“Winter on Ice Plus” (WOI+) is a new mentorship program designed for ice climbers who have had some beginner training and want to make the transition to more challenging ice and mixed climbing routes. Most importantly, this program is intended for those that are keen to be on the "sharp end" of both climbing routes and coordinating trips with the ACC. You must have previous ice climbing experience and a strong desire to further develop your climbing.
The Alpine Club of Canada – Edmonton Section is made up of mountain-minded individuals, who come together to share their unique strengths, knowledge and experience. It would not be the vibrant and resilient organization of 100+ years without the resourcefulness of members who also volunteer their time and energy.
May 17, 7:00 pm @ McKernan Community Hall. Click here to RSVP!
The Edmonton Section of the ACC is hosting an open-door Trip Coordinator Orientation and Trip Planning session for members and the public. This event is geared towards current and aspiring volunteers interested in the following topics:
There will be a presentation followed by an open discussion. This is a great opportunity to talk to other experienced coordinators and to plan your next trip, so bring your trip ideas, maps, and stoke!
Please RSVP by clicking HERE. If you can’t make it, but are still interested in volunteering, please click HERE to complete a short questionnaire and to be added to the volunteer mailing list.
The McKernan Community Hall is located at the corner of 114 St. and 78 Ave (click for MAP), only 2 blocks from the Mckernan-Belgravia LRT Station and with ample parking on site as well as along 78 ave. If driving, access to the Hall is from 114 St (northbound only) at 78 Ave, or directly from 78 Ave (westbound).
Ben Nearingburg and Eric Coulthard have written a guidebook to scrambling in the northern Rockies. Both long-time active Edmonton Section members, Ben and Eric will be hosting a slideshow and book launch at our May Monthly Meeting. Here's a short interview with them, make sure to come out on May 23 to meet them in person!
A Peakbagger's Guide to the Canadian Rockies has something for everyone looking to enjoy the splendour of Canada's mountains.
What originally drew each of you to scrambling?
Eric: My oldest brother got me into scrambling with the Grant MacEwan Mountain Club in 2004. My first scramble was Eiffel Peak. I was hooked after that due to the awesome views and gorgeous weather. I did four scrambles that year, and the following year I was hardcore into it. In 2007, I joined The Alpine Club of Canada, Edmonton Section, and was introduced to David Thompson Country, where my exploration started. I got into ski mountaineering the following winter when I took the Edmonton Section Winter in the Mountains course. The Edmonton Section expanded my options. I met the various members of our unofficial group in the following years.
Ben: Oddly enough originally it was an injury, back during undergrad at the University of Alberta. I had been training for a marathon and was ramping up too quick with running distances, and really mangled my left knee. I needed something else to do, and switched gears into distance hiking as a slightly less-aggressive activity. Hiking worked out well which eventually moved into scrambling, and then to alpine climbing. Even now I don’t run anymore just in case.
How long have you known each other?
B: I think we have known each other for a little over five years? Our crew met through the internet and reading each other’s trip reports.
How did the idea of creating a guidebook for scrambles in the Northern Rockies come about?
E: This was a backburner idea for a while. Ben really brought it to the forefront. He was doing it and wanted to know who was interested in contributing.
B: Steven Song and Vern Dewit were also interested in the idea and we then broke down a list into who would be responsible for which routes (prioritizing first-hand beta to make sure things are accurate). This went on for a fair bit of time with slow but steady progress. I was happily underemployed in 2014, and started chipping away at the book with more focus. A surprisingly large amount of the book was written at the Rutherford Library over at the UofA (nice to have physical copies of ACC journals close at hand). Later on, Vern was saying he would rather be a contributor then an author and Steven moved to BC and thought he would not have enough time to put into the project. So it ended up with just us two.
Did you see a need for the guidebook?
E: People have commented that they come to our sites for beta. A number of people have told me that I should write a book.
B: In short, yes! There is a big difference between trip reports and an actual guidebook. A guidebook distils down the information to what you need to be doing on the route, gives some helpful information on things you might encounter, and points people into routes that might be well-suited to their abilities. Trip reports, especially my own, can be a lot more rambly with story-telling rather than route info. The area around Jasper especially has many good routes and trails that are not really known unless you have spent a lot of time in the area.
Why the choice of the word "peakbagging"?
E: Peakbagging reflects the interests of our group. We seek out cool adventures, not necessarily a list.
B: Yeh, peakbagging can encompass many different types of routes; all that is consistent is there is a summit involved. You could have on-trail hikes, alpine climbs, mountaineering routes, and even ski tours. Around Jasper it is getting harder and harder to do things with closures, and there’s a section in the book that has a guide for winter accessible peaks. Caribou closures can really affect that, so hopefully this will help.
