Le projet 100 ans de leadership et d`aventures en montagne
Transcription
Le projet 100 ans de leadership et d`aventures en montagne
Vol. 21, No. 2 ● Summer 2006 Le projet 100 ans de leadership et d’aventures en montagne page 5 Actor recreates mother of Canadian mountaineering page 14 The Alpine Club of Canada What’s Inside... Editorial Facilities 4 Short Rope Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009034 Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: The Alpine Club of Canada Box 8040, Canmore, AB Canada T1W 2T8 Phone: (403) 678-3200 Fax: (403) 678-3224 info@AlpineClubofCanada.ca www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca Cam Roe, President Peter Muir, Secretary Gord Currie, Treasurer Roger Laurilla VP Activities Isabelle Daigneault, VP Access & Environment Carl Hannigan, VP Facilities Bob Sandford, VP Mountain Culture David Zemrau, VP Services Mike Mortimer, Director, External Relations David Toole, Director, Planning & Development Glen Boles, Honorary President Bruce Keith, Executive Director Submissions to the Gazette are welcome! The deadline for the Fall issue of the Gazette is August 10. If possible, please save your submission in digital format and e-mail it to Gazette@AlpineClubofCanada.ca Otherwise, feel free to type or handwrite it, making sure it’s double spaced and legible and mail it to the address above. Please be sure to include complete contact information with your submission. Lynn Martel, Gazette Editor Richard Berry, Photo Editor Suzan Chamney, Layout & Production Advertising rate sheet available upon request. Please direct all advertising inquiries to Bruce Keith, National Office (403) 678-3202 or by e-mail to: bkeith@AlpineClubofCanada.ca Mountaineering / Climbing 6 Bear spray – beware! 16 North Face course brought snow, taught lessons 17 Eastern climbers discover ‘flow’ Mountain Culture 5 Le projet 100 ans de leadership et d’aventures en montagne 5 Summit flag photo contest 9 When men/women and mountains meet 10 Mountain heights above sea level 12 Alpine Club of Canada launches Centennial in birthplace – Winnipeg 13 July Centennial events 14 Actor recreates mother of Canadian mountaineering 20 Rockies legend recorded in Japanese school texts Front cover: 15 23 23 24 Membership Committee struck National Office news ACC Life Membership Policy Centennial Fund Campaign Awards / Notices / Classified Ads 4 16 20 22 22 2006 grant funded projects Karl Nagy Scholarship recipient Heritage Club milestones National Volunteer Awards David Toole receives A.O. Wheeler Award 22 Classified Ads / Notices Inset: Outaouais Section members Réjean Frigon and Gildas Tremblay summit Réserve El Potrero Chico, Mexico; photo – self timer. Laurie Schwartz portrays Elizabeth Parker during the celebrations in Winnipeg; photo by Darcy Finley. Associate Members The Alpine Club of Canada thanks the following for their support, and encourages you to consider them and the advertisers in this newsletter the next time you purchase goods or services of the type they offer. Corporate Sponsors MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP Corporate Members Printed on recycled paper National News What’s Outside... Corporate Supporters Advantage Travelworld (Canmore, AB) Arc’teryx Black Diamond Equipment Dunham Forty Below G3 Genuine Guide Gear GearUp Sport (Canmore, AB) Helly Hansen 6 The “Habby” Hut 8 Parks Canada investigating graffiti damage to Elizabeth Parker Hut 18 Retiring manager built huts and memories 23 Volunteer needed IBEX Outdoor Clothing Integral Designs Mammut Ortovox Canada Outdoor Research Patagonia Petzl Yamnuska (Canmore, AB) The Alpine Club of Canada is proud to be associated with the following organizations that share our goals and objectives: Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) Ecole Nationale d’Escalade du Québec Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Columbia (FMCBC) Fédération québécoise de la montagne et de l’escalade Mountain Culture at the Banff Centre Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies (Banff, AB) Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 3 2006 grant funded projects T he Alpine Club of Canada is pleased to award over $6000 in grants this year to a number of worthy mountain related projects. Jen Higgins Memorial Fund Lynn doing research at Conrad Kain Hut Short Rope BY LYNN MARTEL T hey say that history repeats itself. In March, history did just that – or rather, history wrote a new chapter on a story that is now a century old, as dozens of Alpine Club of Canada members traveled from across the country to Canada’s geographic centre – and the Club’s birthplace – Winnipeg. Although most traveled by airplane, and not by rail as the Club’s founders did, Winnipeg served well as the perfect location for the momentous gathering. Greeted at the airport, billeted in members’ homes and generally very well taken care of, some of those ACCers learned on a guided tour (thoughtfully arranged by Club volunteers), how Winnipeg has served as a meeting place for thousands of years – archaeological evidence shows that native peoples have been gathering at the Forks Market for 6000 years. Winnipeg is where the Assiniboine and Red Rivers meet. Winnipeg is where both the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railroads established thriving hubs a century ago, in an era when that city was considered the summit of civilization in the Canadian West. Winnipeg is, now as it was then, a meeting place of Canada’s core cultures – First Nations, English, French and Métis, and fittingly, home of the ACC’s first French language section, SaintBoniface. As with the 1906 meetings, the 2006 Spring Board Meeting and Centennial Gala at the Fort Garry Hotel were made possible by the dedication and efforts of Club members volunteering their time and energy. Volunteering. Teamwork. Two core values that have guided the ACC for the past century. Dedication, teamwork and vision on behalf of our 4 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 Student Outdoor Club members Krystil Koethler and Ellen Morgan were awarded $1500 for their One Outstanding Out-trip project – a threeweek self-propelled expedition, doorto-door from their Vancouver homes. They will paddle for seven days from Kitsilano Beach to Narrows Inlet, hike up a logging road to ascend Tzoonie Mountain and Mount Jimmy Jimmy, cross the glacier to the col between Ossa and Pelion Mountains, then hike out Ashlu Creek and cycle back to Vancouver. Karl Nagy Award Bonnie Hamilton of Canmore, Alberta was selected as the Karl Nagy Scholarship recipient for 2006. An avid backcountry skier, rock climber, mountaineer and dedicated Rocky Mountain Section volunteer trip leader, Bonnie was selected for her proven leadership skills, her future aspirations as an ACC amateur leader and her genuine joy of being in the mountains. She will attend a week of this year’s Premier Range General Mountaineering Camp (a $1295 value), working alongside full mountain guides and amateur leaders. founders are what made the Club a reality in 1906, and indeed, allowed the Club to survive and thrive to reach its centenary. Dedicated teamwork and vision made the Club’s first mountaineering camp happen in 1906, as it has with every camp since. It took the teamwork and vision of a great many people to compile the ACC’s magnificent history in the last issue of the Gazette – not unlike the teamwork and perseverance required by mountaineers in the quest of a summit. All I need to know about life I learned from mountaineering. After a century, the ACC is as it was at the start – as great as the sum of all its parts, much greater than the contributions of any individual, each of whom brings to the Club his or her own best talents. Environment Fund The Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) project was awarded $500 to help establish two sites to study plant composition and structure along different gradients, historical climate data and predictions on how climate change will affect alpine areas of south western British Columbia. The Climbers’ Access Society of Alberta was awarded $817 to help fund a study into the impact on bull trout by recreationalists in Alberta’s Ghost River Valley. The Alpine Club of Canada’s Trails Committee was awarded $1500 to repair and minimize future damage to the Abbot Pass and Fairy Meadow trails. Jim Colpitts Memorial Scholarship Nadine Chalmers, a Student Outdoor Club member from Montréal, will use the $500 award to take a Wilderness First Responder course to help her pursue her goal of becoming an outdoor adventure leader. The annual deadline for grant applications is January 31. For further information and application forms visit www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca/funds The Club turning 100 is a little like a person turning 40 – time to take stock of what you’ve accomplished so far, time to give serious thought to where you’d like to go next and what you hope to leave for those who will follow long after you’re gone. And like life at 40 – or 100 – there are always challenges. Fluctuating membership. Diminishing glaciers. Uncertain access. Soaring insurance rates. The ACC has a proud tradition of stewardship of Canada’s mountains, and dedicated and passionate volunteers eager and capable of stepping up and making a difference. “We stand on the shoulders of giants when we think of the history of this club,” said one guest at the Centennial Gala dinner. Let’s make history repeat itself. Le projet 100 ans de leadership et d’aventures en montagne BY DENIS VILLENEUVE P our souligner le centième anniversaire du Club Alpin du Canada en 2006, la section Outaouais organise un grand blitz de photos sur lesquelles nous verrons les membres de partout au pays au sommet d’une montagne avec la banderole du centenaire. Tout ça dans le but final de créer une grande mosaïque, avec laquelle nous ferons une affiche qui servira à faire la promotion du Club. L’objectif est surtout de motiver nos membres à diversifier leurs sorties et à atteindre de nouveaux sommets. Que ce sommet soit atteint à pied, en vélo, en raquette ou à ski... cela n’a pas d’importance. Peu importe la taille de la montagne, ce qui compte le plus, c’est d’arborer un beau sourire tout en brandissant la banderole !!! Vous pouvez télécharger et imprimer la banderole en format PDF (www.go.cac-outaouais.org et clicker sur le bouton ‘100 ans de leadership et d’aventures en montagne’ dans le supérieur droit). La banderole est disponible en deux formats soient: 8.5" x 11"et 11" x 36". Veuillez soumettre vos