having fun is serious business - The Alpine Club of Canada

publication # 40009034
Vol. 27, No. 1 | Spring / printemps 2012
Hiking the Austrian
Höhenweg a
daypack delight
page 6
Team completes testpiece
Great Divide
traverse
page 8
L’obélisque noir
page 10

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The Alpine Club of Canada
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Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
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Phone: (403) 678‑3200
Fax: (403) 678‑3224
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Executive Committee
Peter Muir President
Gordon Currie Secretary
Neil Bosch Treasurer
Selena Swets VP Access/Environment
Zac Robinson VP Activities
Carl Hannigan VP Facilities
Isabelle Daigneault VP Mountain Culture
David Foster VP Services
Marjory Hind Honorary President
Lawrence White Executive Director
Publication
Lynn Martel Gazette Editor
Suzan Chamney Layout & Production
Marie-Andrée LeBlanc Translator
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Corporate Partners
What’s Inside...
Members
4 Quick draws
5 Club celebrates member’s 100th
birthday
16 What my ACC means to me
22 My favourite volunteer: Bill Scott
23 Mon bénévole préféré : Bill Scott
Mountaineering / Climbing
6 Hiking the Austrian Höhenweg a
daypack delight
8 Team completes test‑piece Great
Divide traverse
10 L’obélisque noir
11 The Black Obelisk
20 Camp participants celebrate sore
legs, lungs and livers
26 Bolivia climbs – high and beautiful
Safety
14 How to stay safely connected – to
an anchor!
What’s Outside...
Mountain Culture / Science
12 Book ends
18 Evelyn Reginald “Rex” Gibson
24 University initiative links mountain
passions
28 ACC fund aids in conservation
efforts
Editorial / National News / Awards
4 Short rope
19 Young climber exuded a special
spark
25 Summer custodians
29 Routefinding
29 Recherche d’itinéraire
30 Open air: having fun is serious
business
Cover photo: Phee Hudson approaches a 3,000‑metre pass via the Berlin High Trail,
constructed by men of iron who laid a trail made of massive stones.
Photo by Rick Hudson. Story on page 6.
Inset photo: Carsten Moldenhauer, Edward McCarthy and Gerry Heacock enjoy
the view from Niverville Col after a short boot pack before skiing down
to their camp on day 15 of the Great Divide traverse. Photo courtesy
Daniel Robb. Story on page 8.
The Alpine Club of Canada thanks the following for their support, and encourages you to consider them and
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Corporate Sponsors
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Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 3

Lynn skins up Grizzly Shoulder en route to some
steep and deep turns in Rogers Pass in B.C.’s
Glacier National Park. photo by Murray houck.
Short rope
by lynn Martel
One morning in January, I was
fortunate to be among several
Alpine Club of Canada mem‑
bers invited to participate in a short film
to promote the Club’s Library. With the
camera rolling, each of us was asked to
describe our favourite mountain book,
and to elaborate on why we made the
choice we did.
Of course, you’ll have to watch the
video when it’s all edited and polished
and made available. Subscribe to the
NewsNet, like the ACC on Facebook
and/or follow us on Twitter to find out
when it’s released and to see which book
I chose. Suffice to say however, the book
I picked is one that celebrates the entire
mountain environment—not just a cliff
face or sprawling glacier or a sky‑scraping
summit, but a book that celebrates the
beauty and the mystery of the inter‑
connectedness of the mountain landscape
as a whole, and the many roles people
play as they experience that landscape.
On page 26 of this issue of the
Gazette, you’ll read about a new initia‑
tive that was recently launched at the
University of Alberta which aims to
connect many diverse, yet wholly inter‑
connected, branches of mountain studies,
including literature, glaciology, outdoor
adventure and art, among others. The
ACC is, of course, but one of several
organisations that is partnering with the
U of A on this exciting initiative.
4 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
Quick draws
McColl wins Lead World Cup
Congratulations to Sean McColl for taking top prize at the Lead World Cup
competition climbing event in Kranj, Slovenia in late November.
After finishing in second place at the Lead WC in Valence, France a week earlier,
McColl, 24, was over the moon to earn his first ever win on the WC circuit.
Currently living in Toulouse, France, the North Vancouver native and Competition
Climbing Canada team member has risen to the level of the world’s elite climbers.
To learn more, visit www.competitionclimbingcanada.com
Canadians reach podium at Ouray
Canadian ice climbers showed their stuff in Colorado against an international field
of strong climbers at the 2012 Ouray Ice Festival in January, with Southern Ontario’s
Nathan Kutcher taking top honours in the men’s competition, and ACMG mountain
guide and ACC Rocky Mountain Section member Jen Olson placing third among the
women. Well done! http://ourayicepark.com/ice-festival/
Wolverine Watch’s first season a success
The citizen science program that launched last winter with the help of the Alpine
Club of Canada’s Environment Fund achieved considerable success after its first
season of operation. More than 50 people signed up to volunteer, and more than 100
wolverine sightings were reported. Research team members skied more than 2,000
kilometres over an area of 6,000 square kilometres in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay
national parks surveying wolverines; 85 per cent of the project’s 48 hair traps were
visited by wolverines. The team is taking this winter off from conducting the survey,
but continues to collect observations. Backcountry users are encouraged to report their
own observations by clicking on Report a Sighting at www.WolverineWatch.org
To view short videos about the research project visit
www.youtube.com/user/highwaywilding
If I think about it—and I just did—
that’s what we at the Gazette strive for
with each and every issue: to celebrate
the interconnectedness of Canada’s varied
and multi‑layered mountain commun‑
ity. I say “we” because the Gazette is the
result of a team effort, one that only
comes together with the contributions of
many people, including members of the
ACC community who volunteer to write
their stories, for which I am enormously
grateful!
And isn’t that the purpose of the
ACC, to be a conduit of connectedness
between Canadians and their mountains,
and ultimately, each other?
I think the stories in this issue help
to illustrate the mosaic that is Canadian
mountain and climbing culture, with
articles that range from the first Canadian
to win a World Cup climbing competi‑
tion to only the eighth team ever to ski
the entire Great Divide traverse; from the
tragic death of a young Canadian climber
to the 100th birthday of a long‑time ACC
member; adventures ranging from hiking
in Austria to mountaineering in Bolivia to
a remarkable second ascent of a Canadian
peak; from books to wildlife studies to
safety tips to river conservation projects.
The mountain landscape is com‑
prised of soil and rocks, glaciers, icefalls
and snowfields, trees, rivers and flower
carpeted meadows, ravens, grizzlies and
wolverines, as well as every other plant
and creature that explores that world—
including the most curious, original,
mysterious, creative and entertaining of
them all, the ACC Gazette reader.
Enjoy!
ACC NewsNet
Stay up-to-date on the latest
climbing, access and environment
news by reading the ACC’s weekly
e-Bulletin.
To subscribe to the ACC NewsNet
visit: www.bit.ly/ACCnewsnet
facebook.com/alpineclubofcanada
twitter.com/alpineclubcan

Club celebrates member’s 100th birthday
by Fred roots
This year, the Alpine Club of
Canada marks with deep appre‑
ciation and friendship the centen‑
ary of an outstanding member, a woman
who has been a well‑known figure in the
mountains of western Canada, whose life
and work has contributed much to the
policies and public appreciation of our
national and provincial parks, and who
has been a climbing companion to hun‑
dreds and a naturalist guide to thousands.
Aileen Harmon grew up in the
Rocky Mountains. Her father was Byron
Harmon, a pioneer mountain photog‑
rapher whose large‑scale photo prints
were well‑known throughout North
America and Europe in the first quarter
of the 20th century, and who did much
to create a popular image of the beauty of
the western Canadian mountains.
As a young girl, the trails of Banff
National Park were the backyard play‑
ground for Aileen. As a teenager, she
took part in several exploratory packhorse
trips. In her 20s, she became an enthusi‑
astic, expert and tough backcountry skier
at a time when few people, and almost no
women, went far into the mountains in
winter.
Aileen entered the National Park
Service in 1938. Her breadth of knowledge
and interests, her contacts with guides
and outfitters and visiting scientists, and
her familiarity with hiking trails and
ski routes made her an obvious person
to organize and prepare, in cooperation
with the Banff museum, the first nature
programs and naturalist guidebooks for
the mountain parks. As well, she set some
essential standards for naturalist know‑
ledge for park wardens.
For the following 30 years, in increas‑
ingly senior positions, Aileen was a key
figure in the nature interpretation and
communication activities of the moun‑
tain parks of western Canada, draw‑
ing upon experts from the Geological
Survey, Dominion Botanist and staff,
wildlife authorities, national museums
and First Nations experts. To the Stoney
Indians she became Iskawawew‑wuche,
“Mountain Woman”. Most of her work
was anonymous, but she insisted on
personal experience or expert knowledge
of everything she wrote, and everywhere
she walked or skied on the trails from
ACC Life Member Aileen Harmon celebrates her 100th birthday with friends from the Banff hiking group,
“The Playgirls”, Peggy Leighton, Judy Mills and Marlene Langevin. photo by Julia hutchings.
Waterton Lakes to Mount Revelstoke
national parks. She played an influential
role in the evolution of park wardens
from “cowboy policemen” into “guardians
for nature”. Then, she came to inter‑
national attention when she wrote the
guidebooks and led the mountain field
trips for the World Botanical Congress,
which took place in Banff, for the first
time in Canada, in 1959.
Aileen’s influence and organising
ability spread beyond the federal national
parks to provincial parks, to naturalists’
associations and to clubs such as the Trail
Riders of the Canadian Rockies and
the ACC. She was a founding member
of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness
Society (CPAWS), and through it she has
continued to have an important influence
in the development of protected areas
policies and public support for wilderness
conservation in Canada. She has played
a part in the creation and policies of
parks from Gwaii Haanas and Kluane to
Grasslands in Saskatchewan.
Although throughout her early career
Aileen had much to do with the Alpine
Club of Canada as an institution that
used national park locations and amen‑
ities, and many prominent mountaineers
of the time became personal friends who,
as she said, “made me a maverick member
of the Club”, her professional responsibil‑
ities precluded her participation in annual
camps. She did, however, visit many of
them on weekends, returning to her office
on Monday. Immediately after retiring
from the government service she became
an “active” ACC member, and then an
accomplished technical climber.
“Rather late for anything major,” she
said, “But I gained wonderful new experi‑
ences and new friends to brighten my
declining years.”
Those who know her or watched her
could not believe the word “declining”,
for Aileen became a regular and vigorous
participant in ACC events for the next
couple of decades, always enriching the
physical joys of climbing with the deeper
satisfaction of knowledge of the flora, the
animals and the significance of changes
in the environment. At many camps she
was a teacher and nature study leader.
To her encyclopaedic knowledge of the
mountains of Canada she has added an
international perspective through more
leisurely rambles among the mountains of
Africa and Asia.
Iskawawew‑wuche, Mountain
Woman, to whom we, and the climb‑
ers and mountain‑lovers who will come
after us, all owe so much for her role
and influence and example in creating a
public attitude and government policies
for protection of our mountain herit‑
age, was honoured on Jan. 14 by repre‑
sentatives from the ACC and its Calgary,
Vancouver, and Vancouver Island sections,
provincial parks, CPAWS and numerous
naturalists’ societies by a surprise party
on her 100th birthday. Somewhat taken
aback by all the fuss, Aileen put on her
Tilley hat, made some humorous com‑
ments, and said, “Let’s go!”
“Let’s go, Aileen!” The road is ahead.
Vancouver Island resident Fred Roots is
an ACC Life Member.
Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 5

