Vol. 19, No. 3

●

Fall

2004

Canadian climbers train for Youth World Championships page 4

Austerity Audacity Perversity Page 10

The Alpine Club of Canada Corporate Supporters The ACC thanks the following for their support, and encourages you to consider them and the advertisers in this newsletter the next time you purchase goods or services of the type they offer.

Corporate Sponsors Helly Hansen Marmot Mountain Hardwear The North Face

Corporate Members Adventure Medical Kits Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation Arc'teryx Association of Canadian Mountain Guides Backcountry Access Black Diamond Equipment Canadian Avalanche Association Forty Below GearUp Sport (Canmore, AB) G3 Genuine Guide Gear IBEX Outdoor Clothing Katadyn Leki Mammut Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre Mountain Safety Research (MSR) Outdoor Research Patagonia Petzl The Hostel Shop (Calgary, AB) Therm-a-Rest Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies Yamnuska (Canmore, AB)

The Alpine Club of Canada Box 8040, Canmore, Alberta, Canada T1W 2T8 Phone: (403) 678-3200 Fax: (403) 678-3224 [email protected] www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca David Toole, President Rod Plasman, Secretary Gord Currie, Treasurer Cam Roe, VP Activities Peter Muir, VP Access / Environment Carl Hannigan, VP Facilities Bob Sandford, VP Mountain Culture David Zemrau, VP Services Mike Mortimer, Director, External Relations Peter Fuhrmann, Honorary President Bruce Keith, Executive Director Submissions to the Gazette are welcome! The deadline for the Winter issue of the Gazette is December 10. If possible, please save your submission in digital format and e-mail it to [email protected] Otherwise, feel free to type or handwrite it, making sure it’s double spaced and legible and mail it to the address above. Please be sure to include complete contact information with your submission. Gazette Editor: Bonnie Hamilton Assistant Editor: Lynn Martel Photo Editor: Rob Alexander Publishing Coordinator: Audrey Wheeler Layout & Production: Suzan Chamney Advertising rate sheet available upon request. Please direct all advertising inquiries to Bruce Keith, National Office (403) 678-3202 or by e-mail to: [email protected] Printed on recycled paper Canada Post Agreement Number 40009034

What’s Inside... Mountain Culture

Editorial 3 Letter from the Editor

Mountaineering / Climbing 4 Canadian climbers train for Youth World Championships 6 Cold passion 8 Tropical Storm Marcey 9 Fifty years of rock climbing at Bon Echo 10 Austerity – Audacity – Perversity 17 Kama Bay ice climbing web guide 22 New rules for custodial groups

Facilities 16 Club opens door to new backcountry cabin 19 Fay Hut - at home in the mountains 20 The history of Keene Farm part II

14 Melting Mountains 15 Jumbo decision comes in for a landing 18 Because it beats complaining 23 Hot Links

National News 22 22 23 24

Volunteers required Mountain Guides’ Ball National Office news Centennial Fund Campaign

Awards / Notices / Classified Ads 12 15 17 20 22 23

Get the Goods Kokanee ski week available Karl Nagy Memorial Scholarship Financial Grants AWARDS AWARDS AWARDS Classified Ads

What’s Outside... Front cover:

Canadian junior team climber, Cathy Laflamme, of Calgary puts her skills to the test in the Carrot Creek area on August 21, 04 while training for the Youth World Championships in Scotland; photo – Craig Douce©

Inset:

