Breaking Trail:
Chic Scott’s Story
By Joanna Croston
Breaking Trail:
Chic Scott’s Story
by Joanna Croston
IATION
OC
SS
N A DI A N M
O
A
CMG
S
CA
TAIN GUIDE
UN
A
The Alpine Club of Canada
P.O. Box 8040
Canmore, Alberta
T1W 2T8
(403) 678-3200
OF
CANADIAN CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATIONS DATA
Croston, Joanna
Breaking Trail: Chic Scott’s Story
Design by Suzan Chamney
ISBN: 978-0-920330-65-4
© 2016, The Alpine Club of Canada
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be copied or
reproduced without the permission of the author or the subject.
Association of Canadian
Mountain Guides
P.O. Box 8341
Canmore, AB T1W 2V1
403.678.2885
Acknowledgements
The Alpine Club of Canada gratefully acknowledges the generous
support of this publication by these sponsors:
Cover photo: Chic working on rigging on the Eiger North Face.
Chic climbing the East Ridge of Mount Logan. Photo: Jon Jones
Title page:
Back cover: Chic on Freshfield Icefield. Photo: Colin Jones
All photos are from the Scott collection unless otherwise noted.
2
Breaking Trail
Printed in Canada
A Man of Many Firsts
I
first met Chic when I moved to Banff in 1998. I was working at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian
Rockies at the time, and Chic would come into the archives on an almost-daily basis to complete
research for Pushing the Limits (2000). I had heard of Chic over the years and had used his guidebooks
when I first ventured out into the world of backcountry skiing. During our first exchange I was a little
star struck, but soon thereafter we had great conversations every time he came to the museum. I told him
about my climbing or skiing adventures of the past weekend, and he would tell me about the history of
the place I’d been to or who had completed the first ascent. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge – with
a photographic memory, and a stickler for facts. We remained friends over the years, and most recently I
have had the pleasure of working with him to program the Old Style Story Telling sessions held annually
at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival.
When Chic asked if I would write this booklet for The Alpine Club of Canada, I was honoured and
flattered to be the one to do so. Admittedly the task became more daunting with each passing day. How
could I summarize all the achievements of this mountain legend in a few thousand words? More importantly how could I give this local legend the recognition he deserved? So I took my lead from Chic himself.
I dove into the project and was subsequently amazed, and I felt even luckier to write this brief biography.
During my writing, one thing became immediately apparent. Chic is a man of unconventional firsts.
He does not have hundreds of first ascents under his belt, although, to be sure, the climbs he did are
notable and admirable. He paved the way for Canadian climbers and skiers in other ways. He was the
first Canadian-born climber to make a mark overseas with his guiding in The European Alps. With his
1973 expedition to Dhaulagiri IV, he became the first Canadian to summit a Himalayan peak. He wrote
Summits and Icefields (1994), the first backcountry ski guide to the Rocky and Columbia Mountains. He
also penned the first comprehensive history of Canadian mountaineering, Pushing the Limits (2000).
He was the innovator and designer of many skiing and climbing courses offered by The Alpine Club of
Canada; his work became the foundation for the Activities Program that flourishes today. In 1975 he
was part of the small group of ACC members who, over beers in a dank basement in Banff, conceived of
showing some films during the shoulder season to keep climbers inspired.
That aspirational idea became what is now the Banff Mountain Film and Book
Festival. Chic was also a founder of the Canadian Himalayan Foundation,
and one of a group of friends who founded the John Lauchlan Award, which
continues to support young climbers today.
Through my writing process, Chic always made a point to tell me that “he
wasn’t a very good climber”. I took this with a grain of salt of course knowing
the humble person that Chic is and how he was never one to toot his own
horn even when he achieved remarkable things. Chic Scott was one of the
pioneers of Canadian climbing in the 1960s and 1970s. His first winter ascent
of Mt. Assiniboine with Don Gardner and Eckhard Grassman was an innovative and difficult climb for the day. Similarly, when he completed the first
high level alpine ski traverse from Jasper to Lake Louise along with Charlie
Locke, Don Gardner and Neil Liske, he paved the way for future dreamers
and opened doors for a whole generation of backcountry skiers. The traverse
was such a tremendous achievement that it is still much respected by climbers
and skiers alike to this day and there are plans in place to celebrate its 50th
anniversary in 2017.
Therefore, it is incredibly deserving that The Alpine Club of Canada
recognizes the lifetime achievements of Chic Scott in the realms of mountaineering, skiing and writing by honouring him as the Patron of the 2016
Mountain Guides Ball.
Cheers!
—Joanna Croston
Chic Scott’s Story
3
Early Years
The Luckiest Child in the World
I was the luckiest child in the world. I was born into a loving
family, in one of the richest, safest and most stable countries in the
world at exactly the right time in history. I was blessed with a good
mind and a healthy body. I had plenty of friends and success at
most things came easily for me. Of course I had no idea of my good
fortune and just accepted my lot in life…
—Chic Scott
A
Chic was a wild child and didn’t mind getting dirty.
4
Breaking Trail
fourth generation Albertan and a third
generation Calgarian, Chic Scott was born
on August 3, 1945 to Lillian and Charles F. Scott.