Hiking the Austrian Höhenweg a daypack delight
by rick hudson
Why are we going to Austria?
Everyone knows the Alps are
a zoo, and the possibility of
quiet is about as likely as smokers in the
Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse. But
we’re old friends and the agreement is
that this year Bernhard is host. With his
promise of fluent German and good beer
in the huts, we are swayed from the more
usual ranges.
Our route lays along the Austrian‑
Italian border, starting and finishing in
Mayrhofen, a picturesque town in the
Austrian Zillertal where the window
boxes are ablaze with flowers, even in
September. The hike is all within the
Hochgebirgs Naturpark, and is known
locally as the Höhenweg or Berlin High
Trail because most of the region’s huts
were built by the Berlin Section of the
Deutscher Alpenverein, or DAV.
There’s an excellent guidebook in
English by Allan Hartley, Trekking in the
Zillertal Alps (Cicerone Press, 2003) that
calls it the Rucksack Route, but it’s not
known by that name locally. Alas, our
only copy is far away in Stuttgart, and
none are available in the many outdoor
stores in Mayrhofen. No matter, we plan
to spend 10 days on a circuit hiking hut‑
to‑hut, and taking the occasional day to
climb peaks along the way.
The second day is our longest—a
10‑hour epic—but we are saved by bad
weather and choose instead to hike into
the park (free entrance) up the Stillup
Valley, rather than battling steep wet
slopes between the Edel and Kasseler
hüttes. Good move; at midday it starts
to sleet, so we spend a dry afternoon and
night in the Grüne Wand Hütte while
hail covers the meadows outside.
The following morning delivers blue
sky as we climb to the Kasseler Hütte at
2,200 metres. You have to love Austrian
huts—there’s hot food and cold beer,
the service is friendly and efficient,
and the prices reasonable. We averaged
€35 per person per day—cash only, no
credit cards. The beer costs the same
in Mayrhofen (and is cheaper than in
Canada). Each hut has a mini cableway
that brings food up from the valley, hence
the competitive prices. Being a member
of the ACC means 50 per cent off the
accommodation—usually bunks in a
private room. Bring your own inner sheet;
everything else is included.
The big unknown is the trail to the
Greizer Hütte. We can see where it goes,
but can’t really believe there’s a pass over
that skyline. There is. These routes were
laid out in the late 19th century, when
trails were real trails and trail builders
were men of iron. Actually, on the tricky
bits there’s plenty of iron—steel pins in
the rocks, cables for the hands, even the
occasional aluminum ladder—known
At the end of a six-hour hike from the Kasseler Hütte, a hiker approaches the Greizer Hütte—and hot
food and a cold beer. photo by phee hudson.
Climbing out of the valley from below the Greizer
Hütte, Phee Hudson uses klettersteig to cross the
steeper rock faces. photo by rick hudson.
collectively as klettersteig (or in Italy, via
ferrata). The route is a marvel, and as day
follows day we are constantly amazed
at how the builders found a line across
intervening cliff faces or over saddles
where no sane route should logically go.
It’s a treat.
Each hut has its own charm and
ambience. Often there are goats (that
provide fresh milk for those mid‑morning
hot chocolate drinks) and chickens (fresh
eggs). We usually choose “half pension”
which includes a three‑ or four‑course
hearty dinner, and breakfast. Full pension
includes a packed lunch.
Most huts are owned by a mountain
club section (usually of the DAV), and
the room fee goes to that section. The
board fee goes to the custodian. The huts
are generally run by a family who works
long hours for the four months they are
open. They know it’s the food that attracts
hikers, and make a big effort to ensure
everyone goes away happy. Mind you,
witnessing the amount of alcohol con‑
sumed each night, bar sales must be an
important factor too!
On the non hut‑to‑hut days, we climb
a number of fine summits, most in the
3,000‑ to 3,500‑metre range. Generally
scrambling, we have axes, crampons,
harnesses and hard hats. A light 30‑metre

length of 7‑millimetre rope gets us across
the glaciers.
The trails are well marked with red
squares painted prominently on rocks
along the way. All junctions are prodi‑
giously signed. And, to our surprise, none
of the huts are full. The Berliner Hütte,
the oldest in the region (begun in 1879,
the same year construction started on the
Canadian Pacific Railway) has accom‑
modation for 160, but is quiet. We don’t
book ahead, although in the high season
( July‑August) it might be wise. No one,
however, is ever turned away, even when
a hut is full. You just get floor rather than
a bunk.
On the trails we seldom meet anyone,
except at technically challenging sections.
The locals take their klettersteig seriously
with full body harnesses and double cable
clips, whereas we climbed with just an
occasional touch of the iron hardware.
On the peaks, we meet few or none at all.
On popular peaks such as the Grosser
Mössler above the Furtschagelhaus hut
there are barely a dozen summitters the
From left, Brian de Villiers, Bernhard Steinbeis and Phee Hudson enjoy the summit of the Gigalitz (3,001
metres) with the Italian border on the skyline behind. The warm “foen” wind from the south creates a
wall of cloud along the border, stabilising the weather. photo by rick hudson.
Sunday we climb it.
One thing that becomes obvious is
local content. Only once in 10 days do
we hear English spoken. When paging
through the visitor books at each hut, the
furthest names I see are from Sweden and
the Netherlands. This is not a well‑known
region outside Austria and Germany, yet
its scenic beauty, fine summits, hospitable
huts and reasonable prices make it a no‑
brainer for those who enjoy hiking and
climbing without a heavy pack.
ACC member Rick Hudson lives in
North Saanich, B.C.
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Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 7

Team completes test-piece Great Divide traverse
by carsten Moldenhauer, photos courtesy great divide teaM
What am I doing here? It’s
3 a.m. My down booties,
long johns, down jacket, hat
and big gloves barely protect me from
the cold. The yellow snow I produce
refreezes immediately. But, the landscape
is incredible.
Before me lies the vast untouched
Freshfield Icefield, illuminated by the
moon. The cloudless sky is full of stars. I
take a deep breath, ignore my grumbling
stomach and stumble back to the tent.
“Welcome to Canada,” I think,
remembering the sign above the entrance
to Calgary Airport that I passed a few
short weeks ago.
It all started with a simple idea before
I was even born. In 1967, Don Gardner,
Neil Liske, Charlie Locke and Chic Scott
skied from Jasper to Lake Louise, estab‑
lishing one of today’s great test‑pieces
of ski mountaineering: the Canadian
Rockies Great Divide traverse. Passing
eight major icefields in about three weeks,
it starts at the Tonquin Valley trailhead in
Jasper National Park and ends about 350
kilometres south at Great Divide Lodge
[formerly known as West Louise Lodge],
17 kilometres west of Lake Louise.
Though sections of the traverse route see
Carsten Moldenhauer, left, and Daniel Robb wait out high avalanche
conditions on the Freshfield Icefield in sunny warm weather.
8 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
lots of traffic each year, the entire trip has
only been completed eight times.
With the trip being on all our to‑do
lists, it was not difficult to assemble a
team from the usual suspects: Gerry
Heacock, Daniel Robb (both Alpine
Club of Canada Edmonton Section
members), Edward McCarthy and me
(ACC Rocky Mountain Section).
Preparations began in November 2010,
and quickly resembled organising an
expedition. Gerry, a gourmet cook from
Nelson, B.C., prepared and dehydrated
dinners for four people for three weeks.
The continuous smell of dried tomato
sauce in his apartment was hardly bear‑
able. Ed accumulated overtime and
applied for unpaid leave, while I had to
quit my job to get the required weeks off.
By the end of March I flew to Canada
from home in Berlin, Germany. Since
the others were still tied down by work
obligations, setting up the food caches
was my task. To make the caches portable
I had to be minimalist. We would never
be too hungry, but certainly never full.
We planned three food caches along the
way: Fortress Lake, Alexandra River and
one at Mistaya Lodge which was flown in
thanks to lodge owner Dave Birnie.
In early April, after packing late into
the night before, we were car‑shuttled to
the Tonquin Valley trailhead where family
awaited us with freshly baked goods. A
short farewell and we were finally off.
Before long, our heavy packs started to
slow us down and we realized that we
would be on this trip for a long, long
time, strapped to them.
To cheer us up, we had brought cheese
fondue and steak for the first night
celebration at the ACC’s Wates‑Gibson
Hut. Once there, another group asked
the usual question: where are you heading
tomorrow?
To their confusion and our amuse‑
ment, we proudly replied, smiling, “to
Lake Louise.”
Despite our intention to do the
traverse in spring to take advantage of
longer days and warmer temperatures
with snow that wasn’t too deep, we
encountered full winter conditions every‑
where. We didn’t even have to remove our
skis in the valley bottoms. Trail breaking
was regularly knee‑deep and it seemed
impossible to increase our average speed
above three kilometres per hour on even
absolutely flat glaciers. Hopes for warm
temperatures were dismissed early in
Edward McCarthy enjoys the evening light from camp on the Freshfield Icefield
in anticipation of overnight temperatures dropping below minus 20 C.

the trip. After skiing onto the Hooker
Icefield during a sunny day wearing only
t‑shirts, bitter cold enveloped us that
night with temperatures below minus
20 C.
The first half of the trip was critical,
since the route’s course is far in the
backcountry with very long or no escapes.
Due to stable weather we rushed forward
and reached the Chaba Icefield after one
week of continuous skiing. We all needed
a rest day and with the weather changing
to whiteout with heavy snowfall, we
finally had our excuse to sleep and rest.
Unfortunately, vanishing food supplies
forced us to carry on the next day.
The following evening had us cele‑
brating Gerry’s birthday with whisky
and chocolate on the Columbia Icefield.
The wind blew the clouds away and we
caught a glimpse of the next day’s work,
the traverse of the ridge below Mount
Columbia. Separating us from the upper
icefield, this ridge was a major crux of the
traverse.
After waking to clear skies, Gerry led
the way through the difficult avalanche
terrain. Reaching the upper icefield
and looking over the vast white glaciers
towards Castleguard Mountain, a feeling
of relief overcame me. It seemed like we
had passed the hard part of the trip.
Little did I know.
The next highlight awaited us at
our second food cache. Gerry’s father,
Edward, and our friend Kellen had made
the trek into the wilderness to visit us for
one night. This gave us a very welcome
break from the everyday routine and we
were welcomed with fresh grapes and
grapefruits. The more we enjoyed their
company, however, the harder it became
to think about the morning’s departure.
Making things worse, it started snow‑
ing the next day, creating route finding
problems that brought us to an abrupt
stop. Our motivation gone, we decided
to rest and make camp. Everybody on
the team had a bad day once during the
trip, and this would be mine: I could not
stop thinking of a burger and a real bed.
Fortunately, the others helped with con‑
soling words.
After half a day of rest we were ready
to attack the 1,900‑metre elevation gain
up to the Alexandra Glacier to reach
Icefall Lodge’s Lyell Hut. There, we
happily discovered four kilograms of
spaghetti in the leftover food box. Three
servings of pasta followed. The rest of the
welcome surprise was added to our daily
morning oatmeal‑chocolate mix.
Bad weather and deep trail break‑
ing on the glaciers slowed us down the
subsequent days. By day 16, we were
already half a day behind schedule when
we were unable to reach the south slopes
of Mount Lambe before noon. Unable to
pass the sun‑baked avalanche slope safely,
we were forced to a rest day, running out
of food 26 kilometres away from our last
food cache.
Welcome to Canada. My stom‑
ach grumbles once again.
Dinner consisted of only two
packages of ichiban noodles, divided
between four. Tomorrow, we have to get
past Mount Lambe and ascend to Mistaya
Lodge. Once there, it will become easier
with only the gentle slopes of the Wapta
and Waputik icefields ahead.
I close my eyes and try to relax. After
all, I am not alone and our friendship is
strong.
Many thanks to all our families for their
great support and help, and in particular,
Dave Birnie for setting up a skin track on
the approach to Mistaya Lodge, the ACC for
its nice huts which we enjoyed, Chic Scott
for an evening of stories and Ian Curran for
giving me the idea of the trip.
Edward McCarthy, left and Daniel Robb arrive at
camp below a rock overhang after leaving their
food cache and their friends at Alexandra River.