photos à l’adresse suivante: centenaire@cac-outouais.org avec un court texte indiquant le nom de la montagne, la voie ou le sentier utilisé et les personnes que l’on retrouve sur la photo. Outaouais Section members, Mélanie Lalande and Frédéric Lavoie, on top of Aconcagua (6992 m) in Argentina PHOTO BY PATRICK VOYER Summit flag photo contest T o help Alpine Club of Canada members from across the country celebrate the Club’s Centennial, the Outaouais Section has initiated a challenge for members from every corner of the country to capture a photo of themselves on the summit of any mountain holding the official Centennial Banner. The height, technical difficulty or location of the peak aren’t nearly as important as the smile on your face showing how much you are enjoying the experience of being there. You can reach that summit by foot, by bike, by skis or snowshoes. The winning photos will be compiled into a poster and/or calendar to be distributed to sports stores. All sections have been supplied with Centennial Banners so that everyone can participate. Contact your Section representative for your banner or download a PDF version for printing at: www.go.cac-outaouais.org (click on the ‘100 ans de leadership et d’aventures en montagne’ button located in the upper right corner). Send your Centennial summit photo to centenaire@cac-outaouais.org Be sure to include the photographer’s full name and a brief description identifying the people and mountain in the photo, as well as the route taken to reach the summit. For more information e-mail: president@cac-outaouais.org Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 5 The “Habby” Hut BY SUE OAKEY-BAKER T he sun’s brightness woke me at 5:15 a.m. and I stiffly moved my hands and feet in my sleeping bag. Crouching down to get out of the tent, my back ached and my hip was screaming. For three days, Joe, Peter and I had worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to get the walls up and bolted into place. From the living room windows, Mounts Serratus and Sedgewick, and Sechelt Inlet are beautifully framed. From both of the bedrooms (the hut will sleep 14), you gaze at Mount Alpha, Black Tusk, Daisy Lake and the Squamish Valley. I pivoted 360 degrees and the strength of the Tantalus Range left me numb. I thought of the last time I was here…with Jim. I remember good weather, short-roping on Alpha and laughing. The duality of nature is sharp here. Beautiful mountains open your heart and provide food for the soul and at the same time PHOTO BY BLAIR MITTEN offer a reminder Kev Haberl and Sue Oakey-Baker of the frailty of in April 1999. He was 41. life; joy and pain side by side. It is a good Jim began climbing at 16, traveling place for Jim’s hut. to every continent and completing seven Raised in Vancouver, Jim Haberl was North American first ascents, plus classic a professional mountain guide, freelance routes from Alaska to Africa. photojournalist, national best-selling In 1993, Jim and Dan Culver made author, motivational speaker and a loving the first Canadian ascent of K2, via the husband, son, brother and friend. He died Abruzzi Spur. Dan was killed on the in an avalanche while climbing in Alaska continued on the next page Bear spray – beware! BY LORRAINE GURNEY M any hikers carry bear spray when hiking in the wilderness. I know I do. But how many have actually read all of the precautions and first aid instructions before setting out? I know I didn’t. I can tell you for a fact that it is very difficult to read the label when you are in a slight panic with repellant fluid on your hands and on your boyfriend’s mouth and the liquid is starting to burn. On the two cans of bear repellant that we have, the instructions are written in a size two font. This size of print is impossible to read without a high-powered magnifying glass at the very least. Now this whole accident, which from this point on I will refer to as the “AD” (accidental discharge), occurred after a leisurely hike down from Kiwentinok Pass in Yoho National Park in September 2005. The Stanley Mitchell Hut was in plain view. The prospect of doffing my hiking boots and settling down to a nice cup of hot chocolate was all that was on my mind. My bootlace was undone. For fear of tripping on the loose lace, I stooped over to do it up and I heard a “shhhhhh”. I did not realize that this sound was 6 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 the AD occurring. Only when I looked at my pants did I notice a funny liquid on my right hip. Of course, I got some on my hand. I realized what it was and wanted immediately to get it off of me. The stream was too far away, so I asked my partner to use the water from his Platypus® to rinse off my hands. The pinch method on the mouthpiece was not working as it was nearly empty, so he had to suck and spit from the mouthpiece. He also helped me rinse it off my hands with his hands. Now it was on his hands and eventually the mouthpiece of the Platypus®. Eventually it ended up on his lips. We raced to the stream and my partner got it off of his lips. I, in my wisdom, rubbed the fluid off my hands with some stones (not a good idea, I discovered later). Eventually I had to wash my hiking pants, fleece jacket, gloves and shirt. The next day it rained as we hiked from the hut, and at Laughing Falls I was not laughing when I touched my wet gloves (which I thought were clean) to my nose. Bear spray doesn’t come out easily and the moisture from the rain transferred it to my nose and we started all over again. Trust me. Before going on your next hike, read the directions, precautions and first aid for the bear spray that you are carrying. It also would be a good idea to keep it on you where it is least likely to cause an AD, yet easily accessible in case you need it. Here are the (tiny) instructions for first aid on my can of bear spray: In case of external contact, remain calm and flush thoroughly with water. Do not rub. If contact with eyes, remove contact lenses and flush eyes with water. If swallowed do not induce vomiting, call Poison Control. If inhaled move to fresh air. Symptoms will disappear in an hour. If symptoms persist seek medical attention, bringing the product label with you. Later that evening back at the hut there were actually quite a few AD stories shared among the assembled group. One included someone who was cycling when the can discharged. Another occurred in the cab of her truck. Be careful with the stuff. It is nasty. And read the label before you need to. Happy trails! PDAJAS1 $QE@A>AH=U@ARE?A@KAOEP=HH >H=?G@E=IKJ@AMQELIAJP descent. Both were awarded Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General for their outstanding achievement. Grieving the loss of his friend, Jim gave an emotional slideshow to a packed house, and afterward was encouraged to write a book about this extraordinary experience. He formed Tantalus Publishing and published his first book, K2 Dreams and Reality. It was a national bestseller. Three years later he wrote another bestseller, Risking Adventure, about following the passion in your heart. Promoting his books, Jim gave over 100 slideshows across Canada, and became a successful motivational speaker – the highlight being sharing the stage with Rick Hansen and Ken Dryden. Jim’s photography and writing have appeared in books, magazines and newspapers across North America, including the Canadian Alpine Journal, earning the CAJ’s Award for Best Article in 1994 for Dan, K2. Jim became an internationally certified guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides in 1992, an ACMG examiner in 1994 and Canadian Avalanche Association instructor in 1995. By 1996, he was Director of the West Coast Section of the ACMG, working enthusiastically to support guides through such fundraisers as the Mountaineers’ Soirée. Through his company, North Star Adventures, Jim guided people throughout Western Canada and abroad, quietly sharing his joy of the mountains. In 1998, Jim and I led eight people from the Alzheimer’s Society to the top of Africa’s highest peak, Kilimanjaro. This climb became an annual fundraiser that has raised over $1 million. Jim and I met in 1982, were married in 1997 and built a home in Whistler that year. Jim was loved and supported by his parents Margaret and Bill, sister Susan and brothers Herb, Kevin, Patrick and Mike. After Jim died, his family and friends brainstormed ways of creating a lasting memorial. One idea was to build an alpine hut in the Serratus-Dione Col in the Tantalus Range. In spring 2001, the Alpine Club of Canada’s Liz Scremin contacted me to say they were thinking of replacing the Tantalus’ Red Tit Hut. In August 2001, the Jim Haberl Hut Committee, a partnership between Jim’s family, friends and the ACC Vancouver Section, was created. The ACC provided much needed motivation, skills and volunteer labour. Liz, Colin Boyd and Peter Taylor spent endless volunteer hours on the project along with Jim’s friends and family. Dave Lasser arranged helicopter lifts with Helifor. For two years, the committee worked on the design and fundraised over $80,000. Capt. Dale Thingvold of the 192nd Airfield Engineers at Seaforth Armouries and his crew agreed to preassemble the hut, disassemble it and fly it to the col. In spring 2005, the hut was lifted on-site. In July, the walls went up */(6*%&±4)"/%4 and as of August, the roof was on. Throughout the four-year process, so many hearts that were touched by Jim have put part of themselves into this hut. Jim was a highly accomplished, successful man by society’s standards. Yet the Jim who touched so many people was loved and admired not so much for what he did but more for how he did it. His legacy is how he opened his heart wide to the pain and the joy of life, serving as a safe place for many. To learn more or contribute, visit www.jimhaberlfund.org Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 7 Parks Canada investigating graffiti damage to Elizabeth Parker Hut BY LYNN MARTEL P arks Canada is assisting the Alpine Club of Canada by investigating some unsightly and profane graffiti carved into the 85-year-old logs of Elizabeth Parker Hut, and says it won’t hesitate to prosecute those responsible. Discovered in December 2005 by ACC members gathered for a volunteer appreciation weekend at the hut, the crude carvings scar the logs of the upper bunk level. Elizabeth Parker Hut is a recognized Federal Heritage Cultural Resource, placing it under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada. As such, said John Niddrie of Park Warden Protection Operations for