TheVolume 49, ArêteSummer 2018 The Himalaya's First Via Ferrata Page 18 New Zealand Summer Guiding Page 24 Skaha Bluffs Climbing History Page 28 Maximizing the Practicum/ Mentor Experience Page 38 Contents Editorial It's a Crappy Job but Somebody Has to Do it! 32 President’s Perspective 4 Active Listening and The Interpersonal Gap 34 Tucker Talk 5 Maximizing the Practicum/Mentor Experience 38 News Gear Reviews Training and Assessment Program Update 6 Pieps Micro Avalanche Beacon Review 40 Technical Director’s Report 8 2019 G3 Alpinist Glide Skin Review 42 ACMG Partnership Update 10 Black Diamond ATC Pilot Review 44 ACMG Scholarship News 12 Member Updates Spotlight on ACMG Members Diapers and Vows 47 Jean-Philippe LeBlanc Wins Sylvie Marois Award 14 In Memory of Brian Greenwood 48 Beef Jerky & Waders —First One Day Link up of Changes in ACMG Membership 49 Theft and Gift Ice Climbs 16 ACMG Officers, Directors, Advisors, The Sky's Way—The Himalaya's First Via Ferrata 18 Staff and Committees 50 ACMG Member Photo Gallery 22 KONSEAL FL SHOE Features Gain traction with a technical New Zealand Summer Guiding 24 approach shoe designed for stability and comfort on fast Skaha Bluffs Climbing History 28 and light adventures in serious FIRE!! Is your Backcountry Lodge Prepared? 30 mountain terrain. The Arête “That's what's so amazing about climbing—it's not just a sport. It's a lifestyle, it's a way of being creative, of connecting with yourself and with nature.” Chris Sharma Editor-in-Chief: Shaun King Editorial Consultants: Mary Clayton, Peter Tucker, Marc Piché Editorial Policy The Arêteattempts to print every submission believed to be of interest to the ACMG membership including items that challenge the Association to examine its actions or direction. Ar- ticles containing insulting or defamatory sections will be edited or not published at all. Technical articles are subject to review by the Technical Committee. Previous issues of The Arêtemay be found online at: DIA NA N M CA O F U O N T acmg.ca/02member/communication/newsletter.asp N A O I I N T G A I M U C C G I D O A E S S S A Article submissions and advertising information a a KONSEAL FL SHOE - RED BEACH SAFETY cmg.c Proud Partner Submission guidelines outlined on the ACMG members website. Submit articles and ads to [email protected] Cover photo: Alex Geary teaching ice climbing on the Tasman Glacier in New Zealand. Photo: Lisa Kilpatrick S18_Konseal FL Shoe Pro Ad File Size: 7.5” x 9.5” The Arête 2 Summer 2018 Summer 2018 3 The Arête Editorial President’s Perspective Tucker Talk By Marc Ledwidge By Peter Tucker Your board of directors wrapped up two standards builds public trust in the profession, and public trust One of the cornerstone principles of my • Evolving the ACMG News into the all-colour, high quality days of meetings in early June. The most in you as members of the association. life is the belief that we become health- publication you are currently reading notable change is the association taking The ACMG technical and executive directors regularly get ier and more successful when bridges over the training of guides and instructors requests for exemptions or extensions to timelines on these poli- rise, and walls fall. This feels particularly All of these comprise the promise of our brand, and all of from TRU after they gave us notice last Au- cies. If the requests are denied, it may appear that the associa- acute in the current political climate not these have helped to demolish the old walls and construct gust that they would no longer run the Ca- tion is being inflexible. I can assure you that we work very hard only in places such as the Middle East bridges of trust. The fact that we have been able to do this, nadian Mountain and Ski Guide program. on each individual case. In the end, the priority must be the and Korea, but closer to home between while respecting our roots and traditions, is a remarkable The new Training and Assessment (TAP) integrity of our technical and membership standards. Alberta and BC, and between Canada achievement that I attribute to the skill and dedication of program is well underway and we have confidence in the team and the US, though I will avoid specifics lest I find myself my team and the many people who have volunteered to sit that is running this program. To allow enough time to revise the ACMG President and Mountain Guide Marc Ledwidge lives in unable to return to ride in Utah next year. on boards and committees. My hat is off to you all. program and fully assess its effectiveness, the board decided to Banff, AB. Walls come in a variety of shapes and formats. Some, keep it in-house for at least the