L’obélisque noir
par paul geddes
L’air froid de la montagne nous
a réveillés quand nous sommes
sortis dans la nuit, sous un ciel
rempli d’étoiles. Le sac de Matt contenait
l’équipement d’escalade; le mien contenait
la corde. Nous nous attendions à vivre à
une journée très spéciale.
Nous avons tout d’abord suivi l’un des
sentiers du camp situé au pied du mont
Tsar et, après deux heures de marche,
nous avons atteint le front du glacier.
Nous avons alors fixé nos crampons, pour
arriver deux heures plus tard à la base de
la face nord du mont Odell.
Cette crête rocheuse m’avait attiré dès
que je l’avais aperçu, une semaine plus
tôt. Mes amis et moi venions d’atteindre,
juste au sud, un sommet vierge que nous
avions nommé mont Joyce à la mémoire
de Wallace R. Joyce, ami de longue date
et membre du Club alpin du Canada,
récemment décédé.
L’arête qui mène au sommet mono‑
lithique du mont Odell, situé à 3 146
mètres, semblait acérée comme un cou‑
teau sur toute sa longueur. Matt menait,
piolet en main; il testait la roche et
enlevait les pièces qui se détachaient. Des
corniches de glace, encore là si tard en
été, surplombaient la face est et fondaient
sur les rochers plats au dessous. Sur la
face ouest, des ravins profonds, la gueule
remplie de neige, brisaient la crête avant
de disparaître dans le gouffre. L’exposition
de l’arête était extrême et présentait une
cote de difficulté allant de bas à mis
cinquième.
Quelques kilomètres au nord‑est,
le mont Tsar culminait, à 3 424 mètres.
Nous pouvions aussi apercevoir au loin les
tentes du Camp général d’alpinisme 2011
au pied du mont Somervell et le difficile
glacier Shackleton.
Nous sommes alors arrivés à un faux
sommet, qui n’était en fait qu’un long
segment horizontal situé à mi‑chemin
sur l’arête. Nous avancions, une jambe
de chaque côté de l’arête, entourant
notre corde autour de cornes de roche. Il
s’ensuivit une escalade des plus délicates.
Certaines sections de l’arête étaient telle‑
ment acérées que nous devions les che‑
vaucher en nous appuyant sur nos mains,
enserrant le roc avec nos bottes pour
obtenir de la traction. Après avoir planté
un relais sur pitons au bout de ce segment
10 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
The second ascent of Mount Odell was made via the right-hand skyline ridge at the centre of the photo,
with Mount Joyce further away left of centre. photo by paul geddes.
horizontal, Marc a assuré mon passage.
Nous avons continué à grimper sur
plusieurs longueurs, sur un couvert de
neige de plus en plus épais. Finalement, à
midi quinze, huit heures après avoir quitté
le camp, nous nous tenions sur le sommet
enneigé du mont Odell, où nous avons
bâti un cairn avec des roches exposées
du sommet. Nous avons pris quelques
photos en admirant la vue spectaculaire
qui s’offrait à nous dans toutes les direc‑
tions; mais nous n’y sommes pas restés
longtemps, car nous savions qu’il nous
faudrait autant de temps pour descendre.
Heureusement, le temps s’est maintenu.
Cependant, de retour sur le glacier,
les conditions météorologiques s’étaient
dégradées à cause de la chaleur de l’après‑
midi. Au lieu de marcher sur une surface
glacée, nous nous enfoncions dans la
neige à chaque pas. Ce fut une marche
exténuante. Le soleil se couchait comme
nous approchions du camp; quelques
alpinistes sont venus nous rejoindre pour
terminer avec nous les derniers kilo‑
mètres. Et lorsque nous avons traversé le
ruisseau devant la tente repas, on nous a
chaudement applaudis. Ce fut si agréable
de pouvoir enfin s’asseoir dans la cuisine
pour raconter notre longue journée de 16
heures.
À cause de l’arrivée tardive de l’été
dans les Rocheuses, la plupart des voies
d’escalade étaient encore très enneigées,
ce qui les rendait impraticables. Mais
pendant les six semaines du camp GMC
2011, nous avons malgré tout réussi à
escalader et nommer un certain nom‑
bre de sommets. Les sommets Wally,
Louise et Andrew, ainsi nommés en
l’honneur de nos chers amis, Wallace
R. Joyce, Nancy Louise Guy et Andrew
Langford, maintenant disparus (voir
« Remembrances » dans le Canadian
Alpine Journal Vol. 94, 2011), ont consti‑
tué des buts d’escalade populaires pour
les participants. Au cours de dix sorties,
86 participants ont escaladé un autre pic
du GMC, le Little Odell, situé à 1,8 km
au nord du sommet principal du mont
Odell, qui culmine à 2 805 mètres.
Le mont Odell fut ainsi nommé
par A.J. Ostheimer le 8 août 1927 en
l’honneur de Noel Odell (1890‑1987),
bien connu pour le rôle qu’il a joué lors de
l’expédition britannique du mont Everest
de 1924. Ostheimer avait été fort impres‑
sionné à la vue du mont Odell, qu’il
avait pu admirer à partir du sommet du
mont Tsar lors de la première ascension
de ce dernier. Dans son ouvrage intitulé
Every Other Day, il écrit : « Odell, un bel
obélisque noir, très pointu » (traduction
libre).
Le mont Odell fut grimpé pour la première
fois par Vic Bell et Doug Miller le 21
août 1992. Paul Geddes et Matt Mueller
furent les deuxièmes à en atteindre le sommet,
le 3 août 2011.
Paul Geddes habite Vancouver et est
membre des sections de Vancouver, de
Whistler et de Toronto.
PSST!
Avez‑vous un récit d’aventure à
partager? Une histoire à raconter?
Nos lecteurs seraient ravis de vous
lire!
Contactez l’éditeur de notre revue
Alpine Gazette à l’adresse suivante :
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afin de soumettre votre article, his‑
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The Black Obelisk
by paul geddes
The cold mountain air of the
star‑filled night woke us up as
we headed out into the darkness.
Matt’s pack contained the climbing gear,
mine the rope. We were anticipating a
special day.
We followed a camp trail below Tsar
Mountain, reaching the snout of the
glacier in two hours. We strapped on
crampons and another two hours brought
us to the base of the north ridge of
Mount Odell.
This rock ridge had been luring me
since I laid eyes on it the previous week.
My buddies and I had reached the summit
of an unclimbed peak directly south of
there, which we had named Mount Joyce,
in memory of Wallace R. Joyce, a long‑
time Alpine Club of Canada member and
friend who had recently passed away.
Odell’s ridge appeared knife‑edged for
its entire length leading to the monolithic
summit at 3,146 metres. Matt led up, ice
axe in hand, testing the rock and pulling
off loose pieces. Cornices lingering late
into the summer hung over the east face
of the ridge, melting onto the slabs below.
On the west side steep snow‑choked
gullies broke up the rock ridge before
disappearing into the abyss. The exposure
of the ridge was extreme, the climbing
ranged from low‑ to mid‑fifth class.
Towering to 3,424 metres, Tsar
Mountain rose a few kilometres to the
northeast. We could see the tents of the
2011 General Mountaineering Camp
in the distant meadows below Mount
Somervell with the complex Shackleton
Glacier beyond.
We gained a false summit, realising
that we had only reached a long hori‑
zontal section mid‑point along the ridge.
Legs straddled the ridge as we wove the
rope around rock horns. More delicate
climbing followed, with sections of the
ridge so knife‑edged that it was hand‑
over‑hand traversing while smearing our
boots on the rock face for traction. Matt
hammered in a piton belay station at the
end of the horizontal section and belayed
me across.
We climbed on for several more
pitches with ever increasing snow cover.
Finally, at 12:15 p.m., eight hours after
leaving camp, we stood on the snowy
summit of Mount Odell, where we built
a cairn with some
exposed summit rocks.
A few pictures were
taken as we absorbed
the spectacular views in
all directions. We didn’t
linger, concerned that
it would take us just as
long to down climb the
ridge. Thankfully, the
weather remained stable.
Back on the glacier
conditions had deterior‑
ated in the afternoon
heat. Instead of walking
on a frozen surface, we
broke through as we
weighted every step.
It was an exhausting
trudge across the glacier.
The sun was setting as
we approached camp,
from where a few climb‑
ers came out to walk
the final kilometre with
775N
52°05’N
770N
N
Kinbasket River
Major Peaks
Mt. Odell Peak Name
Minor Peaks,
2,805 Height in Metres
Glaciated Area
Glacial Flow Direction
Ridge
Lake, River
764N N.T.S. Grid Reference
52°05’N Lat/Long
us. We received a round of applause as
we crossed the creek in front of the tea
tent. It was nice to be finally sitting in the
kitchen, recounting our 16‑hour day.
As a result of the late arrival of sum‑
mer to the Rockies, most of the major
routes in the area remained heavily
snow covered, rendering them unsuit‑
able for climbing. A number of high
points were named and climbed however,
throughout the six weeks of the 2011
GMC. Wally’s Peak, Louise Peak and
Andrew Peak were popular climbing
objectives for the participants—named
after dearly missed friends Wallace R.
Joyce, Nancy Louise Guy and Andrew
Langford (see Remembrances in the 2011
Canadian Alpine Journal Volume 94).
Another GMC peak, 2,805‑metre Little
Odell, which stands 1.8 kilometres north
of Mount Odell’s main summit, was
climbed by a total of 86 participants over
10 outings.
Mount Odell was named for Noel
Odell by A.J. Ostheimer on August
8, 1927. Noel Odell (1890‑1987), is well
known for his role on the 1924 British
Mount Everest Expedition. Ostheimer
was impressed by the sight of the moun‑
tain, which he appreciated from the
summit of Tsar Mountain during its first
440E 117°50’W
Shackleton Glacier
2011 G.M.C.
Basecamp
2,020
Mt.
Somervell
2011
3,120
“Little
Odell”
RHW, as of October 17, 2011
2,910
Mt. Odell
3,146
2011
2,805
Mt.
Joyce
3,030
Mt. Ellis
2,970
Tsar
2,910
“Louise”
Odell Glacier Area
Rocky Mountains
British Columbia (83C/4)
2nd Ascent of
445EMt.
Odell
2011 Route
2,930
Glacier
3,424
Tsar Mtn.
Odell Glacier
0 1 2
“Peak 9700 ft”
“Coprolite”
2,970
kilometres
“Marco” “Peak
9100 ft”
2,790
“Polo”
2,770
ascent. In Ostheimer’s book, Every Other
Day, he wrote: “Odell, a fine looking,
sharply pointed, black obelisk.”
The first ascent of Mount Odell was
made by Vic Bell and Doug Miller on Aug.
21, 1992. Paul Geddes and ACMG alpine
guide Matt Mueller were only the second
people to reach that summit on Aug. 3, 2011.
Vancouver resident Paul Geddes is a
member of the ACC’s Vancouver, Whistler
and Toronto sections; Matt Mueller belongs
to the Rocky Mountain Section.
From Mount Odell’s summit, the summit of
Mount Joyce is behind Matt Mueller’s right
shoulder. The ACC Toronto Section Camp of the
previous week was located on the far side of
Mount Joyce. photo by paul geddes.
Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 11

Book ends
by lynn Martel
Alpine Ski Tours in the Canadian Rockies
by Chic Scott and Mark Klassen
Next to the skis, poles, boots,
climbing skins, backpacks and
avalanche safety gear of every keen
Rockies’ backcountry skier is at least
one dog‑eared, page‑folded edition
of a Chic Scott ski touring and ski
mountaineering guidebook. In this
third, full colour edition of his best‑
selling guidebook, Scott’s impeccable
research and writing talents are aug‑
mented by the snow safety and terrain
savvy of ACMG mountain guide
Mark Klassen. This newest Alpine Ski
Tours provides an excellent supplement to earlier editions with
the addition of new destinations as well as expanded, updated
and in some cases re‑written information on old favourites.
Published by Rocky Mountain Books in print and e‑book
versions. www.rmbooks.com
Snowshoeing in the Canadian Rockies
by Andrew Nugara
“Snowshoeing today encompasses a
staggering spectrum of levels of exper‑
tise and abilities,” writes Nugara in the
introduction to his newest guidebook.
Illustrated with clear, enticing photos
of wild, untouched snowy mountain
landscapes, at first glance the reader
might be astonished to realize the his‑
torically simple activity of using snow‑
shoes to travel from point A to B over
a landscape buried in the snowy riches
of a Canadian winter has evolved into a
multi‑faceted sport suitable for family
weekends and determined mountaineers alike. With 61 wide‑
ranging route descriptions, this book provides enough informa‑
tion to hold the interest of the most intrepid Voyageur or casual
winter walker through an entire Canadian winter.
Published by Rocky Mountain Books in print and e‑book
versions. www.rmbooks.com
The adventurous life
of Conrad Kain, Canada’s
greatest mountaineer
12 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
Freedom Climbers
by Bernadette McDonald
Among the ingredients that dif‑
ferentiate a great book from a merely
good one include not only an in
interesting, compelling story, but the
awareness on the part of the writer
to fully recognize and deeply under‑
stand exactly which elements make
that story great. Winner of the Banff Mountain Festival Book
Competition Grand Prize, the Boardman Tasker Prize for 2011,
and the 2012 American Alpine Club Literary Award, Freedom
Climbers tells the intricate, fascinating and poignant story of
how Polish climbers emerged from the bleakness of post‑War
Russian occupation to dominate high altitude climbing in
the great Himalayan ranges through the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.
Deprivation, social dysfunction, poverty, violence and emotional
darkness permeate the exploits of these exceptionally bold and
driven characters.
Published by Rocky Mountain Books. www.rmbooks.com
Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America
by Chris Davenport, Art Burrows and Penn Newhard
Dramatic chiseled summits, immaculate sprawling icefields,
wind‑sculpted cornices and needle‑wide couloirs funneling
between vertical rock walls—there’s much about ski mountain‑
eering worthy of large‑format full‑colour photography printed
on high quality paper. Much richer than a mere run‑down of
tried and true mogul‑infested slackcountry lines, this absolutely
stunning coffee table book showcases a truly imaginative selec‑
tion complete with first‑person descriptions of favourite descents
by regional locals, including Canadian Rockies backcountry
skiing guru Chic Scott and Golden, B.C.’s
big mountain master Ptor
Spricenieks who writes
poetically about his and
Troy Jungen’s first—and
still only—ski descent of
Mount Robson’s heart‑
stoppingly steep north face.
Published by
Wolverine Publishing
www.wolverinepublishing.com
Raising Kain: The adventurous life of Conrad Kain, Canada’s greatest mountaineer
by Keith G. Powell
This historical novel tells the story of Austrian‑born Conrad Kain, the first mountain guide to be hired
by the Alpine Club of Canada in 1909. It follows Kain’s challenges as a poor Austrian leaving his home
country to embrace adventures in Canada, which include more than 70 first ascents or new routes. Powell
intertwines historical fact and black and white photos with colourful and imaginative fiction to create a
fresh and entertaining account of the life of Canada’s most respected mountaineer and guide, even high‑
lighting the debate as to who could claim the actual first ascent of Mount Robson, which Kain accom‑
plished with ACC Honorary Member Albert MacCarthy and W.W. Foster in 1913.
Published by Wild Horse Creek Press. http://wildhorsecreekpress.squarespace.com/