He was brought up in a loving and caring household along with his older brother, Lorne. Shortly
after his birth, the Scotts moved to Edmonton,
and Chic’s early years were reminiscent of most
Albertan families at the time. He spent summers
exploring nearby ravines, swimming in the mouth
of a small stream that flowed into the muddy
North Saskatchewan River, and getting into a
bit of trouble here and there. He was known for
recklessly jumping off the roof of the garage or the
house much to the horror of adult bystanders.
In 1953 the family returned to Calgary. At the
age of eight Chic learned to ski at the nearby
golf course by strapping rubber boots onto tiny
wooden skis with leather bindings. His father
would join in the fun, herring-boning up small
hills wearing his army skis, an old curling sweater
and Scottish tam, all the while enjoying the fine
snow and sunshine along with hundreds of other
enthusiastic Calgarians. These were humble
beginnings for Chic, a boy who was to become one
of Canada’s preeminent skiing experts and historians. Like most Canadian boys growing up, the
young Scotts played hockey regularly in winter as
well, until a particularly bad incident where Chic
decided to play goalie at a drop-in shinny game.
The game ended with him receiving a puck to the
face, several lost teeth and a permanent bridge
he would wear for many years to come. Skiing
quickly became more appealing.
Most middle-class families at the time didn’t
own an expensive television set and the Scotts
were no exception. Evenings were spent reading
books, listening to the radio or singing songs.
The Scott family in 1946. (L to R) Charlie, Chic, Lorne and Lillian.
Weekends were for watching films or enjoying the
Calgary Stampede in the hot summer months.
Sunday dinners with the extended family were a
tradition that lasted for many years.
The Scotts were also members of the Glencoe
Club and the Earl Grey Golf Club. Early on, it may
have seemed that Chic was destined to be a golfer
rather than a skier or climber. He was very active
as a golfer in his youth, playing for the Alberta
Junior Golf Team. His brother Lorne recalls his
disbelief when their father agreed to loan the
two teenage brothers the family car for a drive
to Saskatoon so they could attend the Canadian
Junior Golf Championship in 1961. Before various
championship competitions were in the cards, at
the age of 14 Chic took a job washing golf clubs
after school and in between rounds. Later while
studying at university, he spent many summers
working as a groundskeeper for the Earl Grey Golf
Club in order to fund trips to mountains.
Ironically it was golf that ultimately introduced
Chic to the mountains in the early 1960s through
fellow Earl Grey Golf Club member and climber,
Russ Bradley. With some encouragement from
Bradley, Chic found his tribe quickly after signing
up for a three-day Youth Hostel Association ski
touring trip to Hilda Creek at the base of Parker’s
Ridge near the Columbia Icefield.
“Everyone was so friendly and helpful,” Chic
recalls “…and I immediately felt like I belonged.
There were no tests and no initiations, no winners and no losers—everyone was welcome. At
night I stood under the stars and inhaled the
smell of wood smoke and admired the peaks
glowing blue and silver in the moonlight. I was
overwhelmed…”
That first Hilda Creek trip marked the beginning of a new era that spawned a number of subsequent YHA outings where he would eventually
meet good friends and climbing partners. Friends
such as Margaret MacGougan (Gmoser), Don
Gardner, Charlie Locke and Gerry Walsh.
The Scott family were keen golfers. (L to R) Chic’s dad Charlie, brother Lorne and Chic.
Chic Scott’s Story
5
The Mountains and Their Draw
W
hen not in the hills, Chic’s free time
in his teenage years was spent reading
books. Don Beers taught Chic’s favourite class in
high school – English Literature. This is where he
became engrossed in the words of Harper Lee,
Leo Tolstoy and Aldous Huxley. Once introduced
to the world of climbing, Chic dove into the
mountain literature classics during the long, dark
winters reading the likes of Gaston Rebuffat,
Heinrich Harrer and Lionel Terray. He was
especially mesmerized by the writing of Canadian
climbing pioneer, Conrad Kain.
Much to the dismay of his parents, Chic’s
new love for the outdoors separated him
from most of the crowd and made
him different from his fellow high
school classmates. Initially his
mother forbade his precarious
climbing excursions with Gerry
Walsh, but eventually realized
that enforcing control was
futile as Chic always managed
to sneak away from home for
some adventure on Yamnuska
Chic climbing the crux pitch on the Red Shirt Route on Yamnuska in the mid
on the weekends. Arming
sixties. Photo: Charlie Locke
themselves a few carabiners,
knowledge from dog-eared climbing manuals
a successful ascent of Grillmair Chimneys one
and a bit of common sense, Chic and Gerry made
weekend in March. It was a milestone climb that
both frightened and enticed them to seek out and
climb yet harder and steeper routes in the months
and years that followed. They were hooked.
To us it was where right and wrong
really mattered, where feelings were so
much more intense and the facades of the
world were stripped away…
—Chic Scott
Gerry Walsh, Chic’s first climbing partner, on the summit of
Yamnuska in March 1963 after having climbed the Grillmair
Chimney route. Photo: Chic Scott
6
Breaking Trail
Hans, Leo and the Stanley Mitchell Stove – as told by
Chic Scott
O
In early September 1963 I had an opportunity to meet Hans
Gmoser who was the most prominent mountaineer in the Rockies
at the time. Hans and his partner Leo Grillmair were taking a new
cook stove to the Stanley Mitchell Hut in the Little Yoho Valley.