Lake Louise, Kootenay and Yoho, anyone who defaces or damages the property is in violation of National Park regulations, which state, “No person shall wilfully damage or destroy any historic artefacts 8 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 or structures in the Park.” “Everybody hates seeing that kind of damage on these buildings. Parks and the ACC consider this serious enough to take violators to court,” Niddrie said. Parks investigators are following up on leads they hope might take them to one or more of the perpetrators, said Niddrie, adding he believed it was likely the work of youths in the company of their parents. The carvings include several different sets of initials, full names, dates and some profanities. “It’s probably young kids who left their mark, then others saw some carvings in the logs and decided to leave their own mark too,” Niddrie said. Niddrie said Parks would put up posters asking people to respect the value and help maintain the building as a Canadian heritage resource. “Once the posters are up identifying those concerns, if it continues we wouldn’t hesitate to prosecute anyone,” Niddrie said. If a young offender turned out to be the guilty party, Niddrie said circumstances would have to dictate how the violation would be handled. Constructed in 1920 by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, the log cabin was turned over to the ACC in 1931, whose staff and volunteer members have maintained and made small improvements to the building since. Named for ACC co-founder Elizabeth Parker, the act of scarring or defacing the building is akin to damaging a person’s grave or monument, said ACC Director of Facilities, Lawrence White. “It’s disappointing that people don’t recognize the cultural value of a building like the Elizabeth Parker Hut,” White said. “It’s often the first exposure people have to Parks and the ACC. It’s inexpensive and relatively easy to reach, so it’s a reasonably viable option for an overnight accommodation.” As well, White added that unlike most Canadian heritage buildings of its vintage, which have become museums, Elizabeth Parker Hut is still being used for its original purpose. “The fact you can do so is really special,” White said. “I’d hate for Parks to have to limit access because it’s being vandalized.” Club staff and volunteers plan to scrape the markings off the logs, and then re-stain them. Once the slate is clean, both White and Niddrie said they hoped through education the destructive activity would be stopped. “Hopefully we can get it all cleaned up and start afresh,” Niddrie said. Anyone with any information about the graffiti is asked to please contact the National Office at (403) 678-3200. Reprinted with permission from the Rocky Mountain Outlook. A volunteer’s commitment to the Alpine Club of Canada The Gazette continues to recognize the contributions of some of the Alpine Club of Canada’s most dedicated and long-serving Executive Committee volunteers. David Zemrau has served as Vice President Services since 2001 and has received the Distinguished Service Award. David lives in the Edmonton area and is active both at the Section and National levels. When men/women and mountains meet BY DAVID ZEMRAU W hen I was asked to list some of my experiences both in the mountains and with the Alpine Club of Canada, I was at first reluctant to put words to paper. However, given the Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary, by reflecting on our accomplishments and looking forward to the future I figured I would step up to the plate. My first experience in the mountains came when I was about six years old. I recall my mother explaining how worried she was when a bear was sniffing around our tent in Jasper National Park. Car camping in the mountains soon led to fishing, then hiking followed by backpacking. While in high school I visited my first ACC hut high in the Fryatt Valley. After scrambling with some friends it was suggested that a rope would be a good idea. It was at this point that I figured something was needed to move on to the next level. Believe it or not I didn’t toy with the idea of joining the Alpine Club until I moved from Calgary to Toronto. After five years away from the mountains I was determined to return both to Alberta and to the peaks of the Canadian Rockies. During the winter of my return, a friend and I skied into Parks Canada’s Egypt Lake shelter. While at the shelter I noticed a group of ACC members enjoying themselves. After Uri Novak helped extinguish the mini fire started by my stove just before the hut was caught in flames, I decided those mountaineers were both friendly and capable. Shortly afterwards I joined the Club. My first volunteer activity with the Club happened in the fall of 1992. I signed up for the Edmonton Section’s annual Thanksgiving weekend work party at the Wates-Gibson Hut in Jasper. Being my first ACC trip, I didn’t realize breakfast wasn’t included until the morning of departure. A kind Ken Larlee took pity on me and shared his herring and crackers with me. Over the weekend I learned that good food, single malt scotch and great company followed hard work, an experience that would repeat itself many times over. As I continued to receive the benefits, including knowledge, experience and great companionship from the Section, I felt the need to return something to the Club. Within a year of becoming a member I lead my first Section trip. Not happy with just leading trips, I also held positions on the Section Executive as Training Chair, Ski Committee Chair and finally Section Chair. At some point I started to get involved at the National level. I acted as a Camp Manager for some National Camps including the Japanese Alpine Club/ACC Mount Alberta project in 2000. I also had the honour of being an amateur leader at several General David Zemrau (right) with Japanese Alpine Club members on the summit of Mount Wilcox Mountaineering Camps over the years. Now, as Vice President Services, I champion the areas of leadership development, safety, competition sports, Alberta Sections and our involvement with the UIAA, the world body for mountaineering, on behalf of the membership. In looking back at my time both in the mountains and with the Alpine Club of Canada, I would say the people who I have had the privilege of spending time with are in fact a more significant part of the total experience than the mountains themselves. As Mike Mortimer, former President and ACC Centennial Chairman has said, “When men (women) and mountains meet great things happen”. I certainly have seen this happen over my short time with the Club, and our legacy of 100 years of leadership and adventure also bears testimony to this. MEC is a proud partner of The Alpine Club of Canada freeze-dried food | first aid kits | flashlights | mec.ca Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 9 Mountain heights above sea level BY CALVIN KLATT How do we know where the sea level is where the sea isn’t? To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Geological Survey of Canada, in 1992 an expedition was organized to accurately measure the height of Mount Logan (5959 ± 2 metres above sea level) using the then relatively new Global Positioning System (GPS). Understanding GPS is difficult enough, but have you ever wondered what it means to say “height above sea level”, and have you ever wondered how someone works out where sea level is? The GPS measurements used on Logan gave height above an ‘ellipsoid’.The general shape of the earth is nearly spherical except for a slight bulge at the equator – an ellipsoid. If the earth were smooth and of constant density then sea level would be at this ellipsoid. Fortunately for climbers, earth is a bumpy planet, with variations in mass density. These variations create differences between the ellipsoid and the level of the sea. Areas with higher density (greater gravitational attraction) have higher sea level (relative to the ellipsoid). We can calculate the sea level height all over the earth, or at least we can calculate where the sea would be if the land weren’t there, by measuring gravity. Surveyors in the Field Traditional methods for heights above sea level Traditionally sea level heights were determined by going to a tide gauge at the coast (true sea level) and measuring heights relative to this point. The tool of choice was a spirit level, which allowed surveyors to establish reference points (benchmarks) across the country. Unfortunately surveyors had to link measurements from the tide gauge(s) to measurements everywhere in the country. Surveyors literally had to walk the length of the country propagating sea-level height information in small steps via spirit levelling. It is important to note that the levelling tools used by surveyors didn’t simply give heights above a flat surface. The instruments responded to the local gravity and therefore the reference heights they gave were a function of the varying density of the earth. Mountain heights, such as those given on topographic maps, were traditionally determined by measuring them relative to benchmarks along the highway (usually by photogrammetry). A variety of other methods were used, but they all referred to a benchmark and thereby sea level at a tide gauge. In Canada the official sea-level/surveying height system is called CGVD28, (Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum 1928), established in 1928 and referenced to six tide gauges: two on the Pacific coast, two on the Atlantic coast, one on the Saint Lawrence River and one in New York City. The topographic maps we use today, from Natural Resources Canada, give heights in this system. Shape of the earth Imagine a scale model of the earth that is one meter in radius. The bulge at the equator would make it appear to be wider than it is tall by about 3 mm, barely noticeable. All other features on the earth would be much smaller. Mount Everest would be a bump slightly bigger than 1mm high. Mount Logan’s height: pointing to the future Mount Logan’s height was determined in the CGVD28 height system. Unfortunately, benchmarks are few and far between near the Logan massif and heights in CGVD28 are formally defined only at benchmarks, which is very inconvenient in the age of GPS. The height given is a result of extrapolating the CGVD28 heights of the nearest benchmarks. This extrapolation was done with a “geoid” model. The future height system: the geoid In Canada we have nearly 700,000 measurements of gravity, of mixed quality, covering almost all of the country. This data, combined