DIA NA N M CA O F U O N T N A Association of O I I N T G A I M U C C G I Canadian Mountain Guides Bulletin D O A E S S S A Protecting the public interest in mountain travel Contents 9 No 3 Vol From the ED ................ 1 BOD Meeting ............... 2 Member Input Session 4 AGM Update ................ 5 1 BOD Update ................ 6 Awards ........................ 7 2014 Fall Partnership Program 12 Events ........................ 13 PAI Reborn ............... 16 Important $$ Changes and a New Price List .17 Mountain Guides Ball 20 photo: Roger Laurilla Our Newest Mountain Guides (L to R): Eric Ostopkevich, Max Darrah, Cecelia Mortenson and Ben Firth receive Arc’teryx jackets and their Mountain Guide pins at the Mountain Guides Ball in Banff. Missing, Mike Trehearne From the ED Hi folks, We just completed our Annual General Meeting in Squamish, along with a variety of other events, so we thought we’d give you a sum- mary of how it went and what was accomplished. Full meeting details will soon be available on the website under Communication. Thanks to all our members in attendance, especially those from the Coast who made us feel so welcome. Continued on page 2 This issue of the ACMG Bulletin is brought to you by: ACMG eBulletin AGM Update Board of Directors Meeting • Reviewed current strategic plan to ensure relevance - no major changes in direction Vol 9 No 3 Vol Discussed whether the ACMG should pursue “Right to Title” - decided that at this stage we need to focus our resources on having our certification recognized as minimum standard by BC Crown and BC Parks • Ratified Conduct Review Committee’s recommendations for changes to theCode of Con- duct • Discussion on fees for upcoming digital TechManual - determined that with digital rights 2 management systems, we can continue to sell the manual to whomever wants it, but also offer some portions to the public for free Fall 2014 Fall • Decision to expand scope of Distinguished Ser- vice Awards to include public members of the Board • Discussion on whether to permit Board mem- bers to become Association partners - given to Governance Committee to develop policy draft for discussion and ratification • Examined results of member survey on Personal Accident Insurance - decision to proceed with program for 2015 • Discussion on whether to engage WSBC on ski helmet issue - need compelling data demonstrat- ing downside or danger to member before applying association resources to issue. If anyone is aware of such data, please bring it forward. • Discussion on implications to ACMG of regula- tory issues for mechanized skiing in Alaska - decided to spend some energy working with other organizations on issues such as substance abuse, working long hours and working too many shifts back to back If you wish to discuss any of the above, you can contact Peter Tucker [email protected] Member ACMG Update ACMG eBulletin Member Input Session - membership equality • 20 people attended Vol 9 No 3 Vol • Continued to get excellent input on where there still may be issues along with possible solutions • Biggest issues: • Equal voting on all matters • Promotion of other streams to public and industry by ACMG • Recognition by mountain stream members that a day of hiking guiding or climbing instruction is valuable; 3 • Too intimidated to post on Informalex and MCR • Some solutions: Fall 2014 Fall • Engage Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA) to determine whether we can get membership for hiking guides • Continue to grow the internal education around value and skill provided by hiking guides and climbing instructors • Bulletin board for internal conversations • Examine dues equality • Revive MCR summary for Coast • Currently looking at going to on-line voting process to make it easier for members who can’t attend AGMs • General sense that there has been progress on this front, with recognition there is still a ways to go Our newest Honorary Member, Tim Auger with his wife Sherry and son Corey ACMG eBulletin AGM Update Annual General Meeting Membership ratified an extraordinary resolution that did two things: Vol 9 No 3 Vol - added a Board position for an Eastern Canada representative - secured the two Director-at-large positions for members of the public Elected positions: • BC Interior Director - Sylvia Forest by acclamation - appointed Vice-President • Director-at-large (public) - Kevin Dumba by acclamation - appointed Secretary-Treasurer • Rockies Director - Jordy Shepherd by acclamation 4 • Hiking Guide Director - Nathan Dahl by acclamation • Apprentice Guide Director - Rich Haywood by majority vote Fall 2014 Fall • Climbing Instructor Director - Scott McKay by acclamation • Specialty Guide Director - Derek