They actually planned to carry it in on their backs and needed
some assistance. Don Gardner was a good friend of Hans as his
father, Smitty, was Hans’ doctor. Don asked me and Gerry if we
would help with the effort. Early one Saturday morning we all met
at the Takakkaw Falls parking lot. Sitting in the back of a pickup
truck was a full sized wood-burning cook stove. Hans and Leo
removed everything they could from the stove—the plates, the legs
and the door and we three stuffed these items in our backpacks.
Then they tied the frame of the stove onto a Kelty frame pack. Hans
slipped his arms through the shoulder straps and slowly stood up.
The load must have weighed 60 or 70 kg. Walking stiff legged and
supported by two ski poles Hans started up the trail towards the
hut. I was very impressed, to say the least. After fifteen or twenty
minutes Hans set the load down on a log or stump alongside the
trail and Leo took his place. Alternating like this the pair slowly
walked the 11 km to the hut. The 500 m climb up Laughing Falls
Hill was an ordeal, but they slowly gained elevation. Don, Gerry
and I hiked along behind them, struggling under our loads, which
were heavy as well.
nce Chic graduated from high school, he
began taking zoology and chemistry at
the University of Calgary with the hopes of one
day becoming a doctor. During the school year
he fulfilled his passion for the hills by attending
weekly meetings of the Calgary Mountain Club.
It was at these Wednesday night meetings that
he met the leading climbers of the day: Brian
Greenwood, Don Vockeroth, Dick Lofthouse,
Glen Boles, Lilo Schmidt and Lloyd MacKay, to
name a few. They welcomed Chic into their fold
and gave him confidence: “You want to climb Red
Shirt?” they would ask him. “Well, just go and do
it. If you get into trouble you can always rappel off.
You’ll have no trouble.” The CMC also introduced
him to others who would soon become reliable
climbing partners and great friends. With Gerry
Walsh, Charlie Locke and Don Gardner already in
the mix, the four climbers supported each other
and thrived on each other’s energy, ticking off
many Rockies classics over the years that followed.
Mentors and Teachers
I
n the winter of 1963-64, Don Gardner gave
Chic an old pair of hand-me-down hickory
skis. They were his first real pair of cross country
skis. With these and some brand new Karhu boots
he bought from Paul Hahmo, Chic began his life
on two planks in earnest. Weekends were when
the real adventures would happen, but to pass
the lonely winter nights in the city, Don, Charlie,
Gerry and Chic would race around the neighbourhood, training and practicing technique under the
street lights on a snowy nearby golf course. Early
trips included a ski-in to a closed Skoki Lodge and
a jaunt on the Wapta Icefield with Gerry. It was a
long way from the early days of skiing in rubber
boots with his dad. Chic couldn’t get enough of
the skiing lifestyle and was immediately addicted
to the weekends of fresh air and nights spent by
the warmth of a wood stove.
By Easter 1966, Chic and Gerry felt confident
enough to venture out onto the Columbia Icefield
where they made ascents of North Twin and
Mt. Columbia. Perhaps it was their ignorance of
Gerry Walsh on the Columbia Icefield in April 1966. Photo: Chic Scott
Chic Scott’s Story
7
Brian Greenwood
approaches the frost
covered summit tower
of Mount Hungabee in
December 1966. Photo:
Chic Scott
8
Breaking Trail
crevasse rescue and safety that fueled their determination; luckily the team emerged unscathed.
Chic couldn’t recall precisely, but hoped that they
had the common sense at the time to use a rope
whilst descending the Athabasca Glacier.
During summers between university semesters,
Chic worked at Lake Louise. Being high along the
Continental Divide offered him and his friends
ample time to tackle some of the local Rockies
classics: Mt. Louis, Mt. Fay, Eisenhower Tower and
The Finger. He had read about The Finger in high
school as Earle Birney’s famous poem “David”
was included in his English class curriculum. Chic
met Brian Greenwood as well, who sold climbing
gear out of his basement in Calgary. Greenwood
inspired him with dreams of what was possible in
the Canadian Rockies. Compared to the Alps at
the time, the Rockies were virtually a blank map
of opportunity for bold imaginative climbers.
Chic also became friends with Lloyd McKay,
which began a valuable mentorship and partnership. McKay partnered with him on climbs
such as the Ship’s Prow above Canmore and
Direttissima on Yamnuska. These valuable lessons
with seasoned climbers taught Chic the stuff that
allowed for successful first winter ascents of both
Mt. Hungabee (1966) and Mt. Assiniboine (1967)
in the years that followed. With Charlie Locke
and Gerry Walsh he did a first ascent of the North
Buttress of Mt. Stephen in Field, B.C. In 1972, he,
Murray Toft and Locke would also manage the
first winter ascent of Mt. Stephen, although not
particularly difficult, it was an imaginative climb
for its day.
First Winter Ascent of Mt.
