Fonds constitutes the principal resource for the study of the history of Canadian mountaineering. It provides a wealth of information on individual alpinists, expeditions, mountains, national parks, conservation, climbing, alpine organizations, publications, guiding, scientific study and the Alpin…
ca.42 m of textual records. -- ca.12,500 photographs: prints, stereographic prints, transparencies, slides, negatives, postcards. -- 85 photograph albums. -- 8 motion pictures: films, video recordings. -- 3 sound recordings
History / Biographical
The Alpine Club of Canada, the national mountaineering club, was co-founded in 1906 by A. O. Wheeler and Elizabeth Parker, and other like-minded climbers. The club espoused scientific study and exploration, cultivation of art, public education, acquisition of climbing skills, and preservation of natural areas within the mountainous regions of Canada. Through a national executive, local sections and volunteer committees, the club provided climbing camps, clubhouse, huts, and publications, including the Canadian Alpine Journal. ACC expeditions and projects resulted in pioneer exploration, first ascents, and included mountain warfare training during the Second World War. In recent years, the club's membership has increased dramatically with the popularity of climbing and its programs have evolved to serve the needs of unguided climbers using sophisticated technical aids.
Scope & Content
Fonds constitutes the principal resource for the study of the history of Canadian mountaineering. It provides a wealth of information on individual alpinists, expeditions, mountains, national parks, conservation, climbing, alpine organizations, publications, guiding, scientific study and the Alpine Club itself.
The fonds consists of four Sous-fonds: I. Alpine Club of Canada records; II. Mount Everest Expedition (1982) records; III. Personal papers and photographs; IV. Other material. Club administration records (series I.A.) pertain to executive positions; head office; finance; camps, climbing and treks; expeditions; huts and properties; clubhouses; library; publications; photography; other committees; other activities; and other. Other club records include section records (series I.B.), hut registers and summit records (series I.C.).
Series consists of hut registers produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between ca.1930-2020. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts, which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the huts; wildlife sightings; custodi…
Series consists of hut registers produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between ca.1930-2020. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts, which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the huts; wildlife sightings; custodial issues and updates; and related topics.
Series is separated at the sub-series level by individual huts:
M200 / IV / A : Abbot Pass Hut
M200 / IV / B : Elizabeth Parker Hut
M200 / IV / C : Wates-Gibson Hut
M200 / IV / D : A. O. Wheeler Hut
M200 / IV / E : Sydney Vallance (Fryatt) Hut
M200 / IV / F : Bow Hut
M200 / IV / G : Stanley Mitchell Hut
M200 / IV / H : Fay Hut
M200 / IV / I : Balfour Hut
M200 / IV / J : Peyto Hut/ Peter and Catharine Whyte Hut
M200 / IV / K : Elk Lakes Cabin
M200 / IV / L : Bon Echo Hut
M200 / IV / M : Bill Putnam / Fairy Meadows Hut
M200 / IV / N : Scott Duncan Hut
M200 / IV / O: Conrad Kain/Bugaboos Hut
M200 / IV / P: Neil Colgan Hut
M200 / IV / Q: Silver Spray Hut
M200 / IV / R: Asulkan Hut
M200 / IV / S: Mount Colin Hut
M200 / IV / T: Great Cairn Hut
M200 / IV / U: Other Huts [Registers]
Notes
See sub-series entries for chronological inventories of hut registers
File consists of 39 recording discs which contain image files and video recordings collected and/or created by Chic Scott. Content pertains to mountain expeditions and travel, the Alpine Club of Canada, personal website content, slide show material, a fireside chat with Don Mickle in 2013, and othe…
File consists of 39 recording discs which contain image files and video recordings collected and/or created by Chic Scott. Content pertains to mountain expeditions and travel, the Alpine Club of Canada, personal website content, slide show material, a fireside chat with Don Mickle in 2013, and other related subjects.
