Winter 2011 Gazette - The Alpine Club of Canada

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The Alpine Club of CanadaWhat’s Inside...Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009034Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:The Alpine Club of CanadaBox 8040, Canmore, ABCanada T1W 2T8Phone: (403) 678‐3200Fax: (403) 678‐3224info@alpineclubofcanada.cawww.alpineclubofcanada.caExecutive CommitteePeter Muir PresidentGordon Currie SecretaryNeil Bosch TreasurerSelena Swets VP Access & EnvironmentZac Robinson VP ActivitiesCarl Hannigan VP FacilitiesIsabelle Daigneault VP Mountain CultureDavid Foster VP ServicesMarjory Hind Honorary PresidentLawrence White Executive DirectorPublicationLynn Martel Gazette EditorSuzan Chamney Layout & ProductionNathalie Delbecq TranslatorNathalie Roulin TranslatorSubmissionsSubmissions to the Gazette are welcome!For submission guidelines, please e-mailthe Gazette Editor with your ideas atgazette@alpineclubofcanada.caAdvertisingAdvertising rate sheet available on the website orby request. Please direct all advertising inquiriesto Suzan Chamney, National Office by e‐mail to:ads@alpineclubofcanada.caMembers10 Jen Higgins Fund carries legacy,supports dreams11 Le Fond Jen Higgins porte unhéritage, soutien des rêves14 Bequest honours GMC’s favouritecamper24 I want to be like Fred Beckey26 My favourite volunteer27 Mon bénévole préféréMountaineering / Climbing16 Amateur leadership course awelcome benefit18 Challenges light volunteers’ fire20 Auyuittuq National Park—remote,cold and stunningWhat’s Outside...Cover photo:Inset photo:Facilities28 Bon Echo dreams are worth thewaitMountain Culture / Science22 Ferris NeaveEditorial / National News / Awards8 Short rope8 Notre voie de choix9 Route finding9 ACC Funds and Grants Program15 Nominate a volunteer26 Quick draws30 Open air30 À ciel ouvertJen Higgins Fund recipient Sarah Hart contemplates the start of theupper headwall of The Partition 5.10b, Latok Group, Pakistan, 2007.Photo by Jacqui Hudson. Story on page 10/11.Paul Zizka and Meghan Ward were greeted by this inuksuk at the ArcticCircle on their multi-day ski tour in Auyuittuq National Park. Photo byMeghan J. Ward. Story on page 20.facebook.com/alpineclubofcanadatwitter.com/alpineclubcanCorporate SupportersThe Alpine Club of Canada thanks the following for their support, and encourages you to consider them andthe advertisers in this newsletter the next time you purchase goods or services of the type they offer.Corporate SponsorsCorporate MembersBackcountry AccessBlack Diamond EquipmentDevonian PropertiesForty BelowJardine Lloyd ThompsonLafargeOrtovox CanadaOsprey PacksOutdoor ResearchPatagoniaRocky Mountain BooksScarpaZaui SoftwareClub alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 5

Route findingby Peter MuirThe foundation of this club, theAlpine Club of Canada, beyondits staff and its assets, is thetremendous generosity of it volunteersin time, effort and support. I reflect occasionally,and sometimes vocally, that wemust remember this in all our considerationsand decisions.Once in a while though, a particularevent of generosity reminds us all of howmuch a part of a person’s life the Clubcan become and how dearly those membershold their membership.Recently, the ACC received someparticularly noticeable financial contributions.The recently passed Wally Joyce, along-time Toronto Section member andbeloved part of that community, passed,through his will, an extraordinary donationto the Club’s Endowment Fund. Thedonation is in seven figures.Honorary President, Marj Hind,recently presented a five-figure donationto support a proposal to house the Club’slibrary in an expanded Clubhouse.And long-time member RichardGuy donated six-figure support toamateur training at his beloved GeneralMountaineering Camp in memory of hislovely wife, Louise.Such gifts are remarkable and appreciated.They enable the ACC to increase itsservice to members and to provide wellkeptfacilities to all users. They affirm thedonor’s belief in the mission and objectsof the Club.But such donations are much morethan mere money. They remind us allhow dearly members hold the Club, itshistory and activities in their hearts.They remind us how dedicated membersare to the Club’s objects. Andthey remind us how this Club and itsmembers guide or join a treasured partof people’s lives. In that respect, dollaramount is not the measure of such gifts.Financial benefit is greatly exceeded bythe inspiration such beneficence give usall—trip leaders, staff members, Boardmembers and Club Presidents. It is allworth it, and I thank each and everydonor for their generosity.And I profoundly thank all ACCvolunteers and supporters for all you dofor the Club.Be safe and have fun out there!Peter Muir, ACC PresidentACC Funds and Grants ProgramThrough the generosity of many donors, the Alpine Club of Canada has establishedfunds to support mountaineering related projects and initiatives. Thedeadline for submission of grant applications is January 31, 2012. Grant recipientswill be announced mid-March 2012.The Environment Fund – provides support that contributes to the protection andpreservation of alpine flora and fauna in their natural habitat. The focus of theFund is wilderness conservation.The Jen Higgins Fund – promotes creative and energetic alpine related outdoorpursuits by young women. These projects should demonstrate initiative, creativity,energy and resourcefulness with an emphasis on self-propelled wilderness travel,and should provide value and interest to the community.Jim Colpitts Fund – encourages young climbers between the ages of 17 and 24 toparticipate in mountain related courses and programs such as wilderness first aid,avalanche training, rock/crevasse rescue and mountain leadership training.For complete info and application forms visit: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/grants orcall the ACC National Office at 403-678-3200 ext. 108.de Saint-BonifaceFebruary17, 18 & 19févrierFestival et compétitionwww.cesb.netPartenaires / PartnersSection Saint-Boniface duClub Alpin du Canadad’escalade sur glace | Ice climbing festival and competitionClub alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 9

Jen Higgins Fund carries legacy, supports dreamsby Debbie HigginsThe Stanley Mitchell Hut in LittleYoho Valley is very special to myfamily. It was one of my sisterJen’s favourite places in the world. It’swhere she had her first extended mountainadventure and climbed her first peak,Mount Kerr, at the age of five. It’s alsowhere she was going in the summer of1997 when she was killed in a car accidentjust two hours from the turn-off toTakakkaw Falls. She was 22 years old.Jen was amazing. She was the lifeof every party. She loved the mountains—climbing,hiking, skiing, canoeingand canyoning—from the Rockies tothe Adirondacks, Bon Echo, Nahanni,Tien Shan, Australia and her home inthe Gatineau Park. She was a completeenthusiast, and inspirational far beyondher years in promoting mountain andwilderness pursuits.When she died, Jen’s adventurousspirit became her legacy, and those of usclose to her wanted to make sure it wouldcarry on. Our family had been AlpineClub of Canada members since the early1970s and enjoyed many trips in theRockies and at ACC huts. So, we—alongwith more than 200 friends and familymembers who contributed to the seedmoney—approached the ACC aboutestablishing a fund in Jen’s name.It didn’t take long to settle on the ideaof the Jen Higgins Memorial Trust Fundto support young women carrying outcreative, self-propelled mountain adventures.Bruce Keith, the Club’s ExecutiveDirector at the time, was instrumental inthe process and very helpful in creatinga link between the ACC and Jen’s familyand friends. The ACC Board and thenPresident, Mike Mortimer, were thrilledto provide a home for Jen’s fund, andhelped give a strong start to what is stillthe only national award program thatsupports mountain adventures by youngwomen.Part of the vision was for the fund tobe shaped and driven entirely by women,and to have a selection committee ofexperienced mountain women. JuliaKeenliside was appointed as the Chairand has been dedicated in this role forthe last 12 years. One year, she chaired aconference call—recording minutes andall—while nursing a baby!A strong group of female mountaineersjoined Julia and me to formthe initial selection committee. Duringthe first five years of the fund, ACMGmountain guides Diny Harrison andSylvia Forest sat on the committee, andwould often find a way to join the yearlyconference call via satellite or pay phonewhile guiding a climbing or ski trip.The group was instrumental in layingthe groundwork for the early directionand success of the fund. In the first yearthere was no shortage of applications,but none quite fit the vision we sawfor the fund. The selection committeeunderstood the spirit of Jen’s fund, andover the course of several years developedand refined the selection criteria andfund policies to be both practical andsuccessful.A competitive application must meetthe following criteria:●●●●●●●●●●All applicants must be young (17 to30), female, and a member of theACC.The trip must take place in a mountainenvironment.It must be a fully self-propelledadventure.The trip should be unique andcreative, offer a challenge to theparticipants, but need not betechnically challenging.The participants must havea plan to give back to thecommunity what they havelearned and experienced ontheir trip.These selection criteriareally capture Jen’s spirit, andhave resulted in the fund supporting15 trips since 1997, withan impressive range of adventuresover the years. If the trip has allthe right ingredients—especiallyshowing initiative and creativity—itwill be considered. Trips donot need to be first ascents or highlytechnical to qualify. Factors such asthe safety and feasibility of the tripare also considered by thecommittee. Giving back tothe community is key,whether through presentations,researchor school visits.An average of about $4000 per yearhas been awarded since the fund started,with a wide range of projects being successful.Some have been highly technicalclimbing trips involving first ascents orfirst all-women’s ascents of high altitudepeaks or granite walls. Some have shownoriginality in other ways, such as sailing,kayaking, canoeing or biking into alpineareas to begin their trip goals of a mountainascent or ski traverse. Others haveprovided leadership opportunities foryoung women aspiring to be guides.Today we receive yearly applicationsfrom young women planning trips inmountain regions all over the world. Onething they all share is their enthusiasmand energy.As long-time committee member,Liz Scremin said, “It’s a pleasure toaward funds to the best of the applicants,knowing that the funds will make theiradventures possible. In this way, the JenHiggins Fund fosters imagination andContinued on page 12.Jen Higgins is all geared up—smile included—forski touring outside the ACC’s Neil Colgan Hut,1992. photo by her dad, Richard Higgins.10 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011