Assiniboine – as told by Don Gardner
Eckhard [Grassman] and I were in
top shape because I was on the national
[Nordic ski] team at the time. Eckhard
was just a machine. We thought we
were the only ones on the mountain,
we started out with Charlie [Locke],
Brian Greenwood, [Archie] Simpson
and Chic, but we thought everybody
had disappeared, so we were resting in
this blizzard and then out of fog came
Chic. So we said, “Okay! Let’s go!!” It
was three o’clock in the afternoon in this
blizzard and we got to the top and then
moved a little way down and the three
of us crawled into a bivy sack made for
two. And I remember that was one of the
bivys where Chic—he was smoking in
those days—was throwing his cigarettes
out into the snow and one time during
the night rolled over to get a mouthful of
snow, but he got a mouthful of cigarette
instead. And when you’re in a bivouac
that intense, it’s just like a train roaring,
the wind was so strong the whole face
was just cleaned off of snow, it was just
wild, just miserable. Eckhard couldn’t
even get his crampons on, he was so
wrecked in the morning.
The Grand Ski Traverses
Jasper to Lake Louise 1967
T
here had been a few attempts at the 300 km
Great Divide Traverse between Lake Louise
and Jasper before Chic, Don Gardner, Charlie
Locke and Neil Liske had a go at it in 1967. It
was an odd team of fairly inexperienced eastern
Canadians who originally came up with the idea
in 1954, but they abandoned their attempt after
a couple of days up the Whirlpool River, never
actually climbing onto the Hooker Icefield. In
1960, Hans Gmoser gave it a shot with a strong
team and managed about half the journey before
being stormed off. Hans and another team
member called it quits after several team members
had already dropped off days before, so they hightailed it to the Icefields Parkway. Don Gardner
was 14 that year, and his father had maintained a
strong friendship with Hans over the years. Don
and Chic often talked about the possibility of
completing the trip and with Hans’ half successful
attempt, they started to believe the traverse was in
fact possible.
Chic was spending the winter completing
university courses in Vancouver when he reached
a breaking point that forced him to seek another
grand adventure in the Rockies. School was getting him down, and he once again sought escape
in a confidence-building trip in the high country.
He wrote to Charlie Locke who replied enthusiastically, and they recruited Don Gardner into the
Sitting around the campfire on the first night of the Great Divide Traverse in May 1967.
(L to R) Don Gardner, Neil Liske, Charlie Locke and Chic Scott. Photo: Don Gardner
fold quickly. The trio agreed that a team of four
would be most efficient (in 1960 Hans Gmoser
had a team of six people). There would be less
equipment to break, and with that number they
would be able to move more quickly. The quartet
was complete when Gardner’s friend Neil Liske
agreed to join the group. Gardner set to work
quickly and using all his knowledge of Nordic
skiing equipment, researching the best, lightest
Charlie Locke Crossing the
Columbia Icefield en route
from Jasper to Lake Louise.
Photo: Don Gardner
Chic Scott’s Story
9
and most durable kit that would get them across
the eight immense icefields linking Jasper to Lake
Louise along the Divide. He purchased six pairs of
skis while he was racing in Norway, one for each
team member and two spare pairs (one emergency
ski for each of the four caches in case of breakage).
They were light but sturdy wooden touring skis,
the likes of which had not previously been seen
by many North Americans. Gardner insisted that
they use soft flexible boots and waxes rather than
skins to reduce weight. Gardner felt they could
manage quite well with a wax system since the
focus was up and across, with only a few downhill
sections of concern, wider metal skis seemed
unnecessary. The team decided to place food
caches by hand in advance as well. This prevented
them from losing the locations of critical supplies
dropped by plane, as had happened to Hans on his
attempt. They hung their supplies, food and gas in
large metal buckets from trees to keep the grizzly
bears and wolverines at bay.
The team played it fairly low key in the public
eye. They didn’t seek funding or media attention
before the trip; in fact they declined a news story
exclusive offered to them that might have paid for
the entire expedition. They simply wanted to see
what they were capable of. So with no undue pressure imposed upon them by sponsors or media,
the team departed in early May from Jasper. After
a brief exchange about their goal with a skeptical
and concerned Parks Canada Warden, the team
set off from the snowline.
On May 3, 1967 we began our journey up the Whirlpool River
several miles south of Jasper. Over the next 21 days an incredible
adventure unfolded as we wended our way up beautiful and almost
unknown valleys, over many an unknown col revealing ever new
panoramas, and across eight major icefields—the Hooker, Chaba,
Columbia, Lyell, Mons, Freshfield, Wapta and Waputik. After
14 days we reached the Columbia Icefield and our second of four
caches. That afternoon, as we camped along the Castleguard River,
Bill Smythe from Banff flew over on a pre-arranged check, waggled
his wings and returned to Banff with the news for anxious parents
and wardens. Seven days later we arrived at Wapta Lodge in the
Kicking Horse Pass and it was over.
—Chic Scott from the 1978 CAJ
Chic Scott at Kicking
Horse Pass in May 1967.
Photo: Don Gardner
The team at Kicking Horse
Pass on May 23, 1967.
