. She started ski touring full time to build a resume strong enough to pass her guiding exams and began ticking off spring ski traverses and iconic summits like Mount Logan. She continued ski patrolling at Fortress Mountain in Kananaskis until she was able to complete her guide’s training.
Soon after passing her final exam, Lili landed her first guiding job with CMH Revelstoke in the winter of 2000.
The same work ethic she developed while gig-working in the Bow Valley proved useful in her guiding career, especially early on.
“I worked really hard to get there. I always did a little bit of extra work, like the extra chores, the extra this and extra that. Checking on the guests and everyone else,” Lili says. “Of course, I always have stuff to improve, but in my heart it made me feel good because in my heart I always wanted to do that job.”
That feeling in her heart has never left, Lili says.
“I love the mountains, I love people, and I love to share my passion. You can take everyone in the mountains. I enjoy empowering people and setting them up for success.”
I love the mountains, I love people, and I love to share my passion.
Lili Lambert, CMH guide
Hard work and teamwork
During her 25-year-and-counting career at CMH, Lili has worked at the majority of CMH’s lodges and at a variety of other ski touring lodges. But along the way, she has always landed back in Revelstoke.
The place where her guiding path began is now where she lives and works, leading the entire CMH Revelstoke operation.
As Area Manager, Lili oversees the Revelstoke guiding team, its day-to-day operations, safety, logistics, and more.
“The first time I applied for Area Manager, I didn’t get the job,” remembers Lili, who was determined to keep trying. “I applied again and got in as the Assistant Area Manger, and later moved to become the Area Manager. I’m very grateful because I really like that role. At CMH, I’m the only female area manager.”
The in-town location of CMH Revelstoke differs uniquely from fly-in lodges, providing a schedule that allows its guides to live a life more connected to home.
This has helped Lili grow her family life in tandem with her work life. She and her husband Dominic have two children, Emilie and Thomas. Dominic is a former CMH chef, so he’s familiar with the ins and outs of life as a guide. Together, Lili and Dominic have worked to manage a schedule that ensures someone is always with the kids: Lili works mostly during the winter and Dominic works mostly during the summer.
“I am very lucky that Dominic has always supported me in my career. Because of Dominic, I was able to become a mother and keep guiding. We have been together for 24 years!”
It’s an element of compromise and teamwork that makes it possible to live a life fulfilled in the mountains, Lili says.
“I’m really happy to be a guide, an area manager, a mother, and still be married,” Lili says. “It’s pretty amazing. It’s pretty hard in this world to keep a relationship going. It’s a lot of hard work, but I’m happy. Sometimes our job is not always easy, but 90% is pretty amazing.”
A rising tide for female guiding
Throughout her career, Lili has been on the frontline of change and has watched the number of women in guiding grow continuously.
She came up during a time where she says an unspoken pressure to perform was the norm. Thanks to mentors like Diny Harrison, Kevin Boekholt, Buck Corrigan, Jorg Wilz, and Alison Andrews, she found a strong drive to push on.
“As a female guide, there weren’t too many other female guides. I always felt like on my exams I had to be the first one up and I was making the coffee for everyone and I was checking on everyone. I had to do the little extras all the time. When it was my turn to break trail, I broke extra trail. When it was my turn to short rope, I did an extra bit, always to put a little more work in. Not to prove myself, but it’s how I felt as a female, so I could stand out in a crowd of men.”
Lili did stand out, and with an incredible career under her belt, she continues to break boundaries while sharing her passion for the mountains with others.
She strives towards creating space for women to enter the guiding world. Her big goal is to see a 50-50 split between men and women, and although the numbers are far from that now, through mentorship and visibility, she continues to push for her goal to be realised.
A bright future
Lili’s career journey is an example of the impact that a deep love for the mountains can have.
She has greatly contributed to the legacy of CMH as a guide, manager, mentor, and trailblazer. And she continues to define unique guide-to-client relationships by blending passion, safety, and accessibility into her work.
“I am very lucky that I get to meet people from all around the world and I get to show and share the beautiful mountains and amazing skiing that CMH Revelstoke has to offer!” she says.
In sharing her story, we celebrate the work of guides like Lili who are changing the landscape for the future of guiding.
In this story
Comments
I skied with Lili, “the queen of Revelstoke” for the past 20 years. Everything that is said in the article is 100 percent true! Lili is first on the coach to greet the incoming guests and the last to leave the coach to bid good-bye the outbound guests. Lili is in the restaurant in the the morning to give us eager skiers an upbeat snow report, regardless of the conditions. And, Lili manages to take a brief time out from her family after a day out in the field to chat with guests and have dinner with a group. Above all, Lili is safety conscious. When snow conditions aren’t just right or the weather is poor, Lili doesn’t hesitate to call off the ski program. However, I do remember some days when the weather in Revy was marginal, and, as the snow safety guide for the week, it was Lili’s turn to do a snow check. How excited we were to get the call on the radio “we have a ski program today”. As Lili says when she is guiding, “have fun and SFD”.
I have skied at CMH with Lili since before her kids were born. Her enthusiasm never wanes. I look forward to skiing with her again on the next trip.
Lilli is the best. Friendly as they come, fun loving, engaging, and a blast to ski with. I have been blessed to know and ski with her. You go Lili!!
I skied with Lilly last year. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible during our week together, so we only skied 2 half days. Lilly did a great job at making the best of it, with a smile. She is a fantastic guide and a pleasure to ski with. Hopefully, I will make it out there again.
I have had the pleasure of skiing with Lilli as she started her career, and her first week of guiding for CMH over 20 years ago at Revelstoke. Watching her career grow as well as her family! She is a consummate professional who knows her stuff, and can make a good day great! CMH is lucky to have her, and if you ski with Lilli, you are blessed to hang with one of the best!
PS, she knows some great jokes.