Le Fond Jen Higgins porte un héritage, soutien des rêvespar Debbie HigginsLa cabane Stanley Mitchel dansla Petite Vallée de Yoho est trèsspéciale pour ma famille. C’étaitun des endroits préféré de ma sœur Jendans le monde entier. C’est là où elle avécu sa première aventure prolongée enmontagne et atteint son premier sommet,le Mont Kerr, à l’âge de cinq ans. C’estaussi là qu’elle se rendait l’été de 1997lorsqu’elle a été tuée dans un accident devoiture à juste deux heures du tournantpour Takakkaw Falls. Elle avait 22 ans.Jen était incroyable. Elle amenait de lavie dans chaque occassions. Elle aimait lesmontagnes, grimper, marcher, skier, fairedu canoe et du canyoning, des Rocheusesaux Adirondacks, à Bon Echo, Nahanni,Tien Shan, en Australie et à la maison auparc Gatineau. Elle était une passionnéecomplète et inspirait bien au-delà de sesannées la promotion des poursuites enmontagne et nature sauvage.Quand elle est décédée, l’esprit aventureuxde Jen est devenu son héritageet ceux de nous qui étions proche d’ellevoulions nous assurer que cet espritdurerait. Notre famille a été membre duClub Alpin du Canada depuis le débutdes années 1970 et avons joui de nombreusessorties dans les Rocheuses et à descabanes du CAC. Alors nous, ainsi queplus de 200 amis et membres de famillesqui avons contribué à semer l’argent, noussommes approchés du CAC afin d’établirun fond au nom de Jen.Cela n’a pas pris long pour arriver àl’idée du Fond Fiduciaire Commémoratifpour soutenir des jeunes femmes menantà bien des aventures en montagnes créativeset autopropulsée. Bruce Keith, leDirecteur Exécutif du Club en ce temps,a été instrumental dans le processus etd’une aide précieuse en créant un lienentre le CAC et la famille et les amis deJen. Le Conseil du CAC et ensuite lePrésident, Mike Mortimer, étaient ravide pourvoir un foyer au fond de Jen eta aidé à donner un bon départ à ce quiest encore le seul programme de boursenational qui soutien des aventures enmontagnes entreprises par des femmes.Une partie de la vision était que lefond soit mis en forme et conduit par desfemmes uniquement et d’avoir un comitéde sélection consistant de femmes expérimentéesen montagne. Julia Keenlisidefut nommée Présidente et s’est dédiée à cerôle pour les derniers 12 ans. Une année,elle a présidé un conférence téléphonique,prenant des notes et tout, pendant qu’elleallait un bébé !Le groupe a été instrumental enposant la base pour la direction du débutet le succès du fond. La première annéece ne sont pas les candidatures qui ontmanqués mais pas une seule ne correspondaità la vision que nous avionsdu fond. Le comité de sélection comprisl’esprit du fond de Jen et au cours desannées développa et affina les critères desélection et les polices du fond afin qu’ilssoient à la fois pratique et menant ausuccès.Une candidature concurrentielle doitremplir les critères suivants :●●Toutes les candidates doivent être●●●●●●●●jeune (entre 17 et 30 ans)et être membredu CAC.Le voyage doit prendre place dans unenvironnement de montagne.Cela doit être une aventureautopropulsée.Le voyage doit être unique et créatif,offrir un défi aux participants sans êtretechniquement difficile.Les participants doivent avoir pourprojet de redonner à la communautéce qu’elles auront appris et expérimentépendant de leur voyage.Ces critères de sélection capturentvraiment l’esprit de Jen et ont eu pourrésultat de soutenir 15 voyages depuis1997, représentant une gamme d’aventuresimpressionnante au cours des années. Sile voyage a tous les ingrédients, montrantparticulièrement de l’initiative et de lacréativité, il sera considéré. Ces voyagesn’ont pas besoin d’être des premièresascensions ou être techniquement difficilepour se qualifier. Des facteurs tels que lasécurité et la faisabilité du voyage sontaussi considéré par le comité. Et redonnerà la communauté est clé, que ce soit pardes présentations, de la recherche ou desvisites d’écoles.Une moyenne de $4000 a été décernédepuis que le fond a commencé avec unelarge gamme de projets mené au succès.Certains ont été des voyages d’escaladehautement technique impliquant despremières ascensions ou des premièresascensions par des femmes uniquementde sommet en haute altitude et de murContinué sur la page 13.Club alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 11

Continued from page 10.ingenuity, mountain skills and leadership.Over the years, a few applicants havereceived funding multiple times, and inthose cases, it’s been especially rewardingto watch the women progress in theirclimbing careers.”The fund continues to grow andmature. Recently, two successful grantrecipients, Jacqui Hudson and KatyHolm, were invited to join the committee.They bring both a wealth of climbingexperience and perspective as youngfemale climbers.“Now older, and alas with far lessfree time but perhaps more money, I amhonoured to have been asked to sit on thecommittee for the Jen Higgins Fund, andannually read the applications from thosewho are embracing the same enthusiasmand shoe-string approach I did before,”Hudson said. “Go girls!”It has been 11 years since we startedthe fund in Jen’s memory. Since then,nearly $50,000 has been awarded toyoung women who share her drive andenthusiasm. Jen’s fund continues to makea significant contribution to women’smountaineering and to the ACC.I am inspired by the way the fund hasevolved, by the young women it supports,and by the knowledge that Jen’s legacycarries on in both.Lena Rowat walks along the southwest shore ofAlsek Lake in Alaska during the St. Elias and MountLogan ski traverse, 2002. photo by Kari Medig.Jen Higgin’s Fund recipients2011 Denali Acute Mountain Sickness Studies. – Laura Morrison.2010 a) Female climbing expedition to the Tasermiut Fiord, Greenland.– Jasmine Caton, Jen Olson, Kate Rutherford.b) Kayak-accessed ski tour to the Waddington Range.– Line Veenstra.2009 Wild Ski Yin: first all-female ski traverse from Terrace to Kemano, B.C.– Lydia Marmont and Selena Cordeau.2008 First ascent of west face of Aguja Desmochada, Argentina.– Jacqueline Hudson and Sarah Hart.2007 First ascent of Peak 5700 metres, “Hidden Tower”, in the Panmah MuztaghRange of the Karakorum, Pakistan.– Sarah Hart, Jacqueline Hudson and Luisa Giles.2006 One Outstanding Out-trip: a three-week self-propelled expedition (paddle,hike, climb) in the Coast Mountains, B.C. – Krystil Koethler, Ellen Morgan.2005 First ascents on 5000- to 6000-metre unclimbed peaks in Sichuan province,China. – Aidan Oloman, Katy Holm, Katherine Fraser.2004 Vancouver to the Aleutians: sailing from Vancouver, stopping to climb MountFairweather and Mount St. Elias. – Roberta Holden and Dora Repard.2003 Vampire Spires All-Female Expedition, NWT: first ascents and first femaleascents. – Jasmin Caton and Amelia Patterson.2002 a) Vertical Ski Traverse: Reaching over Mount Logan, skiing 700 kilometresfrom Haines to Cordova, Alaska, traversing the length of Mount Logan andascending mounts Vancouver and St. Elias on the way.– Jacqueline Hudson, Merrie-Beth Board, Lena Rowat and Ruby Rowat.b) Las Hermanas de Las Montanas: two sisters making a film while climbingpeaks in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru.– Katy-Robin Garton and Rachael Garton.2001 Peaks of Fire, Mexico: two women climbing Mexican volcanoes.– Nadia Bonenfant and Kathia Voyer.2000 a) Sailing and mountaineering traverse of Cascade Inlet, B.C.– Crystal Huscroft and Elisabeth Clifford.b) Four-week canoe and mountaineering trip down the Stikine River, fromTelegraph Cove to Wrangell, Alaska. – Katy Holm and Ann-Marie Conway.c) Hiking the historic route traveled by Donald “Curly” Phillips from MountRobson northwest to Mount Sir Alexander in Kakwa Park.– Alexa Pitoulis, Jennifer Russell, Sheila Steinke and Tara Szkorupa.