How did you choose the peaks and areas featured in your book?
B: Being a guidebook for the Northern Rockies and trying to avoid places that are already well documented. A lot of the peaks we were drawn to were the ones less traveled with meaningful objectives. Maybe not well packed trails, but definitely worthwhile when you get there.
E: There are issues of access and we’re hoping this book will improve visitation to trails and keep them open.
B: For sure. Many older trails in Jasper are being decommissioned. Some are being maintained by private outfitters, but hopefully this will encourage use, and preserve future access.
I can imagine that choosing which peaks to include and exclude could be difficult. Which peak or area was the hardest to omit?
E: We haven’t really omitted very many peaks. Mount Trudeau was a tough decision since it is going to have a ski resort right on top of it. You might need to take a chair lift to the top instead in a year or two.
B: Some on the harder end of alpine objectives we have done like Whitehorn Mountain were not included in the book. Some things we added that are a little out there that are awesome, Little Alberta. Mostly we were careful to only talk about routes that we have first-hand beta for. Nothing worse than publishing routes that don’t actually work!
Which peak or area was the most difficult to document?
E: Most likely the South Boundary Trail.
B: There is a bit of a drive to get to it from the East side, and the approach after that. We could use some more trips around there, lots of interesting peaks.
E: You need to commit a fair number of days to get into the area. It is a good place to get some first ascents.
From the routes featured in the book, which is your personal favorite?
B: That is a hard question. I’d say Mount Anne-Alice if you’re on skis. It has excellent views of Robson, and the book has excellent photos that would inspire anyone to go on that one.
E: Catacombs Mountain. That was an awesome trip. I had been drawn to this mountain for a really long time. We finally got a group together, and we had perfect weather and conditions. We didn’t know if the route would turn out and it worked out marvelously.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to try scrambling?
B: I’d say start small but aim high. Don’t get over ambitious too early. Guidebooks are a good place to get started and then build towards a goal.
E: Do a beginner guidebook scramble with a well-known group like the Alpine Club of Canada, and slowly work your way up to harder things with people who have more experience than you.
Are there any other hobbies you have outside of scrambling?
B: Rock, ice, alpine, playing hockey, I’m definitely outdoor focused nowadays.
E: I’ve lost some of my older hobbies like play the trombone. I work on my website, and programming as a hobby. It doesn’t compare to climbing and scrambling. Family life keeps me busy at home. Mountain activities are pretty all consuming.
You said you were into photography, did that draw you to scrambling also?
E: No. I started photography after I got hooked. I have goals with my mountains trips. One of my goals is to take a photo of every named peak in the rockies. I try to take a photo of every peak on my trips in case they have a name. I usually keep photos of the unnamed peaks in case someone names them in the future. Another goal of mine is to visit all the ice fields in the Rockies eventually.
What's a scramble or peak you've always wanted to do?
B: Close to town, I’ve really wanted to head up Kerkeslin. Certainly not the highest peak around, but it looks so impressive from Jasper itself. Not that many people have been up there.
E: Mount Chown would be nice. We have some beta for Mount Chown.. Anything by the Resthaven Icefield. The Rajah on the North Boundary trail. The Rajah is the highest peak in North East Jasper.
B: The Rajah is a nice one. Have to bring along a packraft!
How has the ACC helped you in your scrambling/climbing/skiing/mountain career?
E: It’s helped me a lot. I got into explorations through the ACC. The ACC introduced me to the David Thompson Corridor. I did Winter In The Mountains back in 2008. I did a bunch of trips with Reinhold. A lot of my winter trips with the club I didn’t get a summit. The first winter summit was Mount Columbia.
B: Oddly enough I have been a member for years but have never actually done a trip with the Alpine Club of Canada. The Canadian Alpine Journal and backcountry hut system has been very useful though!
What is a good beginner scramble for someone to start with?
E: Not in the book, Mount Ernest Ross in the David Thompson Corridor. I’ve been up it 4 times.
B: Mount Macarab right off the pass Tonquin valley from Portal Creek. The views make it well worth the trip if you are already passing by. Poboktan Mountain is a nice one too, two days with a lot of distance but easy travel into a nice area. There are quite a few easy to moderate routes in the book.
What piece of gear do you always have on you for every scramble?
E: InReach
B: InReach, first aid kit, tarp or tent.
E: Always bring a helmet in your explorations, especially if you don’t know for sure what you’re getting into.
B: One of my friends would sometimes bring a churango (a small ukulele) that was kind of fun.
If you want to go exploring, where is the gem of exploration?
B: Lots of places in BC are still not well-travelled in any sense, the interior can be quite hard to access without lots of time or a helicopter.
