Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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Vol. 30, No. 2 The Alpine Club of Canada | le Club Alpin du Canada Summer | été 2015 Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty pages 6 - 9 publications mail # 40009034 To bring together, and give voice to, Canada’s mountaineering community. | Tous ensemble, bien représenter et faire apprécier la communauté canadienne des amateurs de montagne.
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The Alpine Club of Canada What’s Inside... Adventures Athletics Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009034 6 Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty 26 Profile: Elise Sethna Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 8 Nahanni révèle une beauté The Alpine Club of Canada Box 8040, Canmore, AB inexplorée Publications Canada T1W 2T8 12 Traversée de Charlevoix a 15 The Bookpack Phone: (403) 678‑3200 breathtaking adventure 19 The 2015 Canadian Alpine Journal Fax: (403) 678‑3224 22 Clean granite, sparkling tarns info@alpineclubofcanada.ca www.alpineclubofcanada.ca 24 First encounters with ice 28 TuGo™ offre une couverture Huts Board of Directors d’hélicoptère 11 We’ve reached the summit! Gordon Currie President Isabelle Daigneault Secretary 29 TuGo™ Travel Insurance covers Neil Bosch Treasurer helicopter Community Wayne Campbell VP Access/Environment 4 Short Rope Frank Spears VP Activities Jim Gudjonson VP Facilities Members 5 Conference draws mountain Zac Robinson VP Mountain Culture 4 ACC Grants awarded in 2015 experts, enthusiasts Sandy Walker VP Sections 10 The ACC community gives back David Foster VP Services & Athletics 5 Heritage Club David Toole Honorary President 14 National Volunteer Awards 14 Route Finding Lawrence White Executive Director 14 Prix nationaux pour bénévoles 15 Recherche d’itinéraire Publication 25 Community bids farewell to 18 Wolverine Watch a valued success Lynn Martel Gazette Editor Honorary Member 19 Robson Gmoser remembered Suzan Chamney Layout & Production 20 L’initiative Wolverine Watch: un Jean-Philippe Gravel Translator 27 ACC Board of Directors elections succès précieux Submissions 30 Open Air Submissions to the Gazette are welcome! For submission guidelines e-mail your idea to the 30 Classified ads and notices Gazette Editor at gazette@alpineclubofcanada.ca What’s Outside... Advertising Advertising rate sheet available on the website or Cover photo: P eter Knamiller relaxes in the evening sun at by request. Please direct advertising inquiries to Milk & Honey camp. Suzan Chamney, Publications Manager by e‑mail: ads@alpineclubofcanada.ca Peter Knamiller se détend sous le soleil du soir dans le « Camp de lait et de miel ». facebook.com/alpineclubofcanada Left: The Guardsmen and Citadel tower high above Lonely twitter.com/alpineclubcan Lake. À gauche: Les monts Guardsmen et Citadel dominent Lonely Lake. Photos: Marko Marjanovic. Article: pages 6 - 9. Corporate Partners The Alpine Club of Canada thanks the following for their support, and encourages you to consider them and the advertisers in this Gazette the next time you purchase goods or services of the type they offer. Corporate Sponsors Corporate Members Backcountry Access Jardine Lloyd Thompson Banff Centre Live Out There BanffHotels.org Ortovox Canada Canadian Avalanche Assoc. Osprey Packs CPAWS Patagonia Explore Magazine Patagonia Banff & Calgary Five Ten Petzl Forty Below Rocky Mountain Books Golden Alpine Holidays Sterling Rope Gripped Yamnuska Helly Hansen Zaui Software Hi-Tec Sports Canada Club alpin du Canada Gazette été 2015 3
ACC Grants awarded in 2015 T he Alpine Club of Canada is pleased to award more than $16,185 in grants this year to a number of worthy mountain-related projects. The Environment Grant awarded $5,000 to the ACC Okanagan Section to sup‑ port a low elevation trail network along the south slopes of Kelowna. This network will include regional and provincial parks and crown land. The Jen Higgins Grant assists young women pursue their adventure dreams. This year a combined total of $8690 will help: 1. Heather Mosher to explore Tombstone Territorial Park on skis. Lynn enjoys her other passion at Stanley Mitchell 2. Michelle Brazier to go ski touring in the Walker Arm and Sam Ford Fjord Hut during a ski trip to the Little Yoho Valley. areas of Baffin Island. hoto: Lynn Martel p 3. Soleil Onoya on an all women’s self-propelled trip involving a high altitude ascent of Aconcagua via the Polish Glacier route. Short Rope 4. Regan Kohlhardt to circumnavigate Mount Waddington on skis. The Jim Colpitts Memorial Scholarship assists young people in pursuit of by Lynn Martel mountain-related training courses such as avalanche training, wilderness first aid, A rock/crevasse rescue, mountain leadership training and ACMG training. This year’s s members of the global moun‑ fund will support Jacob Dans taking an Advanced First Aid course, and Adelaide tain community, I can’t imagine Png with an Intro to Leading Sport course. that any Alpine Club of Canada members, even those who have never The Karl Nagy Memorial Scholarship is awarded to aspiring guides and ama‑ visited Nepal, were not affected by the teur leaders in alternating years. The award consists of a trip to the Club’s General news of the earthquakes that tore apart Mountaineering Camp, where the recipient is able to shadow and learn from full and crushed so many homes and busi‑ mountain guides. This year’s award is presented to Paul O’Brien Kelly to help hone nesses and lives. his leadership skills. If anything, I would imagine such To learn more about ACC grants, visit www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/grants/. natural disasters remind us all, first, of the frailty of life and the spectacular power of nature, and second, of the exceptionally what choices can we make that are in the www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/author fortunate, privileged lives we enjoy in the best interest of the people of Nepal at this /Nancy/ western world. We have the luxury of terrible time in their history? “One of the biggest problems for climbing, hiking and skiing in beautiful Klatzel, a Calgary native who for the city [Kathmandu] now is the lack mountains, just for fun. many years has made her home in of people filling the streets and stores. We are not only educated people who Kathmandu, and who runs a small NGO Foreign tourist numbers are down, and travel, we also have the advantage—and helping Nepali women and children, apparently 500,000 Nepali people left the responsibility—of being educated suggested people should donate to the city to return to their villages. The travellers. People with choices. The pages established organizations such Doctors streets are noticeably quiet. Businesses are of this