Continué de la page 11.de granite. Certains ont montré del’originalité d’autre façon, tel que de voyageren voile, kayak, canoë ou vélo dans desendroits alpins pour commencer le but duvoyage qui était un sommet de montagneou une traversée à ski. D’autres ont donnél’opportunité à des jeunes femmes voulantêtre guide de montagne de prendre encharge un groupe. Aujourd’hui nous recevonsdes candidatures de jeunes femmesplanifiant des voyages dans des régionsdu monde entier. Et toutes partagent lemême enthousiasme et la même énergie.En tant que membre du comité depuislongtemps, Liz Scremin dit, “C’est unplaisir de décerner des fons aux meilleurescandidates, sachant que les fondsvont rendre leur aventure possible. Decette façon, le fond Jen Higgins favorisel’imagination et l’ingéniosité, les compétencesen montagne et la prise en chargede groupe. Au cours des années, un petitnombre de candidates a bénéficié desfonds plusieurs fois, et dans ces cas, cela aété particulièrement enrichissant de voirces femmes progresser dans leur carrièresen escalade.”Le fond continue de grandir et demurir. Récemment deux candidates ayantreçu la bourse, Jacqui Hudson et KatyHolm, ont été invitées à joindre le comité.Elles amènent toutes deux une riched’expérience en escalade et la perspectivede jeunes femmes grimpeuses.“Maintenant plus âgée, avec hélasbeaucoup moins de temps libre maispeut-être plus d’argent, je suis honoréeque l’ont m’ait demandé de m’asseoir ausein du comité pour le Fond Jen Higgins,et je lis annuellement les candidatures decelles qui ont le même enthousiasme et lamême ….. ( ?) approche que moi auparavant,”dit Hudson. “Allez les filles!”Cela fait 11 ans que nous avons commencéle fond en souvenir de Jen. Depuislors près de $50,000 a été décerné à desjeunes femmes qui partagent son dynamismeet son enthousiasme. Le fond deJen continue de faire une contributionsignificative à l’alpinisme féminin et auCAC. Je me sens inspirée par la façondont le fond a évolué, par les jeunesfemmes qu’il soutien et de savoir quel’héritage de Jen se poursuit dans les deux.Traduit par Nathalie Roulin membre duCAC.Bénéficiaires du Fonds Jen Higgin’s2011 Études du Mal aigu des montagnes Dénali. – Laura Morrison.2010 a) Expédition d’escalade de femmes au Tasermiut Fjord, Groenland.– Jasmine Caton, Jen Olson, Kate Rutherford.b) Tournée en ski au Waddington Range en Kayak.– Line Veenstra.2009 Ski Sauvage Yin: Première traversée en ski de Terrace à Kemano, CB.– Lydia Marmont et Selena Cordeau.2008 Première ascension de la face ouest de Aguja Desmochada en Argentine.– Jaqueline Hudson et Sarah Hart.2007 Première ascension de “Hidden Tower” un sommet de 5700 mètres, qui ceretrouve dans la chaîne de montagne Panmah Muztagh dans le Karakorum auPakistan. – Sarah Hart, Jacqueline Hudson and Luisa Giles.2006 Une excursion extraordinaire une expédition auto propulser de trois semaine(ramer,randonner, escalader) dans les montagnes de la côte ouest, C.B.– Krystil Koethler,Ellen Morgan.2005 Premières ascensions des sommets de 5000 à 6000 mètres jamais grimpés dansla province Sichuan en Chine. – Aidan Oloman, Katy Holm, Katherine Fraser.2004 Vancouver aux Aléoutiennes: à voile de Vancouver un arrêt pour escalader leMont Fairweather et le Mont St. Elias. – Roberta Holden et Dora Repard.2003 Expédition entièrement féminine des Cimes Vampire, TNO: première ascensionset première ascension composé seulement de femmes.– Jasmine Caton et Amelia Patterson.2002 a) Une traversée en ski vertical: Parcourir le mont Logan: skier 700 kilomètresde Haines à Cordova en Alaska, en traversant la longueur du mont Logan etescaladent les monts Vancouver et St. Elias.– Jacqueline Hudson, Merrie-Beth Board, Lena Rowat and Ruby Rowat.b) Las Hermanas de Las Montanas: deux sœurs font un film lorsqu’elles escaladentles sommets de la Cordillera Blanca au Péru.– Katy-Robin Garton and Rachel Garton.2001 Sommets de feux, Mexique: deux femmes escaladent des volcans au Mexique.– Nadia Bonenfant et Kathia Voyer.2000 a) Une traversée à voile et en alpinisme du bras de mer Cascade, CB.– Crystal Huscroft and Elisabeth Clifford.2000 b) Une expédition de quatre semaine d’alpinisme et de canoe sur la rivièreStikine de Telegraph Cove à Wrangell en Alaska.– Katy Holm et Ann-Marie Conway.2000 c) Suivre la randonnée historique que Donald “Curly” Phillips a prit du montrobson vers le nord-ouest jusqu’au mont Sir Alexander dans le parc Kakwa.– Alexa Pitoulis, Jennifer Russell, Sheila Steinke et Tara Szkorupa.Traduit par Nathalie Delbecq membre du CAC.Club alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 13

Bequest honours GMC’s favourite camperby Chic ScottLouise Guy loved the AlpineClub of Canada GeneralMountaineering Camps. Over theyears she attended 31 camps and climbeddozens of mountains. Her smiling facecheered us on when the weather was coldand grey and when the sun shone she waswith us on the peaks. I remember climbingthe Three Blind Mice at the 1989Fryatt Creek camp with Louise whenshe was 71 years old. Steep loose rockand exposure seemed not to faze her. Sherevelled in the heights.Louise and her husband, Richard,came to Canada in 1965 when they werealmost 50 years of age. Here they discoveredthe Rocky Mountains. She oftentold me that the best years of their liveswere spent in Canada. In the EnglishLake District they had done lots ofhill walking and in Asia they had hadsome mountain adventures, but it wasin Canada that they became climbers.Richard excelled on snow and Louiseloved the rock. Despite her age, sheteamed up with Eckhardt Grassman toclimb the south face of Mount Yamnuska.Louise was at first intimidated bythe elite attitude of the Alpine Club ofCanada and climbed with friends fromthe University of Calgary math department,where Richard was a professor.In 1970, however, she went to her firstACC General Mountaineering Camp(GMC) in the Tonquin Valley, and shewas hooked. Camps followed at FryattCreek in 1972, Mount Robson in 1974 andat Farnham Creek in 1975.In 1984 the Club was experiencingserious financial difficulty and the ACCBoard of Directors was consideringdropping the GMC as it had lost moneythat year at Glacier Circle. The GMChas traditionally been the cornerstoneof the ACC—it was the first event thatthe Club organized back in 1906 and hasbeen held every year since. In 1985 BradHarrison took over the GMC, running acamp at the Wates-Gibson Hut. Louisesoon stepped forward to assist Brad bypromoting the camp, personally writingdozens of letters to ACC members andto clubs in the USA and elsewhere urgingthem to attend. This effort paid off, andby 1987, after the success of the FarnhamCreek camp, the future looked veryLouise Guy at base camp on the shore of Houston Lake, 2005 Moby Dick GMC. photo by Jordan Smith.positive. Since then the GMC has thrivedand now runs six weeks each year, withabout 180 participants in total. As it wasin the early years of the ACC, the GMCis still the cornerstone of the Club.Despite their growing years, Louiseand Richard continued to attend thecamp. Sleeping low to the ground becamedifficult, so Brad built a raised bunk forthem. The more adventurous climbs gaveway to modest climbs and hikes, but stillthey came. Louise became an expert onalpine flora and an expert fixer of blisters.Whenever a job needed doing Louisewas the first to volunteer. She was alsoa wealth of information and supportfor Brad, who began running Canada’slargest mountaineering camp while stillin his 20s.In 1996 at the Icefall Brook camp, fiveold timers, the Wooden Ice Axe Team,climbed Mons Peak together. Of thatgroup—Don Forest, Wally Joyce, RonNaylor, Louise and Richard Guy—onlyRichard remains. It is a lovely memory,however, and a reminder of the beautyand transience of the moment.Between 1987 and 2009 Louiseattended every camp. In 2010, sensingthat the end was near Louise did notcome to camp. She died on September 30,2010 at the age of 92. Despite a numberof health issues over the years, she hadlived a wonderful and adventurous life.For many of us she was an example ofhow to live a good life and how to growold with undiminished enthusiasm andspiritual beauty. To honour Louise andher love for the General MountaineeringCamp, Richard has donated $100,000to the ACC to train amateur leaders.Amateur leaders have been fundamentalto the success of the GMC since itsinception and many of these men andwomen helped Louise reach her summitsover the years. This donation is a way toensure that the tradition of competentleadership at the GMC continues. In herown private way, Louise will be standingwith us on our summits for many decadesto come.ACC NewsNetStay up-to-date on the latestclimbing, access and environmentnews via the ACC’s weeklye‐Bulletin.Subscribe to the ACC NewsNet bysending an e-mail to:NewsNet@alpineclubofcanada.cafacebook.com/alpineclubofcanadatwitter.com/alpineclubcan14 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011