Summiteers: Fairy Meadow climbing camp; photo – Peter Albinger

Letter from the Editor

Aaaahhh,

it’s that relaxing season of autumn. The time of year when life ticks down, the mercury plummets and cooler temperatures ease the pressure to get ‘out there’. That is, of course, unless you’re an ice climber. For the rest of us, contemplation and introspection fills the air, it’s the time for harvesting all you have learned and experienced over the summer, storing it for next season. Now is the occasion to take stock and reflect on the importance of the mountains. This precious landscape that tests us and teaches us, leads us to reach deep into the core of who we are and pushes us to reach our potential. Perhaps you had a poor harvest this past summer and it is at this moment, the autumn season, when new commitments are made. A promise to yourself, that next summer that long dreamed of mountain sojourn will be realized. As part of this reflective season, I personally have decided it is time to step down from being editor. These three years have been a fulfilling, educational experience, the best part being the people with whom I’ve crossed paths. Whether they were describing the challenges of a 14-day high ski traverse in the Coast Mountains or a technical, two-pitch traditional rock climb at Bon Echo, their enthusiasm and passion motivated me to help them convey these experiences through writing. I learned much about the unique landscapes that stretch across Canada and the dynamic people who adore, treasure and protect them. The opportunity to support our writers as they put their funny anecdotes, huge adventures and mystical mountain experiences to paper has been a wonderful challenge with some engaging conversation. Thank you all for your efforts and please continue to share the stories and photos of your backcountry adventures by submitting them to the Gazette. —Bonnie Hamilton, Editor

Beginning with the 2005 winter issue, Lynn Martel, assistant editor for the past three years, will assume the role of Gazette editor. Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● Fall 2004

3

Canadian climbers train for Youth World Championships by Lynn Martel

In

many ways, the scene was familiar. Two-dozen teenagers gathered on a Saturday afternoon, girls chatting in small groups while the boys joked and challenged each other. The setting however, wasn’t a shopping mall or video arcade, but the gravel bank of a tumbling creek at the base of a limestone cliff in Banff National Park’s Carrot Creek, an hour’s hike from the trailhead. With only three others climbing in the canyon, Parks Canada’s request for limited use of the environmentally sensitive area appeared to be heeded. These teens however, were climbing the vertical and overhanging rock walls with a purpose. Canmore’s Celeste Wall, Zak McGurk, Charlie Hitchman, Nani Woolings and Jessie Newton were among 24 members of Canada’s Youth National Team preparing for the 2004 Youth World Championships, which took place in Edinburgh, Scotland from Sept. 10 thru 12. Climbing outdoors, explained coach and owner of Canmore Alberta’s Vsion climbing gym, Düng Nguyen, helps develop essential route-reading skills. “You have to try out different kinds of rock,” Wall agreed. “Climbing inside we can see all the holds. Out here we have to find the holds.” photo by Craig Douce

Encouraged by shouts of, “Come on Charlie! You’re strong! Hang on!” 17-yearold Hitchman determinedly inched his way up ‘Cup o’ Joe’, rated 13b. With sloping holds on smooth water polished rock, the drastically overhanging route presented a level of difficulty demanding quick, efficient movement, precise foot placements and advanced balancing techniques. Hanging from one hand to shake out his pumped forearm, Hitchman’s feet suddenly greased off the rock and he dropped two metres before his belayer, managing the rope, caught his fall. Dangling in mid air, Hitchman grinned as comfortably as a circus performer. Minutes earlier, Vancouver’s Sean McColl, 16, on-sighted the route - climbing 15m from the ground to the permanently fixed chain anchor without any prior attempts or knowledge of the route. Last fall, McColl won the 16-17 Boys category at the Youth Worlds in Bulgaria. Throughout the summer, he and his teammates have trained to improve their strength, endurance and climbing skills. Facing his fourth Worlds, McColl said training demands motivation. “I’d rather be going to the beach and hanging with my friends,” he admitted. “You have to sacrifice, but I think it will pay off. I’ll always have the chance to hang out with my friends, but you don’t always have the chance to go across oceans and represent Canada.” With nearly 400 competitors from over 30 countries, the World Championships see 50 to 60 competitors in each category. Edinburgh would be Hitchman’s second Worlds since he started competing – and climbing – three years ago. “I thought I’d prepared myself for the international scene, but when I got there I realized how enormous it was,” Hitchman said. “The French are really strong, last year they only sent their B team, the A team went to adult events. They take it really seriously, there’s no parents allowed. It’s their national sport. It’s inspiring, but you need to look past it. They don’t have any super-human powers. You just need to focus on what you’re capable of, not get caught up in what they’re doing.” Going into the Worlds, 14-year-old Wall, a Canmore native, had never travelled beyond competitions in Vancouver and Saskatoon.