Gazette issue, and many previous Without Borders or the Red Cross. hurting. The beautiful Nepali people are issues, attest to numerous adventures I’ll add her own CORE International as kind and friendly as ever—I encourage where we’ve made responsible choices. www.core-international.org/ you to come and see them!” The vast majority of Nepalis have few Through the ACC’s own fundraising And she added, “Please give gener‑ choices. Among the lucky at this time are page www.alpineclubofcanada.ca ously. These lovely mountain people will those who have food to eat, clean water /nepal-earthquake-crisis/ more than never be able to recover without help to drink and a safe place to sleep with the $15,000 was raised, which was then from the rest of the world.” family members they still have. matched by our federal government, to go Wally Berg, a long-time Canmore I’ve never met anyone who has toward the Patan Hospital Earthquake resident who has employed dozens of trekked through remote Himalayan Disaster Fund, to support medical servi‑ Sherpas on numerous trekking and villages where they were welcomed with ces the hospital provides to injured area climbing expeditions to the Himalaya, the most gracious hospitality, who has not residents. summed it up this way: spoken with sincerity about the beauty Alpine Club of Canada ambas‑ “Go to Nepal, trek, climb, meet of the people’s smiles. Without fail, I’ve sador and long-time staff member, people! Go for the mountains, but really, heard many praising the people and what Nancy Hansen, who was on Everest’s go for the people.” Frances Klatzel referred to in the title north (Tibetan) side when the of her book, as the Sherpas’ indomitable initial earthquake happened, and facebook.com/alpineclubofcanada “Gaiety of Spirit”. who visited some of the devastated So, as educated travellers with an villages of Nepal afterward, made sim‑ twitter.com/alpineclubcan affinity for mountain places and cultures, ilar suggestions in her blog posts at 4 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Summer 2015
Conference draws mountain experts, enthusiasts by Lynn Martel I n May, more than 140 academics, Edmonton and Jasper were fur-trade also took part in a mountain photog‑ writers, artists, scientists, historians, posts, depots along the waterways for raphy workshop and a field trip to the climbers, community members, and peoples moving furs and other goods Columbia Icefield Visitor Centre. special representatives from numerous across the country. There was a local con‑ Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the western Canadian First Nations gath‑ nection there, not to mention a theme of Nepal earthquake, Dr. Buhhda Basnyat ered in Jasper, Alberta for the Thinking exchange that resonated with everyone.” from the Patan Academy of Health Mountains 2015 conference. Plans are for Thinking Mountains Sciences in Kathmandu, who planned to Hosted by the University of Alberta’s to occur every three years, and since it speak about high altitude medicine, was Canadian Mountain Studies Initiative, is interdisciplinary and international in obliged to cancel. the event’s delegates came from as far as scope, plans are for future gatherings to For everyone involved, Robinson said, India, France, Switzerland, New Zealand, take place in other mountain towns and it’s always a treat to meet others who Austria, Indonesia, the U.K., U.S., and areas such as the Rockies’ Bow Valley, share a deep interest in mountain related across Canada. Vancouver or Whistler in the Coast fields of study and recreation. The conference speakers comprised Mountains, or Whitehorse in Yukon’s St. “Academics rarely meet professionally a highly accomplished group presenting Elias Mountains. Or, perhaps one day, with others outside of our disciplin‑ on a range of themes, including moun‑ even in mountains outside of Canada. ary specific fields of study,” Robinson tain literature, glaciology, wilderness in With delegates from around the world said. “And so it’s a unique meeting in mountain parks, mixed media artwork, attending this year, Robinson said he and that sense. But, mountain studies is conservation initiatives, caving, and the his colleagues believe they’re onto a good inherently interdisciplinary. Like any‑ impact on mountains of war, earthquakes thing. one being in the mountains, you want and water. “We had all the continents repre‑ to know a bit about the climate, the Mountain areas comprise about one- sented except Antarctica, but we had ecology, the history and culture, the fifth of the world’s surface and serve some glaciologists who spend a lot of geology, its literature and so forth. For as natural water storage and delivery time there,” Robinson said. us as academics, this type of engagement systems, providing direct life support for Keynote speaker for this year’s event pushes our own individual research in about 10 per cent of the Earth’s inhabit‑ was John Geiger, CEO of the Royal new and unexpected directions. It drives ants. They act as indirect life support Canadian Geographic Society and author new research and ideas.” for another three billion people and of several books, including The Third Man This story was previously published by inspire recreational, artistic and religious Factor and Frozen in Time. Crowfoot Media http://crowfootmedia.com experiences. Among several local presenters, Parks The event grew from the creation of Canada executive director of Mountain the U of A’s Canadian Mountain Studies Parks, Pat Thomsen, spoke on managing Initiative (CMSI), whose long-term aim is to encourage and support interdisci‑ national parks in a modern world and the success and challenges that relate to Heritage C lub plinary research and learning, as well as Canada’s parks. Jasper National Park biol‑ Every year, the Alpine Club of to engage with community members. ogists Greg Horne and Saakje Hazenberg Canada celebrates those members who After the CMSI launch in 2012, the con‑ presented on bats in Jasper’s mountains, have been with the Club for 25, 35 and ference steering committee—comprised while University of Calgary researchers 50 years. The Club recognizes these of professors from the U of A’s faculties Jamie Lantz and Shelley Alexander spoke members with a special lapel pin, with of Arts, Science, and Physical Education about coyotes in Alberta’s Glenbow the 25- and 35-year members receiving and Recreation, as well as participants Ranch Provincial Park. Ojibway Elder an attractive certificate and the 50-year from Parks Canada and the Nakoda First Jim Ochiese, a Knowledge Keeper from members receiving a handsome wall Nation—expressed a shared desire that Yellowhead Tribal College, led a medicine plaque. Thinking Mountains take place not at the walk on Buffalo Prairie south of Jasper. In 2015, 22 members reached the