Fall 2006 - The Alpine Club of Canada

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Lynn contemplating Nevada Taulliraju (5830 m) in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca SUBMITTED PHOTO Short Rope BY LYNN MARTEL I must confess, while Alpine Club of Canada members across the country celebrated our Club’s Centennial by participating in a wide variety of exciting events and activities throughout the summer, I was exploring the mountains of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. While I was a reluctant to miss out on the fun captured in this issue’s Centennial Photo Album, Peru was too good to pass up. Among the rewards of experiencing new mountains is the view – not only the BY LYNN MARTEL To help the Alpine Club of Canada celebrate its Centennial, Canada Post unveiled a special postage stamp on July 19 at the Civic Centre in Canmore, Alberta, where ACC members and all Canadians got to see the stamp for the fi rst time. One of two special (and completely unrelated) stamps that were released in July, the appearance of “Th e Mountaineering Stamp” was a closely guarded secret until the public unveiling. “I think it’s beautiful,” said ACC Executive Director Bruce Keith. “It’s extremely colourful, it indicates a lot of thought was put into the design.” Th e idea for the stamp was born in the late 1990s, the collaboration of several ACCers, including long-time member Bev Bendell and Mountain Culture Committee members. Initial plans were then pursued by another long-time ACC member and Centennial Committee Chair Mike Mortimer. “It goes back a long way,” Keith said. 4 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � FALL 2006 stunning Peruvian Andes, but also the refreshed view by which I now look at Canada’s mountains. It’s not just the spectacular peaks and valleys of the familiar Rockies and Columbia Mountains, but what I don’t see. Granola bar wrappers, empty water and energy drink containers, soiled toilet paper. Trekking in Peru highlighted for me the importance of recognizing the impacts we leave on the mountains we love – cultural as well as physical impacts. As climbers and skiers, and as ACC members, we must accept our obligation as stewards of the mountain environment. One thing the mountain views in Canada and Peru share is what we’re seeing less of every season – glaciers. Everywhere, they are shrinking at an alarming rate. Th e ACC was created not just to marvel in the view from the mountaintops, but also to share it. Th e Club was formed for the purpose of gaining and sharing mountaineering skills and also knowledge – about glaciers, forests, fl owers, rocks and hoary marmots. Professional mountain guides sharing the high alpine with their clients built our fi rst alpine huts. Now Canada Post honours ACC with special stamp “Way back in ’98 members were thinking, ‘what can we do to make the Club’s Centennial special?’” Keith wrote to Postmaster General Andre Oullette that year, and waited until the end of 1999 before he received a reply, saying the request/suggestion was being channelled through Canada Post’s usual committees. “After that we didn’t hear anything back until 2002,” Keith said. Keith assured CP the Club was still interested in pursuing the project, and off ered to help in any way possible. A couple of years later, a researcher visited Canmore to interview several key people and gather research. When in 2005, the list of stamps to be issued for 2006 was announced, the ACC Centennial stamp had made the list. “When we heard about that, we off ered to help with the design, and the background research,” Keith said. “But they said no, they would assign a regular research consultant, as per standard procedure.” as North America’s largest operator of backcountry huts, ACC members share their huts with non-members, guides and clients, snorers and non-snorers. Hut guests experience the epitome of sharing – from washing dishes to chopping fi rewood to changing outhouse barrels. At international conferences, the ACC shares its approaches for waste removal and maintaining clean waterways. Whether it’s leading a rope at a Club camp, volunteering on an ACC committee, or learning to operate a nail gun to help renovate a backcountry hut, ACC members share the role of Canada’s mountain ambassadors. In this issue, you’ll also learn how, in its Centennial year, our Club has taken the sharp end of the rope in the climate change matter by hosting Canada’s fi rst climate change workshop focussed specifi cally on mountains. Mountaineering club representatives from around the world will discuss how our recreational activities might be aff ecting the alpine environment, and how shrinking glaciers are likely to aff ect our alpine activities. Th e view of shrinking glaciers is a responsibility all mountaineers share. While an idea for a commemorative coin – more complicated and more costly – never materialized, Keith said the ACC is thrilled to have its own special postage stamp – the fi rst Canadian stamp to feature climbers in action. Th e stamp’s Day of Issue booklet includes a portrait of ACC founder A.O. Wheeler – the second time the family has been so honoured. Th e booklet’s cover shows the stamp at an angle so the climbers appear With photos, old topographical survey map and ACC badge, the Day of Issue cover with the actual stamp in the corner resembles a scrapbook capturing old and new faces of climbing.
Progress!! BY DAVID TOOLE The Alpine Club of Canada’s online member profi le registration is now available. Th e Club’s Information Technology team has been making some good progress on keeping ACC members up-to-date on the IT front – meaning that systems and computers are forming a more signifi cant part of our lives at the Club. We recently set up a program that will allow members the ability to create their own profi le and have access to basic information the Club has on fi le for them in its database. Th is capability will allow members to update their profi le to keep their personal information current. It will also allow the IT team to off er other features, some immediately and some to come shortly. For example, when you visit the Club’s home page now at www.alpineclubofcanada.ca you will see a link to the Member Profi le area. After you follow the easy registration steps you’ll be presented other options, Continued from page 4. vertical. Delegates at the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) meetings in October in Banff will receive a collectors’ edition as part of their gift package. “It’s a huge milestone in the Club’s evolution and history,” Keith said. “Th e stamp program is an excellent way for all Canadians to know about Canadian events, including those that focus primarily on one aspect of geography or history.” Xerxes Irani of Calgary’s Non Fiction Design, one of the two artists commissioned to design the stamp, was present at the unveiling, along with Ivan Hlavenka from Canada Post, and about 50 ACC members and staff and general public. Th e event also included a screening of a short fi lm on the history of the Club, produced by ACC VP Mountain Culture, Bob Sandford. “Our members should be extremely proud,” Keith said. including the ability to change your contact information – such as when you move and want to register your new address. In addition, you will be able to indicate your interest in subscribing (or unsubscribing) to the ACC NewsNet, which provides news about the Club as it happens via e-mail. In the future we will be off ering �� on-line ability to join or renew your membership, purchase items from the Club store, book huts and carry out other transactions, all via the Club’s secure website. Th e ACC’s skilled IT team has worked hard to get this up and running and we think you will be impressed with the result. �� Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � FALL 2006 5
Page 1 and 2: Vol. 21, No. 3 � Fall 2006 Centen
Page 3: The Alpine Club of Canada Publicati
Page 7 and 8: Th ere is no doubt about the warmin
Page 9 and 10: Canada’s McColl wins Youth World
Page 11 and 12: Financial Grants Through the genero
Page 13 and 14: 8 9 12 7 10 11 Centennial Events Oc
Page 15 and 16: ACC hosts Canada’s fi rst mountai
Page 17 and 18: about stability, which leads to rou
Page 19 and 20: desired climbing objectives. Our ca
Page 21 and 22: Solar powered lights installed at F
Page 23 and 24: CLASSIFIED ADS ACC CUSTOM PORTERING

Fall 2006 - The Alpine Club of Canada

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