photo by Craig Douce

“It’s going to be different. I’ve never had more than 10 people in my group before,” she said. “It’s probably going to be crowded when I’m trying to warm up. I could have to fight my way to the wall. It’s going to be a big learning experience.” Advice from Calgary’s Stacey Weldon, 19, veteran of Youth Worlds in Italy, Amsterdam, Austria and France - where she finished seventh - is helpful, Wall said. “It’s definitely inspiring to watch the older climbers, the experienced ones, you want to get on that route and try it,” Wall said. “If someone gets it, we all feel good for them.” Like several of her teammates, her lithe teenage body showing well-developed arm and back muscles, Wall admitted she’s afraid of heights. “When I first started I’d go five feet and I was terrified,” Wall said. “You get used to it. It definitely boosts your confidence when you do something hard.” While earning a coaching degree at the University of British Columbia a decade ago, national team head coach Andrew Wilson coached junior climbers at Vancouver’s The Edge climbing gym (which he now owns). Historically rebellious and undisciplined, Wilson sought ways to make their training more systematic and structured like traditional sports. “Climbers can train and benefit from training just like triathletes and rowers,” Wilson said. A hockey player and sporadic climber through his teens, Wilson said he became disillusioned as a hockey coach. “I started to see an atmosphere of kids being introduced to things that were – not positive,” Wilson said. “Then I went to my first climbing competition and said wow! The two closest competitors were cheering each other on.”

That camaraderie endures he said, as competitive climbing is welcomed into the World Games in 2005, a pre-requisite step toward the Olympics. And Canada is competitive. “These kids are really focussed and really dedicated,” Wilson said. “They understand training to get results. This is the strongest team I’ve even been involved with for sure. We’ve got seven or eight capable of cracking the top 10. It’s a really exciting time.” That’s a tribute to Competition Climbing Canada, Wilson said, and to the generosity of the local indoor gyms where the kids train. With 100 competitors across Canada benefiting from structured instruction from day one, compared to 900 in the U.S. who have neither national team nor coaches, young Canadian climbers profit from the experience of former competitors, including Calgary’s Knut Rockne, the only other coach to join Wilson in Scotland. As well, having the help of two-dozen parents making the trip is invaluable, Wilson added. For parents, competitive climbing isn’t much different than other sports, said Fraser McGurk, whose three sons compete in hockey, cross-country skiing and climbing. “Your kid either finishes school or whatever activity and you somehow try to get food into them and get them out the door to train,” McGurk said. “There’s not as many competitions as a hockey player has games, but the training is just as intense.” Having Zak make the national team increases the financial commitment, McGurk said. Two weeks before the event, about half of the $20,000 needed to send the team to Scotland had been raised. “It’s phenomenal, the support from businesses in town,” McGurk said. “It’s really good life experience for the kids, the donation is not just given to them. The athletes feel a sense of responsibility not just to climb well but to represent the country.” And Canmore parents helped out in August by billeting visiting team members from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon. “It’s really neat. Normally these kids compete against each other to make the team, now they’re working together, building stronger friendships,” McGurk said. “They’re very supportive of each other. It’s an interesting sport, a very calm sport compared to hockey.” Still, competitive climbing is serious business. At 15, McColl won his category in both speed and difficulty events, but just as