U of A campus in Edmonton, but in the While most of the conference was 25-year milestone, 18 members reached mountains. open to delegates only, New Zealand the 35-year milestone. This year we are “We were buoyed by the enthusiasm climber and writer, Pat Deavoll, and honouring two 50-year member:s that came out of the 2012 launch of the Alpinist magazine editor-in-chief, Katie Canadian Mountain Studies Initiative,” Ives, participated in a public presenta‑ 50 years said Zac Robinson, assistant professor of tion examining the question of whether Physical Education and Recreation, and mountaineering is the most literary of Michael Piggott, Toronto conference co-chair. Robinson also serves all sports. As well, the Jasper Art Guild Tom Swaddle, Calgary as the ACC’s VP Mountain Culture. hosted an exhibit of images reflecting the Congratulations! “We were excited to hold the event similarities and differences between the in Jasper, specifically, because of its rich historic connections to Edmonton. Both Rockies and the Himalayan mountain environment and cultures. Delegates b Club alpin du Canada Gazette été 2015 5
Last August, the Alpine Club of Canada’s Yukon Section partnered with Parks Canada to explore a remote area of Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories over 12 days in order to report back on the hiking and climbing potential in the area. Below is a story taken from Parks Canada employee Lyn Elliott’s trip report. Right: Laura Sly gazes down the Hole in the Wall Valley. The sharp Wolf’s Fang towers above everything. À droit : Laura Sly regarde au bas de la vallée Hole in the Wall, où la pointe acérée du « Croc du loup », the Wolf’s Fang, domine tout. Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty article by Lyn Elliot, photos by Marko Marjanovic, Yukon Section Representative I T t was a normal Thursday in my Parks Sometimes the price of a good story is he ACC Yukon Section crew from Canada cubicle. Then I received an eating couscous and instant Cream of Whitehorse flew into Lonely instant message: Could I join a 12-day Wheat for 12 days. Lake just ahead of me. As I Alpine Club of Canada backpacking trip It struck me that an Alpine Club of climbed out of the plane, I was deter‑ in Nahanni National Park Reserve? No Canada trip might be… technical. I had mined to learn their names. But, I got one else could go. It started Monday. backpacked Pukaskwa National Park’s distracted; dangling from their packs were I was two days’ travel away with Coastal Trail a few times, but I was not a helmets. Climbing helmets. nothing ready, except an adventure phil‑ mountain climber. I called the Nahanni “Just hiking,” they said. “Maybe some osophy: “What’s the better story when staff. They assured me it was just hiking. scrambling,” they said. I’m 80?” I booked a flight, and packed Maybe some scrambling. I have never worn a helmet hiking. 12 days of gear and food in four hours. Maybe some scrambling. The next 10 days were a blur of instant Cream of Wheat, couscous, and A calm Lonely Lake, with the smaller, yet distinct, Peak Wex in the distance and The Guardsmen and reminding myself that it was going to be Citadel towering high above the lake. Un calme Lonely Lake avec au loin le Peak Wex, petit, mais distinct; les monts Guardsmen et Citadel a great story when I’m 80. And, a lot more dominent le lac en hauteur. than some scrambling. Day one, we hiked towards Wolf ’s Fang. Wolf ’s Fang is the highest peak If you go… The Hole in the Wall area was first explored by climbers in the 1960s, the details of which are recorded in several volumes of the Canadian Alpine Journal. The 2014 group drove the 550 kilo‑ metres from Whitehorse to Finlayson Lake, approximately 350 kilometres of which is on gravel. From there pilot Warren LaFave of Kluane Airways kluaneairways.com/unclimbables.html flew them by float plane to Lonely Lake, where he also picked them up 12 days later. It is also possible to fly from Whitehorse.
in the area at 2,636 metres. Before this, anywhere with a pack—if you’re willing my experience hiking up mountains to do some scrambling. was Newfoundland’s Gros Morne (806 On day 10, we packed up camp and metres) and Yosemite’s Half Dome (2,682 made our way up the back side of Peak metres). By the time I reached the ridge Wex—my first summit. It was, as many beside Wolf ’s Fang (about 20 minutes have described, an easy ramble up the after the rest of my mountain goat com‑ back side. But I didn’t care. After 10 days panions), I had found a new fear: heights. of scrambling in and out of my comfort We eventually spread out for the descent, zone, it felt good to finally make it to and those with helmets donned them. the top. It felt good to look out over the Helmetless and slow, I started to mentally valleys and peaks and think about all the write the story I’ll tell when I’m 80. stories I’ll be telling when I’m 80. It would be a story about some scram- Lyn Elliott is currently discovering her bling in a rarely visited corner of Nahanni. next great story as Visitor Experience Team A story about spending 11 days exploring Leader for Nááts’ihch’oh National Park the most extraordinary valleys—green Reserve, Southwest NWT Field Unit. with braids of streams, flowers in bloom, and pikas chirping everywhere. Valleys of Chaos where thousands of car-sized R With no official names for any of the boulders stood between me and the only peaks in this largely unexplored area, the patch of green suitable to make camp. group christened a few of the mountains A story about looking up to a suggested as they backpacked from one valley to the “shortcut”, and wondering whether next, setting up camps and scrambling human beings were even meant to go up several peaks. With no human trails Holly Goulding scrambles up the Wolf's Fang. there with packs. Then, discovering in the remote wilderness, they dubbed an Holly Goulding grimpant le Wolf Fang : le « Croc firsthand that humans can go almost animal track the Super Highway. du loup ». PHOTO / DAN HOLZ A place for everything, even the unexpected! Osprey’s new collection of drysacks and compression sacks provides everything you need to organize and protect your pack while searching for adventure. ospreypacks.com