with topographical data from maps and the space shuttle, plus information on the density of the earth’s surface, allows us to calculate a geoid model. The geoid is that surface where the sea would be at rest. Measuring a height above the geoid tells us the height above sea level. Like all such scientific models, it is only as good as the input data and in this case the mathematical modeling is very complex. Nevertheless, a geoid-based height system will be much better than the 1928 system, which has a lot of distortions. More importantly, it will be defined at all points in the country, allowing heights above sea-level to be easily obtained from GPS. 10 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 Two new books about Lake Louise and the Canadian Rockies Geoid height relative to ellipsoid in metres Are we changing the heights of Canada’s mountains? Mountain heights shown on future maps will change when the height system is modernized and the CGVD28 system is replaced. This is because we will have a better understanding of where sea level is, not because the mountains are changing. Height changes will be small – a few metres at most. Of course, if you pride yourself on having memorized the heights of your favourite mountains you’ll have to start all over. But because of the costs involved, this change will take many years, so you have plenty of time to adjust! The future geoid height system is being developed using new data from the GRACE satellite to complement the national gravity data. The geoid system implementation will start in 2009. For more information check out www.geod.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e /hm_e/summary_e.html Dr. Calvin Klatt is the Chief of Gravity and Geodetic Networks, Geodetic Survey Division at Natural Resources Canada. Calvin is Chair of the ACC Ottawa Section and a former Toronto Section Chair. The Canadian Rockies – Pioneers, Legends, and True Tales - by Roger Patillo tells of the larger-than-life pioneer trappers, mountaineers, guides, outfitters, and early visitors to the Rockies. Many of these played a major part in some of the true tales and the enduring legends of the Banff, Lake Louise, and Rogers Pass areas. The author knew and spent many hours with some of the original “old-timers” and they in turn told him of the adventures that they had. They also related many tales of the early visitors, packers, guides, and mountaineers who came to the area when the trails were young and so were they. The reader will enjoy many stories about the remarkable life of Tom Wilson, and the many exploits of Wild Bill Peyto, Walter Wilcox, Sam Allen, Jimmy Simpson, A.O. Wheeler, Sir Edward Whymper, the Feuz Brothers, Georgia Englehard, Katie Gardiner, Phyllis Munday, Conrad Kain, Elizabeth Parker, Walter Perren, Byron Harmon, Nick Morant, Lawrence Grassi, Norm Luxton and many others. Some of the stories that have never been told until now include: How Banff Indian Days Really Began, Banff’s First Santa Claus Parade, The Story of the First Mountaineering Death in the Canadian Rockies, Sir Edward Whymper -The Prince of Mountaineers, The Death of Helen Hatch, The History of the Swiss Guides in Canada, Who Really Was the First to Climb Mt. Robson? The Death of the Mexicans on the Icy Slopes of Mt. Victoria, The History of the Alpine Club of Canada, The Tragic Deaths of Seven Boys on Mt. Temple, Bears and Humans Don’t Mix, and many more. The book is 525 pages and includes over 260 pictures – most of which have never before been published. If you love the Canadian Rockies, this is a book is a must - you’ll enjoy every minute you spend reading it. 386 pages plus 272 pictures; quality trade paperback (softcover) Lake Louise at its Best: An affectionate look at life at Lake Louise by one who knew it well - Revised and Expanded 2005 Edition - by Roger Patillo For many years, the CPR offered free return passage each summer for the employees of its magnificent hotels. The “Dominion” and the “Canadian”, Canada’s famous trains traveled west to the Banff Springs Hotel and to Chateau Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. In 1957, captivated by stories of lofty mountain peaks and clear blue lakes, eighteen-year old Roger Patillo from Belle River, Ontario signed up and set out to experience the West for himself. One summer turned into seven and changed his life. The stories of his adventures while at the world famous Chateau are both humorous and poignant. He draws from many friendships, among which are the Feuz brothers, the legendary Swiss guides, John Lynn the much loved pianist who presented nightly concerts in the lobby, Beef Woodworth (the Park Warden back then), Lawrence Grassi, the “Keeper of O’Hara” and many others. The book recounts the author’s time skiing, flyfishing, mountaineering and canoeing down the Bow River. While these stories are entertaining enough, it’s in the sharing of the sometimes hilarious pranks and misadventures of the staff that will keep you smiling throughout. The steak roasts, the dances, the parties at Gables (the Bellhop’s residence) and his special friends all come alive again as Patillo recalls in tale after tale, a more gentle time when perhaps life at Lake Louise really was the best. (514 pages and 196 pictures Perfect bound). Both books are available for $39.95 each plus shipping. Order from Amberlea Press – P.O. Box 1682 Aldergrove, B.C. V4W 2P6 or e-mail rpatillo@canada.com (Buy both for a total of $60.00 plus shipping) Also available from Trafford Press at www.Trafford.com. All good bookstores will order it in for you but you can save by buying it direct from the author. WWW.CLOUDTOGROUND.COM alpinehuts.ca Alpine Club of Canada launches Centennial in birthp BY LYNN MARTEL W innipeg Manitoba is home to many Canadian cultural and historical icons – the intersection of Portage and Main; the Exchange District National Historic Site; Saint-Boniface Cathedral and Cemetery, site of Louis Riel’s tomb; the Burton Cummings Theatre. And although a Manitoba climber’s most valuable piece of gear is likely to be a sense of humour, Winnipeg is also where the Alpine Club of Canada was founded in 1906. To officially launch the ACC’s Centennial, members from across the country traveled to Winnipeg for the weekend of March 24 thru 26, coming from as far as Montréal, Toronto, Edmonton, Prince George, Vancouver Island and Canmore for the Club’s annual Spring Board Meeting and a special Centennial Gala at the historic Fort Garry Hotel. Spearheaded by Manitoba Section members Peter Muir and Chair Simon Statkewich – who helped design the Club’s recently rebuilt Fay Hut – and Saint-Boniface Section Chair André Mahé, whose teams of volunteers organized everything from airport pick ups to guided tours, the weekend was scheduled to coincide with the ACC’s inaugural meeting March 27-28, 1906. Among those participating in the event were Ron and Evelyn Matthews, long-time ACC members and former Club managers, Jim Tarrant, who joined Spring Board Meeting in Winnipeg the Club in 1939, Glen Boles, current Honorary President and member since 1960, David Fisher, early 1970’s Club President, and long time members Ted and Judy Mills, Bruce and Margaret Fraser, and Marj Hind. Speaking at the black tie dinner, Banff ’s Bill Fisher, Parks Canada Director General for Western and Northern Canada, complimented the ACC’s commitment to the preservation and appreciation of the mountain landscape, including some of the earliest glacial studies conducted anywhere. “There is no other organization in the world that has done what the ACC has done to preserve the backcountry experience,” Fisher said. In a city where the best views are from a 22nd-floor office tower – courtesy of Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP Barristers and Solicitors, who kindly donated their boardroom for the Club Board Meeting – Winnipeg may seem an unlikely birthplace for Canada’s national climbing organization. “The question we inevitably get asked, is ‘don’t you need mountains to climb?’” joked Muir, current ACC Secretary. “We go to the Rockies because we’re from Winnipeg and we can’t stand to be away from snow for that long.” While Winnipeg in 1906 was considered the centre of Canadian civilization and the gateway to the West via the still young railroad, it was also the home of Elizabeth Parker, the first PHOTO BY LYNN MARTEL female columnist of a daily Canadian newspaper, the Manitoba (now Winnipeg) Free Press. A woman of sharp intellect but poor health, Parker had spent time partaking in the healing waters of Banff ’s Sulphur Mountain hot springs, where she fell in love with the Rocky Mountains. When her editor passed her a letter from respected surveyor Arthur Oliver Wheeler suggesting Canadians form a branch of the fledgling American Alpine Club, she took up her pen in disgust. Certainly, she wrote, Canada has “at least a dozen persons who are made of the stuff, and care about our mountain heritage, to redeem Canadian apathy and indifference.” Sufficiently spurred, Parker and Wheeler co-founded the Alpine Club of Canada. Not only the first national mountaineering organization to accept women, Parker was elected as its first Secretary. With Winnipeg serving as not just a railroad hub, but also a hub for Metis, Aboriginal and French Canadian cultures, in 1994 the ACC fittingly welcomed le Section Saint-Boniface du Club Alpin du Canada, the first French speaking section of its 19 sections. “We’re not restricted, but the SaintBoniface executive must be French speaking,” Mahé explained. “Our group are all French Canadians, we conduct all our business in French.” A retired geography and history teacher and native French Manitoban, André Mahé receives a poster of the ice tower renamed in place – Winnipeg Mahé was introduced to the Rockies on family vacations. After seeing some climbers on one trip, he and his brother signed up for a beginner course. In the early 1970s, with support from the National Film Board, they made a Super 8 film climbing Mounts Athabasca and Victoria with guides Buck Corrigan and Pierre Lemire. They also climbed in the Bugaboos with Hans Gmoser and Rudi Kranabitter, and eventually began leading their own climbs. While teaching at a Saint-Boniface French high school, Mahé took students to climbing cliffs at Whiteshell Provincial Park. With his superintendent’s support, he built an indoor wall in the school’s gymnasium and climbing became part of the Phys Ed program. Over the decades, Mahé has helped introduce hundreds of Manitobans to climbing through the indoor wall and summer trips to the Rockies. In 1998, he built a 20-metre ice tower in downtown Winnipeg, which was renamed Tour André Mahé at the Winnipeg Gala. So why does an avid climber and mountain lover stay in the Manitoba flatland? “I love the prairies,” Mahé said. “It’s a different type of beauty. The mountains have a superficial type of beauty; it hits you between the eyes. You can’t help but see it. The prairies require a certain amount of maturity to see the beauty. It’s a more subtle beauty.” his honour Thank You Manitoba and Saint-Boniface Sections T he entire Club would like to extend a great big Thank You to the Manitoba and Saint-Boniface Sections for organizing a splendid weekend for all those who attended the Spring Board Meeting, Centennial Gala and other events in Winnipeg and Saint-Boniface. Well done! July Centennial events July 8, 2006 ~ Dedication Ceremony at Yoho Lake, Yoho National Park. In 1906, the ACC’s Yoho Camp was organized to enable Alpine Club of Canada members to meet in Canada’s mountain regions, and to offer a venue where graduating members could qualify for active membership by climbing a mountain of at least 10,000 feet (3048 metres). Club members have built a rock cairn to commemorate the first mountaineering camp and everyone is invited to join the Centennial celebrations on July 8, beginning at 2 p.m. July 15, 2006 ~ Centennial Annual General Meeting, Glacier National Park, BC This year the Club’s AGM will take place at Glacier Park Lodge in Glacier National Park. Everyone is invited to join in an afternoon of ACC history. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. and will be followed by a slideshow and Laurie Schwartz’s engaging onewoman play, Elizabeth Parker and the Creation of the Alpine Club of Canada. July 19, 2006 ~ ACC Postage Stamp release, Canmore AB. Canada Post and the ACC are inviting one and all to witness the launch of the ACC Centennial Postage Stamp. The collectible stamp will be unveiled at the Canmore Civic Centre between 5 and 7 p.m. There will be a Day of Issue cancellation for serious collectors. For more info, visit: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/Centennial Compiled by Tanya Ritchie David Toole, Cindy Cooper, Sandy Hannigan and Nel Keith enjoy the Gala celebrations PHOTO BY VI SANDFORD Actor recreates mother of Canadian mountaineering BY LYNN MARTEL A mong the highlights of the Alpine Club of Canada’s Winnipeg Centennial Celebrations that took place March 24 thru 26, was no doubt a one-woman performance by Banff actor, Laurie Schwartz. Researched, written and performed by Schwartz, Elizabeth Parker and the Creation of the Alpine Club of Canada, captures the spirit, the vision and the passion of the Club’s co-founder. A professional actor with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Alberta and many seasons performing in a variety of theatrical venues, Schwartz, 33, was immediately interested when her boss with Parks Canada’s Mountain World Heritage Interpretive Theatre (WHIT) invited her to create the Elizabeth Parker production in conjunction with the Club’s Centennial, to be performed throughout the summer season. Intrigued, Schwartz pored over old newspaper articles and dug into museum archives. “Right off the bat, I found out she wasn’t really a climber,” Schwartz said. “Suddenly there was this big mystery. Why was this woman who didn’t climb so hell bent on creating an alpine club?” “And she probably wouldn’t approve of that language,” Schwartz added. During the process of writing and developing her stage performance, Schwartz learned Parker was an important early figure in Canadian newspapers. Born in 1856 and educated in public schools, she taught for one year before marrying John Henry Parker at Laurie Schwartz portrays Elizabeth Parker during the celebrations in Winnipeg 18. While raising three children, she kept up her literary interests. When she berated the editor at the Manitoba (now Winnipeg) Free Press for not covering the literary recital of a woman she thought to be very talented, he responded by suggesting she write her own report. For more than 30 years, Parker penned weekly and later daily “causeries” on books and authors – becoming Canada’s only literary critic to write a daily column. “She spoke her mind, she stood by her opinions,” Schwartz said, adding, “Interestingly, it’s hard to find anything written about her husband.” Suffering from recurring poor health, in 1904 Parker moved to Banff to reap Mountain Photography Workshop with award winning photographer Richard Berry Discover new skills to improve your mountain and landscape photography. This weekend workshop, during the peak of fall colours, concentrates on improving composition and technical skills through lectures, field trips and by reviewing photographs taken during the course. Breakfasts & lunches included. September 22 (eve) to 24, 2006 at the Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse, Canmore. Only 8 places available. Cost $325 For more information visit: www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca/publications/workshop 14 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY the benefits of its sulphur springs. Back in Winnipeg a year later, she became one of the first people in the country to write about mountain life. When her editor passed her a letter written by respected surveyor and mountaineer, A.O. Wheeler, whose book The Selkirk Range she had recently reviewed, Parker read with interest. After campaigning fruitlessly for some time to form a Canadian alpine club, Wheeler was seeking opinions on Canada becoming a branch of the newly formed American Alpine Club. Enraged, Parker challenged Canadians to overcome their apathy and express their national pride by creating their own alpine club. After ongoing correspondence, Parker, who wrote using pseudonyms that concealed her gender, revealed her female sex to Wheeler. At a time when no other alpine club in the world welcomed women members, when the Alpine Club of Canada formed in 1906 it not only welcomed women as full members, co-founder Parker was elected its first Secretary. Creating a solo show presented challenges, Schwartz said, for which she appreciated her past experiences, including Edmonton’s popular Fringe Festival, where she had been stage manager, director, mask, puppet and prop maker. For vital feedback however, Schwartz turned to dramaturge and director Heather Inglis, with whom she worked on previous WHIT productions. “It’s really important to have outside input,” Schwartz said. “Others might see things you totally missed. Among many valuable questions, Inglis asked Schwartz why mountaineering was so important to Canada as a nation. “She (Parker) was a visionary,” Schwartz said. “The answer Parker gives is that we (Canadians) have to be able to establish an independent organization for the exploration and promotion of our sovereign lands.” A hiker, scrambler and sport climber, Schwartz said researching the play taught her not only about Parker and Canada’s mountain heritage, but also about Canada’s alpine club. “I discovered the Club never has been and never will be an elite organization,” she said. “There are other aspects to it, it’s not just about racing up peaks, but about artistic and cultural and scientific pursuits too.” At Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Hotel, Schwartz debuted her play, bringing Parker to life with elegance, humour and spunk before 160 diners who rose in a spontaneous ovation after – with a tear in her eye – she delivered her closing line. “Your mother is very proud.” Reprinted with permission from the Rocky Mountain Outlook. Rain. It gives life. It brings new growth. It cleanses the soul. But if you’re not prepared for the rain, it can test your tolerance. The PreCip Jacket by Marmot. The Rain Stops Here™. Beth Rodden between climbs in Lofoten, Norway | Photo Ace Kvale | marmot.com Membership Committee struck B O R N P R O F E S S I O N A L LY A t the Spring Board Meeting that took place in Winnipeg in March, the Club formed a new committee that will examine and analyze all issues relating to Club membership. For example, statistics show that overall membership has declined somewhat in the past few years – a situation the Committee hopes to remedy. The new Membership Committee, comprised of Peter Muir, Rob Brusse, Murray Levine and Bruce Keith, will be chaired by David Toole, and will report its findings, with recommended actions, to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 15 North Face Course brought snow, taught lessons STORY AND PHOTO BY MARK KOLASINSKI T he big story at this year’s ACC North Face Course at Golden Alpine Holidays was SNOW. One hundred and thirty centimetres fell over the course of the week. The winter of 2006 started off slowly, so all of us were just delighted to see tons of the fluffy white stuff soon after we arrived at GAH. Vista Lodge turned out to be a very fine venue for this course. The area around the lodge offered a variety of terrain that was well suited for our learning experience in any kind of weather or snow conditions. Right near the lodge we skied gentle meadows and glades. Not too far away, we had some great steep tree shots to ski. A short tour up from Vista Lodge brought us into an endless selection of high alpine terrain. The lodge itself was warm, comfortable and really charming. Everyone was pleased with the spacious design, the sauna and the casual atmosphere. Our host, Brad Harrison, was a workhorse. His main interest during the week seemed to be taking over everyone’s camp chores. Laura, our cook, was able to ski hard each day and she still managed to whip up some of the greatest backcountry feasts we had ever seen. We even had a couple of fine troubadours, Cyril Shokoples and Wayne Giles, for evening entertainment. Then there was Peter Amann’s endless supply of unbelievably dry humor. We skied all day and listened to lectures into the night, but there was still time to enjoy the great lodge and make new friends. We also got time to wallow in some of the best powder skiing of the entire winter. Carefree runs in hip-deep powder; what could possibly be better? This didn’t last too long. Our coaches reminded us: leadership requires sacrifice. We were not there on a subsidized powder skiing vacation; we were there to hone our skills. Skiing trees in great powder snow is fine, but that’s not how you learn to lead groups on winter adventures. We were off to the wind-blown alpine to practice whiteout navigation and crevasse rescue drills. Our guides and mentors