Kokanee Cabin ski week available There is one week still available at the Kokanee Glacier cabin for the 2004/2005 ski season. The week of December 18-24 is open for an exclusive booking of 12. $595 for ACC members with the huts option, $645 for all others. Includes flight. Don’t miss out on this early season opportunity. Contact the National Office today! 403-678-3200 or [email protected] quickly lost his title when he tested positive for pseudoephedrine in a routine urine test. He had innocently taken Claritin® before the event. Competitive climbing’s first year of drug testing, Wilson admitted it was a learning experience for all. When McColl won again last year, his accomplishment was indisputable. “Now the kids see it’s possible,” Wilson said. “We know Canadians can be the friendliest team and the best liked team but we can have results too.” Editor’s note: Sean McColl successfully defended his title, capturing first place out of 63 competitors in his age category. Stacey Weldon finished seventh out of 35 in her category. In all, six Canadians finished in the top 20 of their age groups, one more than last year.

Reprinted with permission from the Rocky Mountain Outlook. To learn more visit www.competitionclimbingcanada.com Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● Fall 2004

5

Cold passion by Margo Talbot

Competing

at the ESPN X-Games in 1996 on Jeff Lowe’s man-made ice tower, I was one of about 60 ice climbers witnessing the genesis of spectator ice climbing competitions that were about to explode onto this continent. While the event would not have raised any eyebrows in Europe, where their existence was already firmly rooted, here in North America there was a wave of excitement at this new venue. Let’s get a few things straight about these humble beginnings: performing gymnastic feats of stupendous power did not necessarily reflect the abilities and talents of the athletes who were new to the concept. I can remember Alex Lowe and Barry Blanchard performing quite badly in the speed climbing competition, even as Will Gadd came in at a close second after being off the ice for more than a decade. He had gotten bored with traditional ice climbing but liked to compete and the money was fat. He was also a highly trained competitor on the plastic rock climbing walls, and he instinctively knew that he could transpose his skills onto a different medium when he badgered Jeff Lowe to include him in the event. Even today, with the advent of overhanging mixed walls, which incorporate wood, plastic and metal holds, it is generally those with a rock climbing background that tend to do well because they specifically train for these events and possess the necessary flexibility, power and movement skills. Competitive ice climbing has come a long way since then, with many changes to its face along the way. One of my favourite parts of ice festivals and competitions is how they serve to evolve the sport in question. It was at the European World Cup series several years back that the athletes and organizers decided the competitors had to go leashless to make the event more interesting, in addition to making it more of a test of endurance for the competitors who were used to hanging out in their leashes for extended periods of time. Climbing equipment companies, in conjunction with their sponsored athletes’ feedback, began experimenting with various designs for new leashless tools. These same athletes designed boot spurs so they could pierce dangling icicles that were too ginger to be front-pointed. It was in training for these events that climbers decided to adopt different techniques such as speed climbing, climbing without axes or crampons (or both), as well as inventing energy-conserving techniques. All of these leaps filtered out into the general community of ice and mixed climbers, giving everyone the chance to broaden their repertoire and hone their skills. But perhaps the most important skill of all was refined at the after-comp parties where all of that focus and hard work paid off as everyone vied for the real prize of the day: to see who could win the party. While ice climbing is no longer a featured sport at the winter X-Games, ice festivals are still going strong. Ouray Ice Park in Colorado hosted its first ice festival two years before I competed for ESPN, and other climbing communities were following suit with increasing zeal. In Canada we witnessed this phenomenon take root in Orient Bay, Ontario, Quebec City, Canmore and Nordegg Alberta and Lillooet, British Columbia, with a smattering of smaller ones cropping up in the outer Meccas. Here’s your coast-to-coast guide to outdoor winter pleasure in the form of picking your way up a slab of frozen water. Eric Landmann on Sycho Icycho, one of the classic fun lines at Orient Bay

photo by Steve Behrend

Point-Rouge

photo by Andrew Querner

Festiglace Sponsored by The North Face and held on natural ice routes, this magnificent gathering of enthusiasts will run from February 18 to 20, 2005. Over 5000 people are expected to show up at events ranging from ice and mixed climbing competitions featuring the world’s top climbers (who get to choose which natural routes they will climb as well as see how many they can successfully scale in their allotted time), to speed climbing competition for all abilities, plus a plethora of tertiary events including a Tyrolean traverse, snowshoe trails and climbing clinics. The event takes place in Pont-Rouge, and for anybody not familiar with Quebec in the wintertime, you’re in for a real treat. www.festiglace.com