Should I Not Return
by Jeffrey T. Babcock
This autobiographical novel tells the
story of a 1967 tragedy on Denali, writ‑
ten by a man who was a member of the
rescue team
who searched
for seven mis‑
sing climb‑
ers—ultimately
finding three
of their bodies.
Sticking close
to the truth of
the events, the
story is wrapped
within layers of
drama, includ‑
ing familial dysfunction, alcoholism,
sibling rivalry and infidelity. Set in the
coldest corner of Alaska’s vast wilderness,
the book delves into extreme frontiers
and their crossings. Among its characters
is Frances “Freddie” Chamberlain Carter,
an active Alpine Club of Canada member
through the 1960s and ’70s who was the
third woman to climb Denali. When
reading this spine‑tingling tale, cautions
one reviewer, “wear your parka”.
Published by Publication Consultants.
www.publicationconsultants.com
Frances “Freddie” Chamberlain Carter sits
between author Jeffrey Babcock (left) and his
brother, Bill Babcock. photo by Fred radle.
ACC members receive
15% off
the retail price!
403.678.3200 ext.1
www.alpineclubofcanada/store
Freedom
Climbers
Boardman Tasker
Prize
Kendal Mountain
Festival
Bernadette
McDonald
American Alpine
Club Literary
Award
“It was felt, according to this year’s judging panel, to
be one of the most important mountaineering books
published in the English language for many years.”
—Lindsay Griffin, thebmc.co.uk
Freedom
Climbers
Grand Prize
Winner
Banff Mountain
Book Festival
Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 13

How to stay safely connected – to an anchor!
by ernst bergMann
The simple act of securing oneself
to an anchor can become a safety
issue with serious consequences.
How to best do that, and especially, what
not to do, has been the subject of quite a
bit of discussion, triggered by some ser‑
ious and widely publicized accidents.
During climbing, whether rock, ice
or mountaineering, situations arise where
one connects oneself to an anchor or a
piece of protection for a short, or some‑
times not so short time.
A common default to do this has
become a short sling, girth hitched to
the belay loop of one’s harness, and in
turn clipped to the master point of the
anchor via a locking carabiner. This is
even done when climbers are still tied
into the climbing rope. This often works
sufficiently, but there are some inherent
problems and potential dangers with this
method.
First, one should not climb even a
little above the anchor point with such a
setup. While it is not intuitive, climbing
only a couple of feet above the anchor
and slipping (being 60 centimetres above
the anchor means falling 120 centimetres
onto the anchor) can potentially break
the tether and result in a fatal fall. To
comprehend this it is best to revisit the
definition of a “fall factor”; this helps to
Figure X: Two climbers, represented by empty
harnesses, are connected to a two-bolt anchor.
Climber right (bottom) is directly tied into the
climbing rope and clove hitched to a carabiner
clipped into the master point of the anchor.
Climber left (top) is clipped to the master point of
the anchor via a Purcell Prussik girth-hitched to the
belay loop of her harness. photo by ernst bergMann.
14 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
understand how a fall of a metre or less
can have disastrous consequences.
Second, much of the gear one sees
being used in some of these situations
was never designed for this application.
Lightweight slings from materials such as
Dyneema or Spectra were designed
primarily for draws and never meant to
be used in this situation. These are not
very dynamic and easily break with very
short (a few feet), high fall factor falls.
Similarly “daisy chains” were developed
as a tool for aid climbing and not as
personal tethers. The latter constitutes
misuse.
Through discussions within the
Alpine Club of Canada National Safety
Committee and with some of the guides
who teach ACC leadership courses, we
have developed some recommendations:
1) If it is possible and the climber is tied into the rope, use the rope to connect to
the anchor. The preferred method would be a clove hitch or figure eight knot into a
locking carabiner to the master point of the anchor. This should be the default method
to attach to an anchor, unless it is not practical to do so because the rope needs to be
re‑rigged. For most transitions it is not only safer but also much simpler to do this. A
clove hitch is advantageous because it can be adjusted easily and tied into an anchor
with one hand.
2) Don’t climb above the anchor. Climbers slip and ledges can break. This has the
potential to create high fall factors with potentially devastating consequences.
3) Don’t use equipment for applications it wasn’t designed for. Slings or cord out of
the ultra‑high molecular weight polyethylene materials UHMWPE (Dyneema or
Spectra) were not designed as a personal tether. Daisy chains are an aid climbing
tool and should be used exclusively as such.
4) If you do need a personal tether use a nylon sling or cordelette of the correct size.
Tie or girth hitch directly to your harness and clip with a locking carabiner to the
master point of the anchor. Attach to the tie in points, or, if permissible with your
harness, to the belay loop. (Most modern harnesses have belay loops that are more
than strong enough.) Don’t use a second carabiner on your harness, or, if you have to,
make sure it is a triple‑action carabiner.
5) Don’t leave a sling or personal tether girth hitched to your harness all day while
out climbing. It will create unnecessary and potentially dangerous wear on the har‑
ness. A very good personal tether is the medium length sling from a set of Purcell
Prusiks. Carrying a set of properly sized Purcell Prusiks as an emergency ascender
and for self‑rescue is a good habit anyway. A Purcell Prusik consists of a Prusik knot
tied onto its doubled self and defies a written description. Best to get instruction on
how to simply tie one from a piece of nylon cordage. Girth hitch the single loop of the
Purcell Prusik to the harness and clip the double Prusik loop onto the anchor. This
also allows for some easy adjustment of the length.
If you need more instructions or like
to see details, the Internet has plenty of
information on DMM’s drop test, one‑
handed clove hitches or Purcell Prusiks.
Better yet, get instruction from an
ACMG guide.
The ACC’s National Safety Committee
is comprised of: Ernst Bergmann, Chair,
Edmonton Section: Peter Amann, Jasper/
Hinton; Félix Camiré, Rocky Mountain;
Robert Chisnall, Toronto; Hai Pham,
Ottawa; Frank Pianka, Thunder Bay;
Selena Swets, Vancouver Island. Thanks
also to ACMG mountain guides Cyril
Shokoples and Marc Piché for valuable
input.

Photo: Tanya Koob
Picture your family
here this summer...
info@alpineclubofcanada.ca | 403.678.3200
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca
28
backcountry huts
to choose from.
facebook.com/alpineclubofcanada twitter.com/alpineclubcan

What my ACC means to me
by W. John andresen
I
remember labouring up the approach
to the Peyto Hut in 1999, overloaded
and struggling to keep up with the
others on the first day of the Alpine Club
of Canada’s summer Wapta Traverse, a
classic week‑long hiking and climbing
trip linking four ACC huts across the
Rockies’ Wapta and Waputik Icefields.
My backpack was weighed down
with way too much stuff and that’s not
counting the added psychic weight of a
stressed, hectic life accumulating things.
It was my first Club trip. I had been
a member since 1992 but always on the
periphery of all its activities. I had joined
as an occasional weekend hiker to take
advantage of the Club’s extensive hut
system in Rockies.
Don’t
miss out!
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/gmc
16 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
At some point I learned
the ACC was always
looking for custodians for
week‑long stints to look
after some of their huts
in the summer. In 1996,
my family and I spent a
week as hut custodians of
the Wates‑Gibson Hut
in Jasper National Park’s
Tonquin Valley.
It was an 18‑kilometre hike into the
hut. When my wife and I, and kids,
then aged 13, 11, and 9, finally arrived,
late and exhausted, at the hut, the only
other people there were a couple of older
American climbers, Jack Taylor and Art
Maki. They welcomed us warmly.
From left, W. John Andresen, his wife, Kim, daughters Marlaine and Stephanie (back), and son, Brendan
(front), enjoyed a week as custodians at the Wates-Gibson Hut in 1996. photo courtesy W. John andresen.
Photo: Elizabeth Eckhardt
From left, Chung-yee Loo, Deb Perret and Stephanie Andresen are all
smiles at the Tsar-Somervell GMC in July 2011. photo lilla Molnar.
In the Sir Sandford area of the Selkirk Mountains
2012 GENERAL MOUNTAINEERING CAMP .
Six week-long camps from July 7 - August 18
Photo: Conrad Janzen
The Wates‑Gibson Hut stands on the
shores of Outpost Lake in the spectacular
Tonquin Valley, where we spent a fun
carefree week exploring. Art and Jack
would leave the hut early to climb, and
in the evening they would regale us with
tales of mountaineering derring‑do.
Finally, in 1999, I looked again at the
ACC brochure for the Wapta Traverse.
Beguilingly, it said it’s for beginners, too.
I was a middle‑aged guy who was never
going to see my 40s again. I should have
started this a long time ago, I thought.
Had I waited too long?
I recalled the words of baseball man‑
ager and philosopher, Sparky Anderson,
who famously spoke of the futility of
living in the past: “There’s no future in it.”
I signed up.
At the end of that week, my pasty
office pallor gone, and sporting a week’s
beard and matted hair, I asked our guide,
Cyril Shokoples, “so what’s the next step?”
“GMCs,” he replied. “General
Mountaineering Camps.” I learned these
climbing camps have been an ACC
institution since 1906, and run each year
in week‑long increments over five or six
weeks in July and August.
2012 marks the centennial of the first ascent of Sir Sandford (3,519m/11,545ft).
Photo: Peter Amann
Photo: Peter Amann

After the Wapta, I realized I needed
to reboot. I changed my lifestyle. I started
running to get rid of weight and for
cardio, and that has evolved to running
half‑marathons now.
The following year I was at the 2000
C
Fairy Meadow GMC. Since then, I
think I have done 11 GMCs, and count‑ M
ing. I was proud in 2007 at the Mount Y
Alexandra Camp, to fly in with my son
CM
Brendan and spend a week climbing
MY
with him. And last summer, at the Tsar‑
Somervell GMC, my youngest daughter,
Stephanie, and I climbed together.
CMY
Through the GMCs I gained confi‑
K
dence and started to look further afield.
With the Club, I have climbed with
Sylvia Forest in Mexico and Helen
Sovdat in Ecuador. Those trips in turn
gave me the skills and endurance to climb
Mont Blanc in Chamonix, in fierce icy
winds, from the Cosmiques hut in 2008.
This past August, through some
Facebook connections, I heard that at
80, Art Maki had climbed Mount Tsar.
I got his address through his guide and
e‑mailed him, reminding him of our week
at the Wates‑Gibson long ago. Art sent
back a gracious note.
“These days, my climbing companions
have faded away,” Art wrote. “Last year
and this year I hired a guide to enjoy the
Canadian mountains, one of the best
decisions I have made in recent years.”
I hear you Art, and now I am enjoying
them too.
If asked what the Club has done
for me, I would answer; “In 1999, my
life finally started to turn and the Club
helped in the turning.” In middle age
I needed to change to be healthier and
happier.
As I write this, I am packing for
another ACC international trip, this time
to Patagonia to climb Cerre San Lorenzo.
My backpack is lighter now.
PSST!
Do you wanna be a famous writer?
Ok, how about just a writer?
Contact the Gazette editor at
gazette@alpineclubofcanada.ca to
have your article, story or event
published in the Gazette.
CY
Aura 50 1_3SQ EN ACC Gazette.pdf 1 1/30/12 8:53 PM
Summer Job Opportunities
The Alpine Club of Canada is looking for team members to work and enjoy a
memorable summer season as full time Custodians at the Kokanee Glacier Cabin
in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park (early June to late October) and at the Conrad
Kain Hut in Bugaboo Provincial Park (mid
June to mid September).
Ideal candidates will be:
�● Honest and reliable
�● Customer service oriented
�● Experienced in backcountry travel
�● Physically fit and healthy
�● Mechanically minded and handy with tools
�● Knowledgeable and passionate about the
out of doors
Applicants must also have standard first
aid and CPR experience or capabilities. The
jobs are scheduled on a week-on, week-off, or two
weeks on, one week off basis. Custodians receive
competitive pay, a car allowance and a performance-based
bonus at the end of the season. The
deadline for applications is April 4, 2012.
Please submit your resume to:
Rob Shears, Facilities Manager
rshears@alpineclubofcanada.ca
Box 8040, Canmore, Alberta T1W 2T8 OR fax: (403) 678-3224
Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 17

