A Darker Wilderness

Ancient Terrors in the Canadian Rockies

By: R.D.D. Smith

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

In the pristine wilderness of the Canadian Rockies, a running expedition encounters something ancient—something that wants them.

What begins as an idyllic adventure through Banff’s spectacular mountain landscapes—trail running along crystal rivers, exploring pristine forests, and experiencing the raw beauty of Canada’s first national park—descends into a nightmare when the Global Runners Travel group accepts an invitation they should have refused.

From the golden aspens of Jewell Pass to the sacred hot springs of Cave and Basin, each breathtaking location brings them closer to the Wapiti—a reclusive Indigenous band practicing ceremonies that most believe are only legend. When the runners stumble into the band’s hidden camp, they discover that hospitality hides a darker purpose. Their running adventure becomes a desperate struggle for freedom.

One of them must surrender to a personal transformation that will tear them from the modern world and thrust them into the clutches of an ancient legend that has ruled the forest for thousands of years. A legend that can’t exist in the modern world, but which the Wapiti have kept alive.

In these mountains, the wilderness isn’t just scenery. It’s conscious, it’s ancient, and it’s been waiting for someone who can hear its call.

Some people go into the wild to find themselves. Others discover they will never return.

The fourth haunting installment in the Global Runners adventure series—where spiritual transformation and supernatural terror collide, and the greatest danger isn’t being taken against your will, but agreeing to stay.