En août dernier, la section Yukon du Club Alpin du Canada s’associait avec Parcs Canada pour explorer pendant 12 jours la région en vallée éloignée Hole in the Wall de la réserve de Parc national Nahanni aux Territoires du Nord-Ouest,pour rendre compte de son potentiel pour la randonnée et l’escalade. Voici une histoire issue du rapport de voyage de Lyn Elliott, employée de Parcs Canada. À droit : Laura Sly randonne dans la zone alpine, en contrebas de Beaver Peak. Right: Laura Sly hikes in the alpine below Beaver Peak. Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée article par Lyn Elliot, photos par Marko Marjanovic, représentant de la section du Yukon C ’était un jeudi ordinaire dans rien de prêt sinon ma philosophie de du Club Alpin du Canada serait peut- mon cubicule de Parcs Canada l’aventure : « À 80 ans, quelle sera ma être... technique. J’avais randonné quand j’ai reçu un message meilleure histoire? » En quatre heures j’ai quelques fois sur la piste côtière du parc instantané qui me demandait si je pouvais réservé un vol et emballé 12 jours d’équi‑ national Pukaskwa, mais je n’étais pas joindre une expédition à pied de 12 jours pement et de nourriture. Le prix d’une alpiniste. J’ai appelé le personnel de à la réserve du Parc national Nahanni. bonne histoire, c’est parfois manger du Nahanni, qui m’assura que c’était juste de Personne d’autre ne pouvait y aller. On couscous et de la crème de blé pendant 12 la randonnée. Avec peut-être un peu de commençait lundi. jours. grimpe. J’étais à deux jours de distance avec Puis l’idée m’a frappée qu’un voyage « Peut-être un peu de grimpe. » L Lyn Elliot et Peter Knamiller émergent de la « Vallée du Chaos », remplie de rochers. ’équipage de la section du Yukon Lyn Elliot and Peter Knamiller climb out of the boulder-filled Valley of Chaos. du CAC volait devant moi vers Lonely Lake. En débarquant, j’étais décidée d’apprendre leurs noms, mais quelque chose m’a distraite : des casques d›escalade pendaient de leurs sacs. Des casques d›escalade. Si vous y allez ... La région Hole in the Wall fut explorée en premier par des alpinistes dans les années 1960, ce dont plusieurs volumes du Canadian Alpine Journal ont enregistré les détails. Le groupe de 2014 a roulé 550 kilomètres de Whitehorse à Finlayson Lake, dont 350 kilomètres de gravier. De là, Warren LaFave, pilote de Kluane Airways kluaneairways.com/unclimbables.html l’a conduit en hydravion au Lonely Lake, où il les a repris 12 jours après. On peut voler aussi à partir de Whitehorse.
At Yamnuska, we know that food is a critical part of any trip to the backcountry. « — Juste de la randonnée », disai‑ That’s why we now offer the same delicious and well ent-ils. « — Peut-être un peu de grimpe. » balanced food served on our Je n’ai jamais porté de casque en programs. randonnée. Reservations stRongly recommended... Why buy mass-produced Les 10 jours suivants furent une freeze dried meals when masse confuse de couscous, de crème de you can have a tasty custom blé, de rappels à moi-même que tout ça built menu prepared by our ferait une super histoire quand j’aurais 80 resident Chef? ans, et de beaucoup plus qu’« un peu de • Full meal packages or grimpe ». dehydrated dinners. Adam Greenberg PHOTO Le premier jour, nous sommes allés • Packaged and prepared in vers Wolf ’s Fang. À 2636 mètres, c’est le our commercial kitchen. plus haut sommet de la région. Avant cela, mon expérience de la randonnée en • Experience developing montagne était Gros-Morne à Terre- nutritious and light weight meals. Neuve (806 mètres) et Half Dome au Yosemite (2682 mètres). Quand j’ai atteint • We can ship anywhere in la crête à côté de Wolf›s Fang 20 minutes Canada, or you can pick après ces chèvres de montagne qu’étaient your order up at our office 200, 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore | 1-866-678-4164 in Canmore, Alberta. mes compagnons, j’avais découvert une nouvelle crainte : celle des hauteurs. kitchen@yamnuska.com • We cater to individuals, Éventuellement, nous nous sommes groups and expeditions. backcountryfood.ca | yamnuska.com | canadianrockieshiking.com dispersés pour la descente, et ceux qui Contact us for more details For a limited time receive 10% off your first order of dehydrated avaient des casques les enfilèrent. Lente dinners when you order online (use Coupon Code “WELCOME”). and let us focus on the food et sans casque, j’ai commencé d’écrire while you focus on your trip. mentalement l’histoire que je raconterais à 80 ans. Ce serait une histoire sur de la voitures s’interposaient entre moi et le seul si vous êtes prêts pour un peu de grimpe. grimpe dans un coin peu fréquenté de coin de verdure approprié pour monter Au jour 10, nous avons levé le camp et la Nahanni,, sur onze journées passées à un camp. L’histoire de la recherche d’un fait notre chemin jusqu’à l’arrière du pic explorer les plus extraordinaires vallées « raccourci » proposé, où je me demandais Wex — mon premier sommet. Il offrait, — vertes avec leurs cours d’eau entrelacés, si les êtres humains avaient été conçus comme beaucoup l’ont décrit, une ran‑ leurs fleurs écloses et le gazouillis des pour y aller en sac à dos — et de la décou‑ donnée facile sur le côté arrière, mais peu pikas partout. Des vallées de chaos où verte, première main, que les humains m’importait. Après 10 jours de grimpe des milliers de rochers gros comme des peuvent aller presque partout avec un sac, dans et hors de ma zone de confort, ça faisait du bien d›atteindre enfin le som‑ de gauche à droite : Laura Sly, Peter Knamiller et Holly Goulding apprécient la vue au sommet du mont Elysian. met, d’observer les pics et les vallées en From left, Laura Sly, Peter Knamiller and Holly Goulding take in the summit view on top of Mount Elysian. contrebas et penser à toutes les histoires que je raconterais à 80 ans. Lyn Elliott découvre actuellement sa prochaine meilleure histoire comme chef d’équipe de la Visitor Experience Team pour la réserve de parc national Nááts’ihch’oh, Unité de gestion sud-ouest des TNO. R Vu l’absence de noms officiels pour aucun des sommets de cette région largement inexplorée, le groupe a baptisé quelques-unes des montagnes en ran‑ donnant d’une vallée à l’autre, installant ses campements et grimpant plusieurs pics. Privés de sentiers humains dans cette nature éloignée et sauvage, ils ont nommé une piste d’animaux la « Super Highway » : la Superautoroute. Club alpin du Canada Gazette été 2015 9