Evelyn Reginald “Rex” Gibson
by lindsay elMs
Evelyn Reginald “Rex” Gibson
was born at Hatfield Peveril in
Essex, England in 1892. He was
educated at Sherborne School in Dorset,
and then at age 16 went to work in Paris
at a private bank which belonged to his
family. During WWI Gibson enlisted in
Britain’s Artillery and after receiving his
commission in late 1914, he saw action at
Ypres, the Somme and Cambrai. After
the War he returned to banking, work‑
ing in Cologne, Germany and Antwerp,
Belgium for Lloyd’s, which had absorbed
the family bank.
In 1926, Gibson immigrated to
Canada and the following year began
farming at Winterburn near Edmonton.
As a farmer he was able to arrange things
so that he had his winters and summers
available to climb and ski. Prior to com‑
ing to Canada, Gibson had made a few
climbs in Switzerland, the notable one
being a winter ascent of the Jungfrau.
Once in Canada’s mountains, how‑
ever, he rapidly moved to the forefront
of mountaineering with his unique
ability and skills. He was instrumental
in introducing many young boys to the
mountains, especially through the Boy
Rex Gibson surveys the view with his climbing partners on the summit of Big Interior Mountain on
Vancouver Island during a 1953 ACC trip. photo: syd Watts
18 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
Scouts, and was also a very strong and
fast climber; if he so chose, very few could
keep up with him. During his 30 years of
mountaineering in western Canada he
made more than 200 climbs, including
many first ascents. Gibson was awarded
the Alpine Club of Canada’s Silver Rope
Award for Leadership in 1934.
In 1936 Gibson climbed Mount
Clemenceau and Mount Robson with
Sterling Hendricks, which they followed
in 1937 with ascents of Mount Columbia
and North Twin. Gibson later wrote: It
was a source of great satisfaction to Sterling
and me that we made mountaineering
history by being the first climbers ever to
complete the ascent of all four 12,000-foot
peaks in the Rockies.
He also attempted Brussels Peak,
considered the “last unclimbable” peak in
the Rockies, but like a number of good
climbers before him, the peak eluded him.
In 1938 Gibson climbed Mount Forbes
and South Twin and also made the first
winter ascent of Mount Albert Edward
on Vancouver Island with Ethne Gale,
and Don and Phyllis Munday. In 1939 he
visited the Coast Mountains and made
several first ascents, including Mount
Tiedemann. Then in 1946 he became
the first Canadian since Conrad Kain to
ascend Bugaboo Spire. Along with many
ACC summer camps. Gibson played a
major role in the development and man‑
agement of the ACC’s winter ski camps.
Gibson enlisted in the Royal
Canadian Artillery in 1941 and was
promoted to Major in 1944. During
this period of service he was Canadian
Military Representative with the U.S.
Army’s Mount McKinley expedition in
1942, on assignment to test cold weather
equipment. He instructed at the Little
Yoho Military Camp in 1943 and also
took part in the Lovat Scout training in
Jasper National Park. Gibson was injured
during the McKinley expedition, how‑
ever, and was discharged from the army
with a pension.
In 1948, at the age of 56, he married
Ethne Gale and moved to Saanichton
near Victoria. Together they climbed a
number of peaks on Vancouver Island and
also continued to attend ACC camps in
the Rockies.
In 1954 Gibson made his first attempt
on the unclimbed Mount Howson in
the Buckley Range near Terrace, but was
unsuccessful and returned again in 1955
and 1956. On August 18, 1957, Gibson
returned for the forth time with Sterling
Hendricks and Don Hubbard. While cut‑
ting steps up a gully Gibson fell and pulled
the others with him. When they eventu‑
ally came to a stop, all four of them were
injured. Although he was semiconscious
at the time, Gibson’s injuries would prove
fatal. Hendricks went to get help, but by
the time he was able to return two days
later, Gibson had died. Just 64, he had been
serving his second term as ACC President
at the time.
In July 1959 the ACC sent an exped‑
ition to build a memorial to Gibson on
the mountain. After building a solid rock
cairn housing a bronze plaque at the
south col, Adolf Bitterlich, John Owen
and Bill Lash turned their attention to
Mount Howson, eventually making the
first ascent to honour their fallen friend.
Gibson’s close climbing friend, Bob
Hind, wrote: Rex’s love for the mountains
was more than a hobby; it became a passion
which he was ever willing and eager to share
with others.

Young climber exuded a special spark
by lynn Martel
Members of Canada’s climbing
community were deeply sad‑
dened to learn that Canmore
resident Carlyle Norman had died as a
result of being struck by a falling rock
while climbing in Argentinean Patagonia
on Jan. 15.
Norman, 29, and climbing partner
Cian Brinker were climbing Last Gringo
Standing, a 13‑pitch 5.11 on 2,558‑metre
Aguja Saint‑Exupéry as a warm‑up
in preparation to attempt a new route
on another spire, Aguja Bifida. At the
2011 Banff Mountain Film Festival, an
exuberant Norman had accepted the John
Lauchlan Memorial Award in support of
their adventure.
After caring for an unconscious
Norman, who sustained serious head
injuries, for two hours, Brinker made the
wrenching decision to descend alone for
help. The following day a volunteer search
team aboard a Red Bull helicopter
spotted her, but were unable to land.
On Jan. 17 a strong team of experienced
alpinists climbed into evening in an
attempt to reach her, but stormy weather
and rock fall forced them to retreat.
Norman’s body was found at the base
of Aguja Saint‑Exupéry on Saturday,
Jan. 21 by Bow Valley mountain guide
Joshua Lavigne, who had flown to
Patagonia with members of Norman’s
extended family. It would appear Norman
regained consciousness, unclipped from
the anchor Brinker had secured her to
and fell 450 metres to the mountain’s
base. Lavigne gave his close friend a
mountain burial.
A highly trained yoga instructor and
Kilimanjaro
Africa’s Highest Mountain
5895 m / 19340 ft.
talented writer, Norman
penned sharp, humorous
blog posts for Highline
magazine, and wrote
insightful articles for the
Canadian Alpine Journal.
Having lost both parents
to unrelated outdoor
accidents by the age
of nine, Norman was
embraced by a “family
circle” who nurtured and
encouraged her, includ‑
ing long‑time Canmore
locals Marnie Virtue,
Steve de Keijzer and
Sharon Wood.
Wood, who in 1986
became the first North
American woman to
summit Everest, rec‑
ognized in Norman a
kindred spirit reminiscent of her younger
self. Thoughtful, deliberate and introspec‑
tive, Norman never wanted to be defined
by her tragedies. As a climber, Wood said
she showed grace beyond her years.
“She was just this picture of elegance
in motion, not wasting a single speck of
energy on anything other than what was
right in front of her nose,” Wood said. “At
29, to see that, you thought, she’s going
somewhere.”
Such a statement should come as
no surprise to Alpine Club of Canada
Toronto Section members who remember
Norman’s mother, Judy Cook, whom
fellow ACCer Roger Wallis credited with
being, “The finest lady mountaineer to
have ever come out of Toronto.”
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It is the Swiss family’s Vision &
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friendly atmosphere.
Carlyle Norman savours a moment during one of her many happy days
in the mountains. photo by Joshua lavigne.
Like her mother, who died in a climb‑
ing accident when Norman was only six,
she made an impression on all who knew
her.
“Carlyle could bring a bright spark of
light and laughter to any situation, but
she could also be serious and highly disci‑
plined,” said Virtue, an aunt to Norman
since she was 12. “She found great solace
in wild places. She was extremely happy
that day in Patagonia.”
The Carlyle Norman Memorial
Fund to benefit emerging young
writers has been set up through the
Calgary Foundation. For informa‑
tion on how to contribute, contact
donations@thecalgaryfoundation.org
Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 19

Camp participants celebrate sore legs, lungs and livers
by isabel budke
From its very beginnings, the Alpine
Club of Canada Calgary Section’s
2011 Mount Alexandra Camp was
characterized by competition, perform‑
ance and extroverted excitement. With
the trip not yet started, Danielle earned
special mention for arriving only one
hour late to Golden, B.C. (after success‑
fully circumnavigating a Highway 1 con‑
struction closure). Peter also impressed
with a record‑breaking ride to the helipad
that saw his passengers hang on to their
seats by their fingernails (no report was
filed on the state of their pants).
Upon arrival at the helicopter staging
area, the Porcupine Defence League
began its anti‑terrorism work, which
Brian won for employing the most
unscrupulous approach, as he removed
protective wire from a car belonging to
an unwitting, absent and thus powerless
owner. Soon afterward, the gravel sta‑
dium filled chock‑a‑block with spectators
witnessed the first ever Highland Games
performed at that location. Clear winner
of the caber toss was Robyn, who deftly
heaved a giant piece of wood, and whose
love for all things Scottish would soon
become even more evident. Fierce com‑
petitions in standing long jump and shot
put ensued, as athletes from Scotland,
the Netherlands, England and Quebec
awaited the helicopter’s arrival.
Once delivered to the backcountry
site, Team No Regrets established its
training camp at the stunningly beautiful
headwaters of South Rice Brook. Given
Isabel Budke heads back toward basecamp on
the far side of an alpine tarn. photo by Marg saul.
Gabrielle Savard takes in the view of Mount Coral from Mount Osprey. photo by isabel budke.
the stellar forecast for the next day, it was
not difficult to convince everyone to seek
the most coveted prizes first.
At 5:15 a.m. Team Alexandra and
Team Whiterose headed out together
before diverging their separate ways at
the col. The weather remained cooler
than expected with long stretches of
overcast skies, seeing our group climb
the upper slopes of Mount Alexandra in
near‑whiteout conditions before reach‑
ing the top in sub‑zero temperatures.
As the clouds lifted on our descent, we
spotted Keith, Brian and Sara spread
along Whiterose’s “spicy” spine. After
picking up Clarence, who had spent some
contemplative time in his bathtub‑shaped
snow trench, we glanced back at the clean
up‑track our female trailblazers had set
and then bum glissaded down the soft
lower slopes—with biggest butts winning,
of course! While Team Alexandra com‑
pleted their round‑trip in approximately
11 hours, Team Whiterose had a slightly
longer, yet equally successful and satisfy‑
ing first day.
Day two dawned with even better
weather and with not two, but three
trips scheduled. They included Cowboy
Couloir on Mount Queant by Keith,
Peter and Sara, Whirlwind Peak’s
southeast ridge by Robyn, Brian, Ian
and Danielle, and a (could it be a first,
we hoped?) traverse of Mount Osprey
by Gabrielle, Marg and Isabel. Again, all
teams were successful in reaching their
destinations, even if the southeast ridge
remained somewhat elusive and Mount
Osprey already had a cairn on top. The
descents proved entertaining in different
ways; while Team Hard Core hip‑waded
their way off Queant’s summit down
55‑degree slush, the Hill Billies celebrated
their unplanned reunion at the romantic
tarn above camp with a group swim (for
which clothing was, naturally, not an
option).
As the forecast for the next day was
rather mediocre, the entire team fully
embraced the scheduled evening activ‑
ity, which involved clutching delicate,
mouth‑blown bottles of high‑end
Tequila, guitars and noisemakers to
invoke a Mexican fiesta that lasted into
the wee hours.
As a result some attrition was
unavoidable, and only the hardiest climb‑
ers made it up Rose Petal the next mor‑
ning before rain beat them back to camp,
where others had only recently awoken.
The following day saw everyone sum‑
mit Mount Coral, after the Alexandra
“B” Team gave up their summit attempt
due to whiteout conditions. Several hot
(and wet) butts were observed on the
descent (another “tub” session and fric‑
tion on snow reportedly had something
to do with it), accompanied by delightful
yodels. The evening continued in a similar
vein (wet and delicious), with a sampling
of an assortment of quality wines that
tingled taste buds and loosened tongues.