Photo: Don Gardner
10
Breaking Trail
T
hey encountered fair weather for much of
the trip, with only a few stormy days that
were spent waiting it out in the valley with a
roaring fire to warm bodies and spirits. Gardner
remembers being bored at one particular camp, so
he started out on a squirrel hunt trying to supplement their rations with some fresh protein, which
proved to be comic relief for the lads. The group’s
choice to travel from north to south, consciously
deciding to ascend the most difficult section—
namely the stretch from Mt. King Edward onto
the Columbia Icefield rather than undergo sketchy
rappels—may have played into their success as
well. Although exhausted, the team was fulfilled
and proud of their achievement.
After their low-key success and an anticlimactic arrival at Wapta Lodge, the team
integrated back into everyday life, and the
traverse remained unrepeated for twenty years.
They couldn’t be bothered with the notion of
national praise, self-aggrandization or being
the first to complete the traverse. The young
team had simply sought a challenge, not recognition, and the journey was the adventure in
their minds. The story finally appeared in the
Canadian Alpine Journal in 1978, nine years after
the fact, a true testament to their priorities. The
Great Divide Traverse remains one of the boldest
achievements in Canadian skiing history when
one considers lack of avalanche beacons, satellite
navigation systems or the ability to communicate
in the case of emergency. It was a benchmark
that set a standard for other lengthy traverses
that followed.
Rogers Pass to Bugaboos 1973
F
or Chic, the Jasper to Lake Louise traverse
was just the first of several that he completed
while in his twenties. In 1973, with Don Gardner,
Dave Smith and Ron Robinson, Chic completed
the challenging Rogers Pass to Bugaboos traverse.
The route had been pioneered some 15 years earlier by a group of American ringers, including Bill
Briggs and Barry Corbet, and had always burned
in the back of Chic’s mind as a great adventure
to repeat. Gardner and Scott insisted once again
on the mantra of lighter, more maneuverable
ski equipment, which proved very effective once
again. The route had its challenges with regard to
navigation through expansive crevasse fields and a
steep rock section on the Deville Headwall, which
was ascended using crampons on their soft leather
ski boots. Midway through the trip, the group
remained tent bound for five days due to a spring
storm cycle, spending their days reading books
and catching up on sleep. When the weather
finally cleared they bee-lined it for the Bugaboos,
where, six days later, they were pleasantly surprised to find Lynn Grillmair still at the CMH
Bugaboos Lodge but the wealthy heli-ski clients
had all left for the season. The lads celebrated with
well-deserved beers and a huge breakfast made by
Lynn the next morning.
Setting off for the Rogers Pass to Bugaboos Ski Traverse in May 1973. (L to R) Don Gardner,
Dave Smith, Ron Robinson and Chic Scott. Photo: Chic Scott
Chic Scott’s Story
11
After 15 days we reached Bugaboo
Lodge. All the heli-skiers were gone and
the lodge appeared empty but we knocked
anyway. After a few minutes Lynn
Grillmair answered the door (she was
probably peering out the window from
behind a curtain wondering who it could
be). She gave us the key to the old sawmill,
located a short distance down the road,
and told us to come back in the morning
for breakfast. Sitting in front of the rustic
building that evening, listening to the frogs
and birds, watching the butterflies dance
and admiring the peaks, I dreamed of snow
and wind on 7000 m ridges.
—Chic Scott
Don Gardner on the Grand Glacier en route to the Bugaboos. Photo: Chic Scott
Northern Selkirks High Level Traverse 1976
A
Chic Scott on the
Northern Selkirks Ski
Traverse in 1976.
Photo: Ron Robinson
few years later, in 1976, the team would join
forces again. This time they were toying
with a Northern Selkirks traverse that would take
them from Mica Creek across the high country
and south to Rogers Pass. The distance exceeded
at least 150 km and was likely going to make for
more than two weeks of travel, so Hans Gmoser
graciously agreed to stash some food for them at
Fairy Meadow Hut. Thus the first obstacle was
overcome.
Up and down, over 10,000 ft. icefields and into 3,000 ft. valleys
flooded with raging creeks, we travelled along. After a week we
reached the Adamants and the Fairy Meadows Hut. Our cache
was found in the hut in good condition, plus a treat from Hans
and Marg—a bottle of rum and a date cake. The comfort of the hut
was wonderful and we found it hard to leave and begin our trek up
Friendship Col.
—Chic Scott, from the 1978 CAJ
They encountered isothermic snow and warm
spring conditions for the last days of their trip
to Rogers Pass, often fording raging creeks in
the valley bottoms then ascending steep forested
slopes to gain the snow once again. After an
exciting 14 days, the team arrived at Rogers Pass
to little fanfare and took the bus back to the city. It
was another hugely ambitious and successful trip
that would go largely unreported in the public eye
as was the will of the team.
12
Breaking Trail
Chic and His Photography – as told by Dave Smith
On the Northern Selkirks ski traverse, he switched from his
SLR to a relatively small movie camera and filmed the two-week
expedition without any kind of rehearsal or retake. The results are
impressive and the 30-minute DVD he gave us about forty years
later kind of blew our socks off. When he announced he was
going to film the trip, we of course wondered how much this might
slow things down, but in reality, it didn’t. The extra weight of the
camera didn’t slow Chic and his filming did not interfere with the
pace of the trip. It was quite an accomplishment, given the quality
of the work.
