Monday, February 11, 2013
Denise Kitagawa, from Calgary, Alberta and Shelly Stetsko, from Castlegar, British Columbia.
They got all answers right and their names were randomly drawn. Congratulations Denise and Shelly!
The author Graeme Pole is generously offering two sets of his 3 companion guides.
For the record, the three questions asked were:
1. The largest thrust sheet in the Canadian Rockies is the:
- Pipestone Pass Thrust
- McConnell Thrust
- Cave and Basin Thrust
- Lewis Thrust
The correct answer is "Lewis Thrust".
2. Sunwapta Pass separates these two river systems:
- Bow-Athabasca
- Sunwapta-Red Deer
- Athabasca-North Saskatchewan
- Bow-North Saskatchewan
The correct answer is "Athabasca-North Saskatchewan".
3. The only aquatic songbird species in North America is the:
- Dipper
- Common merganser
- Varying warbleo
- Varied thrush
The correct answer is "Dipper".
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Saturday, February 09, 2013
We have a winner!
Thanks to everyone who voted on Facebook and here on our site.
Thanks also to all those who wrote in.
The cover image you selected for the 2013 edition of Experience
the Mountain Parks, with 37% of all votes cast is.... drum roll please...
Option #1, shown here again below for your convenience.
Hope you enjoy!
And stay tuned for the chance to decide what image we will use
on the cover of the 2013 edition of Experience Kananaskis Country
& The Cowboy Trail...
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Thursday, January 31, 2013
In 1961, Peter Fuhrmann, a German climber working in
Banff, arranged to take his professional mountain guide’s
exam with Walter Perren, the Swiss mountain guide heading
Parks Canada’s public safety program.
At the appointed rendez-vous, Fuhrmann learned Perren
was conducting a rescue. Driving to Castle Mountain, he
scrambled to where he could see Perren climbing solo up
south-facing cliffs.
“He yelled down, ‘come up, give me a hand and bring
my pack,’” Fuhrmann, now 80, recalled. “So I put his
pack on top of my pack and then I climbed up the right
hand ridge of Eisenhower Tower.”
Reaching the summit, he found Perren with three
climbers who, although uninjured, lacked the skills to descend.
Perren suggested that Fuhrmann descend with one of the climbers
as an examination exercise. That task completed, the following
day Fuhrmann climbed Mount Victoria, backdrop to Lake
Louise, with Perren, who declared him certified.
Today, candidates hoping to earn professional certification
follow a more structured and rigorous program through the
Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). Extensive
outdoor experience is required to gain acceptance; on average
the multiple exams take seven years to complete. This year, now
850 members strong, the association formed by Fuhrmann and
eight other guides in 1963 celebrates its 50
th anniversary.
Among those founding members was
Hans Gmoser who had established
himself as western Canada’s preeminent guide since
emigrating from Austria in 1951. Like Perren, who certified
him in 1956, Gmoser advocated for a Canadian association.
The group—the majority Europeans
— elected Fuhrmann as the
ACMG’s first president. Those already holding licences were
grandfathered in.
In Europe’s alpine nations, the guiding profession is long-established
and highly respected. Historically, people feared the alpine
as home to evil dragons, but by the first ascent of the Alps’
highest, Mont Blanc, in 1786, attitudes began changing. Rail
travel brought tourists eager to view peaks, glaciers and wildflower
meadows. Among them, wealthy Brits and Americans hired
locals to lead them safely to claim virgin summits. Chamonix,
France claims guiding’s oldest professional association, established
in 1821.
In Canada, the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CP) in 1885 lured mountaineers west. In 1897, friends of Phillip
Stanley Abbot, who died climbing Mount Lefroy the previous
summer, hired Switzerland’s Peter Sarbach—the first professional
guide to work in Canada. In 1899, CP began employing
Swiss guides to lead its hotel guests to summits in the Rockies
and Selkirks, a program that continued until the early 1950s. Perren
was one of CP’s last guides.
As chair of the ACMG’s technical standards committee, Gmoser
set the qualification bar high. As his helicopter skiing business,
Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) flourished through the
1970s and ’80s, demand for professional guides increased. While
the ACMG certified a growing number of Canadians, dozens of
European guides eagerly worked in the exciting new industry.