Nominate avolunteerEvery year, the members of theAlpine Club of Canada’s AwardsCommittee volunteer their timeto sift through numerous nominationsto determine the recipients of the Club’sVolunteer Awards.Nominations are now open foroutstanding Alpine Club of Canadavolunteers of 2011. The following awardsrecognize and celebrate ACC volunteersfor their contributions to the Club and itsmembers:l A.O. Wheeler Legacy Awardl Honorary Membershipl President’s Awardl Silver Rope for Leadership Awardl Distinguished Service Awardl Don Forest Service Awardl Eric Brooks Leader AwardFor details on how to nominate avolunteer and nomination forms, visitwww.alpineclubofcanada.ca/awards orcall the ACC National Office at (403)678-3200 ext. 108 to receive the informationby mail.Deadline for nominations isDecember 31, 2011.PSST!Do you wanna be a famous writer?Ok, how about just a writer?Contact the Gazette editor atgazette@alpineclubofcanada.ca tohave your article, story or eventpublished in the Gazette.Think outside.RMB is pleased to present the thirdedition of Summits and Icefields 1,one of our bestselling guidebooks.Researched and written by legendaryalpinist Chic Scott, with the assistanceof mountain guide Mark Klassen,this new volume will continueto be the bible of ski mountaineersin the Canadian Rockies. With newdestinations, updated and expandedtours, stunning photography andsatellite digital maps, Summits &Icefields will set a new standard forski guides in North America.The Canadian Rockies in winter arenothing short of spectacular, andsnowshoes afford a fun and excitingway to see some of the best winterscenery in Canada. Snowshoeing inthe Canadian Rockies describes 61great routes for snowshoers of allskill levels. From an easy day on flatterrain amid beautiful surroundingsto magnificent views from thechallenging summit of a picturesquemountain, you will find it in thisspectacular new book.Supporting the Bow Valley Since 1906Club alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 15

a lot about its strength. The new v-shapedsnow stakes with a mid-clip cable willbecome the norm in the future. We alsoreviewed crevasse rescue.Fellow course participant PeterFindlay and I were amateur leaders duringWeek 3 of the 2011 Mount SomervellGMC. It was a great week of eating,sleeping and climbing—who could askfor anything more? Our new training wasput to work under snowy and wet conditions.I would highly suggest other ACCmembers join the amateur leader poolfor the GMC, and to take advantage ofevery mountaineering course offered bythe Club.The course attendees—Peter Findlay,Debbie Findlay, Masten Brolsma, DannyVerrall, Tristan Rasmussen, Deryl Kelly,Ian Curran and Chuck Young—are allgrateful to our course instructors, CyrilShokoples and Matt Reynolds, for sharingtheir knowledge over those threedays. Thanks also go to ACC ProgramsDirector, Toby Harper, and to BradHarrison for arranging the weekend.As well, all the participants wouldlike to extend a very sincere thank you toRichard and Louise Guy for their verygenerous donation to the Alpine Club ofCanada’s amateur leader fund.From left, Chuck Young, Richard Guy and Peter Findlay soak in the ambiance at the 2011 Mt. Somervell GMC.Karl NagyMemorial AwardThe Karl Nagy Memorial Awardwas established in 2001 to assistamateur leaders and guides inthe development of their leadershipskills. Until his death in 2000, Karl setan outstanding example as a mentor inthe mountains and was well known forhis leadership, safety and success.This award provides an opportunityfor Alpine Club of Canada(ACC) aspiring amateur leaders andAssociation of Canadian MountainGuides (ACMG) candidates toparticipate at the ACC GeneralMountaineering Camp.Alpine Club amateur leaders andACMG candidates are given priorityin alternating years; 2012 is setfor an aspiring guide. All applicantsmust be current ACC members.Deadline for applications is January31, 2012. For more information, visitwww.alpineclubofcanada.ca/grants/Club alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 17

Challenges light volunteers’ fire“by Amy MacKinnonYou can find a way so thatANYONE can try rock climbing,”Mark Wellman told meover the phone as we sorted out somefinal details for the first ever AdaptedClimbing Workshop, which took placein Edmonton, Alberta in May, 2011. Heshould know, he was injured in a climbingaccident more than 20 years ago thatleft him a paraplegic, and scaled someof the most epic big walls in climbing,Yosemite’s El Capitan and Half Dome,AFTER he incurred his injury. Wellmanhas made a name for himself in the USAteaching people with a variety of disabilitiesto rock climb, which made himthe perfect person to teach the AdaptedClimbing Workshop.The workshop, hosted at Edmonton’sVertically Inclined Rock Gym, wasattended by rock climbing instructors,rock guides and volunteers forthe Alberta branch of the CanadianParaplegic Association’s OutdoorAdventures Program. Workshop participantslearned how to adapt climbing forthose with a variety of abilities, testedout pull-up bars attached to ascenders,rock chaps and other adapted climbingequipment, and were thrown right intothe task as they assisted volunteers withdisabilities to suit up and scale the gymwall for their very first time.Everyone was a little apprehensive.Looking at a person in their wheelchair,one thinks: how on earth is this going towork? They’ve got no function of theirlower body, and only partial function oftheir upper body. Once the person wasin the harness and heading up the wallhowever, it all came together. You reallydidn’t see the disability anymore, onlywhat they were able to do.Breaking down barriers to exposepeople with physical disabilities to outdooractivities such as hand-cycling, trailrunning with the TrailRider, canoeing,kayaking and of course, rock climbing,was my mission through the 2011spring and summer with the OutdoorAdventures Program. The program’sdevelopment was quite authentic andcame about almost by accident. As anavid outdoor enthusiast, I signed up as anAlpine Club of Canada member a coupleof years ago. As I received updates aboutMargaret Conquest (has incomplete quadriplegia), is prepared for her first climb ever up the rock face atWindy Point in Nordegg, Alberta. Pieces of sleeping mats wrapped with duct tape protect her elbowsfrom being scraped on the rock.exciting trips and read about other members’awesome adventures in ACC publications,I wanted to get out even more.As outdoor enthusiasts are, I’m keen tobring others into this world in the hopesthey will become one of the converted.So naturally, when friends and coworkers,who are wheelchair users, started askingabout all this “outdoor stuff ” I do, I madeit my mission to convert them. I startedthinking about how they, too, couldparticipate in the types of trips describedin ACC publications. I quickly realizedthere are few, if any, opportunities forpeople with physical disabilities to participatein outdoor activities due to lackof knowledge, access to adapted equipmentand understanding. This realizationlit my fire, and gave birth to the beginningsof something much bigger than Icould have ever imagined.An Adapted Climbing Workshopinstructed by North America’s mostreknowned disabled climber, a six-weekindoor climbing program and an outdoorclimbing trip to Nordegg, Alberta withguides from the Centre for OutdoorEducation later, and we successfullyopened the gates to the outdoors, makingthem accessible to EVERYONE.Until we made it to Nordegg, though,no one was really sure that it was possible.Everything until that point was practicedin a safe, indoor facility complete withpadded flooring and no exposure to theelements. When we got outside it wasbrand new again to all of us. Climbingat Windy Point exposed us to the elements,and an accessible climbing areameant driving through a ditch off thehighway to a garden of rocks and droppingoff each wheelchair user one by onein an area of brush, trees and roots. Someamazing things, however, happened.Margaret, an adventurous womanwith quadriplegia climbed an outdoorrock face for the first time in her life andtook in the views overlooking AbrahamLake. Brian, a paraplegic, scaled the rockface with his bare hands and no use of hislegs. Ross, also a paraplegic, overcame hisfear of heights and the need to “keep (his)two wheels firmly planted on the ground.”And we all discovered brand new uses forsleeping mats and duck tape.It hasn’t been easy though. It’s takena lot of hard work and determination onthe part of everyone involved, includingthe participants. They have fears andapprehensions those living without adisability can’t even begin to understand.They are out there, however, climbingfacebook.com/alpineclubofcanadatwitter.com/alpineclubcan18 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011