I’m more familiar with his still shots through the years and many
of them are high quality, demonstrating that he had the eye for
composition, lighting and all the other elements one looks for in a
fine photograph. Indeed, many of them are hanging on our walls.
So yes, you can add mountain photographer to all the other career
notes of this very talented individual.
Dave Smith, Ron Robinson and Don Gardner admire
Mount Sir Sandford from Thor Pass. Photo: Chic Scott
Guiding Rogers Pass to the Bugaboos 1990
I
t wasn’t until many years later that Chic had the
pleasure of repeating the Rogers Pass to Bugaboos
traverse. In 1990 he once again completed the
traverse with Roddy McGowan and clients Tom
Whitesides and Stan Wagon, when he guided the
group from Rogers Pass to the Bugaboos. Challenging
weather and conditions kept the group sharp and
working hard throughout the trip. While ascending
the Climax Col, Chic set off a large avalanche and
was thrown and bashed about but landed on top of
the debris unhurt. His companions had been swept
away too. It was to be the only avalanche of Chic’s
long skiing career, and luckily they managed to only
lose a toque and a single ski pole during the accident.
Guiding the Rogers Pass to Bugaboos
ski traverse was one of the highlights of my
life. It was, and still is, a serious piece of ski
guiding. It was particularly hard for us as
we only had four days of good weather out
of 14. I made almost nothing for my efforts.
After I paid Roddy $800 and paid all the
expenses of the trip there was perhaps $500
left over for me. But I had had a great
adventure and that was far more important
than any amount of money. And I had
the traverse as the first entry in the blue
‘Guides Book’ that I had received from the
ACMG.
—Chic Scott
At Bugaboo Lodge after skiing from Rogers Pass. (L to R) Chic Scott, Rod McGowan, Stan
Wagon and Tom Whitesides. Photo: Stan Wagon
Chic Scott’s Story
13
The Alps 1968-1973
C
The main square in
Chamonix.
Photo: Tony Welling
hic’s adventures in The Alps began in 1968,
when, disillusioned with school, he was
itching to climb and see new places. He decided
to travel to Europe and visit the birthplace of
alpinism. The twenty-three-year-old was seeking
a different kind of education, one that brought
him puritanism and closer to the mountains and
he subsequently immersed himself in learning
all he could from the Europeans. The Dolomites
and Italian cuisine appealed to Chic, so he went
there to climb Delago Tower and some steep
rock climbs at the Sella Pass. He was also driven
by tales of Chamonix and climbing legends
like Gaston Rebuffat. Chic and his companions
tackled climbs including Aiguille du Peigne and
the Grand Capucin with a sort of blind naivety
that could have been a disaster but luckily ended
with a hearty “cheers” at the Bar National instead.
No young wanderer during the era would have
escaped the vices of the Club Vagabond in Leysin,
Switzerland, and Chic was no exception. Many of
his evenings were spent there, enjoying the revelry
and storytelling with climbers and travelling dirtbags alike. In amongst pints of beer and glasses
of cheap red wine, mountain tales were spun and
spouted. It was at the Club Vagabond that Chic
met Scotsman Dougal Haston, who would become
one of his biggest mentors and supporters in the
years that followed.
Chic climbed the Bonatti route on the Grand Capucin in
1968. Photo: Chic Scott
With no formal training but lots of common
sense, Chic became an apprentice guide under the
tutelage of Haston at the International School of
Mountaineering (ISM) in Leysin. He was the first
Canadian to work as a professional guide in The
Alps, so he worked hard and honed his skills so
that he could lead others on the famous peaks for
several summers that followed.
… this was one of the most important
events of my life. I had chosen the
mountain path by coming to Europe
and fate had given me a bonus, the
opportunity to work for one of the greatest
mountaineers in the world at his climbing
school in Switzerland.
—Chic Scott
In between climbs with paying clients, Chic
managed many ascents of true Alps test-pieces at
his own pace. His various partners included visiting Canadians Lloyd MacKay and Dave Smith, as
well the noted American climber Matt Hale. Over
the summers he completed classics such as the
North Face of the Dent d’Herens, the Gervesutti
14
Breaking Trail
Lloyd MacKay approaches the crux pitch on the North Face of Les Courtes. Photo: Chic Scott
Chic Scott’s Story
15
Pillar on Mont Blanc du Tacul, North Faces of
both the Aiguille de Triolet and the Dru, the Swiss
Direct route on Les Courtes and a new route on
the North Face of the Aiguille d’Argentiere with
Dougal Haston. He fell easily into the antics of
Snell’s Field, the dismal camping place of so many
young bold British climbers of the day. He learned
about frugality and about proper dirtbagging. He
learned how to spread a dollar thin to make it last,
which allowed him more time and thus access to
dozens and dozens of routes in Chamonix. He was
beginning to discover where his boundaries lay,
what scared him and how far he wanted to push
the envelope.
If you stay up all night drinking, make
sure that your clients stay up with you.