next three years. In this issue’s President’s Perspective, President Marc such as the Great Wall of China and the Berlin Wall are/were Ledwidge speaks about the ACMG’s dual mandate that We are facing several challenges on other fronts. They es- highly visible. They were designed to be imposing physi- balances protecting the public and serving its members, sentially come down to our dual or “bifurcated mandate”. How cal barriers to invasion or migration and, for better or for and how the former has taken priority over the past dozen do we balance protecting the public interest with serving the worse, served their purpose of self-protection extremely years. At the spring meeting of the ACMG Board of Direc- needs of our members? Those two primary, but potentially con- PUB JULBO_ACMG_17_05_18_HR.pdf 1 2018-05-22 8:54 AM well. Other types of walls (those established by tradition, tors, where this topic was discussed at length, it was rightly flicting objectives, have been highlighted by the current litiga- policy or culture) may be less “in-your-face” but are no less pointed out by some directors that taking care of our mem- tion against the association and other ongoing processes. After effective at accomplishing the type of self-protection de- bers and providing excellent training is the best way to lengthy consideration of several possible scenarios, the board sired by the group within. At least with physical walls, you protect the public. I would venture to say that the converse has decided to reaffirm our dual mandate but ensure that prior- know what you’re up against—suffering, injury, perhaps is even more correct. It has been the bridge of trust that ity continues to be given to protecting the public. It was felt that death. With invisible ones, you may not even know they’re we have forged with the public that is responsible for the even with the current challenges, this was reasonable. there, until you begin to see the casualties of trust and extremely positive way that ACMG members are perceived As previously mentioned, the ACMG has been named spirit mount up. by all its stakeholders. This has not only translated into bet- in a lawsuit concerning one of our members following a The ACMG used to have an invisible wall around it. As a ter negotiating power with government and our partners, guided ski touring trip, which resulted in a fatality in 2015. member of the public, I had known the association existed, it has indirectly provided work for you. The member is insured under the ACMG group policy. As but I didn’t really know what it stood for and how it worked. When there is risk of harm to the public, trust is every- such, their defense is provided by the insurance company. My outsider’s impression was that it was an elite group of thing. There is no more powerful way of demonstrating Similarly, the association is insured under that policy and technically competent people, driven largely by accom- your trustworthiness than to belong to an association that is being provided separate legal representation by the in- plishment and ego. While that was, to some extent, true, certifies that you have been trained and assessed to a rig- surance company. The general nature of the allegations I quickly learned there was so much more for the world to orous standard, that you are required to remain current in against the ACMG revolve around negligent training, edu- see and understand about this group. A story needed to be your practice, and that you are held accountable to a code cation with respect to guiding practices, and procedures. C told and, in that telling, bridges would begin to span the of conduct. That’s the value of certification. If your profes- Counsel for the member and the ACMG are mounting a de- M twin gulfs of misunderstanding and mistrust. sion is trusted, then you will be as well. fense, and as of early June, that is where the lawsuits sit. The Y As Mountain Guide and ACMG Graphic and IT Specialist Did I hear someone ask how you as individual mem- strategy for defense of the ACMG is, for obvious reasons, CM Chris Miller likes to say, a brand is far more than a logo—it bers can help? Awesome question! The best ways are to confidential. Our defense counsel is comfortable with their MY comprises everything that makes up our promise to our work only within your scope of practice, post regularly to ability to successfully defend the claim against the ACMG. CY stakeholders: the MCR and report incidents on the newly revised system This is the first time that a claim has been brought CMY • Changing our objects and bylaws to reflect our commit- coming soon from the incident review committee.