Peter, Cyril and Brad, led us through some interesting challenges. To help develop our abilities to lead winter trips we learned about snow science, route finding, electronic communications, helicopter travel, trip planning, using a map, compass and GPS, companion rescue practice and much more. We were amazed at the quality and quantity of lessons presented to us. There was really a lot of thought and effort put into planning these sessions. The result was a week that was totally packed with learning. Margriet Berkhout and companions practice short roping on Vista Peak Glacier Circle Cabin Restoration T he Friends of Mount Revelstoke and Glacier, with Parks Canada are restoring/ rehabilitating the Glacier Circle Cabin in Glacier National Park during the 2006 summer. Volunteers, particularly those with experience in masonry, carpentry or log building, are needed to work for one-week periods between July 8 and 29 under the direction of the log contractor, Dan Strand (Fay Hut contractor). Meals and campsite will be supplied. Saturday to Saturday commitment required. For more info please contact Maureen Weddell at 250-837-2010 or e-mail fmrg@telus.net 16 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 Halfway through the week, enough snow had fallen. Then maybe a bit too much. We witnessed spectacular avalanche activity as the snow stability rating went from being pretty good to downright unpleasant. It was an interesting challenge to find safe routes to travel and play in when conditions were not ideal. All of a sudden the snow profiles and terrain assessment discussions, we were devoting so much time and effort to, became much less theoretical. Mountains can be forbidding and bleak places, especially in big storms. Humans do poorly in this environment without our craftiness and contrivances. Gortex® and fleece, GPS, radios, and all our other gadgets, along with skill at using these things, keep us warm, safe and happy in a hostile land. Even more important than our craft is the challenge of getting a group of people to work together in this environment, which is what Cyril, Peter and Brad accomplished when they brought us together to develop these skills. We were a group of people with diverse backgrounds and interests – a microcosm of the ACC. Some were serious mountaineers and some weekend warriors, with everyone else falling somewhere in between. We had schoolteachers, engineers, biologists, students, realtors, a photographer, some computer geeks and even a masseuse. The only real cement holding this group together was that we all have a love for these great mountains, and a common interest to share our knowledge and skills with others. On this 100-year anniversary of the ACC it is important to remind ourselves of the vital role that volunteer leaders play in this organization. For 100 years the ACC has done a great job introducing people from all walks of life to mountaineering adventures. Thank you Peter, Cyril and Brad for helping us to carry on with this tradition. Participants were Alan Fortune, Katerina Mervart, Margriet Berkhout, Marc Harden, Mark Kolasinski, Chris Argue, Ray Norman, Wayne Giles, Elisabeth Dupuis and Gary Shorthouse. Mark Kolasinski is a member of the Jasper-Hinton Section. Eastern climbers discover ‘flow’ BY WILL L RICHARDSON-LITTLE ooking at the wet, moss covered slab I doubted that anyone of us would end the day with a smile on our face. This was going to be our big climbing day and we were staring at a dirty, wet, choss heap. We had no flow. Our group from Toronto, Ottawa and the Montréal area assembled in ValDavid, Quebec for the first Alpine Club of Canada Eastern Leadership Course Sept. 2 to 5, 2005. As a group, we all had one thing in common: we live too far away from the Rockies. But luckily, our two guides, Cyril Shokoples and Jeremy MacKenzie had flown in from the West to impart upon us their mountain wisdom. Our leadership course is likely a bit different from the standard version out West. We’re crag climbers over here, and we still get excited that Bon Echo has routes that have more than one pitch. The majority of the technical skills taught by Cyril and Jeremy focused around trad climbing in groups and on multi-pitch routes. We reviewed anchor building, learned new rappel techniques and practiced the ‘monster’ munter while drying off after a mid-afternoon storm. We also worked on new ways to improve our belay and rappel station management. But more than just new rope systems, we tried to learn something from each other and about how each of our Club sections work. While we worked on these ‘hard’ skills, Cyril spoke of the feeling that comes with everything about a climb going smoothly: the belays, the gear, the climb, the descent. He called it ‘flow’. I call it ‘not having an epic’, but that was part of the lesson of the course: how to find that flow. That damp Saturday morning soon turned in our favour. The sun came out and dried the rock. By mid-afternoon we were scattered in teams of two along one of the many cliffs of Montagne Argent. The mossy slabs were forgotten and many of us were pushing our limits with PHOTO BY NORBERT CYR partners we’d met only three days before. Was this the flow Cyril had been talking about? Definitely, and it’s what we will all take back to our sections, keen to lead next year’s trips. We were all grateful that Cyril and Jeremy were able to travel all the way across the country to lead the course. As well, we’d like to thank participant/camp manager Calvin Klatt for sorting out the logistics. Thanks as well to ACC National for expanding the leadership program to the East. Living the astounding is Chic. Imagine the Choc of living it, at an altitude of over 2,000 ft. Be among the first to experience the astounding adventure of the Chic-Chocs Mountain Lodge in the heart of Gaspé’s Matane wildlife reserve. Discover the Chic-Chocs mountains. Relax in the outdoor spa. Savour the exquisite mountain cuisine of the renowned chef Alain Laflamme. Our summer package, including lodging, 3 meals per day, guides, outdoor equipment (hiking poles, bicycle, fly-rod), starts at $255*. You too can experience the choc of this astoundingly chic mountain lodge. Steve Deschênes For details visit www.chicchocs.com. 1 800 665-3091 Live the Choc of the astoundingly Chic. * Price per night, per person, double occupancy. Taxes not included. Price may change without notice. Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 17 Retiring manager built huts and memories BY DAN VERRALL A s I count down my remaining days as an Alpine Club of Canada employee, I wish to acknowledge the many people who have made my connection with the ACC so memorable. My long-term association with the Club extends much further back than 1984, when I began my current job. When I was about 12, my father was Calgary Section Chair. We had the pleasure of hosting guest speaker Dr. Thomas Hornbein, who the previous year had made the first ascent of the West Ridge of Mount Everest with Willi Unsoeld. I was awestruck by his presentation. His presence also brought myth and reality together for me, inspiring me to see the activity that took my father away from us most weekends from a much different perspective. I began meeting Dad’s mountain family, including Jim Tarrant, Bob and Marj Hind, Richard and Louise Guy, Bruce and Marg Fraser, and many others I am fortunate to see every year at the Mountain Guides’ Ball. After high school I attended university in Winnipeg for three years. Summers were spent back in the mountains where, with friends, I had many incredible adventures exploring amazing places and developing the selfconfidence of living in the mountain world. In 1974, I migrated to Banff. Soon afterwards I made my first working connection with the ACC. The National From left: Brian, Bryul and Jerry Colgan shortly after the Neil Colgan Hut was completed PHOTO BY DAN VERRALL 18 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 Office sat in a small converted apartment on the top floor of Banff ’s White Block. There, dedicated Club ambassadors Ev Moorhouse and Judy Linkletter ran the fledgling operation. I soon filled in as stamp licker, gestetner crank turner and office renovator (I almost lost the job after I painted the wooden toilet seat bright red). For a short while I also worked at the new Canmore Clubhouse, helping then custodian Ed Adams and later Denis de Montigny who Dan Verrall commuting to work PHOTO BY MATT BOEKEL ran the Clubhouse for over a decade. Denis was loved by some and almost feared by au Canada” as former ACC employee others. I luckily was on his good side and Claude Lauzon called it. Being part of all enjoyed my time there. these amazing transitions over the years Living in Banff for 10 years, immersed has been incredibly rewarding. in climbing, skiing, kayaking and I met my wife Val in the early 80s, travelling, I also managed to become a and our daughter Jasmine was born in journeyman electrician. I participated in 1984. Our young family was searching Banff (now Rocky Mountain) Section for a home and after visiting the Yukon socials, climbing trips and ski touring we returned to Banff where I was jobless camps. I worked as cook and helper at a for a time. While hiking with our good few ACC ski camps. At one camp I met friends Patsy and Jim Murphy, I was current Club President Cam Roe and his offered the job of replacing Denis as father Dick. Cam was 16 and, like me, Clubhouse Manager. Jim, as Clubhouse had a full head of hair back then. Committee Chair, was assigned to Through the 1980s, spurred by Peter financially turn around the failing Fuhrmann, the Club started building operation, and gave me the opportunity huts. I was one of many volunteers to help out. Val, Jasmine and I moved who helped construct the Neil Colgan into the tiny Clubhouse suite. Silene was Memorial Hut under the direction of born in 1986 and this unique place was Eric Lomas and Bernie Schiesser. The home for nine years. Colgan family had donated funds in With the support of Jim, Eric, memory of Neil who was killed while Bernie, Peter and George Stefanick, we on duty as a backcountry warden. improved and expanded the Clubhouse Neil was a very close friend of facilities. Use increased and we succeeded mine so this place still has a special financially. However, the best part for significance for me. me was that many of our guests became With Eric, Bernie and Peter, good friends. Our home was in this I also helped build the Peter and wonderfully remote environment, Grotto Catharine Whyte, the Freshfields Mountain being