Each year the ACC receives the generous support of those who share our love and passion for alpinism. We are pleased to share with you the impact of donor support from the 2014 fiscal year and to profile the unique stories of those who are making a difference in the ACC community. The ACC community gives back Karl Ricker by Chic Scott F or some of us the mountains are in 1950 by Ferris Neave on Mount our life—they give us a reason to Arrowsmith, Vancouver Island. For get out of bed in the morning. Karl almost 60 years now he has volunteered Ricker of Whistler, British Columbia is for the Club as an organizer, a trip leader Karl Ricker. photo: Will Schmidt one of these people. Way back in 1959 and a hut builder. A lifelong supporter Karl had the opportunity to join Hans of UBC’s Varsity Outdoor Club and the career to mountain geology and Gmoser on the second ascent of the east British Columbia Mountaineering Club, glaciology. One of his more unique con‑ ridge of Mount Logan. “The highlight Karl transcends narrow club rivalries. tributions has been his monitoring of the was a trip into the unknown—in those He has climbed and skied extensively Wedgemont Glacier for 43 years. days, it was no man’s land,” states Karl. in the Rockies, the Southern Alps of This spring Karl made a major dona‑ It was one of the greatest adventures of New Zealand, the European Alps, the tion to the ACC to support the Richard his life and one of the finest climbs done Cascades and the Coast Mountains. In & Louise Guy Hut at Mont des Poilus by Canadians at the time. To become 1964, he pioneered the world famous and the proposed huts on the Spearhead a member of the expedition Karl had Spearhead Traverse near Whistler. Traverse. When asked why he made this joined the Alpine Club of Canada. The Recently Karl was a great supporter of donation, he jokingly replied that after very next year he bought a life member‑ the Hans Gmoser Film Preservation not having to pay a membership fee for ship. “I paid $100, which was big money Project and raised thousands of dollars to almost 60 years he felt that he owed the at that time,” laughs Karl. ensure that Hans’ film legacy would not Club something. But in actual fact, the Karl was already an accomplished be forgotten. Club owes Karl a sincere thank you for all mountaineer when he joined the ACC, In 1967, Karl received an M.Sc. in his contributions over the years. Well done having been introduced to climbing Geology and has devoted his professional Karl, your generosity is much appreciated. Celebrating a year of SUCCESS 3% Adventures & Athletics Mountain Culture 8% DONATIONS AREAS SUPPORTED 2% Sections Number of donors Support for mission contributing 57% 10% Endowment related initiatives Facilities in 2014: 1% Environment 250 335 Individual Donors NB: Proceeds from the annual Mountain Guides Ball fundraising 19% Mountain 85 event support different areas each year. 3% Guides Ball Corporations & Foundations Other Funds raised in 2014: ENDOWMENT FUND $3M $3.3M $2.8M The Endowment portfolio $208,627 returned 8.46% over the $2.4M $165K fiscal year, which brings from individuals the rolling 5-year $44K average to 10.73%. $652K from Corporations & Foundations 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 10 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Summer 2015
We’ve reached the summit ! Thank You ! “I am overwhelmed The Alpine Club of Canada is ecstatic to announce that due to by the generous support of our the generous support of 96 members and friends, more than alpine community.” $506,000 has been raised in support of the —Richard Guy Richard & Louise Guy Hut at Mont des Poilus. For more information on how to The support, both financially and from volunteers, has been support ACC, please contact: exceptional. We are thrilled that this long-awaited facility Jolene Livingston will move forward this summer and will forever be called the Fundraising Consultant Phone: (403) 703-2631 Richard & Louise Guy Hut. Thank you for giving generously! E-mail: jlivingston@alpineclubofcanada.ca —Gord Currie, ACC President Donations over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt.
Traversée de Charlevoix a breathtaking adventure by Deb Clouthier T he red in the thermometer was We skied from one Scandinavian-style off the scale. The water in the log cottage to the next, each different pot that was steaming just a few from the other and each equipped with hours earlier was now ice slush. Once wood stoves, and propane cooking and again, the temperature was below -30 C. lights. We chopped for ice and water in Every morning that week we began our the nearby lakes and rivers. ski day with polar wax, big mitts, full face The route is marked, but at times it coverage, three layers of clothing plus a was difficult to see as the snow buried hard shell. And of course, our 30-pound signs. While there were a couple of days packs. We were giddy, thrilled, excited, when the tracks were completely obliter‑ stoked and fully committed to be on the ated due to high winds, the trail is cleared Charlevoix Ski Traverse in Quebec. enough to find the route. Navigation was Chalet de la Chouette provided cozy accommodations on day three, 29 kilometres We’d waited a whole year for this, good as we followed tracks of another along the traverse route. p hoto: Deb Clouthier after we’d been forced to cancel last group who had skied the route a day or year’s reservation due to ice cover and so before us. Like all animals that follow backcountry skiing we’ve ever had the little snow. All seven of us, ACC Ottawa the route of lease resistance, especially pleasure of. We all agreed we got our Section members who share the same in winter, moose followed the trail too, money’s worth. passion, had been keen to do something leaving behind a lot of evidence of And what I learned is, I want more hard-core in the backcountry relatively moose post-holing. At times, the moose of this! My first comment to our group close to home. With limited choices for post-holing was so deep and severe the night we finished was, “OK, what’s a hut-to-hut challenge in the east, this we could only walk on our skis over next?” We’re eagerly looking into our had popped up as our number one choice. those areas. next ski trip. As a warm-up, last year we skied the For the most part, the traverse route Marc Charbonneau, Ivan Wood, four-day Papineau-Labelle ski tour just a passed deep in the World Biosphere Patrick McCabe, Andy Adler, Mike Bowler, two-hour drive from Ottawa, but it was Reserve of Charlevoix where the moun‑ Katharina Goetze and Debbie Clouthier are quite tame compared to the Charlevoix. tain backdrop was so breathtaking it was all ACC Ottawa Section members living in Despite training hard for the 100-kilo‑ hard to look down and keep our eyes the Ottawa area. metre, week-long Charlevoix traverse, on the ski trail. We were all in total awe nothing prepared us for the bomber head- of the scenic beauty of the Charlevoix plants we all experienced speeding down mountain range as we passed through some of the major hills, as six of us skied the Grand-Jardins and Hautes-Gorges on metal-edged cross-country skis, and national parks area, home to some of the one on telemark gear. At times, our legs highest rock faces east of the Rockies. screamed for relief as we rocketed down By the end of our adventure, we’d hundreds of metres of descent or skinned enjoyed a total of 4,030 vertical metres up to incredible vistas in sub-alpine like ascent and descent, traversed through meadows. The snow, almost perfect, was amazing wilderness and experi‑ soft and deep. Some parts of the trail were enced some of the most exhilarating quite narrow however, and we descended some very difficult terrain with deep From left, Marc Charbonneau, Deb Clouthier, Katharina Goetze, Mike Bowler, Patrick McCabe powder and sharp turns. One run, which and Ivan Wood take a break at the 90 kilometre Deb Clouthier approaches the Chalet Coyote a dropped 450 metres in a single go, left point on the final, seventh day of the Charlevoix l'Epervier, 85 km along the route on day six. everyone’s legs shaking on a good quiver! Ski Traverse. p hoto: Andy Adler hoto: Marc Charbonneau p A six-hour drive from Ottawa, the Traversée de Charlevoix begins in St. Urbain, northeast of Quebec City, and ends at the Mont Grand-Fonds ski hill. The traverse and its huts are run by a non-profit private organization with very friendly and extremely helpful staff who had us sign waivers and organized for our vehicles to be shuttled to the end of the traverse. We also arranged a food drop half-way through our week, and we were given maps and detailed directions, which proved helpful at confusing corners. 12 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Summer 2015
