Darren Berrecloth has spent his life searching for the ultimate ride. 

The 35-year-old from Parksville, B.C. is something of a legendary figure in the mountain biking world, having helped pioneer competitive freeriding in the early 2000s. Now, he’s on a mission to share the thrill of the downhill with a new generation of adventure-seekers.

A new documentary, out next month, follows Berrecloth and three other freeriders from Canada and the United States as they tackle previously unridden terrain in the rugged Tatshenshini-Alsek region in northwestern B.C. Produced by B.C.-based Freeride Entertainment for Red Bull TV and featuring breathtaking footage by Canadian action sports photographer Scott Serfas, Riding the Tatshenshini is part travelogue, part visual love letter to a part of Canada few people ever get to see. 

“The B.C.-Alaska border is home to some of the best scenery on the planet — and some amazing riding as well,” Berrecloth says. “I hope we inspire people to get their butts off the couch and go outside and play.”

For several weeks in late summer 2016, Berrecloth and fellow riders Wade Simmons, Tyler McCaul and Carson Storch rafted 260 kilometres of the Tatshenshini and Alsek rivers with bikes in tow, searching for challenging lines by day and camping by night. The jagged ridges of the Alsek Range made for some of the most intimidating terrain Berrecloth has ever faced.

“Normally when we go to big-mountain areas, we’re searching for dirt, but the majority of the stuff we rode was rocky scree,” he explains. “You’re dealing with super-steep slopes with not a lot of control; it led to some interesting moments, that’s for sure.”