our backyard. We all (or Lloyd MacKay), and Scott have great memories of this time. Duncan Huts. In 1990, my job expanded to looking Many years later, one of my most after maintenance of all facilities, and rewarding hut building experiences we soon moved to our own house in came via the resurrection of the Canmore. Our Clubhouse apartment original Fay Hut. Within a week, became the National Office – with my the hut evolved from a derelict, pack office now being in the girls’ old bedroom. rat infested and rotting structure to The next 15 years were full and a comfortable and warm “cabane challenging, my involvement being with an ever expanding Clubhouse and a growing and improving hut system, thanks to the constant efforts of Mike Mortimer, Carl Hannigan, Mal Talbot, John Harrop, Bruce Hardardt and many others. I could fill pages with the names of those who’ve made my time with the ACC so memorable. I have been fortunate to feel a sense of great accomplishment working in a cheerful, positive and supportive environment among terrific co-workers. The staff I have had the great pleasure to work with over the years have been the best, and I will miss my constant contact with them most of all! I am now looking forward to simply becoming an involved Club member again, and to meeting many of you on the trails, in the huts or perhaps at my new endeavour, Talus Lodge, which will be the next chapter of this story. Adios amigos! Waffle Stomper Terrastryder Would you sacrifice the sum for its parts? Would you accept stability without flexibility? Forgo fit for fashion? Would you trade comfort for confidence? Would you compromise your toes for the sake of your ankles? Your ankles for the sake of your arches? Would you give up circulation in the name of safety? Protection in the name of performance? Would you ever wear a boot that was right in one way but not in another? Not anymore. All kinds of feet. All sorts of comfort. a trusted new balance brand DUNHAMFITS.COM To find a Dunham dealer near you please call 1-877-7-DUNHAM or to check the latest product line visit our website www.dunhamfits.com Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 19 Rockies legend recorded in Japanese school texts BY LYNN MARTEL I t’s a bon-a-fide Canadian Rockies legend – in Japanese. In 1925 a team of six Japanese climbers came to the Rockies with their sights set on 3619-metre Mount Alberta – the last unclimbed major Canadian Rockies peak. With the help of Swiss guides Hans Fuhrer and Hans Kohler and adventurer Jean Weber, and led by famed Japanese climber Yuko Maki, they succeeded in being the first to stand on that mountain’s long, narrow, abundantly corniced and highly exposed summit ridge. On their descent, the climbers plunged an ice axe into broken rock below the summit as evidence of their accomplishment. Over the ensuing decades the story evolved, claiming the ice axe had been a gift from the Japanese Emperor and was crafted of solid silver. Now, junior high school students throughout Japan will learn the legend of Mount Alberta and the silver ice axe as part of their history curriculum. Two full pages in a new textbook tell the story that has developed over the decades since the first ascent. The textbook, said Bob Sandford, Alpine Club of Canada VP Mountain Culture, is the result of the Japanese Alpine Club’s high standing in Japanese society. “Many of the members of the Japanese Alpine Club work at very senior levels of government and other sectors,” Sandford said. In the decades following the first ascent, the relationship between the ACC and the JAC has flourished, and the legend of Mount Alberta has become a part of both countries’ history. When two American climbers made the mountain’s second ascent in 1948, they found the axe and attempting to wrench it from the rocks they snapped the very ordinary wood and steel axe in half. Back home, they presented the shaft to the American Alpine Club in New York. Half a century later, Jasper Park Warden Greg Horne negotiated its return to Jasper, where both pieces are now joined in a permanent exhibit at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum. The head of the axe was retrieved from the mountain in 1965, when 19 Miles D. O’Reilly, Toronto, ON Alan Reynolds, North Vancouver, BC Trevor Sewell, Winnipeg, MB Earle Whipple, Barcelona HERITAGE CLUB Phil Dowling, Mill Bay, BC Eleanor Halton, Calgary, AB David Fisher, Sidney, BC Phyllis Light, Surrey, BC ✦ 50 years ✦ HERITAGE CLUB HERITAGE CLUB ✦ E very year, the Alpine Club of Canada celebrates those members who have been with the Club for 25, 35 and 50 years. The Club recognizes these members with a special lapel pin, with the 25 and 35-year members receiving an attractive certificate suitable for framing and the 50year members receiving a handsome wall plaque. Thirty-six members reached the 25-year milestone in 2006, 19 members reached the 35-year milestone and eight members reached their 50-year milestone. Congratulations to everyone, and especially to all of those named below – you are in very esteemed company! ✦ HERITAGE CLUB Heritage Club milestones HERITAGE CLUB HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ HERITAGE CLUB ✦ 20 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 climbers from the Nagano High School Old Boys Alpine Club in Japan made the mountain’s fifth ascent, and took the lower half home with them. In 1997, the two halves were restored in Tokyo before the Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Japan and 800 Japanese mountaineers. The pieces fit perfectly. In 1999, the two halves were reunited again at a ceremony marking the centennial of the Nagano High School Mountaineering Club. To restore the axe at its permanent resting place in Jasper, the ACC hosted a delegation of over 75 JAC members who came to the Rockies in 2000, including two of the 1965 expedition participants. They spent a week hiking and climbing in the Rockies and the Selkirks, while a team of three Canadian and three Japanese climbers who hoped to make a commemorative climb of Mount Alberta were stymied by poor conditions. “The story has been very highly profiled in Japan,” Sandford said. 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. “The legend becomes story, the story becomes literature and the literature becomes history. What it really shows is shared mountain heritage endures intergenerationally between nations, and is a foundation of goodwill long after events like Mount Alberta and the 75th anniversary celebrations.” Sandford was presented an advanced copy of the textbook by several JAC members, in the Rockies for their annual spring ski trip. Thirteen Japanese mountaineers, including Kenichi Hara, 1965 expedition member and participant of the 75th anniversary events, explored the Wapta Icefields and Rogers Pass in BC’s Glacier National Park for 10 days in March with local guides Derek Holtved, Doug Latimer, Felix Camire and Satch Masuda. “We truly enjoyed the Wapta traverse and Rogers Pass skiing,” said Jinji Horikoshi, the group’s tour manager at a farewell barbecue at the ACC Canmore Clubhouse. “We will tell our friends in Japan about Alpine Club’s good organization of ski trips and backcountry huts. I’m convinced this tour will further the relationship of the Alpine Club of Canada and the Japanese Alpine Club, initiated by Yuko Maki in 1925 and further grown by the 2000 Mount Alberta celebrations.” Reprinted with permission from the Rocky Mountain Outlook. Join us for a Mountain Adventure You Won’t Forget! photo by Len Wade There are still a few spaces left on some of the ACC’s summer mountaineering camps. There are camps for all levels of experience – whether you are strapping on your crampons for the first time, or have been adventuring in the mountains for many years. Call Jon Rollins at (403) 678-3200 ext. 112 or visit: www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca/activities photo by Peter Amann Mounts Tsar & Clemenceau Climbing Camp Date: July 21 (eve) - 29 Cost: $1995+GST Bow Valley Rock Review Date: June 29 (eve) - July 3 Cost: $995+GST Peak Weekend - Athabasca & Andromeda Date: August 3 (eve) - 7 Cost: $895+GST First Summits - Summer Mountaineering Date: June 29 (eve) - July 3 Cost: $850+GST Marmot Women’s Centennial Mountaineering Camp Date: July 9 - 14 Cost: $995+GST Fryatt Valley Climbing Camp Date: August 5 (eve) - 12 Cost: $1795+GST Jumbo Glacier Climbing Camp Date: August 11 (eve) - 19 Cost: $1695+GST Rockies Panorama Date: July 15 (eve) - 22 Cost: $1450+GST Yoho Valley Centennial Camp Date: July 16 - 22 Cost: $1350+GST Dogtooth Traverse Camp Date: August 19 - 26 Cost: $1395+GST 55+ Trekking and Climbing Camp Date: August 20 (eve) - 27 Cost: $1495+GST National Volunteer Awards CLASSIFIED ADS C ACC CUSTOM PORTERING SERVICES ongratulations to the following dedicated volunteers who were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the National and/or Section levels of the Alpine Club of Canada in 2005. Biographies of the award recipients’ accomplishments can be found on the ACC’s website at www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca/awards/recent.html Distinguished Service Award Nikki Hipkin, Saskatchewan Section Deny Gravel, Saint-Boniface Section Bruce Hardardt, Calgary and Rocky Mountain Sections Honorary Member Mike Mortimer, Calgary Section Eric Lomas, Rocky Mountain Section Don Forest Service Award Anne Anderson, Edmonton Section David Foster, Ottawa Section Martyne Laliberté, St-Boniface Section Eric Lepage, Montréal Section Heike Pauli, Unaffiliated Mike Rogers, Montréal Section Wayne Vibert, Edmonton Section Don Wighton, Montréal Section Many thanks to the members of the Awards Committee for their commitment to this endeavour: Paul Geddes (Chair), Dave McCormick, Gerta Smythe, Mike Thompson, Tom Haslam-Jones and Rod Plasman. David Toole receives A.O. Wheeler Award BY MURRAY LEVINE I have known Dave for as long as we both have been members of the Alpine Club of Canada – over 20 years. I have been on many, many outings with him and have always been impressed with his vast knowledge of the outdoors. I'm always comfortable being with him because he is a confident person. I learned a great deal from him about leadership as his confidence has rubbed off on me. Dave has always been interested in my well-being. I recall a winter hike with Murray Levine and David Toole Dave and another super-fit mountaineer. We were doing a traverse of 22 or so kilometres with about 1600 metres of ascent. While I was in good enough shape to be able to run a marathon, the other two were in even better shape. I was slowing them down and after an hour or so I volunteered to turn back. Dave asked me if I could keep up my present pace for the whole day and I replied, “Yes”. We finished together – in the dark! Dave has excellent judgment, and I believe that his excellent judgement as a mountaineer and as an Executive of the ACC has benefited those who he has gone on outings with and without a doubt has benefited the ACC as an organization as well. When someone is always there to help, we tend to take them for granted. Dave has been there, helping the ACC in numerous ways for over two decades. As Secretary, then Chair of the Montréal Section, as VP Services, Secretary, Treasurer, as President of the National organization and as a trip leader, his outstanding record of accomplishment speaks for itself. This is why I was proud to nominate Dave for the A.O. Wheeler Award and was thrilled to be in attendance when he was presented the award in Winnipeg at the Centennial Gala. P.S. Dave is the tall guy! Murray Levine is the Montréal Section Chair. 