THE FINAL VOLUME IN THE CELEBRATED SERIES Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, 4th Edition Volume 5: The Highwood • Flat Creek • Upper Livingstone • Willow Creek Gillean Daffern’s widely respected hiking guides to Kananaskis Country have now been completely reformatted, revised and updated. As the pre-eminent expert on the area, the author continues to offer something for every level of foot-traveller, be they novice or experienced hikers, scramblers or backpackers. Gillean’s clear and detailed text, enhanced with colour photos and maps, enables everyone to navigate safely through this complex and beautiful area. • The original two volumes have been extended into five exhaustively researched books. • Each new volume includes exciting and previously unpublished trails and routes. • All maps have been completely redrawn and enhanced. • Full-colour photographs throughout do justice to the spectacular scenery of the Canadian Rockies. ALSO AVAILABLE Think outside.
Route Finding by Gord Currie, ACC President I met Robert Omeljaniuk at Bow own time pounding nails if a hut needs a their professional expertise. Lake last summer. He was just new roof. Then there are the many members about to board a helicopter to the Our Treasurer, Neil Bosch, lives in of Section executives across the country, site of our new hut at the des Poilus Edmonton so he has a four-hour drive to including newsletter editors, trip lead‑ Glacier. By day he is a PhD biologist at Board meetings in Canmore. And then ers, social coordinators and webmasters Lakehead University, studying the role four hours back. There is also time spent among others. These are not coveted pos‑ of intracellular signaling mechanisms on in committee meetings and balancing the itions, and occasionally some arm-twisting neurohormone reception and pituitary budget. Neil travels a lot for work and has is involved, but people agree to do these hormone release. However, he was ready kids at home, so time spent on the ACC jobs because they need to be done. to dedicate a week of his holidays to is time spent away from family. While we have a small, very profes‑ doing manual labour in order to help Many of our Board members travel sional staff in Canmore, it is still our prepare the site for construction. great distances to the meetings, such as volunteers who make the ACC a great More recently I met Ron Royston David Foster who flies in from Ottawa, club. in Vancouver. For 20 years he has taken so he is always awake two hours before As I write, tick season is upon us. By the hut reservations, collected the fees, the rest of us, and he typically doesn’t get the time you read this, most of the snow and organized the maintenance for the home until midnight on Sunday. Then, at higher elevations will be melted. I have Tantalus and Jim Haberl huts. In his after not enough hours of sleep, he’s back always wanted to see the Tonquin Valley spare time he volunteers for Vancouver’s at his day job. in Jasper National Park, and in August North Shore Rescue. Lots of great volunteers serve on I finally get to go—on an ACC camp, Another of our great volunteers is Board committees too. After recently where I expect I will meet more ACC David McCormick of Kaslo, B.C. who creating a new committee, we put out a volunteers. Wherever your travels take keeps a list of volunteers—people like call for volunteers on NewsNet and Club you this summer, be safe out there. Robert who are willing to spend their members responded with the offer of Climb on. National Volunteer Awards Prix nationaux pour bénévoles T F he Alpine Club of Canada extends its congratulations to élicitations aux bénévoles dévoués, mentionnés ci-dessous, the following devoted volunteers who were recognized qui furent reconnus pour leurs contributions exceptionnelles for their outstanding contributions to the national and/ au Club Alpin du Canada en 2013, tant au niveau national or section levels of the Club in 2014. A description of the recipi‑ qu’au niveau des sections. Une description des réalisations ents’ accomplishments can be found on the ACC’s website at des récipindaires est disponible sur le site web du CAC au www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/awards/ www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/awards/ President’s Award. Presented to individuals deserving recognition Don Forest Service Award. Presented to members in recogni‑ for extraordinary service towards the activities of the Club: tion of their significant service to the Club: John E. ( Jed) Williamson Ashton Beaupré, Saint-Boniface Section Wallace R. Joyce (posthumously) Dana Engler, Calgary Section Christine Fordham, Vancouver Island Section Distinguished Service Award. Presented to members for Paul Hrynkow, Saint-Boniface Section distinguished service to the Club in matters other than Myrene Mollison, Saskatchewan Section mountaineering: Robin Owens, Calgary Section David Roe, Calgary Section Dave Pors, Jasper/Hinton Section Paul Geddes, Vancouver and Toronto Sections Peggy (Margaret) Taylor, Vancouver Island Section Steve Traversari, Montreal Section Eric Brooks Leader Award. Presented to members for strong Elizabeth Williams, Vancouver Island Section commitment to learning and applying technical and leader skills in mountaineering and ski mountaineering: Jason Guptill, Rocky Mountain Section Jeffrey Dmytrowich, Saskatchewan Section Mark Rosin, Saskatchewan Section Many thanks to the members of the Awards Committee: Un grand merci aux membres du Comité des prix : André Mahé (Chair/président, section Saint-Boniface), Paul Geddes (Vancouver and Toronto Sections), Tom Haslam-Jones (Montreal Section), Dave McCormick (Saskatchewan Section), Rod Plasman (Rocky Mountain Section) and Bill Scott (Ottawa Section). 14 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Summer 2015