Margaret Conquest pulls herself up the rock with the pulley bar attached tothe rope. Because of limited hand function, she has wrist straps with hooksthat she uses to hook onto the pulley bar to pull down, propelling her up.A volunteer helps Brian McPherson (has incomplete paraplegia), move awayfrom his wheelchair and up on to the rock wall.and overcoming every single one of thosefears because they’ve become converted.Every single one of them wheeled awayfrom that weekend with a thirst for more,and plans to get into the outdoors againsoon.For some, these opportunities reallyare life changing. At one point duringthe weekend, a teary-eyed Margaret toldme, “When I was injured at 16 years old,I contemplated suicide. I was depressed,and at the time I could not conceive howgreat my life would become and that I,as a quadriplegic, would ever be out here,doing all of this.”These stories keep my fire lit, and keepme working to improve access to the wilderness.Able-bodied people sometimestake for granted their ability to access thebackcountry and participate on a levelthat not everyone can. Or that they haveaccess to some of the most remote andbeautiful parts of this great country, andcan escape the lights, sounds and smellsof urban centers.So I challenge everyone to do something,big or small, to help those withlimited access share in the wonders thatthe rest of us are able to enjoy on a regularbasis: become one of the converted.To learn more, contact AmyMacKinnon at 780-424-6312 orAmy.Mackinnon@cpa-ab.orgBrian McPherson, tired after his second climb, showsoff some very well used sleeping mats on his knees.Club alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 19

Auyuittuq National Park—remote, cold and stunningstory and photos by Meghan J. WardI’ll admit I had some apprehensionswhen my husband and fellow AlpineClub of Canada member, Paul Zizka,recommended we take a five-day skitouring trip in Auyuittuq National Parkon Baffin Island. The thought of skiingin sub-zero temperatures in the Arcticconcerned me. I gingerly agreed, hopingthat by planning our trip in April we’dencounter slightly warmer temperatures.Despite my apprehensions, as our20-passenger plane descended into thefjords of Pangnirtung, I knew I’d found anew place to love on this planet.Through the aircraft window I couldsee steep rock faces plastered in snow,their upper ridges rounded from glacialretreat. Bumps on the horizon resembledthe backsides of large whales rising out ofthe sea ice—black speckles of rock juttingup from an otherwise smooth, white,treeless surface. Blue sky greeted us to theNunavummiut village of 1500 inhabitantsa couple of dozen kilometres from theArctic Circle.The fjords of Pangnirtung, or “Pang,”are the gateway to Auyuittuq, a 19,089-square-kilometre expanse of sharp peaks,narrow valleys and huge icefields. Hometo mounts Thor and Asgard, the park is aclimber’s and wilderness lover’s dream.Paul and I planned to have an outfitter,Peter Kilabuk, deliver us as far northinto the park as a snowmobile couldaccess. From there we would ski toAsgard and back south to Windy LakesCabins—about 60 kilometres over fivedays.Reality checkOne of our first stops in Pang wasthe Parks Canada office, where I quicklydiscovered my initial fears about spendingfour nights out in the arctic cold weren’tso unfounded. An average of six partiesventure into Auyuittuq National Parkeach winter, a touring season that starts atthe end of March due to harsh, cold temperaturesand ends in May as the snowand ice start to melt. The area is famousfor strong, biting, northerly winds. Of theparties that entered Auyuittuq the sameseason as us, half were evacuated due tosevere frostbite or hypothermia.Despite our collective experiencetravelling in the backcountry in harshconditions, park staff reminded us of thesymptoms of frostbite and hypothermiaand encouraged us to make use of theemergency shelters located about every 10kilometres along the Akshayuk Pass trail.By that point my confidence wasreduced to an imperceptible level. Thepark staff half-expected us to be rescuedfrom our trip and, based on their statistics,they had every right to.The night before our departure, wefaced a conundrum: no fuel in Pang wascompatible with our two stoves—essentialto melt snow for water and prepareour freeze-dried food. Paul called Peter,who told us he’d found a small Colemancamp stove and some white gas. Thismeant that we would have only onestove—and no back-up—but at least ourtrip was a “go.”The next morning we met Peter,geared up in heavy-duty expedition suitsfor the snowmobile ride, threw our gearin the qamutiqs (sleds) and headed ontothe sea ice. Our first stop was an inuksukmarking the Arctic Circle.Within an hour, our eyes opened up tothe allure of the remote terrain as MountTravellers are greeted by this inuksuk at the ArcticCircle.Paul Zizka skis along a frozen riverbed on daythree of his and Meghan Ward’s ski tour inAuyuittuq National Park.20 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011

Thor’s west face rose steadily in front ofus. We stopped at one of the emergencyshelters at its base for some hot chocolateand to strip ourselves of the bombproofoutfits we’d been wearing on the way up.I had been dreading the momentwhen Peter would drive away on thesnowmobile, leaving us alone in thevast wilderness. Suddenly that momentarrived, 46 kilometres from Pangnirtung.With a wave of his hand, Peter revved hismotor and took off. Paul and I glancedat one another, our faces full of anxiousexcitement. We lifted our heavy loadsonto our backs, clipped into our skis andbegan our day of skiing into unfamiliarterritory.We only had nine kilometres untilthe next emergency shelter, but with ourheavy packs, that was plenty. One iconicpeak after another passed slowly by as wefollowed the riverbed that flows throughAkshayuk Pass. Thor, with its impressive105-degree overhang, stole the spotlightthroughout the day. Unfortunately, photographywas difficult. The camera batteryhad to stay warm in my chest pocketand be inserted into the camera for eachfinger-freezing photo op.Just as my energy really began to fade,the Summit Lakes Cabins appeared; anorange oasis brightening an otherwisebarren landscape. I had skied all day infive upper layers, including double downjackets, and never broke a sweat.Skiing with a barbequeFirst on the agenda—get the stovegoing to melt snow to rehydrate ourdinners. After two hours of trying, theonly thing igniting was the lighter. Withno choice, we called Peter on the satelliteThe Summit Lakes Cabin was a welcome sight after a full day of skiing in arctic temperatures.phone. He told us to “try this” and “trythat” and eventually said, “I’ll be therein two hours.” Bewildered that he wouldmake such a trip in the dark, we got cozyin our sleeping bags to fight off the chillsas the mercury dipped to -30 C. The nextday we would ski to our northernmostpoint, the stunning tower of Asgard, andwe needed rest.A few hours later our outfitter, nowhero, greeted us in the dark and pulledout an awkwardly large, briefcase-sizedColeman two-burner camping stove. Heshowed us how to use the monster andI tried to pay attention to his directionswhile my mind wandered to the obviousquestion: how are we going to carry thisthing? Thankfully, Paul seemed gung-hoto carry “the barbeque,” as we called it.Our trip could continue.After filling our bottles and rehydratingour dinners with hot water from athermos, Peter left as quickly as he came,his snowmobile engine growing fainter inthe cold, arctic air. Frozen from an eveningof immobility and fruitless attemptsto start the cooking stove, we returned toour sleeping bags and shivered our way todreamland.That was day one. Four days later wearrived back in Pangnirtung, safe andsound and frostbite free.Rocky Mountain Section MeghanJ. Ward is an outdoor, travel andadventure writer. Visit her atwww.meghanjoyward.comThe “barbeque” was an unplanned, but verywelcome addition to the skiers’ AuyuittuqNational Park adventure.Club alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 21

