Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty

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Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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.
Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
The Alpine Club of Canada
                                                     What’s Inside...
                                                     Adventures                                     Athletics
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009034             6  Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty           26 Profile: Elise Sethna
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                                                     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...
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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
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                              Corporate Sponsors                                                    Corporate Members
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                                                                                                           Club alpin du Canada      Gazette      été   2015   3
Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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
Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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
Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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.
Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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

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Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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.
Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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.
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dispersés pour la descente, et ceux qui                                                                                                                Contact us for more details
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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
Nahanni révèle une beauté inexplorée Nahanni reveals unexplored beauty
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
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Will Gadd’s
                                                                                                                                              photo © Red Bull Media House

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Niagara Falls in

The 2015
Canadian Alpine Journal
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