Many of them stayed.
In 1973, two of those Swiss guides, Hans Peter Stettler and Rudi
Gertsch (a second-generation guide) attended the annual meeting
of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations
(IFMGA) in Liechtenstein, intent on demonstrating that
Canadian standards matched Europe’s. In 1974, the ACMG became
the IFMGA’s first non-European member.
Since then, the ACMG has steadily evolved, expanding to encompass
mountain, hiking and climbing gym programs. In addition
to safely guiding mountaineers around the world, today’s
ACMG guides work as highway safety technicians, avalanche
experts, coroner’s consultants, army instructors and as riggers for
Hollywood productions. Under the direction of Fuhrmann (who
succeeded Perren) and Jasper’s Willi Pfisterer, they also developed
Parks Canada’s world-class public safety program.
“Standards are usually minimums, and in Canada we had the
chance to set higher standards from the beginning,” said Gertsch,
whose own son, Jeff, is an ACMG ski guide. “We can be proud.
Canadian guides are leaders, some of the best in the world.”
While climbing for a living might appear glamorous, mountaineering
days can easily last upwards of 12 hours demanding that
guides evaluate rockfall and avalanche hazards at every step;
glacier traverses involve consecutive nights in tents eating dehydrated
dinners. Seasonal employment means irregular schedules
and incomes. Injuries are costly; physiotherapy visits essential.
Still, for those who pass the gruelling and expensive examination
process, few imagine doing anything else.
A Calgary native, Jen Olson earned her ACMG mountain guide
certification in 2008, one of eight women in Canada with that
qualification. She’s guided clients in Italy’s Dolomites and Argentinean
Patagonia as well as her backyard Rockies and Selkirks.
Internationally recognized certification allows her to explore
new wilderness areas while providing her clients an adventure
far beyond what they could manage on their own.
“I like teaching, I like to travel and I like introducing people to
a lifestyle I value,” Olson said. “To travel as a guide really makes
a difference.”
Even at 70, when Ferdl Taxbock is not hiking, backcountry skiing
or rock climbing recreationally, he guides part-time. Every
summer he runs the Alpine Club of Canada’s 55 Plus Summer
Trekking and Climbing Camp out of Stanley Mitchell Hut in
Yoho National Park.
“I still really enjoy guiding,” said Taxbock, who emigrated from
Austria in 1967. “It’s fun to be with other people who also love
the mountains and to help them enjoy the scenery or to help
them move on exposed rock safely.
“And,” he added, “It gets me out too!”
From traversing the Wapta Icefields to backpacking in Jasper to
climbing in Mongolia, ACMG guides are trained and eager to
make your adventure dreams reality.
~By Lynn Martel
Photos:
Top photo from the 1967 ACMG guides course includes, back row, from left, Don Vockeroth, Ottmar Setzer, Bob Geber, John Gow, Charlie Locke and Bernie Royle. Seated in the front row, from left, are Leo Grillmair, Lloyd Gallagher, Hans Gmoser, Peter Fuhrmann and Hans Schwartz. Credit: Chic Scott collection.
Bottom photo: ACMG Hiking and Ski Guide, Félix Camiré (front left) leads two Alpine Club of Canada amateur trip leaders on a backcountry ski touring skills course in the popular Rogers Pass area of BC’s Glacier National Park. Photo by Lynn Martel.
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Sunday, January 27, 2013
Every year, thousands of families travel to the mountain parks
for adventure and relaxation. And for many, no family member
is left behind – whether it is the dog, cat, snake or ferret. Pet
friendly accommodation is becoming more popular as people
venture away from home with their beloved family pet. And accommodators
are increasingly welcoming furry family members
with open arms.
“Pets are part of the family, and just like bringing kids, we wants
guests to bring their pets,” says Cole Millen, operations director
at Delta Kananaskis. “There is a shift for hotels to go pet friendly,
and people expect it.”