E: A lot of Jasper is unexplored. North of Jasper is one area that we haven’t visited yet. I definitely want to go somewhere really wild, Kakwa Provincial Park looks really cool. Mount Ida is the furthest north 10,000 ft peak in the Rockies. It is pretty pointy. I’d like to do Mount Ida one day.
B: It’s big horse country up in Willmore and the north of Jasper, heading up some of the spurs off the North Boundary Trail would be a good area sometime soon.
Anything else you’d like to say before we go?
E: We would like to thank other RMB authors who have been super helpful. Bill Corbett and Andrew Nugara both wrote us reference letters. Thank you to all the folks at Rocky Mountain Books for giving us this opportunity.
B: Also thanks to Steven, Vern, Mike, Liam, Ferenc, Josh, Ken and many more people from trips in the past.
Book to be released May 9, 2017.
A full-colour, comprehensive scrambling guide to the increasingly popular mountain landscapes located in the northwestern reaches of the Rocky Mountains. Following in the footsteps of classic publications such as Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies and More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, A Peakbagger's Guide to the Canadian Rockies: North pulls back the curtain on the vast sea of summits from the Columbia Icefield northwards.
The authors describe over 90 routes to peaks of all sizes and difficulties, from simple alpine hikes on well-defined trails, to challenging scrambles and focused alpine climbs. Routes are included for peaks in all four corners of Jasper National Park, and Mount Robson Provincial Park as well as peaks near the towns of Cadomin, Hinton, Grande Cache and Valemount. Each summit has well-described ascent and descent routes supported by stunning photographs of the majestic wilderness of the northern Rockies. Described routes range from short single-day trips to more aggressive multi-day expeditions.
NEW MEETING TIME!!! 7:00PM INSTEAD OF 7:30PM!
Ben and Eric will share some slides of interesting and amusing moments from trips in the book and share some tidbits of extra info. Their book will hopefully be just hot off the press and available for purchase (and autographs) too!
"Ben Nearingburg is an instructor, author, and guide who often roams the hills of the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Ranges. Ben hopes his passion for the hills, both on and off the written page, helps others to experience and respect the rugged splendor of the natural world."
"Eric Coulthard is a computer scientist. He is the founder and developer of summitsearch.org. Many of his top treks are exploratory jaunts with little or no beta. His passion for exploration began in the Edmonton section."
Our April 26th edition of the Breeze will have a Q&A with Ben and Eric in it - make sure to check your inboxes!
The UofA Wilson Climbing Center's high wall is closed from April 4th - April 12th. As a result there will be no roped climbing for our upcoming free climbing afternoon on Sunday April 9th.
We hope to see you every Thursday night at VIRG for our informal climbing night!
Back in December, eight exceptional volunteers were nominated for the ACC’s national-level leadership and service awards. We are thrilled to announce that all of these nominations were successful! Read below for details and some highlights from their nomination entries.
The Silver Rope for Leadership Award was awarded to both Robert Denson and Rick Checkland, for demonstrating technical skills and leadership abilities of a high caliber in mountaineering (alpine, ice, rock, and ski), over many years. Both are past recipients of the Eric Brooks Leadership Award. Rob, an active trip coordinator for 8 years now, is described as “a strong technical leader within the Edmonton Section [with] skills that match or exceed some of the highest standards within the Alpine Club”. Rick is “recognized for his lifelong contribution to the technical aspects of mountaineering. He has taken his high caliber experience and has given back to the club and the mountaineering community for over 40 years”.
The Eric Brooks Leader Award is presented to members who have demonstrated a strong, consistent commitment to learn and apply technical and leadership skills in mountaineering, usually for a period of less than 5 years. This year’s recipients include Thomas McElroy, Steven Rockarts, and Paul-Emile Trudeau. The Edmonton Section is privileged to have such leaders in its ranks!
The Distinguished Service Award has been awarded to John Booth, for giving outstanding service to the ACC in “matters other than mountaineering” for a period greater than 5 years. Described as “a great mentor to many aspiring hikers, scramblers, rock climbers and ice climbers”, John’s award recognizes his central role in organizing the Edmonton Section Summer Mountaineering camp for over 20 years and instructing on the Summer in the Mountains course for 10 years. He is also a past recipient of the Don Forest Service Award.
The Don Forest Service Award has been award to Donna McColl and Lil Lezarre, for their significant service to the Edmonton Section. Donna and Lil were co-creators of two women-only programs We Women Rock and Chicks with Picks, which have provided an ongoing opportunity “to empower women by increasing their confidence and abilities in their rock and ice climbing skills”. Donna, described as “a woman of integrity and authenticity with great visionary qualities”, is recognized for “showing her commitment to the section and her desire to be a part of something larger than her own needs and goals”. Lil “has been one of the main contributors to the Edmonton section and is a big part of why our section is as vibrant and cohesive as it is…[her] legacy is one of supporting all members who are interested in mountain activities, as well as recognizing all who volunteer for the club.”
