Exploration of the Canadian frontier was all the rage in European and American adventure circles at the beginning of the 20th century. Mountaineers from Britain, Switzerland and the United States were making names for themselves as the fabled pioneers of Canada's highest peaks. It took two homegrown adventurers, however, to recognize the importance of Canadian ownership of our natural heritage. By lobbying for a national mountaineering organization in 1906, Arthur Wheeler, a highly respected surveyor and mountaineer, and Elizabeth Parker, a journalist and artist, changed the face of mountain exploration in this country forever.

Preliminary sketch of Mount Cromwell courtesy Michael Peterson

Since its founding a century ago, The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), which today boasts 10,000 active members, has promoted a distinct and inclusive mountain culture for all Canadians. "What is truly remarkable," says Bob Sandford, ACC's vice-president of mountain culture, "is that through mountaineering, the ACC has allowed Canadians to explore geography, cartography, glaciology and the preservation of Canada's alpine environment as well as develop a national identity through mountain art, photography and literature."

To mark its centennial, the ACC has planned a full calendar of activities reflecting the diversity of mountain culture, including mountaineering camps in the St. Elias Mountains and Yoho National Park, the site of the first ACC camps; a project to digitize the complete Canadian Alpine Journal collection; and a seminar on climate change in alpine environments.

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A signature project to celebrate this anniversary is "The Mountaineer and the Artist: Reflection on a Mountain Place," which honours the club's historic emphasis on art. In the early 1900s, ACC mountaineering camps were renowned for their photography and painting workshops. This project will reawaken the original mandate by pairing a dozen ACC members with artists from Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon for a unique collaboration. "We selected artists who work in different media, such as stone, fibre, glass, watercolour, ink, ceramics and wood," says project chair Heather Mortimer. "Their challenge is to interpret the mountaineer's special place through a work of art." The completed works will be presented as a special exhibit at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in October.

Mountaineer Nancy Hansen and Jasper watercolour artist Michael Peterson, for example, will interpret Mount Cromwell, Alberta. ACC director of mountaineering, Hansen is the only woman to summit the 54 highest peaks in the Canadian Rockies, a feat accomplished in a record 71/2 years. "I picked Mount Cromwell because I've yet to climb it," Hansen explains. "The journey of preparation and research — getting there and then uncovering all the mysteries of a mountain — that's what drives me to climb."

Peterson was introduced to Mount Cromwell when Hansen guided him on a steep hike to the mountain's base. "I was amazed at how insignificant I felt in the face of this huge mountain," he says. "It was immediately clear that I needed a vertical format to illustrate Cromwell's power, height and stark beauty."

By unifying the vision of climbers and artists, "The Mountaineer and the Artist" will yield an enduring collection that will connect all Canadians to the country's most distinctive landforms. "The ACC's goal is not only to help Canadians explore mountains," says Sandford, "but to find the meaning and relevance of mountain places in their lives and our culture."

For more information, visit www.alpineclubofcanada.ca

—Natalie St-Denis

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