While forecasts for the following days
proved too optimistic, our determined
athletes were not deterred from seeking
further summits: Cowboy Couloir was
climbed a second time, although fresh
snow, limited visibility and high winds
beat Brian, Isabel, Ian and Danielle into
retreat before reaching the peak. At the
same time, Team Can Do, comprised of
Peter, Keith and Gabrielle pushed a new
route up Whirlwind Peak’s north ridge
under slightly more favourable condi‑
tions. With a similar goal, Team Flower
Power set out the next day in mediocre
weather to conquer Rose Petal’s slabby
petals, only to be turned around by its
rotten ridge. Team Whirlwind “C”,
meanwhile, enjoyed its bonding experi‑
ence in a blizzard on top, where they
might have remained in cozy communion
had they not been coaxed back to camp
to partake in the week’s final and most
important event...
As the week of athleticism and
performance had been opened by the
Highland Games, so it concluded in style
with a Scottish night, featuring special
guests Glenlivet, Laphroaig and Aberlour,
who had been flown in at great cost just
for this event. To everyone’s delight, they
did not disappoint and spirits soared, so
to speak, to unprecedented heights that
night. An improvised jam session involv‑
ing every possible musical instrument and
kitchen implement revealed a multitude
of secret talents. The show culminated in
a bonfire celebration with riveting solo
performances before musical stars col‑
lapsed, in haystack fashion, below their
heavenly counterparts. Savouring the
ensuing silence, we witnessed some of
the wonders of the world and sent wishes
with the falling stars.
But what to wish for when bliss is
now?
Participants of the ACC Calgary
Section 2011 Mount Alexandra Camp
were: Front row, from left: Sara Mae
Moore, Danielle Tardif, Clarence Kort,
Isabel Budke. Middle: Gabrielle Savard,
Peter Lloyd, Brian Kinzie. Back: Marg
Saul, Robin Owens, Keith Sanford, Ian
Combres.
Vancouver resident Isabel Budke is a
member of the Vancouver, Calgary and
Rocky Mountain sections.
Photo: Peter Amann
Photo: Bill Corbett
Alpine Club of Canada
MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES
Photo: Nancy Hansen
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/adventures
adventures@alpineclubofcanada.ca
Photo: Thierry Levenq
FILLING FAST!
Join us on the trip of a lifetime!
Under 25 Climbing Camp:
July 2 - 6, 2012 $695
supported by:
First Summits Summer Mountaineering:
June 28 - July 2, 2012 $1095
55+ Climbing and Trekking Camp:
July 28 - August 4, 2012 $1695

My favourite volunteer: Bill Scott
by John Wade
Bill Scott is a fine example of a
cohort of senior Ottawa Section
volunteers who have collectively
sustained a busy calendar of activities
year‑by‑year for much more than a dec‑
ade. In Bill’s case, new trip participants
will get to know a soft‑spoken individual
who seems to have that gift of being “in
the right place, at the right time, with the
right words”, whether it is getting a nerv‑
ous group of first aid trainees into the
groove for a hands‑on scenario, or finding
the best line for a bushwhack or off‑piste
descent.
Bill has been volunteering as a trip
leader and Ottawa Section Executive
Committee member since almost the first
day that he joined the ranks of the Alpine
Club of Canada 15 years ago. With a
particular focus on his passions of back‑
country skiing, alpine travel, climbing,
safety and first aid, Bill seems to epitom‑
ize the Canadian service ethos: figure out
what needs doing, decide how to do it
best, and get ’er done.
If you ask Bill what motivates him to
volunteer so much of his time and efforts
to the Section, he will tell you that he
strongly believes that wilderness is a big
part of the Canadian psyche and that
the epitome of the wilderness experience
is to be found in the alpine. For Bill,
volunteering is a way of giving back and
helping others to build the skills that will
take them further along in their outdoor
vocation.
After a strong track record of giving
avalanche forecasting clinics to members
joining Club or personal trips that he was
leading, in recent years Bill decided to act
Support your public forecast.
Every dollar raised goes directly to improving and maintaining
your public avalanche programs and services.
Help us help you.
22 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
on some ideas that had been germinat‑
ing ever since a serious incident occurred
during a Section trip in 2001. With the
objective of building a cadre of Section
members and trip leaders with strong
wilderness risk assessment, accident
prevention and first aid skills, the first
trial practise scenarios revealed that there
was a long way to go. This led Bill to
prepare a pitch to the Section Executive
for a formal program of training up
to Wilderness First Aid level that was
approved and put into practise in 2010.
With a first generation of graduates up
and running following their first practise
scenario in October, 2011, Bill’s vision
is well on the way to being realized. As
an added bonus, several graduates have
already put their new skills to use in “for
real” situations, often to assist non‑ACC
groups encountered in the field.
Another fine example of Bill’s cap‑
acity to shoulder the
big loads occurred
this summer with two
back‑to‑back Section
trips. The first, to B.C.’s
Bugaboos, was led by
Bill, and no doubt he
was hoping to kick back
a little as “only” a mem‑
ber of the subsequent
trip to the Rockies.
Unfortunately, that
trip leader was forced
to drop out at the last
moment and Bill was
asked to step in to the
role, which he did with
good grace.
Become a member today. www.avalanche.ca/cac/membership
Despite the many hours of his time
devoted to volunteering, Bill has man‑
aged to get out and play in an enviable
range of backcountry ski destinations
in Colorado, B.C. and the Chic‑Chocs
of Québec, as well as Canadian alpine
climbing destinations. If asked to name a
favourite day in the big wild, he may be
coaxed to talk about bluebird days ski‑
ing at Fairy Meadow in B.C.’s Selkirks,
persevering to summit Lady MacDonald
in the Rockies via the southeast ridge,
or tagging the summit of the Bugaboos’
Pigeon Spire and being chased back
down by a storm.
So, if you ever get the chance, try to
sign up for one of Bill’s trips or clinics—
but be prepared to get in line.
ACC Ottawa Section member John
Wade has volunteered as a trip leader and
Executive Committee member, with time
out for parenting, since 1993.
Bill Scott savours the sights of Rogers Pass landmarks Eagle Peak,
Illecillewaet Glacier and Asulkan Valley in B.C.’s Glacier National Park from
the summit of Avalanche Mountain. photo by david Foster.

Mon bénévole préféré : Bill Scott
par John Wade
Bill Scott personnifie de façon
exemplaire le groupe de bénévoles
seniors de la Section d’Ottawa,
qui ont mené collectivement un nombre
impressionnant d’activités depuis plus
d’une décennie. Ceux qui participent
pour la première fois à un voyage du
Club trouveront en Bill une personne qui
n’élève jamais la voix et semble toujours
être « au bon endroit, au bon moment,
trouvant toujours le bon mot », qu’il
s’agisse d’initier aux premiers soins un
groupe de secouristes un peu inquiets
dans un scénario d’intervention, ou
d’ouvrir une voie de randonnée ou de
descente hors piste. Dès ses débuts en
tant que membre du Club alpin du
Canada il y a 15 ans, Bill a agi en tant que
chef de groupe et membre du Conseil
d’administration de la Section d’Ottawa.
Tout en se concentrant sur ses passions
que sont le ski de randonnée nordique, les
voyages d’alpinisme, l’escalade, la sécurité,
et les premiers soins, Bill incarne bien
l’éthique de service des Canadiens, qui
consiste à identifier ce qu’il faut faire,
décider du meilleur moyen d’y parvenir, et
s’atteler à la tâche.
Si vous demandez à Bill ce qui le
motive à consacrer autant de temps et
d’efforts à la Section, il vous répondra
qu’il croit fermement que la nature sau‑
vage tient une place importante dans la
pensée des Canadiens et que la quintes‑
sence de cette expérience en pleine nature
est la pratique des activités de montagne.
Pour lui, le bénévolat est une bonne façon
de redonner aux autres et de les aider à
acquérir les habiletés qui les mèneront
plus loin dans leur pratique et leur amour
du plein air.
Avec à son actif un très grand nom‑
bre de stages de formation en prévision
d’avalanches, donnés aux nouveaux
membres du Club ou lors de voyages
personnels qu’il avait dirigés, Bill a décidé
au cours des dernières années de réaliser
des projets auxquels il pensait, depuis
qu’un grave accident s’était produit lors
d’un voyage de la Section en 2001. Afin
Recycle this Gazette
Pass it on to your belayer
de constituer un groupe de membres et
de chefs de voyage possédant de solides
connaissances pour évaluer les risques,
prévenir les accidents, et administrer les
premiers soins lors d’activités de plein air,
il a mis en oeuvre des scénarios d’exercice
qui ont révélé qu’il restait beaucoup à
faire en ces domaines. Ceci l’a conduit à
faire une présentation aux directeurs de la
Section visant à mettre sur pied un pro‑
gramme officiel de formation de premiers
soins en plein air, qui a été approuvé et
mis en oeuvre en 2010. Avec une première
promotion de diplômés prêts à fonction‑
ner suite au premier scénario d’exercice
d’octobre 2011, ce projet est en bonne
voie de réalisation. Un autre avantage
s’est d’ailleurs ajouté à ce cours, puisque
plusieurs diplômés ont déjà mis leurs
nouvelles connaissances à l’épreuve dans
diverses situations réelles, en venant en
aide à des groupes non membres du CAC
rencontrés sur le terrain.
D’autre part, un autre bel exemple
de la capacité de Bill à ne reculer devant
aucune responsabilité nous a été donné
cet été, lors de deux voyages consécu‑
tifs de la Section. Après avoir dirigé le
premier voyage dans les Bugaboos de la
Colombie‑Britannique, Bill espérait sûre‑
ment pouvoir profiter du voyage suivant
dans les Rocheuses en tant que « membre
seulement ». Mais malheureusement, le
chef de file de ce deuxième voyage a dû
se désister à la dernière minute et Bill
a accepté de bonne grâce de prendre la
relève.
Malgré les nombreuses heures
consacrées au bénévolat, Bill a réussi à
effectuer des sorties personnelles dans
un ensemble enviable de destinations de
ski de randonnée nordique au Colorado,
en Colombie‑Britannique, et dans les
Monts Chic‑Chocs au Québec, ainsi que
dans diverses destinations d’alpinisme au
Canada. Si vous lui demandez de raconter
l’une de ses journées de plein air préférées,
il pourrait vous parler de journées passées
à skier sous un ciel bleu à Fairy Meadow
dans les Selkirks de la Colombie‑
Britannique, de la longue ascension par
la voie sud‑est jusqu’au sommet Lady
MacDonald dans les Rocheuses, ou de
sa conquête du sommet du Pigeon Spire
dans les Bugaboos, d’où il a dû redes‑
cendre, chassé par une tempête.
Bill Scott enjoys a beautiful Rockies view high
above Kicking Horse Pass from the summit of Paget
Peak in Yoho National Park. photo by JiM Whitteker.
En conclusion, si vous avez cette
chance, inscrivez‑vous à l’un des voyages
ou stages de formation de Bill. Mais
préparez‑vous, il y aura sans doute une
file d’attente!
Depuis 1993, John Wade, membre de la
section d’Ottawa du Club alpin canadien,
s’est porté volontaire en tant que chef de voyage
et membre du Conseil d’administration,
tout en s’absentant pendant quelque temps
pour vaquer à ses tâches parentales.
Shovel Pass
Backcountry Lodge
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Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 23