Approximately 50 per cent of hotels in the mountain parks are
pet friendly. In the Kananaskis/Canmore/Banff/Lake Louise area,
expedia.ca lists 34 of 82 accommodators as pet friendly, and in
Yoho National Park, 11 of 25 have pet friendly rooms.
Millen says that although they have had cats, snakes and ferrets
as guests at the hotel, dogs are the most common pet companion.
On long weekends in particular, at least 10% of guests have a dog
staying with them at the hotel.
Many hotels offer a welcome package when dogs are booked in
advance. At the Delta, canine guests are greeted with an amenities
package including a dog bowl, treats, toy and dog bed. And
for guests worried about leaving the furkid unattended in a hotel
room, the front desk staff will dogsit, including regular walks, for
up to three hours. The program, which started in June 2012, donates
all proceeds to the Bow Valley SPCA, and in a five month
period, has generated more than $370.
Although being pet friendly is not a new approach for the Delta,
other accommodators in the mountain parks are adapting to the
demand for pet friendly accommodation and have only recently
welcomed pets.
Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, Alberta has been pet friendly
for less than a year and has already doubled the number of pet
rooms they make available to guests.
“There is a segment of the market that wants to bring pets,” says
Martin Parkes, assistant lodge manager. “I was shocked how
quickly (the pet friendly concept) took off.”
Like many other hotels that offer pet amenities, Buffalo Mountain
Lodge is also initiating a dog-friendly welcome package, including
locally sourced elk dog treats from the same farm as the
meat they serve in the on-site restaurant.
Both Millen and Parkes support the pet friendly approach, but
they also say it’s important for pet owners to be responsible – not
only in the hotel, but outside as well.
“Being in a provincial park is a unique aspect,” says Millen. “It’s
important that pets are on leash. The last thing we would want to
see is a dog running after a squirrel or deer.”
Parkes agrees that the wildlife component is extremely important for
pet owners to be aware of. With the possibility of a guest opening the
door in the morning to find a deer on the lawn, it’s especially important
for pet owners to be aware that they are in a park with wildlife.
It is also important that pet owners take advantage of the services
and amenities available by booking their pets as a registered guest.
Although hotels charge a pet fee for the necessary cleaning that is
required, it notifies staff that a pet is in the room, and if there are any
issues, they can contact the owner directly.
Not all dogs are perfectly well behaved all the time, but Millen says
that shouldn’t prevent owners from bringing them to a hotel.
Attention advertisers-This story will be published in our 2013 edition of Experience The Mountain Parks.
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“Don’t be embarrassed,” says Millen. “If your dog is a barker, ask for
help, assistance, support and suggestions.”
For the travellers more inclined to camp on their mountain holiday,
most campgrounds in the mountain parks permit pets to stay, but it
is wise to confirm with the campground when booking. Even more
so than hotel accommodation, wildlife awareness is important. Leaving
dog food out in the open, for example, can attract wildlife to the
campsite.
Leaving a beloved pet at home is a tough decision. Doggy daycare is
an option. Friends or family could look after him/her. A house-sitter
can make sure your dog is fed and has water.
Or bring your pet with you. Walk the trails, enjoy the snow or the sunshine,
breathe in the fresh air. With hotels opening their doors to our
furry friends, there is no decision to make. Your furkid will thank you.
[Furkid]
Used to refer to a pet that is treated as though it were someone's child. |
Dog Travel tips
- Bring a leash – dogs need to be leashed in most areas of the mountain parks and in all hotel public areas.
- Register ahead – not only do dogs get a welcome package at many hotels, staff can contact you directly if there are any issues.
- Make them tired – go for a walk, hike, or run before checking into the hotel. A tired dog is a (usually) quiet dog.
- Bring a bag (or ask for one) – clean up after your dog to limit the impact on other guests and local wildlife.
- Book dogsitting – leave your room without worry. If offered, take advantage of the dogsitting offered by some dog-friendly hotels.
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~By Jen Lowery
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Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tomorrow, Thursday, January 24, 2013 will be held in Calgary at the BMO Centre, Stamped Park the 44th Calgary RV Expo and Sale.
The show goes on from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Thursday, as well as Friday and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Last day is Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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