Nipigon Ice Fest Originally called the North of Superior/ Orient Bay Ice Festival, this is the longest running ice festival in Canada. It was started in 1986 and primarily attracted climbers from the Midwest. In 2003 the organization of the event fell into new hands and was renamed the Nipigon Ice Fest. Taking place the first weekend of March, this celebration attracts 500 participants and brings climbers from all over the continent to check out the local ice. The difficulty competition happens on natural routes, plus there’s an array of social events including films, slide shows and dinners. Participants also have their choice of ice or mixed clinics with some of the sport’s better-known talent. www.nipigonicefest.com photo courtesy Granite Publishing www.climbingcentral.com

6

Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● Fall 2004

Montreal River – Batchawana Ice Festival Held in late February, this event takes place in a small town on the east side of Lake Superior, 30 km north of Sault Ste. Marie. While the social events happen in the town site, all of the climbing happens on day trips to surrounding areas. One destination is Cerro de Hielo (Mountain of Ice) where there are 30 climbs up to 60 m in height. There are also trips out to McKay Complex, which sports the highest climb in the mid-continent at 258 m, called Stratosphere. www.northofsuperiorclimbing.com

Nordegg’s Tri-Ice-a-Thon Started on request by the Centre for Outdoor Education in Nordegg Alberta, this event is in its fifth year. The festival hovers on that wonderful fine line where it’s big enough to pull in the gear sponsors and Canadian talent, yet small enough to have that hometown climber-gathering feel. Sporting three man-made walls for time trials and gear demos, the actual competition happens on a natural route in the Cline River Gallery. Described by its instigator as “a great way to have fun and win some prizes,” this event is the one to attend if you want your weekend to be about your climbing as opposed to being focused on the elite athletes of the sport. The famous climbers of the region are on hand, but more as instructors and gear company representatives than as the main course. The focus is on the beginner who wants to try the sport, and the existing climber who wants to share their passion with other like-minded souls. Because this event is not strictly competition orientated, its goals are aimed in the direction of fun and instruction with the all important sponsor prizes thrown in. www.coe.ca

Canmore

Canmore Ice Climbing Festival

Festiglace du Quebec

photo courtesy Festiglace

Agawa Canyon Ice Festival Accessed by train from Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, this is a climbers-only event held in a canyon at railroad mile 112. The canyon sports 60 routes up to 240 meters high. It takes place the second weekend in March, and is celebrating its seventh season in 2005. www.northofsuperiorclimbing.com

Lillooet Ice Festival This festival takes place in the town of Lillooet, just north of Whistler, B.C. The organizers rent out the local Legion and plan the party. There are slide shows, climbing clinics and sponsor booths, and participants head off to nearby ice climbs to pass the time between social events. Informal and fun, this event happens the last weekend in February. www.ice-mixed.com

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photo by Andrew Querner

Sponsored by Arc’teryx this annual event is held the first weekend of March. All competitions and events take place in the beautiful town of Canmore, Alberta, with the exception of the climbing clinics, which happen at ice-filled canyons just outside of town. The event starts off on a Thursday with the indoor dry-tooling competition at The Vsion climbing gym. On Saturday and Sunday over 1200 participants flank the courtyard where the man-made structure lives. Initially an ice only competition, last year saw the advent of a World Cup style outdoor mixed wall designed for top-level athletes. The event proved not only to be a statement of physical gymnastic ability, but crowd-pleasing entertainment as well. Incorporated into the wall were a number of other potential lines for intermediate competitors as well as those who wished to try the sport for the first time using demo gear available from adjacent sponsor booths. www.canmoreiceclimbingfestival.com

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