Recherche d’itinéraire par Gord Currie, président du CAC J ’ai rencontré Robert Omeljaniuk au libre quand un abri a besoin d’un nouveau du Club répondu en offrant leur expertise Lac Bow l’été dernier. Il était sur le toit. professionnelle. point de monter à bord d›un héli‑ Notre trésorier, Neil Bosch, vit à Il y a aussi les nombreux membres de coptère vers le site de notre nouvel abri au Edmonton et doit donc conduire quatre section exécutifs à travers le pays, comme glacier Des poilus. De jour, il est un biol‑ heures pour assister aux réunions du les rédacteurs de bulletin, les chefs ogiste (Ph. D) à l’université de Lakehead Conseil à Canmore – aller seulement. d’excursion, les coordinateurs sociaux et qui étudie le rôle des mécanismes de Sans compter le temps passé aux réunions webmestres, entre autres. Ce ne sont pas signalisation intracellulaire dans la récep‑ ou à équilibrer le budget. Neil voyage des postes convoités, et parfois un peu tion neurohormonale et la libération des beaucoup pour le travail et a des enfants à tordage de bras est nécessaire, mais les hormones pituitaires. Mais il était prêt la maison, et le temps passé sur le CAC se gens acceptent de faire ces tâches parce à consacrer une semaine de ses vacances passe loin de chez lui. qu’elles ont besoin d’être faites. au travail manuel pour aider à préparer la Beaucoup de membres du conseil Bien que nous ayons une petite équipe construction du site. d’administration font de longs trajets très professionnelle à Canmore, ce sont nos Plus récemment, j’ai rencontré Ron pour ces réunions. Toujours levé deux bénévoles qui font du CAC un grand club. Royston à Vancouver. Depuis vingt ans il heures avant les autres, David Foster À l›heure où j›écris, l›appel de la saison prend les réservations pour les abris, recue‑ vole depuis Ottawa et ne rentre habitu‑ est sur nous. Au moment où vous lirez illi les frais, et organisé l’entretien des abris ellement pas chez lui avant minuit le ces lignes, le gros de la neige des altitudes Tantalus et Jim Haberl. Dans son temps dimanche. Après une nuit de sommeil élevées aura fondu. J’ai toujours voulu voir libre, il fait du bénévolat pour l’équipe de trop courte, on le retrouve à son travail le la vallée du Tonquin dans le parc national sauvetage de la rive nord de Vancouver. lendemain. Jasper, et en août j’obtiendrai finalement Un autre de nos grands bénévoles est Beaucoup de grands bénévoles d’y aller, dans un camp du CAC, où je David McCormick, de Kaslo (Colombie- siègent à des comités du conseil aussi. m’attends à rencontrer encore plus de Britannique), qui garde une liste de Après avoir créé récemment un nouveau bénévoles du CAC. volontaires – des gens comme Robert qui comité, nous avons lancé un appel à Où que vous alliez, soyez-y en sont prêts à taper du clou dans leur temps volontaires sur NewsNet et des membres sécurité et grimpez. The Bookpack by Lynn Martel Too Close to God: Selected Mountain Tales by Jeff Long Gripping, enigmatic, ephemeral and memorably haunting, Jeff Long’s short stories draw the reader into his vertical world of summit-less cliff faces and sealed-over crevasse tombs, where brilliant heights are unavoidably linked to dark shadows of human obsessions. And, as if Long’s impressively fertile imagination wasn’t enough, what makes this collection of characters and stories even more enjoyable to read are the real life adventures and encounters with some unforgettable characters described in his introductions. Aptly described in Alpinist editor-in-chief Katie Ives’ foreword, “piecing together torn scraps and fragments from American westerns, modern fables and medieval allegories, refractions of biblical stories, Greek tragedies and Shakespeare,” Long’s masterful writing provides an irresistible, inescapable journey. Published by Imaginary Mountain Surveyors http://imaginarymountains.com. A Youth Wasted Climbing by David Chaundy-Smart “I just didn’t understand people who found suburbia livable without something like climbing.” So writes David Chaundy-Smart in his entertaining, poignant, youthfully exuberant and witty memoir in response to his high school principal’s suggestion that he see the guidance counsellor about his passion for climbing after his ascent of the CN Tower was broadcast on the TV news. Ignoring the advice, after gradu‑ ation he packed up his brother’s car and the two of them drove west from Etobicoke, Ontario to test their skills in the Rockies and Bugaboos. Appreciated by Canada’s climbing community as the founding editor of Gripped magazine, Chaundy-Smart’s memoir resonates with a soulfulness that’s melodically woven through themes of adventure, first loves, adolescent male bravery and coming of age. Published by Rocky Mountain Books www.rmbooks.com. Club alpin du Canada Gazette été 2015 15
30 Backcount Find yours! Evening light on Asulkan Cabin in Rogers Pass. Photo: Tanya Koob www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/huts
ry Huts
In 2010, the Alpine Club of Canada’s Environment Fund awarded seed funding for the Wolverine Watch initiative. Since then, lead researcher Tony Clevenger, a PhD in wildlife ecology, has conducted research in the Canadian Rockies on this elusive carnivore, with a strong citizen science component. One of his team members, Aaron Bose, a graduate of Selkirk College’s School of Environment and Geomatics in Castlegar, B.C., shares this five-year update on the project and its aim to better understand the effects of human activity on wolverine distribu- tion, connectivity and gene flow in the Canadian portion of the Crown of the Continent ecosystem. Wolverine Watch a valued success by Aaron Bose A s human beings, our love of mapping tool that allows for the location alpine environments can only be to be approximated if you didn’t happen exercised as visitors. Whenever to bring your GPS out that day. While we embark on an excursion into the high some observers are lucky enough to snap country, our eyes open wide in wonder a photo of the creature itself, many more at the forms nature takes at its terrestrial submitted evidence of tracks and even limit. This wonder is amplified when we collected what they suspect to be Gulo witness life at such extremes: a herd of gulo scat. If you didn’t bring a camera mountain goat on an absurd slope, Apollo with you, don’t fret—your observation butterfly on a summit 3,000 metres above will still make a valuable addition to the sea level, or an old and twisted whitebark database. pine stubbornly clinging onto the treeline Entering its sixth year, the project limit. has so far received 197 submissions from A wolverine carries a substantial meal prize, a Wolverine seem to go a step further across western Canada—a big number marmot, in Yoho National Park. hoto: Lee Rentz www.leerentz.com p in bewildering