22 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 Available for all huts summer and winter. If you are planning a backcountry hut trip and would like to have your food and equipment carried in, contact the Mountain Adventures Coordinator, Jon Rollins, for details at (403) 678-3200 ext. 112 or e-mail adventures@AlpineClubofCanada.ca NOTICES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Alpine Club of Canada’s AGM will take place at Glacier Park Lodge in Rogers Pass BC, Saturday July 15, starting at 1 p.m. ELK LAKES CABIN SUMMER CUSTODIANS We are currently seeking volunteer custodians for the Elk Lakes Cabin from the first week of July through the first week of September. If you’re interested in visiting beautiful nearby Kananaskis Country in the Canadian Rockies and would like to help out with custodial duties in exchange for accommodation, please contact Carole Perkins at the National Office at (403) 678-3200 ext. 104 or at cperkins@AlpineClubofCanada.ca VOLUNTEER ARCHIVIST NEEDED We are seeking a dedicated volunteer in the Bow Valley area to work with the Mountain Culture Committee to maintain Club records of enduring value at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. If interested, please contact Bob Sandford, VP Mountain Culture at Sandford@telusplanet.net EBULLETIN Sign up for the ACC NewsNet and receive current event updates via e-mail. Subscribe by sending an e-mail to NewsNet@AlpineClubofCanada.ca CLASSIFIED AD RATES: $20 plus $1 per word + GST E-mail your ad to: ads@AlpineClubofCanada.ca or mail to the address on page 3. National Office news BY BRUCE KEITH T o say that change has been the order of the day in the National Office over the past six months would be putting it mildly! We have said good-bye to several valued staff members, and have in turn welcomed many new ones. The departures include Audrey Wheeler, Nancy Hansen, Paula Zettel, Josée Larochelle, Sam Holinski-Mozak, Lori Stevenson, Sarah Jeffrey, Lisa Costain, Gayle Buckle, and Ryan Mazur. I thank each of them for their service to the Club and wish them well in their new endeavours. And, as announced elsewhere in this Gazette, Dan Verrall, our longtime Facilities Maintenance Manager, will step down at the end of June after 22 years of valuable service to the Club. Good luck Dan and thanks for reminding us what the phrase “dedicated employee” really means! Our new staff members include Sandy Walker (Director, Club Services – a new full-time position replacing the previous part-time positions held by Audrey and Nancy), and John Derick (Facilities Maintenance Manager, taking over from Dan). We are fortunate they were both ACC Section Chairs immediately before joining us (Sandy from Calgary and John from Rocky Mountain) – so they possess a wealth of knowledge about the Club. Other new staff members are Nathalie Turgeon (Office Manager/Membership Coordinator), Cayley Breeze (Administrative Assistant), Mark Louie and Elinor Fish (Clubhouse Front Desk), and Darren Enderwick and Micheline Charette in Facilities Maintenance. In addition, Mel Young has become our Front Desk Supervisor. While these significant changes over a relatively short period have definitely presented challenges, the entire staff is a strong team working hard to meet the needs of our members and of our clients. I am confident they will exceed your expectations! If you are interested in how the National Office staff is organized and how each position relates to the Club’s key volunteers and governance structure, visit: www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca/nationaloffice and click on the Organization Chart PDF. Bruce Keith is ACC Executive Director. Volunteer needed The Huts Committee is looking for a skilled volunteer with experience in bronze casting to assist in creating plaques such as this five inch crest, for the Club’s backcountry huts. If you may be able to help, please contact Malcolm Talbot, Huts Committee Chair, at mrtalbot@telusplanet.net alpinehuts.ca ACC Life Membership Policy BY BRUCE KEITH H as an Alpine Club of Canada member ever told you, “I’m an ACC life member”? Did you wonder how they became a life member? In the good old days, the Club used to sell Life Memberships, but that was discontinued when it was realized the program was not economically viable – a Life Membership sold to a hardy 20-something mountaineer could go on almost forever! Nowadays members earn their Life Membership by meeting eligibility criteria and then applying to the National Office. To become a Life Member, you must have been a member for at least the past 25 continuous years (no breaks in your membership during the period) AND you must be at least 65 years old. Also, Life Memberships are granted on an individual basis, and do not transfer to spouses or family members. Life Members enjoy a complimentary membership, no-charge subscription to the Canadian Alpine Journal and the lowest ACC hut fees available. As well, they receive a Life Membership lapel pin, attractively designed by Eric Lomas of Exshaw, Alberta. Eric is a Life Member and is still a very active volunteer at both the National and Rocky Mountain Section levels. If you think you qualify for Life Membership, send an e-mail, fax or note to the National Office (c/o the Executive Director, address on page 3), stating your interest in the designation, your current age, when you first joined the Club and whether or not you have been a member on a continuous basis for at least the past 25 years. Membership has its rewards! Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2006 23 Centennial Fund Campaign 2004 – 2006 I n the fall of 2005, we reported to you that the Facilities Committee was ready to focus its attention towards the replacement of the ageing Toronto Section Cabin on the Clubhouse property in Canmore. Through generous contributions from the Boswell family in memory of former Club manager, Pat Boswell, and with further assistance from the Toronto Section of the Club, the Alberta Community Initiatives Program and dozens of member donations, we can now report that the Pat Boswell (Toronto Section) Cabin will be ready for its first visitors this July. Situated just beyond the Bell Cabin on the Club’s Canmore property, this beautiful new facility offers a third and completely unique option for accommodation at your Clubhouse. This self-contained cabin caters specifically to families and small groups boasting a removable partitioning wall that separates two identical units. Each side of the cabin can sleep four people in two private rooms on the upper floor. Open the doorways in between, and you may have the whole cabin for as many as eight people! If you’re visiting Canmore this summer, be sure to ask about the new Pat Boswell (Toronto Section) Cabin. For more info, go to: www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca/facility/boswell.html. The Centennial Gazette with its historic content and archival photos was well received and widely applauded as a success. It was more than twice the size of the regular Gazettes and took the contributions of many more volunteers as well as extra resources to produce. This Centennial Mountain Culture project received significant financial assistance from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation and its Heritage Preservation Partnership Program. Much of the Club’s fundraising attention is now focused on a true “legacy” project: the digitization of all issues of the Canadian Alpine Journal (CAJ) since it was first published in 1907. The painstaking work on this project is now in progress and the results will be packaged on a searchable DVD, available later this year. Have a climb in mind and want to read all the CAJ articles ever written on the subject? Click! Want to see all the CAJ articles ever written by or about a particular person? Click! This DVD will be in great demand. I f you are in a position to help with a donation – large or small – to this history-making project or to the many other worthwhile ACC Centennial initiatives, please use the form below. Help the Club hit its $1 million goal! Canadian donors: American donors: The Alpine Club of Canada is a Registered Charitable Organization and will send you a donation tax receipt. Your donation will allow the Club to undertake projects that it could not fund from internal sources. The ACC Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) corporation, whose purposes mirror those of the Alpine Club of Canada. Donations will be put to work in the manner stipulated by the donor, and a U.S. tax receipt will be issued. Please mail the completed form to: Please mail the completed form to: Alpine Club of Canada P.O. Box 8040 Canmore, AB Canada T1W 2T8 I will help YES! Over halfway to our Centennial goal! ACC Foundation 6174 E Borley Rd Coeur d Alene, ID 83814 USA ❏ I would like to contribute to the Centennial Fund ❏ Please use my donation where it is most needed. ❏ Please use my donation to support the Canadian Alpine Journal DVD. ❏ I would rather donate to another Alpine Club of Canada fund: Donation Amount: ❏ Mountain Culture ❏ Environment ❏ Library ❏ Clubhouse / Huts ❏ Leadership Development Name: Membership # I prefer to donate by: ❏ I wish to remain anonymous ❏ Cheque enclosed Mailing / Street Address: City: $______ ❏ MasterCard ❏ VISA . Credit Card # Province: Home Phone: Business Phone: Expiry Date: . / Postal Code: E-mail Address: charitable registration no. rr Signature: Thank you for your support of these worthwhile projects.