Hugh (left) and Ferris Neave share the SouthwestSummit of Mount Colonel Foster in July, 1957.photo by Karl Ricker.Ferris Neaveby Lindsay ElmsFerris Neave was born nearMacclesfield, Cheshire, Englandin 1901, the eldest of six children.He graduated in 1923 from the Universityof Manchester with an Honours Biologydegree, then answered an ad seekingvolunteers to relocate to the Prairies ofCanada to help with the annual grainharvest. At the end of the season Ferrisreturned to Manchester to work as anentomologist at the Manchester Museum,where his Honours Baccalaureate wasupgraded to Masters of Science. Thisallowed him to return to Winnipeg in1925 and accept a lecturer’s position at theUniversity of Manitoba. There, facultymember Alexander Bajkov stimulatedFerris’ interest in aquatic insects, leadingto a lifelong interest in fisheries. Inthe summers of 1926 and 1927, Ferrisand Balkov studied, on behalf of theBiological Board of Canada, the fisheriesof Jasper National Park. Through hisresearch Ferris was elevated to the rankof assistant professor, despite his lack of adoctorate degree.22 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011Ferris’ love of the outdoors and climbingbegan back in England on the familyproperty, The Clough, where, with threeof his siblings, he climbed on local rockbluffs. After arriving in Winnipeg, Ferrisbegan visiting the nearby rock quarries atGunton with Alex McCoubrey, Chair ofthe Alpine Club of Canada’s WinnipegSection. In March 1927, Ferris joined theWinnipeg Section Executive Committee.Ferris and McCoubrey’s first expeditionwas a month-long traverse in B.C.’sPurcell Mountains in 1928. After thetrip, Ferris attended the ACC’s GeneralMountaineering Camp (GMC) at theLake of the Hanging Glaciers, wherehe qualified for active membership (asrequired at the time) by climbing a10,000-foot peak erroneously namedMount (David) Thompson but laterofficially decreed Mount Monica.In autumn, 1928, Ferris’ youngerbrother, Roger, arrived in Manitoba. Thefollowing year the Neave brothers headedwest with McCoubrey to the Earl GreyPass area of the Purcell Mountains, wherethey made several first ascents, includingMount Toby. After attending that year’sGMC, Ferris spent 10 days climbingin Banff National Park. He made threeascents of Mount Louis (including two ina single day), a new route on the east faceof Castle Mountain (Eisenhower Tower)and climbed the southeast peak of MountPeechee.In 1932, McCoubrey, the Neave brothersand a newcomer, Cam Secord, visitedthe Yoho Valley in Yoho National Parkto investigate the area’s potential for aski mountaineering camp. They climbedmounts Yoho, Gordon, Olive and Collieon skis and in the Little Yoho they alsoascended Mount Vice President. Thesecond leg of the trip was into LakeO’Hara, but Ferris concluded that regionwas inferior to the Yoho for skiing. Theforay however, sparked the WinnipegSection’s interest in establishing a hut inLittle Yoho.The next year, McCoubrey convincedFerris and Roger to attempt theunclimbed Mount Waddington in B.C.’sCoast Mountains by a route Don andPhyllis Munday had not yet tested. OnJune 22, 1934, Ferris and Roger Neave,Cam Secord and Arthur Davidsonstarted out, arriving three weeks later atthe toe of the Tiedemann Glacier. Froma high camp they made several attempts,but were ultimately turned back less than150 metres below the summit: runningout of daylight hours, the snow-covered,verglas-sheathed rock slowed theirprogress. Their epic descent forced themto bivy in an ice cave to sit out an overnightsnowstorm. The following day theyreached base camp in clearing weather,but with no supplies for a further attemptthey conceded defeat.Ferris Neave took over as WinnipegSection Chair for the 1932 to 1934 term,and then in 1936/1937 he was elevated toACC Vice President. In 1936, in recognitionof his leadership, he was awarded theSilver Rope.Ferris remained in Winnipeg pursuingscientific studies until 1939, thenaccepted a position with the FisheriesResearch Board of Canada in Nanaimoon Vancouver Island. His acquaintancewith Vancouver Island’s mountains wastemporarily interrupted by WWII whenhe was asked by the Canadian Militaryto train troops for mountain warfare.With his brother, Roger, and about 15other Club members, he reported to theLittle Yoho Valley for a short course onhow and what to teach the Military aboutclimbing and survival in the mountains.Ferris recorded numerous ascents onthe Island but one of particular interestwas in 1957. Several strong parties hadattempted Mount Colonel Foster, allunsuccessfully. In early July, Ferris circledthe mountain in a small plane and determinedthe southwest summit was thehighest of six points. Later that month,Ferris, his brother, Hugh, and Karl Rickerforced a route up through steep woodedbluffs that eventually brought them belowthe Southwest Buttress. They entered asteep couloir which appeared promising,but bad weather turned them back. Thenext day they tried again and by 4:45 p.m.reached the top of the southwest summit.Rain and snow hampered any views, butFerris was sure they’d reached MountColonel Foster’s highest point. Theyreached their camp in the dark, cold andwet, but elated at making this first ascent.Unfortunately, the debate about whichof the summits was highest reigned for

JLT SPORT one-third page vertical ad.pdf 1Alpine Club of CanadaMOUNTAIN ADVENTURESFILLING FAST!Join us on the trip of a lifetime!Marmot Women’s Ski Camp:March 9 - 13, 2012 $1095supported by:Wapta Taverse:March 16 - 23 OR April 7 - 14, 2012 $1,695CMGeneral Mountaineering Campin the Sir Sandford area of the Selkirk mountains:Summer 2012 $1,695supported by:YCMMYCYCMYKwww.alpineclubofcanada.ca/adventuresadventures@alpineclubofcanada.camany years. In 1968, Mike Walsh soloclimbed to what he considered the highestpoint and in 1982 a British ColumbiaMountaineering Club party retracedWalsh’s route with a carpenter’s level toverify the middle summit was indeedthree metres higher than the southwestsummit.Ferris Neave retired from Fisheriesin 1966 and celebrated by joining theACC’s 1967 Centennial Expedition tothe St. Elias Mountains. Prior to that, heclimbed Japan’s Mount Fuji and Mexico’sPopocatepetl then in the early 1970strekked in the Himalayas.Ferris Neave passed away on Jan. 29,1986 at the age of 85 in Vancouver aftersuffering his final few years from thedebilitating Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS).He was predeceased by his wife Marjorie.Friend and climbing partner, Karl Ricker,said, “Ferris passed away totally incapacitated,but likely in full comfort on whathe accomplished over the span of his life.”Ferris will be remembered in the realmsof mountaineering, ski mountaineeringand science. Mount Ferris, in the MountWaddington area, is named in his honour.Club alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 23

ACMG guide Andrew Langsford guides clients to the summit of Mount Sir Sandford, in B.C.’s SelkirkMountains. photo by Jim Gudjonson.I want to be like Fred Beckeyby Margaret Imai-ComptonForty years ago, as a teenager in thesummer of 1971, I spent six weeksat the Banff School of Fine Arts.Coming from the lowlands of Ontario,the mountains were overwhelming andeven a little intimidating. Nevertheless,the distractions of youth prevailed, sorather than apply myself to my pianoperformance studies, I learned to drinkcoffee at the Banff Café, hiked up to theLake Louise teahouses in flip flops andpursued hot young men who workedat the grand hotels. Around this time,Fred Beckey was in his prime, putting uproute after route all over western NorthAmerica and Alaska.Fast forward 40 years and amazingly,Fred Beckey is still climbing, ashe was sighted this past summer in theBugaboos. As for me, I’m still flying outto the Rockies from Ontario multipletimes a year, summer and winter, toindulge my alpine passions. The BanffCafé is long gone, replaced by Evelyn’sCoffee Bar and Starbucks, the Evomountaineering boots now stand in forflip flops, and were I to reunite with anyof the men I lusted after, I assume theyare now plump and middle-aged, busilytapping away on their BlackBerrys.In the last decade, something sparkedand the mountains called to me in adeeply personal way. Although I livedadjacent to the Swiss Alps for a year andhad many vacations in the Rockies, it wasin my mid-40s that I began to yearn fora more profound and committing mountainexperience. Luckily, I discoveredCanadian mountain guides at about thesame time.In the Alps of course, centuries ofprofessional guiding have shaped themountain experience, and I had manydelightful days in the Valais, Vaud andRhone Alps with Swiss guides. They alsofollowed the charming tradition of cleaningtheir guests’ boots overnight so wewould have freshly scrubbed footwear thenext day.I discovered professional guidesin Canada on my first Alpine Club ofCanada summer Wapta Icefield traverseguided by Cyril Shokoples; a great introductorymountaineering trip althoughCyril announced in no uncertain termsthat he did NOT clean clients’ footwear.Although disappointed that boot cleaningdid not come with the Canadianexperience, I recovered and joined PeterFuhrmann’s ACC Rockies Panorama,then Mexican volcanoes with BarryBlanchard, then the ACC’s GeneralMountaineering Camps with variousguides; so many inspiring trips, so manystellar guides over the years!I am often asked, “Why do you insiston professional guides? Surely, at thispoint, you must be proficient enoughto get out on your own with a trustedpartner. And guides are expensive!” Myresponse used to be, “Because I’m amother, I can’t take risks and I have to getback to my family.”More recently however, due in largepart to a conversation with AndrewLangsford and Jim Gudjonson afterwe summitted Europe’s Mont Blanc,my answer today is about professionalguides helping me get what I want in themountains. Andrew pointed out that ittakes many years for amateur alpinistsand climbers to achieve sufficient skills,experience and confidence to tacklealpine objectives safely and successfully.“Assuming clients are physically andmentally capable, the chances of gettingwhat they want are very high when theygo with a professional guide,” Andrewvolunteered. “Because guides provideleadership in safety, route finding andtechnical skills, this frees the client toenjoy the alpine experience to a greaterextent.”From the client’s perspective, it doesn’tmean I relinquish all responsibility; I stillhave to maintain my mountaineering,rock and ice climbing skills and overallfitness. After all, there’s no satisfaction inbeing a client who is dragged and hoistedaround the mountains.Thinking back to Andrew’s comments,it struck me that what we hadMount Sir Sandford was one of numerous peaksthe author successfully climbed under theguidance of Andrew Langsford.photo by Jim Gudjonson.24 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011