Notes
Contents of discs:
V40 / XIV / 1 : "Wapta Rogers Pass Mar 04"
V40 / XIV / 2 : "The Mountaineer and the Artist: The Alpine Club of Canada Centennial Exhibition" [2006]
V40 / XIV / 3 : "Steve Smith's JPEG Catalog"
V40 / XIV / 4 : "Chic Scott CMH Ski Images History Book Proj[ect]"
V40 / XIV / 5 : "My Slides Scanned for Website"
V40 / XIV / 6 : "Yamnuska Photos Sept 3, 02"
V40 / XIV / 7 : National Parks of Canada Presents: "She Climbs to Conquer" [Georgia Engelhard]; "Skiing at Lake Louise"; "Skiing in Cloudland"; "Sunshine and Powder-Snow"; "Winter Wonderland"
V40 / XIV / 8 : "1958 Bugaboos to Rogers Pass Traverse"
Sub-series of hut registers from the Silver Spray Cabin produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1992 and 2018. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the hut, wildl…
According to the Alpine Club of Canada's website, the Silver Spray Hut was built in 1994 and is located in the Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, B. C. The hut is allows mountaineers to access the Selkirk Mountains, as well as Kokanee, Caribou and Woodbury Glaciers.
According to the Alpine Club of Canada's Backcountry Huts: Silver Spray Cabin: Info Sheet:
"Constructed in the 1920s to serve as a bunkhouse for the Violet Mining Company operating in the area, the BC Parks Branch took over the maintenance of the cabin by the time the mines closed in the early 1930’s. The Kootenay Section of the Alpine Club of Canada became involved in the maintenance of the hut over many work parties throughout the 1950’s. In the 1960’s, park workers began to take a more active role once again and initiated substantial repairs to the hut, as it was clear that a lot of work needed to be done to the cabin. In the 1980’s building materials were brought into the site to replace the old cabin with a new one, but local protests to preserve the original cabin for historical interpretation stopped any new construction.
The BC Parks Branch included the cabin as one of the many provincial historic sites in the area, for the historic interest of the location, and the remaining evidence of old mine workings."
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from the Silver Spray Cabin produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1992 and 2018. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the hut, wildlife sightings, custodial issues and updates, and related topics.
The sub-series is separated into individual hut registers, arranged by date:
M200 / IV / Q / 1: [Silver Spray Cabin, 1992-95]
M200 / IV / Q / 2: Silver Spray Cabin [2002-2008]
M200 / IV / Q / 3: Silver Spray [2008-2015]
M200 / IV / Q / 4: Silver Spray Log [2015 to 2018]
Alpine Club of Canada website:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/silver-spray-cabin/
Alpine Club of Canada Backcountry Huts: Silver Spray Cabin: Info Sheet:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/SilverSprayCabin.pdf
File consists of summit notes from Mount Fay produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1998 and 1999. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildl…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
1998-1999
Physical Description
0.5 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Mount Fay is located along the Continental/Great Divide, along the Alberta and British Columbia border. Mount Fay is part of the Canadian Rockies.
Scope & Content
File consists of summit notes from Mount Fay produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1998 and 1999. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
File:
M200 / V / A / 156: [100 YR SWISS CENTENNIAL CLIMB 1999: Faye Summit notes. Bow Hut OCT - DEC 1998]
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers from the Alberta Centennial Mountain Expedition 2005 produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 2005 and 2017. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details o…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
2005-2017
Physical Description
25 cm of textual records
12 volumes
History / Biographical
The Alberta Centennial Mountain Expedition 2005 was a way for the Alpine Club of Canada, the Rocky Mountain Ramblers and other climbing groups to celebrate the Centennial of Alberta. These groups climbed various mountains throughout Alberta and placed registers on their peaks for climbers to commemorate their climbs during the centenary period. Various summits were reached including Mount Aylmer, Pigeon Mountain, Mount Niblock and others.
Scope & Content
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers from the Alberta Centennial Mountain Expedition 2005 produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 2005 and 2017. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
Files consist of:
M200 / V / A / 14: Mount. Aylmer 2005
M200 / V / A / 15: 2005 Alberta Centennial Mtn. Expedition Summit Register – Pigeon Mtn., Aug 2005 – July 2006
M200 / V / A / 16: Summit Register + Notes – Big Sister, Aug 2005 – Aug 2007 (AB. Centennial Mtn. Expedition 2005 Register)
M200 / V / A / 17: Sentry Mountain Summit Register 2005 - 2017
M200 / V / A / 18: Mount Niles [summit register] [2005-2017]
M200 / V / A / 19: Alberta Centennial Mtn. Expedition, 2005 Summit Register – MT. Niblock, July 2006 – July 2009
M200 / V / A / 20: 2005 AB. Centennial Mtn. Expedition Middle Sister July 2006 – July 2007
M200 / V / A / 21: 2005 AB. Centennial Mountain Expedition, Yamnuska, 2005 – 2006. Summit Register
M200 / V / A / 22: Summit Register – Crowsnest Mtn., July 2005 – July 2007 2005 AB. Centennial Mtn. Expedition
M200 / V / A / 23: Alberta Centennial Mountain Expedition. [Part 1 of 2].
