Peak romance: Regina couple engaged on Mount Everest, married on Mount Kilimanjaro

CBC

3 days ago

A couple from Regina is still coming down after taking their relationship to new heights earlier this month.
Kelsey Bone and Scot Pominville had been together seven years before they got engaged on Mount Everest last September. Almost a year later, on July 3, the couple tied the knot on Mount Kilmanjoro — the highest mountain in Africa.
"I figured I'd always kind of end up eloping or something like that … kind of combining adventure with love, " said Bone.
She had met her husband Pominville for the first time at a friend's housewarming party. That night, the host's sewage system had been backed up and caused a mess in the bathroom. Bone said she arrived to see Pominville in the middle of it all.
"He was helping clean it all up and was cracking jokes," said Bone. "When disaster struck, he stepped in, and right away I was interested."
After they met, it didn't take long before the couple found themselves on a number of adventures. It started with their "first big hike" at Grey Owl in Waskesiu, Sask.
"We just did it and enjoyed it," said Pominvile. "Didn't want to kill each other when things were difficult and you're tired and sore."
Bone said after travelling so much together they decided to set a goal to travel to all seven continents.
"Scot comes up with the idea that we're doing it, and then I do all the rest," said Bone.
"He's had Everest on his bucket list, to go sleep at base camp, so that was just kind of the next step and check off Asia," said Bone.
Engaged above 17,000 feet
Prior to their engagement, Bone and Pominville had been researching a trip to Mount Everest for nearly two months before finally booking their tickets last September.
They flew from Kathmandu, Nepal, and made their way to Lukla before embarking on a 10-day journey to reach the south base camp on Mount Everest — located at an elevation of 5,364 metres (17,598 feet), and the first stop of the much longer trek to the peak.
Pominville said he had been carrying an engagement ring in one of his carry-on bags. He had spent the entire trip worrying Bone would find it.
"Some of the stuff in my backpack was hers and vice versa ... and there's snacks," said Pominville. "So it's not like she would never go into my bag."
Pominville said he tried to keep the ring in the part of his backpack where she would have "no real reason" to look.
He also took the ring completely out of its box and kept it in a small ziplock bag so Bone would have a harder time stumbling upon it.
"Luckily, she never did," Pominville said.
When the couple finally reached base camp, they made their way to a famous rock on the southeast ridge route, often used for photos.
A rock and a question
"If he was gonna propose, I figured it might happen on this rock cause this is kind of the telltale of base camp," said Bone.
As Bone started to pose for photos she was quickly caught off-guard.
"I think we're going to get some photos and then look to my side and there he is down on his knee," she said.
"I knew to say yes, but then like, what? Where do I put the ring? What hand does it go on? What finger? That was all lost in the moment."
Pominville said he didn't tell anybody about his plans to propose until about a minute before. He pulled the ring out of his pocket "just a little bit" to show their guide.
"He instantly knew, like we just talked telepathically," he said.
The guide then pretended to act as their photographer, when he was actually taking a video of the engagement ring.
Pominville said he instantly felt relieved.
"You know, there's a million thoughts going through my mind. So as soon as it happened, I was like, 'Oh, good, I don't have to worry about anything anymore,'" said Powmanville.
The couple had booked their hike during the Everest's off-season, which meant they were the only ones on the mountainside that night.
Pominville said that meant they were able to have their engagement entirely to themselves.
"We had a nice, I don't know, 12 or so hours of just soaking in the moment and being isolated and alone in a pretty remote spot and it was really nice," he said.
The dress that hiked
After the engagement, the couple hadn't thought much about the kind of wedding they wanted. Bone said she always knew she never wanted a really big wedding.
"I always knew we weren't really big wedding people, so I'd always kind of pictured in my head that I'd either be eloping or destination Mexico, one of the two," she said.
Pominville said the where or how never really mattered to him either. He also thought they would most likely end up eloping to a hot destination.
"I always said the important part is who it's to, not where it is or what it is," he said.
Two of their close friends had been pushing them to elope shortly after their engagement, and invited them to join a trip to Kilimanjaro.
It was only one week before the trip when Bone and Pominville decided they would get married there.
"I was thinking, no, I don't want it to overshadow their trip at all," said Bone. "As soon as I said that, they sent back a screenshot that he [one of their friends] got ordained."
With such little time to prepare, Bone searched online for a used dress to pack and take on the hike with her.
"I knew I needed something light that I could pack and stretchy that could fit over hiking gear," she said.
"The only dress I went to look at and tried it on. It was perfect," she said.
The seven-day hike up Mount Kilimanjaro started in a rainforest before turning into loose trees and finishing on rocky land. Bone said the entire hike she shifted her focus on just enjoying each day, rather than the upcoming wedding.
"There's so many variables that I … it wasn't a guarantee that we make it to the top," she said. "I just wanted to make sure that I enjoyed the trip either way."
Before starting the final stretch of the hike, Bone changed into her wedding dress and tucked it into the rain pants she was wearing.
Seven hours later, the couple made it to the top.
"I definitely had an adrenaline rush of like, 'Oh my God, this is actually happening'," she said. "I put my hair in a ponytail and then the maid of honour, she stuck the veil in, and we had our quick one minute."
Another peak surprise
Little did she know, Pominville had another surprise for her. Due to a lack of time, Bone's original ring had been a "cheap" last-minute pick from a local shop, he explained.
Before the trip, Bone's parents insisted Pominville replace her ring with a family heirloom. He said the heirloom was around 150 years old and had been locked in a safe the last few years.
"So I took it and got it resized so it fit her," said Pominville. He didn't tell her about the new ring until the moment they got married.
Bone said the day couldn't have been any better. She said even the 21 members of their support crew joined in on the celebration.
"I was one of those kids that actually never dreamed of my wedding. I never pictured myself in the big dress or anything,' she said.
"This was absolutely perfect."