Awards will be presented at the Summer BBQ (June 20). Come out and help congratulate these awesome volunteers!
Special thanks to the Edmonton members who prepared these nominations: David Zemrau, Foster Karcha, Konstantin Stoletov, Craig Hartmetz, Kirk Bishop, Jackie Pearce, Ann Revill, and Dustin McLachlan.
Anyone can nominate an exceptional ACC member for a national award! More information about each award, along with nomination forms, can be found on the Alpine Club of Canada website. If you have any questions or need any support, I encourage you to contact volunteering@accedmonton.ca to help coordinate your nomination.
Dustin McLachlan
NEW MEETING TIME!!! 7:00PM INSTEAD OF 7:30PM!
Kevin comes to talk to us about his moulin journey. What’s it like down there? When’s the best time to explore them? What are the biggest risks and how can you mitigate them? What can these moulins tell us about the glacier as a whole?
Kevin Abma has been exploring moulins for the past 3 years. His goal has been to get from the glacier’s surface down to the bedrock below by descending through a moulin. Kevin’s background makes him particularly well suited for exploring moulins. He has been an active caver for over 10 years, serving on the Alberta Speleological Society's Executive for 2 years. He’s a member of Alberta and BC’s Cave Rescue Organization and has participated in countless cave and rope rescue scenarios. 5 years ago, Kevin turned his attention to climbing the eleven-thousanders of the Canadian Rockies. During this time, Kevin’s passion turned to glaciers, as they are an essential component to every big mountain. With a background in caving and a passion for glaciers, it’s only natural to assume that he would progress to caving in a glacier.
The Section has developed a new course subsidy policy for Section Volunteers that can be viewed here or on the website at accedmonton.ca/training/coordinating-trips (scroll to bottom).
A few highlights:
Please read the new policy to understand these and other important changes, and to determine eligibility for courses you have taken this year or plan to take.
The policy is retroactive for courses taken after Oct. 31 of 2016. In most cases, it is expected that the new policy will increase subsidy amounts as compared to the prior policy. Please contact the volunteer coordinator if you have any questions or concerns.
Dustin McLachlan, Volunteer Coordinator
Great opportunity for aspiring and active Trip Coordinators here!
The ACC's National Leadership Development Committee is offering a free training course, Top Rope Rock Climbing Leaderership, to be held in Canmore. And yes, it's free!
This course is intended for experienced or aspiring ACC volunteer leaders who wish to lead successful top rope rock climbing outings for their Sections, and who are interested in serving as a resource within their Sections for training other volunteer trip leaders to enhance their skills and competencies. For Edmonton Section, this would fit really well for those keen to help on our Summer in the Mountains program, and/or those looking to regularly lead rock climbing outings for the Section.
The course dates are evening of April 27th (Thurs) to Evening of May 1 (Sunday). Course fees and accommodation are covered by National.
Applications are due to National no later than Friday, March 24th, and require endorsement from Edmonton Section. As such, please send your application to volunteering@accedmonton.ca by Friday, March 17. This will give us a chance to review applications for endorsement and provide feedback to strengthen your application.
All course info is linked below.
Please free free to contact me to express your interest and with any questions.
Dustin McLachlan
March Monthly Meeting - Tuesday March 21st @ 7pm-9pm
NEW MEETING TIME!!! 7:00PM INSTEAD OF 7:30PM!
Location: Old Strathcona Performing Arts Center
Day Trip Speed Traverses in the Canadian Rockies
by Peter Knight
Peter will share a slide or two on the history in the area (Original Great Divide traverse done on cross country style skis, Skoki Lodge races)
Inspiration (Europe: Mt. Blanc, Haute Route, West Coast: Spearhead, Mt. Rainier, McBride Traverse)
Equipment, Food, Safety, Training/Fitness
Planning Strategies (Route selection, weather, timing)
Past Successful completed traverses
Mt. Joffre
Kicking Horse Pass to Lake Louise via Lake O'Hara and Moraine Lake
Wapta Traverse
Mt. Columbia
Future Plans? (increased complexity of overnight trips)
Routes that make good stepping stones for people looking to get into speed traversing (Dolomite Circuit, French-Haig-Robertson
Peter Knight is a 27 year old weekend warrior from Edmonton. Weeknights, he can be found in Edmonton's river valley. Weekends, he is often in the mountains. Along with being a mountain bike racer in the summer, Peter has been a member of the Canadian Ski Mountaineering Team since 2012 and has attended the bi-annual world championships 3 times. Speed traverses are a great way for Peter to cap off a ski mountaineering race season.