Wilding by majority vote • Mountain Guide-at-large - Cecelia Mortenson by majority vote • Mountain Guide-at-large - Kirsten Knechtel by majority vote • West Coast Director - Ross Berg by acclamation • Inducted Tim Auger and Conrad Kain (posthumous) as Honorary Members AGM Update ACMG eBulletin Board Member Update Vol 9 No 3 Vol 5 Fall 2014 Fall Sylvia Forest - Vice President Cecelia Mortenson - West Coast Director My name is Syl Forest, and I am a mountain guide I am very excited to be serving on the BOD and living near Golden BC. After sitting as the Director look forward to learning from the experienced for the Interior on the ACMG BOD for two years, members of the board and guide community. I I am now trying to fill Matt Peter’s large shoes as hope that I am able to contribute back into the as- the VP (no easy task - thanks Matt, for all your sociation and offer a useful perspective that can hard work and dedication to the ACMG over many help to support the membership. years!). Feel free to contact me with concerns or issues I am excited that our board is highly engaged, you would like brought to the attention of the and are pursuing many issues that will benefit the Board of Directors association. I am grateful to be able to work with so many talented and insightful folks, working on Cecelia your behalf. I look forward to hearing from you, if [email protected] you have concerns, ideas, or for any reason.” Sylvia [email protected] ACMG eBulletin AGM Update Board Member Update Vol 9 No 3 Vol 6 Fall 2014 Fall Kirsten Knechtel - Director at Large Kevin Dumba - Secretary Treasurer I am now a Director at Large on the ACMG board. Kevin will be taking over the Secretary Treasurer I see this position as an opportunity for you to position from Jörg Wilz. He is a chartered accoun- approach me with your ideas and interests for the tant and a rabid backcountry skier. He and his wife board regardless of your certification and geo- Nadia can often be seen running trails in the Rock- graphical region. ies as well as other places in North America. A few years back, they ran the Grand Canyon rim to rim I have been a mountain guide for the last 15 in 16 hours. years and I served on the board prior to that as the Restricted Member Representative. I feel that He brings a very valuable perspective to our as- it’s time for me to help out again, as I’ve seen so sociation’s affairs, and we are thrilled to have him many positive changes happen over those years. in this role. I’m looking forward to working with Marc, Peter, Sylvia and all of the other board members. Kevin Dumba [email protected] Kirsten Knechtel [email protected] Awards ACMG eBulletin New Honorary Members Tim Auger 9 No 3 Vol Tim started his climbing career on the walls that made Squa- mish famous in the climbing world in the 1960s. Many of you were not born yet. He made the second ascent of The Grand Wall and the first 7 ascent of University Wall. These two climbs established him as a leading Canadian 2014 Fall climber. He was born in Toronto but grew up in Vancouver where his father was the publisher of one of the leading newspa- pers. After receiving an arts degree from UBC, Tim moved east to the Rockies where he has lived since. After Squamish, Tim went on to fine achievements in Yosemite, the Rockies and the Himalaya. He climbed Triple Direct and West Face on El Capitan, new routes on Mount Louis and Yamnuska, pio- neered waterfall ice climbing with first ascents of Bourgeau Right-Hand and Bourgeau Left-Hand, and climbed Pumori in the Nepalese Himalaya. Conrad Kain may have made the first ascent of Mt. Louis but Tim has been obsessed with Louis and climbed it more often than anyone. I have been trying to catch him but I am still way behind! Tim is here with his wife Sherry, his son Corey and Corey’s wife Kirstin. Tim and Sherry met at Lake O’hara in the 1970s and a few years later Corey was born in 1979. Tim has worked all his adult life for Parks Canada. Beginning in 1967 on trail crew, he later became a seasonal warden for six years at Lake O’Hara in Yoho Park. In the mid-1970s he moved to Banff Park to join the mountain rescue group that has now grown to a very professional program of mountain guides. He really is one of the good guys. I will save stories for the social but for now, please welcome, Tim Auger, well deserving, honorary member, of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Marc Ledwidge with excerpts taken from Chic Scott’s“Pushing the Limits” ACMG eBulletin Awards New Honorary Members Vol 9 No 3 Vol Conrad Kain In June 1909, the 25-year-old Austrian moun- tain guide Conrad Kain arrived in Canada with the promise of employment as the Alpine Club of Canada’s first professional guide.