the alpine enthusiast’s for a species that keeps such a low profile Au Parc national Yoho, un carcajou porte un mets imagination. Perhaps this is because they from humans. Thirty-three per cent of substantiel et prisé : une marmotte. are so seldom witnessed, yet occupy such these submissions have been confirmed vast ranges in their individual territories. by WW biologists based on evidence highest elevation an observation occurred This range also extends below the alpine submitted or due to the professional was at 2,900 metres, at Bow Summit in to the busy valley bottoms they must pass background of the source. Many Parks Banff National Park. through to connect their patchwork of Canada employees and Banff area guides While the majority of submissions habitat. are regular submitters to the project, came from the Banff and Canmore Biologists have begun to explain part doing so on their own time from observa‑ areas, the most popular local area by far of what makes this species so elusive tions made in the field. was the Lake O’Hara hiking circuit in through evidence of their steadily declin‑ The average elevation of reported Yoho National Park. This series of high ing populations in the same mountain occurrences is 1,989 metres, which reflects elevation lakes and alpine meadows make ranges we all enjoy. Human factors wolverine alpine habitat, but also con‑ ideal habitat, and was home to a female affecting the abundance and connectivity firms the target observer for this project: and two young of the year during the of this species’ populations have been hikers, climbers and ski-tourers by far summer of 2013. Unfortunately, wolverine identified, and in some cases acted upon. make the majority of submissions. The in this area have grown very accustomed But what can the humble adventurer do Approximate elevation of wolverine occurence to help such a cause? (metres) 1:1,000,000 Wolverine Watch sighting density by grid Wolverine Watch is a citizen science initiative that seeks to facilitate the exchange of information on this species between the public, biologists, industry and decision makers. The project began in 2010, with funding from the Alpine Club of Canada, and continues to grow through contributions to its database from people like you. We receive reports of sightings, tracks and scat that indicate wolverine occurrence in a given area, and document any additional details such as elevation, direction of travel, as well as behaviour, when available. Reporting a wolverine occurrence is a lot easier than chancing upon one outside; WolverineWatch.org has an online reporting form and 18 Alpine Club of Canada Gazette Summer 2015
Robson Gmoser remembered M embers of Canada’s mountain community were deeply saddened to learn to the presence of human hikers and were that Robson Gmoser, 45, had died in an avalanche in March while work‑ not afraid to approach large groups of a ing as a ski guide in B.C.’s Selkirk Mountains. The younger of Hans and dozen or more; this is reflected by the 30 Margaret Gmoser’s two sons, Robson followed his father’s bootprints as a guide early observations that occurred around this in his life, leading ski touring groups under his father’s tutelage while still a teenager area. The project has received reports from at Battle Abbey, the backcountry lodge he would run as an adult with fellow guide as far north as Stone Mountain Provincial Roger Laurilla. By his mid-20s Robson had earned his full Ski Guide certification Park, on the B.C./Alaska border, and from with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, the organization his father was more unlikely locations such as the Banff instrumental in creating. Robson was also a popular and highly skilled sea kayaking Springs golf course. It is our hope that and backpacking guide, and an apprentice ACMG Rock Guide. He is greatly missed as the database grows, it will continue to by his wife, Olivia Sofer, their three-year-old son, Max and his family, many friends, receive submissions from atypical loca‑ colleagues and clients. tions that can help identify areas where Read a full obituary written by his life-long friend, Marco Delesalle, in the 2015 human development may be influencing Canadian Alpine Journal. local populations. The potential for this data goes beyond a simple glimpse into the professionally gathered population esti‑ Even if you haven’t chanced upon a movements and behaviour of individual mates and found to be statistically precise wolverine yet, pay a visit to our website, wolverine. Citizen science has been enough to be used in official population WolverineWatch.org for a look at the successfully used to support empirical monitoring. resources and initiatives surrounding this research in Scandinavia. In Sweden the What this means is that as the species. You can even download and print Large Carnivore Observation Index Wolverine Watch database grows, both in a track ID card to take with you on your (LCOI) enlists hunters to report occur‑ volume and scope of time, the opportun‑ next visit to the alpine. rences of protected brown bears during ity for further uses by biologists increases. Spread the word, and keep your eyes moose-hunting season. The results That is why frequent publicity and word open—you never know when you might have been compared with independent, of mouth advertising is so important. encounter Gulo gulo! There are only a few waterfalls in really huge spray formations along the Get the 2015 the world that are globally famous, but sides and in the middle of Horseshoe only one of those is in a place cold enough Falls, the main falls of the several that Journal for to climb. In the past 20 years, I’ve ticked make up the collective Niagara Falls. My a lot of the “highest” and “wildest” water‑ falls in the world—at least according to the internet. But Niagara Falls carries Facebook feed started filling up with posts from people asking: “Will, when are you going to climb it? Ha ha....” My eyes have $29.95 10,000 times the water of anything I’ve been forever changed by climbing spray The 98th inspiring edition of the ever tried, and it didn’t seem plausible as ice at Helmcken Falls, and I now under‑ journal of climbing in Canada an ice climb. stood that the spray ice around Niagara and by Canadians abroad. Then in January 2014, the media was climbable. But it was illegal—really declared “Polar vortex slams east!” And illegal—and the easiest access was on the it was cold—cold enough to build some U.S. side, right beside the police station… Available in July alpineclubofcanada.ca/store Add a subscription for the 2016 volume to Read your membership for $22 Will Gadd’s photo © Red Bull Media House including shipping (in Canada). Niagara Falls in The 2015 Canadian Alpine Journal
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