—Chic Scott
C
hic finally decided to put his university
degree to good use. Whilst back in Calgary
in the winter of 1970, he wrote a letter on a whim
to the Leysin American School to see if they were
Bernie Schiesser and Chic Scott on Mount Victoria in 1970. Photo: Johanna Sandkuhl
16
Breaking Trail
Chic hitch hiking in Switzerland in 1968. Photo: Jan Boyce
in need of a high school teacher. To his surprise
an offer of employment as a chemistry teacher
followed, and Chic jumped at the chance to spend
more time in Europe. In January 1971 he began
his teaching tenure, which he enjoyed immensely
but found difficult due to his lack of classroom
experience. He was known as a hard teacher
who ran a tight ship. So tight in fact that he was
reprimanded by the headmaster and one student’s
powerful father who threatened him. Not one
to partake in the politics of parents at a private
school, after the school semester ended, Chic and
some friends managed a ski of the Haute Route.
Chic’s guiding made great strides during his
time in The Alps. Working for the ISM and
Haston in a guiding capacity, he made ascents of
routes such as the Sentinel Rouge on the Brenva
Face of Mont Blanc, the north buttress of the
Aiguille du Chardonnet, the Hornli Ridge on the
Matterhorn and the Whymper Couloir on the
Aiguille Verte with clients.
That winter Chic also had another door open
for him; he got a letter from Hans Gmoser inviting
him to join the Canadian Expedition to Mount
Everest that was scheduled for the autumn of 1975.
The others on the team were to be Don Gardner,
Ken Baker, Lloyd MacKay, Don Vockeroth, Brian
Greenwood and Dick Culbert. Despite being
slightly taken aback at the invitation because
of his failed attempt to formalize his guiding
credentials in Canada the previous year, Chic
wrote Hans back and graciously accepted.
Bigger, Higher, Colder
Dhaulagiri IV
W
hile climbing in Europe, Chic had met
many up-and-coming British climbers
in the squalor of Snell’s field. He admired their
commitment to climbing and got on well with
most of them. It was in the winter of 1973 that
Chic received a formal invitation from his friend
and climbing partner Roger Brook to join the
British Expedition to Dhaulagiri IV. Chic felt
intimidated at the prospect of scaling the 7,600 m
peak with no previous experience at high altitude,
but he thought it might prove just the thing in
preparation for the 1975 trip to Everest.
From the onset, the expedition seemed doomed
to failure. Even before the team’s departure, the
expedition was wrought with financial woes and
bad team dynamics. Although raising funds was
not part of their original agreement, Chic was
forced into securing money for the climb and felt
humiliated asking friends of the family for money.
Before even departing for Kathmandu, he felt
swindled by his uncaring team members.
Once the climbers were underway, the problems
continued. The equipment failed to arrive in
Bombay as scheduled, so the team was delayed
and separated, with some team members walking
into base camp ahead of the others. It was during
the trek to base camp that Chic became increasingly disillusioned with the expedition, as some of
his fellow team members paid little heed to Nepali
customs and treated the locals with disrespect and
superiority. Chic made every effort to compensate
the porters with kindness much to the chagrin of
his fellow climbers.
To make matters worse, the end of the monsoon was unrelenting and fierce, driving up the
avalanche risk once the team arrived at base camp.
Carrying loads and establishing upper camps
proved tenuous and dangerous. When Chic and a
Sherpa named Wangyl began fixing ropes between
camps, they often contended with loose waistdeep snow that unnerved them as the terrain got
steeper and less forgiving. Chic and some of his
team members had already fixed ropes to Camp
II by the time the stragglers arrived from Bombay
with only half the food they anticipated. They had
made the difficult decision to pay for helicopter
access to base camp with expedition supplies.
Roger Brook climbing on Dhaulagiri IV. Photo: Chic Scott
Roger Brook climbing between
Camp II and Camp III on the
Dhaulagiri IV expedition.
Photo: Chic Scott
Chic Scott’s Story
17
For more than 25 days, the team fixed ropes,
and managed to summit a sub-peak along the way,
Myagdi Matha (6,275 m). Little did Chic know
at the time, but at that moment, he became the
first Canadian to summit a Himalayan peak. The
climbers worked hard establishing six camps on
the high altitude ridge before finally abandoning
their efforts as the bitter cold of winter finally
began to set in. It was on this fateful day that
the team lost one of its strongest members, Alan
Dewison. He fell to his death on the descent. The
death of a teammate hit Chic hard, and he barely
had time to mourn before another life was lost.
A young Nepali Sherpa had been tasked with
bringing up more food to one of the higher camps
and was subsequently avalanched off the dangerous slopes. Although Chic felt the strongest he
ever had in his climbing career, he was denied the
summit and a few days later left for Kathmandu
disillusioned and heartbroken.
His arrival in Kathmandu was met with more
disaster. The expedition was out of funds and
couldn’t pay their climbing Sherpas. Chic felt
ashamed that the hard work of these locals would
go unpaid. It seemed the trip had been a bust on
all counts especially when Chic learned that the
Canadians had cancelled their future plans for
Everest…
Back at our hotel in Kathmandu I ran into our Liaison
Officer Guatam Chand. He told me that the Canadians had just
cancelled their 1975 Mount Everest climbing permit. I was not
disappointed for I knew an inexperienced team like ours might be
eaten alive on the mountain. Although I dreamed of and planned
other Himalayan expeditions I never again returned to the great
mountains of Asia.