accomplished together was pretty extraordinarygiven that I’m a middle-agedwoman with a desk job who lives most ofthe year thousands of kilometres from anysignificant mountain range. In the spaceof five years, Andrew successfully guidedme on Bugaboo and Snowpatch spiresin the Bugaboos, the Tre Monts routeon Mont Blanc, Marmolada and SellaTower in the Dolomites, Sir Donald,Uto, Tupper and Hermit Mountain inB.C.’s Glacier National Park, MountSir Sandford, Mount Edith Cavell andMount Victoria’s North Summit, as wellas numerous ice and rock routes.Sadly, we lost Andrew earlier this yearto illness, but he and other guides arethe reason why I continue to make theCanadian Rockies my preferred alpinedestination. A word of warning to myACMG guides - if Fred Becky can climbat 88 years old, then you can count onguiding me for another 30 years!Margaret Imai-Compton is a member ofthe ACC Toronto Section.Enzo JackEt and PantIan McIntosh,Photo: Adam ClarkRespect the territorybefore leaving your mark.When exploring new zones, having the right gearis essential. But understanding how to push thelimits without exceeding your boundaries is everything.Our mission is to provide insight on how to stay safewhen crossing the line. Start building your skill set.Watch our new snow safety videos at: thenorthface.com/knowboundariesAdam Greenberg PHOTOJS1001111_ACC_TNF_F11_IAN_1-3_WINTER_2011.indd 1Reservations stRongly recommended...200, 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore | 1-866-678-4164kitchen@yamnuska.comyamnuska.com | canadianrockieshiking.com10/2/11 6:01 PMAt Yamnuska, we know thatfood is a critical part of anytrip to the backcountry.That’s why we now offerthe same delicious and wellbalanced food served on ourprograms.Why buy mass-producedfreeze dried meals whenyou can have a tasty custombuilt menu prepared by ourresident Chef?• Full meal packages ordehydrated dinners.• Packaged and prepared inour commercial kitchen.• Experience developingnutritious and light weightmeals.• We can ship anywhere inCanada, or you can pickyour order up at our officein Canmore, Alberta.• We cater to individuals,groups and expeditions.Contact us for more detailsand let us focus on the foodwhile you focus on your trip.Club alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 25

My favourite volunteerby Shelley Ballard-McKinlayHe’s quiet. He doesn’t say much.He’s not flashy about the thingshe does. He’s not often one totake the lead. But when you need a readyand willing volunteer and one who youknow will get the job done, he’s one ofmy favourites.Glen Philips has been an active memberof the Saskatchewan Section of theAlpine Club of Canada for more than15 years. He’s taken part in Club trips,attended many training and social eventsand helped out in almost every adventurerace the Section has ever hosted. On topof that, for the past six years Glen hasalso taken on the huge and thankless taskof poster distribution for the Saskatoonshowing of the Banff Mountain FilmFestival. Neither sleet nor rain nor themost bitterly cold and windy January dayin Saskatchewan will keep Glen fromposter delivery!One of my favourite memories withGlen comes from a much more pleasantweather day. In preparation for a PrairiePitch Adventure Race, a few of us headedout the day before the race to set up thecourse. My husband, Andrew McKinlay,was the race director and he and I hadscoped out checkpoints for the canoeQuick drawsAteam of Alpine Club of Canadamembers and staff installed aweather station on Mount DesPoilus in Yoho National Park in earlySeptember, as part of a project led byBEES, the ACC’s Backcountry EnergyEnvironmental Solutions program, togauge whether the area could supporta wind turbine suitable for a potentialhut at the site. The station, which willbe dismantled next summer, will bemonitored over the winter months by atechnician.qAs part of the ACC’s ongoingbackcountry hut maintenanceprogram, this summerthe Asulkan Cabin at Rogers Pass inB.C.’s Glacier National Park received anew coat of stain on the outside walls,as well as renovations to the kitchen.section several weeks before. Glen andI had the best job of the day—kayakingalong the South Saskatchewan River,stopping to set up the markers and havinggreat conversation along the way.“I always counted on Glen to bein charge of some part of the races Iorganized,” says Andrew. “Whether itwas registration or tabulating results orsomething else, I knew I could depend onhim.”Myrene Mollison, who, along withher husband John, heads up our BanffMountain Film Festival show, says,“Glen has always answered the call forvolunteers. He willingly offered to lookafter poster distribution, taking the timeto look for new posting opportunities,coordinating distribution and documentinglocations. He is conscientiousabout attending and participating inorganizational meetings, and is unfailinglycheerful and gracious. His contributionsare very much appreciated.”Glen worked with the Canadian SkiPatrol for eight years at Blackstrap skihill and taught telemark ski clinics forSaskatchewan Section wanna-be backcountryskiers. I suspect he still smileswhen he thinks about our beginnerOn the Rockies’ Wapta Icefield, boththe Rob Ritchie (Balfour) and ScottDuncan huts received new bed platformsand renovated kitchens, plus newventing and fresh air intake systems.In the Bugaboos, the Conrad KainHut now has new siding and a newlyrenovated kitchen. In Jasper’s TonquinValley, the Wates-Gibson Hut hadits roof re-sheeted, while in B.C.’sElk Lakes Provincial Park, the ElkLakes Cabin will soon be improvedto accommodate increased bed space.To book your next ACC hut stay, visitwww.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facilityqWhile the Banff MountainBook & Film Festival willbe underway around thetime this Gazette lands in your mailbox,with the film competition winnersGlen paddles along the South SaskatchewanRiver as one of the safety boats during the2007 Prairie Pitch Adventure Race. photo by DonChodzicki.antics—desperately flailing arms and legsand face-plants in the snow.The Alpine Club of Canada is not theonly organization that has had the goodfortune to have Glen as an active volunteer.He was a member of the SaskatoonCanoe Club for 20 years, leading weekendtrips and playing an active role onthe executive as equipment manager (nosmall task!) for almost 10 years.Thank you Glen!being announced on Sunday, Nov. 6,ACC member Jenny Crompton, greatgranddaughterof Club co-founderA.O. Wheeler, is thrilled that a film byCanmore filmmaker Glenn Crawford,compiled from archived footage ofWheeler and artwork created by 10 BowValley artists to celebrate Wheeler’s historicBanff summer home, Claremount,was selected as a BMFF finalist inthe Mountain Culture category. Priorto Parks Canada’s demolition of thehouse in the summer of 2011, the artists,including musician Cori Brewster,were invited to create impressions ofthe home and its historical significanceto Banff, the Rockies and the ACC.Copies of Crawford’s film will be availableon DVD, with a launch scheduledfor Jan. 14, 2012 at The Edge Gallery inCanmore, with all proceeds going towardan artist grant. Visit www.edgegallery.ca26 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011

Bon Echo dreams are worth the waitstory and photos by Terry LipovskiIheard about the climbing at BonEcho years in an old CanadianAlpine Journal. Back then I lived inCalgary so it seemed funny that therewas anything worth climbing in Ontario.I wasn’t anti-East, but I just couldn’timagine rock worth climbing east of theRockies.I recall the CAJ article describedmulti-pitch routes and an accompanyingphoto of a climber leading far above aclear lake burned itself into my mind. Iwas climbing classic routes in California,Utah, B.C. and Alberta. So why was I sointrigued by this wall in Ontario?Life tends to meander like a river,and the road trips my wife and I enjoyedsoon gave way to raising two awesomedaughters. We moved to Ottawa in 2002and went camping at Bon Echo, acrossthe lake from the cliffs. We all thoughtthe campground was gorgeous, but Iwas focused on that big stone. I scoreda climber’s guide and studied it intently,picking out five-star routes and makingnotes.A few years went by until my buddies,Scott and Geoff, and I dusted off our gearand blasted some easy single-pitch routesScott Day and Geoff Bossi gear up to go climbingat ACC’s Bon Echo Hut at Lake Mazinaw, Ontario.Scott Day tops out on a gorgeous multi-pitch traditional gear route at Bon Echo, Ontario. Rock climbingdoesn’t get any better than this!near Ottawa. We followed that with somewinter ice climbing and planned a roadtrip to Bon Echo in the spring of 2011.As I finally looked across picturesqueMazinaw Lake, my jaw was open. BonEcho Rock is huge; two kilometres wideand 100 metres high, rising poker straightout of a deep blue lake. It is the largestcliff in southeastern Ontario. If BonEcho were in B.C. it would be as popularas Squamish. Imagine pink granitewith bomber face holds, hero cracks andintimidating overhangs with more than120 routes up to five pitches. Picture yourselfon a hanging belay, lashed in besidean ancient cedar, watching peregrinefalcons glide on thermal drafts as canoesdrift by slowly, hundreds of feet below.The ACC custodian picked us upin a boat and we made our way to theAlpine Club of Canada hut across thelake. Maintained by the ACC’s TorontoSection, the hut is a cross betweenElizabeth Parker Hut and a traditionalOntario cottage. Members camp in tentsand use the hut to cook and socialize.Inside the hut I met ACC members whocould have been teleported from Wheeleror Stanley Mitchell huts. Alpine Clubmembers are the same wherever you go:great characters, tall tales and lots of wine.As the night wore on, our new friendsoffered route beta. The next morning,after a quick breakfast we were on theapproach to the rock—in the boat! The“Bon Echo Experience” is like no other.The custodian drives the boat to the spotalong the cliff where your route begins,you step onto tiny holds, rope up andclimb. In many places it is just waterCanadian Alpine Journal SubmissionsDeadline for submitting articles for the upcoming Canadian Alpine Journal isFebruary 1, 2012.For more information, visit: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/caj/guidelines.html28 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011

