Winter 2010 - The Alpine Club of Canada
Winter 2010 - The Alpine Club of Canada
Winter 2010 - The Alpine Club of Canada
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Lynn enjoys a sunny fall day on an unnamed<br />
ridgetop in upper Fryatt Valley, Jasper National<br />
Park.<br />
Photo by Max Sch<strong>of</strong>fel.<br />
Short rope<br />
by Lynn Martel<br />
It never ceases to amaze me, as I<br />
assemble each issue <strong>of</strong> the Gazette,<br />
how a theme develops, nearly always<br />
organically, tying together the issue’s<br />
various articles.<br />
This issue features an interesting<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> stories highlighting how different<br />
<strong>Alpine</strong> <strong>Club</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Canada</strong> members and<br />
projects are demonstrating leadership in<br />
the mountain community.<br />
At the young end <strong>of</strong> the learning<br />
continuum, in September members <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Canada</strong>’s national youth climbing team<br />
proudly competed at the Youth World<br />
Championship in Edinburgh, Scotland.<br />
And recently, the ACC teamed up with<br />
the Army Cadet League <strong>of</strong> <strong>Canada</strong> to<br />
help nurture leadership skills in teenage<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the cadet program.<br />
Last summer, a trio <strong>of</strong> ACC members<br />
who showed exemplary judgement,<br />
generosity and respect in the mountains<br />
were recognized with the very special<br />
Denali Pro Award. In western <strong>Canada</strong>’s<br />
mountains, an ACC-supported project<br />
is helping a motivated PhD candidate<br />
develop better ways to manage human<br />
waste in the backcountry. At the mature<br />
end <strong>of</strong> the spectrum, long-time ACC<br />
member Peter Fuhrmann, who served as<br />
<strong>Club</strong> President and contributed to the<br />
growth and sustainability <strong>of</strong> our club in a<br />
myriad <strong>of</strong> immeasurable ways, including<br />
developing the much appreciated Wapta<br />
Visit the ACC’s online store for:<br />
✦ Select climbing, hiking and ski touring<br />
guidebooks<br />
✦ Large selection <strong>of</strong> topographic maps<br />
✦ ACC labelled apparel and accessories<br />
✦ “Mapitfirst” s<strong>of</strong>tware<br />
ACC members receive a<br />
15% discount <strong>of</strong>f our retail prices!<br />
www.alpineclub<strong>of</strong>canada.ca/store/ or phone 403 678-3200 ext. 1<br />
Icefield huts, was selected as recipient<br />
<strong>of</strong> the prestigious Summit <strong>of</strong> Excellence<br />
award for <strong>2010</strong>.<br />
And on the occasion <strong>of</strong> the 125th<br />
anniversary <strong>of</strong> Banff National Park and<br />
<strong>Canada</strong>’s national park system, the ACC’s<br />
history guru, Zac Robinson, relates how<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Club</strong>’s founding members<br />
helped influence the creation <strong>of</strong> that<br />
intrinsically valuable system <strong>of</strong> protected<br />
lands, even forming <strong>Canada</strong>’s first nongovernmental<br />
watchdog for those parks.<br />
Continuing on the leadership theme,<br />
<strong>Club</strong> President Peter Muir describes<br />
how the ACC is working with affiliated<br />
groups to establish a standardized training<br />
program for section trip leaders.<br />
Clearly, the ACC is continuing its<br />
exemplary century-old tradition <strong>of</strong><br />
providing inspiring leadership, not just as<br />
mountaineers and climbers tying into the<br />
sharp end <strong>of</strong> a rope, but also in the realms<br />
<strong>of</strong> mountain culture, youth development,<br />
preservation <strong>of</strong> wild places and<br />
backcountry huts providing comfort and<br />
shelter for people visiting that wilderness.<br />
How fitting.<br />
As we all plan our winter adventures,<br />
we should all keep in mind the various<br />
ways we might contribute to our club.<br />
We don’t all have the skills or natural<br />
talents to be rope leaders, but we can, all<br />
<strong>of</strong> us, find ways to contribute and provide<br />
leadership through our unique strengths<br />
and expertise. We all have moments <strong>of</strong><br />
strength, doubt, frustration, impatience<br />
and brilliance, and they don’t all happen<br />
in the mountains.<br />
After all, our club’s co-founder,<br />
Elizabeth Parker, did not climb mountains.<br />
She never sought attention, or<br />
congratulations, for bagging any summits<br />
or achieving pr<strong>of</strong>iciency at any technical<br />
climbing grade.<br />
But, without her foresight, courage<br />
and determination—not to mention<br />
fierce patriotism—we would likely not<br />
have a club at all.<br />
<strong>The</strong> true value <strong>of</strong> climbing can only be<br />
measured in combination with our value<br />
as members <strong>of</strong> our entire community—as<br />
children, as siblings and partners, as<br />
parents, as volunteers, as pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and<br />
neighbours.<br />
And in that vein, please take a minute<br />
to recognize the contributions <strong>of</strong> your<br />
fellow ACCers, on and <strong>of</strong>f the mountain<br />
tops, by nominating one <strong>of</strong> them for a<br />
very appropriate—and very special—volunteer<br />
award.<br />
4 <strong>Alpine</strong> <strong>Club</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Canada</strong> Gazette <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2010</strong>