University initiative links mountain passions
by lynn Martel
The pursuit of climbing mountains,
says Zac Robinson, Alpine Club
of Canada VP Activities and
active volunteer trip leader, is steeped in a
rich and varied connection to the physical
sciences as well as to the creative arts and
some of the finest adventure writing ever
produced.
“A lot of the early climbers were
scientists, artists, writers, poets too,”
Robinson said. “There is much about the
mountaineering activity that is rooted
in that aesthetic of romanticism and
literature.”
As the son of respected Manitoulin
Island native artist Michael Robinson—a
Métis whose aboriginal themed works are
treasured in collections at the Canadian
Museum of Civilization and the Royal
Ontario Museum—Robinson is also
keenly interested in the roles aboriginal
peoples played in shaping Canada’s
mountain history. For example, the
eastern‑based Iroquois’ sophisticated
understanding of Canada’s mountain
landscapes made them indispensable to
the fur company explorers who would
ultimately be credited for “discovering”
many high alpine passes in the Rockies.
It’s just such historical interests, com‑
bined with his role as assistant professor
in the University of Alberta’s faculty of
physical education and recreation, that led
Robinson to join 24 other U of A faculty
members in developing an initiative that
celebrates their wide‑ranging mountain‑
related passions and fields of study.
The recently launched Canadian
Mountain Studies Initiative (CMSI)
24 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
From left, physical education and recreation dean Kerry Mummery, associate dean of research, John
Spence and alpine historian Zac Robinson enjoy a moment of higher education on the summit of Mount
Athabasca. photo by Zac robinson.
brings together educators from four of
the university’s faculties—agriculture, life
and environmental sciences; arts; physical
education and recreation; and science—
with the ultimate hope of establishing the
U of A as a internationally recognized
centre for mountain studies.
The key, explained English and film
studies professor, Stephen Slemon, a part‑
time Rockies resident and “recreational
mountain guy”, is to create cross‑faculty
learning experiences for educators and
students that also incorporate the general
mountain community.
“There are lots of centres that look
at mountain studies, but nobody has put
together collective studies of mountains,
a mountain centre dedicated to mountain
activities in relation to one another, in
combination with student training and
U of A students
delight in the
splendid sight of
Mount Robson
near the end of
the 173-kilometre
North Boundary
Trail backpacking
trip. photo by Zac
robinson.
community inclusiveness,” Slemon said.
“The University of Alberta’s established
capacity to work in Northern studies is
something that applies easily to moun‑
tains and mountain culture and mountain
activities.”
The idea for the initiative—which the
group hopes to evolve into a formal insti‑
tute—sparked in 2009, when the mem‑
bers realized that the university already
had within its ranks a substantial number
of faculty members from different fields
who shared expertise and interest in vari‑
ous mountain related studies.
“The glacier water guy was desperate
to know about the human history of the
mountains,” Slemon said. “Everybody was
fine in singularity with what they were
already doing, but we all find it so cool to
see what the other guy is doing.”
The subsequent Summit Series lec‑
tures, which ran through the 2009/10
school semesters, featured three present‑
ers from different study backgrounds at
each of four events.
“We lined up one physical scientist
with a physical education faculty mem‑
ber with a mountain literature expert,”
Slemon said. “The result was a love‑in.
People came from the community and
got really excited. This just came alive.”
Thus far, Robinson pointed out, the
CMSI is an informal collective that
is open and committed to collabora‑
tion with other individuals, groups and
institutions. At the community level,
Banff ’s Whyte Museum, the Eleanor

Luxton Foundation, Parks Canada,
the Banff Centre and the ACC are
among a dozen committed partners of
the CMSI. The recent website launch
(www.mountains.ualberta.ca) immedi‑
ately generated response from across
Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
For biologist David Hik, who par‑
ticipated in the Banff Centre‑hosted
International Year of Mountains confer‑
ence in 2002, the CMSI is a natural evo‑
lution that could have not only regional,
but national value.
“Ever since IYM I’ve thought we
need to have a focal point in mountain
studies,” Hik said. “Mountains studies
are generally neglected in Canada. “There
was an IYM for a reason; the United
Nations didn’t just do it for fun. There
was consensus around the world that
mountain issues needed to be addressed,
but what progress has been made? Are
we close to finding better ways, to finding
solutions?”
Canadian mountain researchers are
proportionally small compared to other
mountains nations, with most science
happening in the valley bottom where
the people are concentrated, while very
little is conducted in the higher mountain
regions where freshwater originates.
“That’s unfortunate, given the great
significance of how mountain glaciers
support agriculture, communities and
cities downstream,” Hik said. “We just
haven’t placed much emphasis on moun‑
tain studies.”
The CMSI, Hik hopes, will strengthen
the existing network of people in Canada
who are already focussed on mountain
studies by combining their knowledge.
Toward that end, the CMSI is organising
the Thinking Mountains 2012 conference
to take place at the Edmonton campus in
December.
“We’re really excited to collaborate
with anybody,” Robinson said. “That’s a
big part of what we want to do, get this
interdisciplinary conversation going. And
there are big issues that connect us all—
climate change, adaptation, indigenous
agencies.”
Within the U of A, many such con‑
nections are already established. For 17
years Hik has been taking students to
the Yukon’s St. Elias Mountains to study
Reservations stRongly recommended...
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200, 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore | 1-866-678-4164
kitchen@yamnuska.com
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plant‑herbivore‑climate interactions in
alpine and tundra ecosystems. As part
of the physical education and recrea‑
tion program, Robinson has organized
extended backpacking trips throughout
Banff and Jasper national parks, and also
general mountaineering courses on the
Wapta Icefield under the instruction
of Association of Canadian Mountain
Guides professional guides. He’s also col‑
laborated with Parks Canada staff, parks
historians and managers and archivists.
“Students have come from various
disciplines across the campus, each bring‑
ing their own unique perspective to learn‑
ing process,” Robinson said. “It’s this type
of interdisciplinary, hands‑on, engaged
learning experience that we’re seeking to
Summer custodians
At Yamnuska, we know that
food is a critical part of any
trip to the backcountry.
That’s why we now offer
the same delicious and well
balanced food served on our
programs.
Why buy mass-produced
freeze dried meals when
you can have a tasty custom
built menu prepared by our
resident Chef?
• Full meal packages or
dehydrated dinners.
• Packaged and prepared in
our commercial kitchen.
• Experience developing
nutritious and light weight
meals.
• We can ship anywhere in
Canada, or you can pick
your order up at our office
in Canmore, Alberta.
• We cater to individuals,
groups and expeditions.
Contact us for more details
and let us focus on the food
while you focus on your trip.
formalize. We’re looking at taking that
model and tweaking it into a full‑borne
certificate.”
Through the CMSI, such in‑the‑field
learning opportunities would be opened
up to students from various faculties inter‑
ested in pursuing a certificate program—a
small area of specialization embedded
within a larger degree program.
“We think we’re witnessing the birth
of a discipline, and one that is too long in
coming into being,” Slemon said. “We are
really excited.”
Stephen Slemon is an ACC Rocky
Mountain Section member; David Hik
belongs to the ACC Edmonton Section.
Reprinted with permission from the
Rocky Mountain Outlook.
We are currently seeking volunteer custodians for many of our
backcountry huts throughout the spring and summer seasons. If you’re
a passionate outdoor enthusiast and would like to discuss custodianship
opportunities, please contact the National Office at (403) 678‑3200 ext. 1 or at
custodian@alpineclubofcanada.ca
Volunteer custodians receive complimentary accommodation at the hut during the
custodianship.
Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 25

Bolivia climbs – high and beautiful
story and photos by gordon hopper
After a somewhat unsuccessful
visit to the Chilean Puna in
January 2011, where we experi‑
enced a weather phenomenon known as
the Bolivian Invierno (Bolivian winter),
my wife Elizabeth and I decided to visit
Bolivia at the beginning of their dry
season—their winter—in May.
Bolivia is a landlocked country in
equatorial South America bordered
by Chile, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay and
Argentina. Its geography varies from
4,200‑metre altiplano with mountains up
to 6,550 metres in the west, to savannah
and tropical rain forest in the east. The
mountain ranges are divided into four
groups or Cordilleras; the Apolobamba in
the north, the Real (largest), the Quimza
Cruz, and to the west, the Occidental
which extends along the border to
where Bolivia, Chile and Argentina
intersect. We limited our climbing to the
Cordilleras Real and Occidental.
Flying to La Paz from Miami at
5 a.m. we enjoyed tantalising views of
the Apolobamba and Real Mountains in
moonlight from the plane. La Paz, the
world’s highest capital city, is built on a
steep slope at the head of a deep valley
between 3,300 and 4,000 metres. It has
spread onto the surrounding altiplano to
form the city of El Alto, each conurbation
being about one million in population.
We spent three days acclimatising
in Copacabana, on the shores of Lake
Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the
world, and in La Paz arranging transpor‑
tation and guiding assistance. Although
one could climb these mountains
High camp from which the climbers reached the 6,330-metre summit of Parinacota, was located just
below the col between the twin volcanoes of Parinacota and Pomerape.
unaided, it would be more difficult, time‑
consuming and less safe as there are no
rescue services. There are also few easy
mountains in Bolivia.
Our first ascent was 6,088‑metre
Huyana Potosi in the Sierra Real, a two‑
hour drive from La Paz. After hiking to
a refugio we promptly ran into stomach
problems, so spent an extra 24 hours there
to allow the Cipro and Imodium
time to work. We set off around 2 a.m.,
but three hours later turned around half‑
way to the summit due to weakness and
stomach pains.
We rested a day in La Paz then drove
for three hours to the village of Sajama
to climb 6,330‑metre Parinacota, one of
the Payachatas, twin volcanoes on the
Chilean border. An hour‑long 4WD trip
brought us to basecamp, from where
we walked two hours to a high camp
just below the col between Parinacota
The north half of
Illimani’s summit
ridge, at 6,439
metres, the
highest peak in
Bolivia’s Cordillera
Real, is bathed in
the golden glow
of sunrise.
and Pomerape. Departing at 2 a.m., first
on lava ash and rocks, then on frozen
40‑degree snow, we neared the summit
as dawn broke over adjacent 6,549‑metre
Sajama, Bolivia’s highest mountain and
the Andes’ 15th highest. From the top
we looked down into the 100‑metre
deep volcanic crater and viewed nearby
6,000‑metre peaks, including the smok‑
ing Guallatiri, one of the world’s highest
active volcanoes, and other 5,500‑ to
6,000‑metre volcanoes stretching for 100
kilometres to the south.
Our next objective was Illimani,
which towers over La Paz. The highest of
its several summits is 6,439‑metre Pico
Sur. A two‑hour drive from La Paz along
dirt roads clinging to the sides of deep,
steep‑sided valleys brought us to the vil‑
lage of Pinaya. From there horses carried
our equipment to camp 1, a very peaceful
spot called Puente Roto, near a 4,400‑
metre pass. From there we climbed steep
moraines then a rocky ridge to Nido de
Condores (condor’s nest) at 5,450 metres,
from where we viewed the extensive
glaciers and hanging seracs of the moun‑
tain’s west side. Starting at 2 a.m. we
ascended a ridge, quite narrow and steep
at times, reaching the crux, a 25‑metre‑
long 50‑ to 60‑degree frozen snow slope.
It was quite a slog in the dark at this
altitude but eventually the angle eased
off for the last 200 metres, reaching the
summit ridge just as the sun rose over the
Amazon basin. With no wind visibility
was excellent, displaying a panorama of
the Cordillera Real, Sajama, Payachatas
and Quimza Cruz.

Somehow it always feels like the first time.
Photography: Gabe Rogel | Location: Jackson Hole | Athlete: Alex Gilbert
As we belayed each other down the
steep face, unbeknown to us at the time,
an Austrian climber who had been to
the summit with us slipped, sustaining
bilateral leg fractures when a crevasse
stopped her. This was also the site of
Bolivia’s worst ever climbing accident in
1989 when six Chileans fell to their deaths.
Back at Nido de Condores, our guides
promptly returned up the mountain along
with three American extreme skiers who’d
been camped near us to retrieve her. From
Nido de Condores local villagers used a
short ladder as a stretcher to transport her
to the road end at Pinaya where a 4WD
ambulance took her to La Paz. With no
Bolivian rescue facilities, had it not been
for our guides and the American skiers,
she would have died of hypothermia in the
crevasse. On our descent, we were rejoined
by our guides, one a native of Pinaya
whose family had prepared a meal of sheep
cooked in a pit of hot rocks along with
locally grown potatoes and oca.
After another rest day in La Paz,
we returned to Sajama village to climb
6,549‑metre Sajama, a very large strato‑
volcano which looked steep and difficult
from all angles. Since we were well
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acclimatised, we hiked from the village
at 4,200 metres to high camp at 5,700
metres in one day, passing through the
world’s highest forest of kenua trees. At
our high camp perched on snow above a
large rock outcrop, a condor circled us a
few times before disappearing round the
mountain. The whole mountain consists
of unstable lava rocks with some large
cliffs and a 100‑metre thick ice cap. In
the middle of the night we started up a
40‑degree slope of frozen snow which
soon became 50 to 60 degrees with a
few short knife‑edged ridges. We then
followed a long 45‑ to 50‑degree slog for
300 metres to the summit dome with
a few narrow crevasse crossings. The
Bolivian Mountaineering Association
once hosted a soccer match on the
summit but it quickly ended when the
ball disappeared down the mountain.
The summit was very cold with a brisk
breeze and clouds blocking any potential
warmth from the sun. After snapping
summit photos with frozen hands we
began rappelling and downclimbing
the steep slope back to high camp.
Hiking five hours back to the village, we
indulged in a prolonged soak in a large
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natural hot spring pool and a delicious
barbecued llama dinner.
We spent our last two days purchas‑
ing colourful Bolivian cloths, sweaters,
sheepskin rugs, scarves and wool blankets
at bargain prices, and cycling down the
thrilling Death Road from 4,700 metres
to 1,200 metres on Cordillera Real’s
east side. As per its name, we passed
numerous crosses commemorating the
300 people who died annually driving
the narrow track with vertical drop offs
of several hundred metres. It is now
bypassed by a completely new two‑lane
highway ascending an adjacent valley.
We wanted to return to Huyana
Potosi but time ran out. We very much
look forward to visiting this beautiful
country again.
The ACC Mountain Adventures
program offers rare chances for mem‑
bers to visit international alpine destin‑
ations with Canadian mountain guides.
Plans are in the works for an exciting
climbing trip to Bolivia in June 2013...
those interested should contact Chelsea
adventures@alpineclubofcanada.ca
Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 27