meeting wall. The custodian monitorsyour climb with binoculars until you rappel.Then he scoops you up with the clubboat. It’s like having your own floatingSherpa.The climbing is superb. Route findingis easy although route grades canbe a sandbag. Sandbagging grades is aneastern trend that likely came from tough,talented guys such as Helmut Microyswho figured, “it’s all 5.7 until you fall off.”Bring your guidebook and a grain of salt.Scott, Geoff and I roped up and Scottlinked two pitches up a wonderfullyexposed ridge to a foot-wide ledge andtwo solid bolts. We swapped leads and Istretched out two more pitches. Jammingmy hands into granite cracks for thefirst time in years felt great and beforeI knew it I was up, staring far below tothe deep blue waters of Mazinaw Lake. Iwatched the falcons glide below me, andas I belayed in rope calmness overtookme. As my focus eased my mind openedand I truly appreciated exactly where Iwas, sitting on top of the wall that I hadadmired for years.We rapped off and were chauffeuredby boat to another five-star route. Westormed a long right-facing dihedral withfist jams and turned a roof on large jugsto a hanging belay. A long, exposed faceclimb led to the top of the cliff directlybelow the tourist observation deck. As wepoked our heads over the railing, hikerswere shocked to see us emerge.The boat ride back to the hut wasbittersweet; I had wanted to climb thisface for so long and now it was done. Asthe boat drifted past the face we tracedother routes high on the wall. That night,over a fire, we made plans to return. I hadwaited a long time to climb at Bon Echo,but I don’t want to wait long to return.An ACC member since the 1980s, TerryLipovski lives in Ottawa with his adventurepartner, Doreen, and their two beautifuldaughters, Samantha and Kristen.Geoff Bossi climbs the first pitch of BirthdayRidge, at Bon Echo, overlooking beautifulMazinaw Lake.SPOTnow more powerful than ever,the spot headlamp is optimized for climbing.• 90 lumens• maximum beam distance: 70 meters• 1 doublepower and 2 singlepower white leds• 2 singlepower red leds• lock mode, dimming feature and battery-power indicator• weight: 90 g (3.2 oz)6 modes, including red nightvision that’s accessible withoutcycling through white light.BlackDiamondEquipment.comClub alpin du Canada Gazette hiver 2011 29

Open airÀ ciel ouvertby Toby Harperair” is a bit of a misnomer“Open“Àthis issue as I write from anational office hidden in theBow Valley’s mist and rain. One ofthe great things about being Canadianmountain enthusiast, however, is thesheer size of our country—there’s alwaysbetter weather somewhere; for example,the Niagara escarpment is a pleasant 20 Cat this moment!There are Alpine Club of Canadasections across this great land, fromMontreal to Vancouver Island, and nowin the Yukon. While plenty of Yukonershave been ACC members in the past,at last there’s a territorial section of theClub to serve them locally. While I havea personal bias in favour of the Yukon,it is also home to Canada’s tallest peak,Mount Logan, 5,959 metres, (first ascentby a joint ACC/American Alpine Clubexpedition led by A.H. MacCarthy in1925, as reported in that year’s CanadianAlpine Journal), and an enormous alpinewilderness.There has been plenty of climbingactivity, especially by the Toronto Section,in the St. Elias range over the years,including the 2006 Yukon CentennialCamp—did you know the Yukon hasa range of mountains named after thepast presidents of the ACC? The ACC’scontributions to exploring the Yukon’smountains will soon be featured in ParksCanada’s new visitor centre at HainesJunction.All mountain enthusiasts living in theYukon are encouraged to affiliate theirACC membership with the YT Section.The ACC will host the VancouverInternational Mountain Film Festival inWhitehorse on Nov. 19, and there plansto unveil the Section’s strategic plan.Please join and support them—nourishingthe vibrant mountain culture of theNorth.Together, the ACC sections compriseCanada’s mountain club, andthe opportunities they provide forCanadians from sea to sea to sea, to getout and be active on the weekends, orget together for slideshows, storytellingand hiding from the weather, areamong the greatest benefits of ACCmembership.par Toby Harperciel ouvert” est un peu un abusde langage cette semaine alorsque je vous écris à partir d’unbureau national caché sous le brouillardet la pluie de la vallée Bow. Mais, un desgrands avantages pour un canadien passionnédes montagnes est la vastitudede notre pays. On est certain qu ‘il faitbeau en quelque part au pays. Commepar exemple, l’escarpement du Niagaranous propose quelques 20c agréablesaujourd’hui!Il y a des sections du CAC tout autravers ce grand pays, de Montréal à l’îlede Vancouver, et maintenant au Yukon(YT). Alors que beaucoup de Yukonnaissont déjà membres du CAC, il y a dorénavantune section locale du club pourles servir et rassembler. Malgré monpenchant personnel envers ce magnifiqueterritoire, il reste qu’il abrite égalementle plus haut sommet du Canada (MontLogan, 5,959m, la première ascension parune expédition CAC / American AlpineClub dirigé par AH MacCarthy en 1925,comme indiqué dans le Canadian AlpineJournal de cette année-là), et nous proposeun énorme terrain sauvage et alpin.Il y a eu beaucoup d’activités degrimpe en montagne dernièrement, particulièrementcelles organisées par la sectionde Toronto, dans la chaîne St. Eliasau fil des ans, et vous vous souvenez peutêtredu Camp du centenaire au Yukon en2006 - saviez-vous qu’il y a une chaînede montagnes là-haut nommé pour lesanciens présidents du CAC? À noter quela contribution du CAC à l’explorationdes montagnes du Yukon sera bientôt envedette dans le nouveaux centre de ParcsCanada à Haines Junction.Pour tous les passionnés de montagnequi vivent au Yukon, nous vous encourageonsà affilier votre adhésion CACavec la Section YT. Elles seront co-hôtedu Festival International des Films deMontagne, à Whitehorse, le 19 novembreprochain. Ils dévoileront le plan futurde la Section. Nous vous encourageonsde vous joindre à eux et de les soutenir- enrichissant davantage la culture desmontagnes du grand nord.Les sections du CAC, toutes ensemble,forment notre club et Le Club desmontagnes du Canada. Les possibilitésqu’ils offrent pour les Canadiens d’unPelly Mountains, Yukon. photo by Toby Harper.océan à l’autre (Atlantique, Pacifique etmaintenant Arctique!), de sortir et êtreactifs les week-ends, ou se réunir pourdes diaporamas, des récits d’aventure etpour se cacher de la météo parfois moinsfavorable, sont parmi les plus grandsavantages d’être membre du CAC.CLASSIFIEDSAFFORDABLEHIMALAYA and ACONCAGUA5% discount for acc membersClimbing and walking trips for menand women, with Dan Mazur.All ages and abilities, expert to novice.Everest climbs and treks, Ama Dablam,Cho Oyu, Baruntse, North Col, Lhotse,Everest Glacier School, Island Peak,Muztagh Ata, Mera Peak. CharityService Walks near Everest, Free (nocharge) Seattle Glacier School.www.SummitClimb.cominfo@SummitClimb.com360-570-0715NOTICESUpcoming MeetingsExecutive Committee meeting:●●April 14 - 15, 2012 in CanmoreBoard of Directors meeting:●●May 26 - 27, 2012 in CanmoreAnnual General Meeting:●●May 26, 2012 in Canmorefacebook.com/alpineclubofcanadatwitter.com/alpineclubcan30 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Winter 2011

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Respect the mountain. Repeat the epic.Remote zones have epic potential. But they can also be dangerous.Our mission is to provide insight on how to push the limits withoutexceeding your boundaries. No matter your level or ability, knowledgeis the best tool for crossing the line.Enzo JackEt and PantXavier de Le Rue, Photo: Tero RepoWatch our new snow safety videos at: thenorthface.com/knowboundaries