M200 / V / A / 24: Alberta Centennial Mountain Expedition. [Part 2 of 2].
M200 / V / A / 25: [unidentified Alberta Centennial Mountain Expedition Log]
File consist of one summit register from Anderson Peak produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 2006 and 2013. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the summit which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wild…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
2006 - 2013
Physical Description
1 cm of textual records
1 volume
History / Biographical
Anderson Peak is a mountain in the Canadian Rockies, located in Waterton Lakes National Park in southwestern Alberta.
Scope & Content
File consist of one summit register from Anderson Peak produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 2006 and 2013. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the summit which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
File:
M200 / V / A / 109: Anderson Peak
File consists of a summit record from Arête Peak produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between around 1994 and 2016. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the su…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
ca. 1994-2016
Physical Description
0.5 cm of textual record
1 volume
History / Biographical
Arête Peak is located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Nearby are Mount des Poilus and Isolated Peak.
Scope & Content
File consists of a summit record from Arête Peak produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between around 1994 and 2016. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
File:
M200 / V / A / 137: ARÊTE [ca. 1994-2016]
Sub-series of hut registers from the Balfour (Rob Ritchie) Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1966 and 2019. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the hut…
According to the Alpine Club of Canada's website:
"The Rob Ritchie Hut, also known as the Balfour Hut, is found on low, rocky hills at the toe of the Vulture Glacier, approximately 28 km northwest of the town of Lake Louise, AB. It is east of Balfour Pass and the Continental divide, just inside the Banff National Park boundary.[...]
The Rob Ritchie Hut, also known as the Balfour Hut, is found on low, rocky hills at the toe of the Vulture Glacier, approximately 28 km northwest of the town of Lake Louise, AB. It is east of Balfour Pass and the Continental divide, just inside the Banff National Park boundary.
This is the half-way mark for the Wapta Traverse and is usually used in conjunction with the other huts in this chain while attempting this classic cross-glacier ski trip. Usual approach is from Bow Hut through the Olive/St. Nicholas Col then down the gentle and pleasant Vulture Glacier to Balfour Pass, where the hut sits on a section of moraine beneath the impressive bulk of Mt. Balfour.
Though most people will spend one night at the R.J. Ritchie (Balfour) Hut before continuing on to Scott Duncan, there is potential for good skiing here, especially on the Diableret Glacier which sits northwest of Mt. Balfour and makes for a fantastic run on a clear day! There is also an optional route to the summit of Mt. Gordon from this hut, which would be an excellent loop trip if combined with the normal route back towards Bow Hut. Use your imagination and some neat trip ideas will present themselves!"
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from the Balfour (Rob Ritchie) Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1966 and 2019. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the hut, wildlife sightings, custodial issues and updates, and related topics.
The sub-series is separated into individual hut registers, arranged by date:
M200 / IV / I / 1: Balfour Hut [Register] [1966-1971]
M200 / IV / I / 2: Balfour Pass Hut [1971-1972]
M200 / IV / I / 3: Balfour Pass Hut Register [1973-1974]
M200 / IV / I / 4: Balfour Pass Hut [register 1974-1982]
M200 / IV / I / 5: "Balfour Hut" [register] Sept. 2, 1982 - Nov. 17, 1989
M200 / IV / I / 6: Balfour Hut Journal Nov. 22, 1989 - Apr. 25, 1997
M200 / IV / I / 7: Balfour Hut Register [1997 -2001]
M200 / IV / I / 8: Balfour Hut Register 2007 - 2015
M200 / IV / I / 9: Balfour Hut register 2011 - 2019
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers from Big Sister produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1994 and 2004. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred whil…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
1994-1998
2000-2001
2003-2004
Physical Description
3 volumes
3 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Big Sister peak is one of the Three Sisters Mountains near Canmore, AB, and is the highest mountain of the Three Sisters.
Scope & Content
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers from Big Sister produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1994 and 2004. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
Files include:
M200 / V / A / 65: Big Sister Summit Register May 8, 1994 - Sept. 5, 1998
M200 / V / A / 66: Big Sister [Canmore, 2000-2001]
M200 / V / A / 67: Summit Register - Big Sister, Sept 2003 - Sept. 2004