ACC fund aids in conservation efforts
Volunteers from the Nature Conservancy of Canada spend a day along the southern Alberta Crowsnest
River battling blueweed and mullein, two problematic invasive species threatening the area.
photo: nature conservancy oF canada.
by kailey setter
It is 11 a.m. on a mid‑July day, and a
heavy rain is falling in the Crowsnest
Pass. But you know what they say, “If
you don’t like the weather in Alberta, just
wait five minutes.”
At 11:05, the sun is shining from a clear
blue sky. Since arriving in the Pass about
two hours earlier, our group has already
experienced almost every kind of weather
imaginable, but no one seems to mind. We
have been hiking along a scenic stretch
of the Crowsnest River all morning on a
mission to combat invasive species.
This stretch of the Crowsnest
River was conserved by the Nature
Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in 2000.
For the past 50 years, the NCC has
been working collaboratively with local
organisations and landowners to protect
and restore environmentally significant
habitat all across the country. Since 1962,
the NCC has conserved more than 2.5
million acres of land across Canada with
more than 2,000 of those acres located
in the Crowsnest Pass. Conserving lands
rich in biodiversity is a challenging task
which requires an ongoing dedication to
stewardship. The NCC is dedicated to the
long‑term management of the proper‑
ties it secures, and relies on community
volunteers to assist with on‑the‑ground
28 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
habitat restoration projects, such as the
one our group is tackling today.
On this day, our modest group of
11 has joined together to seek out and
remove two of the most problematic
invasive species in the area; blueweed
and common mullein. Invasive species,
which are one of the greatest threats to
biodiversity in the world today, are par‑
ticularly prolific in the Crowsnest Pass
owing to the local geography and prevail‑
ing wind patterns which facilitate seed
dispersal. A single blueweed plant can
produce up to 2,800 seeds, while a single
common mullein plant can produce more
than 100,000. Every plant we can prevent
from going to seed today will bring us
another step closer to halting the advance
of these invasives into native habitat.
So far today, our group has removed
hundreds of blueweed and common
mullein plants from a 2‑kilometre stretch
of the Crowsnest River where chemical
control is restricted. Thanks in part to
a grant received through the Alpine
Club of Canada’s Environment Fund,
we have joined forces with other local
organisations and community members
to spread out over a larger area and halt
the spread of invasive species on multiple
fronts. When this day draws to a close,
we will join together to share a hot meal
and swap stories of our small victories.
Until then, our group will continue its
trek along the hillsides and banks of the
Crowsnest River in search of invasive
species, heartily enjoying the sunshine
that, for the time being, has finally
decided to shine down upon us.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada
is a non-profit, non-advocacy organisation
that takes a business-like approach to
land conservation and the preservation
of Canada’s biodiversity. Through strong
partnerships and the stewardship efforts
of our Conservation Volunteers, NCC
works to safeguard our natural areas
so that our children and grandchildren
will have the chance to enjoy them. To
learn more about the NCC and how you
can take part in its conservation efforts,
visit www.natureconservancy.ca or
www.conservationvolunteers.ca
Kailey Setter is NCC Conservation
Volunteer Coordinator.
Dani Trudgeon tackles common mullein along the Crowsnest River, along with 10 other volunteers from
the Nature Conservancy of Canada. photo: nature conservancy oF canada.

Routefinding
by peter Muir
I
have commented a couple of times in
previous Routefinding columns about
the Alpine Club of Canada’s adop‑
tion of strategic plan. I am now happy
to report that the creation of this plan
continues to provide focus to Board and
staff efforts toward improving the Club. It
certainly has been keeping them all busy.
The plan has refocused board meetings
and drawn out aspects where sections and
members would like to see improvement.
Two of those areas, combined by the
modern age, are the need to improve our
computer/communication technology and
increase the availability of French services
to ensure that the Club is indeed Canada’s
national mountain organisation.
Over the next two years, ACC
members will see increasing access to
French and more (or new!) user‑friendly
technology for such things as hut reser‑
vations and membership management.
In fact, members who have recently
had the opportunity to visit the Club
website (many changes are noticeable at
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca), the site can
now be viewed in what my Francophone
friends assure me is a pretty reasonable
French interpretation of the origin‑
ally English text. Still some room for
improvement, but still, I think, a positive
move forward.
Information technology, or “IT”, is
a specialized area requiring specialized
skills. Past president Cam Roe and Prince
George Section Representative Will
Cadell recently reviewed the Club’s IT
program and concluded it needs tweaking
and improvement before most of the stra‑
tegic plan “wish list” can be implemented.
Over the next while, they and other
committee members, Kory Fawcett and
Jefferey Lockyer, will lend us their skills
and expertise in the area to improve the
Club. And that, after all, is the purpose
of a strategic plan. But also, this serves to
demonstrate that volunteer time, skill and
effort are the strength of the ACC.
So, on that not too far off day when
you can book that forgotten, and therefore
last‑minute, hut reservation from your
android, think kindly of these gentlemen,
and should you cross their paths, I’d sug‑
gest buying them a Moosehead.
Be safe and have fun out there.
Peter Muir, ACC President.
photo by thierry levenq
Recherche d’itinéraire
par peter Muir
Dans ma chronique « Recherche
d’itinéraire », je vous ai com‑
muniqué à quelques reprises
mes commentaires au sujet de l’adoption
du plan stratégique du Club alpin du
Canada. Je suis heureux de vous informer
que l’élaboration de ce plan continue
de fournir aux membres du Conseil
d’administration et à notre équipe un
point central autour duquel s’articulent
leurs efforts visant à améliorer le Club. Le
moins que l’on puisse dire est que cela les
a tous gardés bien occupés!
Ce plan a permis de recentrer les objec‑
tifs lors les réunions du conseil, en plus
d’identifier divers aspects que les membres
et sections aimeraient voir s’améliorer. En
cette ère technologique, nous devons amé‑
liorer nos technologies de l’information et
nos communications, et fournir un meil‑
leur accès à des services en français pour
que le CAC soit véritablement le club
national d’alpinisme du Canada.
Au cours des deux prochaines années,
les membres du CAC auront de plus en
plus souvent accès à des communica‑
tions en français et ils pourront utiliser
des technologies plus conviviales (ou
nouvelles !) pour réserver les refuges
ou gérer leur abonnement. Si vous avez
récemment visité notre site web, vous
avez pu y trouver une traduction fran‑
çaise qui, selon mes amis francophones,
rend très bien le sens original du texte
anglais (voir ces changements sur notre
site : www.clubalpinducanada.ca) Il y
a toujours place à l’amélioration, mais
selon moi, c’est un pas dans la bonne
direction.
Les technologies de l’information (ou
TI) sont une spécialité qui exige des con‑
naissances spécialisées. L’ancien président
du Club, Cam Roe, et le représentant de
la Section Prince George, Will Cadell,
ont récemment examiné le programme de
TI du Club et identifié les améliorations
à apporter pour mettre en oeuvre la « liste
de souhaits » du plan stratégique. En
compagnie de Kory Fawcet et Jeffery
Lockyer, qui font aussi partie du comité,
ils nous feront profiter de leur expertise
en ce domaine afin d’améliorer le Club.
Cela correspond parfaitement à l’objectif
du plan stratégique et montre bien que
le temps, le talent, et les efforts fournis
par nos bénévoles constituent la véritable
force du CAC.
Alors, dans un avenir rapproché,
lorsque vous utiliserez votre téléphone
intelligent pour effectuer cette réserva‑
tion de refuge que vous aviez oubliée, ayez
une bonne pensée pour eux. Et si vous
croisez leur chemin, pourquoi ne pas leur
offrir une Moosehead ?
Soyez prudents et amusez‑vous bien
en pleine nature !
Le président du Club alpin du Canada,
Peter Muir.
Merci de recycler cette
revue ou encore mieux,
passez la à un ami!
2012 TNF-ACC Summer Leadership Course
Hundreds of amateur leaders volunteer their time at both
the Section and National levels to ensure that other ACC
members have a safe and enjoyable time in the mountains.
The ACC is committed to the development and training of
these trip leaders and camp managers. Every season ACC
Sections across the country send 10 future volunteer leaders to
The North Face – Alpine Club of Canada Leadership Course.
Dates: July 28 – August 4, 2012
Location: GMC–Sir Sandford area
Application Deadline: May 15, 2012
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/adventures/
Club alpin du Canada � Gazette � printemps 2012 29

photos by todd davis, bori shushan and kevin giles.
Open air: having fun is serious business
by laWrence White
While in our mid‑20s my partner,
Corina, and I decided it would
be romantic to drive down to
Big Sur on the California Coast for New
Year’s. Well, to be fair, I thought it would
be romantic and I convinced Corina of
my romantic vision. Having read the Jack
Kerouac book of the same name, along
with other beatnik authors, the draw of
the wild southern California coast seemed,
I don’t know, hip. So we packed up the
Volkswagen Jetta, left the dog with the
parents in Vancouver and started off. I’d
made one hotel booking; Lucia Lodge for
three nights, 22 miles south of Big Sur. We
had 12 days in total to get from Canmore
to Vancouver, to Lucia, and back. But it
looked straightforward enough. We’d just
skip on down to California and hug high‑
way 101 all the way south, in winter. How
hard could it be?
The trip was a complete disaster. Big
Sur is FAR! Miles are not kilometres.
And highway 101 is like that treacher‑
ous B.C. section of the Trans Canada
from Rogers Pass to Revelstoke, but for
600 kilometres. The rain was torrential
and rockfall plenty. A huge portion of
the road was closed—south of our final
destination, thank goodness—due to a
landslide (for more than a week, it would
turn out). We saw several snowplows
en route too, which were necessary to
remove the Smart Car‑sized boulders off
the “highway”.
Of course, I could have researched all
of the distances and weather patterns and
driving conditions and perils in general,
but is that what Jack would have done?
Did Jack do endless amounts of research
Watch for the ACC ski week lotteries
and mark the dates on your calendar:
Fairy Meadow lottery
runs April 1-30, 2012
Kokanee Glacier Cabin lottery
runs April 15 thru May 15, 2012
Details will be provided in upcoming NewsNets and on our website: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca
30 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � spring 2012
Lawrence White enjoys some serious fun in
Kokanee Glacier Prov. Park. photo by Félix caMiré.
for his many adventures documented in
On the Road? Did Jack, Corina pragmat‑
ically remarked, only have 12 days?
When I want to go skiing or climb‑
ing, and certainly now, on holiday with
Corina, I take the time to research and
plan the trip. Doing so certainly makes
the end result, the doing of the activity, if
you will, far more safe and enjoyable (and
keeps my relationship intact).
So it goes with the Alpine Club of
Canada. There is an enormous amount
of effort that goes on both at the local
and National levels to make sure the end
result—the fun—happens as seamlessly,
yet seemingly organically, as possible.
There are people behind the scenes work‑
ing for free on behalf of all of us to ensure
the ACC has things such as insurance,
access, licenses, partnerships, outreach,
funding, socials, equipment, research
material, instruction and much much
more. Our volunteers toil away, often deal‑
ing with huge bureaucracies and mounds
of paperwork, to little or no acclaim, all
because they recognize the need to plan
and prepare towards a better end result; a
more enjoyable activity or event.
They too enjoy having fun. But having
fun is serious business.
Lawrence White is Executive Director of
the ACC.
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360‑570‑0715
NOTICES
UpComing meetings
Executive Committee meeting:
�● April 14 ‑ 15, 2012 in Canmore, AB
Board of Directors meeting:
�● May 26 ‑ 27, 2012 in Canmore, AB
Annual General Meeting:
�● May 26, 2012 in Canmore, AB
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