—Chic Scott
S
eeing an opportunity, Chris Bonington
snapped up the post monsoon 1975 Mount
Everest permit within hours of the Canadians
cancelling. Chic’s friend Dougal Haston along with
Doug Scott would be the first Britons to summit
Everest via a new route on the Southwest Face.
Dhaulagiri IV (7600 m) from
the summit of Myagdi Matha.
Photo: Chic Scott
18
Breaking Trail
Chic on the summit of Myagdi Matha. Photo: Roger Brook
Chic Scott’s Story
19
The Stars Align
The Eiger Sanction
D
uring Chic’s last summer in The Alps,
Dougal Haston offered him a special
opportunity—to work alongside movie stars. After
ascents of the Eiger Nordwand Direct in winter
and Annapurna South Face, Haston had gained
an international reputation as one of the foremost
climbers of the day and as such, incredibly
unusual offers came his way on occasion. This was
the case when an opportunity to work on a film
with one of Hollywood’s biggest superstars, Clint
Eastwood, came his way. Haston immediately
set about recruiting his Canadian protégé to rig
safety lines and teach the stars how to climb. Chic
reluctantly agreed.
Dougal Haston on location for the filming of The Eiger
Sanction. Photo: Chic Scott
A friend gave me a copy of the book, written by someone with
the pen name Trevanian. I read it and was not impressed. The
epic struggles to climb the north face of the Eiger, a mountain in
Switzerland, had inspired me as a teenager and the protagonists
were all my heroes. Trevanian had used these Homeric tales as the
background for a pulp fiction of sex, spies, deceit and murder. Since
I barely knew who Clint Eastwood was and had never seen one of
his films, his name held little attraction for me. Initially I thought
that I would take a pass…
—Chic Scott
Filming a bivouac scene on the shoulder of the Eiger. Clint Eastwood at left.
Photo: Chic Scott
Clint Eastwood on the Eiger North Face. Photo: Chic Scott
20
Breaking Trail
Chic working on the Eiger North Face.
Chic flew to Switzerland in July 1974 and began
the summer season with a bit of guiding work
for Haston and the ISM. Upon arrival he had
the pleasure of training and teaching a visiting
Sherpa, Per Temba, some of the tricks of the trade.
It was a far cry from working with the inexperienced film crews from Hollywood. The filming
action began at the end of July when cast and crew
started to arrive. Most of the days of hard work
were followed by evenings of hard drinking and
smoking. Chic was soon joined by other climbers
on the payroll including British climber Martin
Boysen. Boysen had been on the Annapurna
South Face expedition with Haston and another
Scotsman Hamish MacInnes.
Chic soon started enjoying the comforts of an
expensive hotel room and the luxury of a hefty
paycheque. One day he lunched with renowned
expedition leader Norman Dhyrenfurth and the
star of the show, Clint Eastwood himself. Chic
immediately got on well with Eastwood and was
impressed with his laid-back nature and his hard
work ethic. At one point between shoots Eastwood
asked Chic, who happened to be standing close by,
how crampons worked. Chic told him, “Kick them
in. Don’t be afraid to kick them in real good.”
And with that, Eastwood was off. Throughout
the film one can note just how literally he took
Chic’s advice as he bangs away in every scene that
contains a bit of ice!
Per Temba Sherpa on the path
above Leysin, Switzerland. In
1974 Chic spent two weeks
instructing Per Temba in
climbing technique.
Photo: Chic Scott
Chic Scott’s Story
21
Dougal Haston, Clint
Eastwood and Norman
Dhyrenfurth on location,
filming The Eiger Sanction.
Photo: Chic Scott
The team was given carte blanche in terms
of equipment expenses, expansion bolts and
helicopter use. But filming on the Eiger itself
provided many challenges including safety from
the elements and natural objective hazards. The
mood of excitement soon turned sour in the early
days of shooting when Dave Knowles, a climbing
team member, was struck by a falling rock and
died on the West Ridge. Ironically the cameramen
for the day had just captured a shot of fake falling
rocks critical to the film storyline when a real one
accidently hit him as other film crew members
worked unknowingly above the fatal position.
After a few days of mourning for a lost friend,
the film crew resumed shooting. Chic spent his
days assisting with the ice climbing and falling
scenes that dominate the latter part of the film.
He and Hamish climbed up and out of the railway
window on to the face itself where they rigged
bolts for tripods that would hold the cameras in
place. These would capture the famous rescue
scene in the film where Eastwood cuts the rope
from above with a thousand-foot abyss below and
is finally pulled inside the window by a team of
would-be rescuers.
The shoot eventually began to take its toll on
Chic. From the beginning he had preached the
virtues of adhering to proper climbing technique
to make the scenes appear as true to life as possible. He became frustrated by the editorial power
of the directors when the film tended more and
more toward fantasy. Although grateful for the
experience, Chic realized that the world of high
profile cinematography with its politics and need
to entertain audiences was not for him. As always
with all the climbing adventures he had had previously, he longed for the lack of sensationalism and
for the solitude of the hills, not the circus that the
Eiger had become during the film shoot. Years
later after much reflection, Chic once again spoke
fondly of the experience, even turning it into a
popular slideshow that he presented to audiences
at various film festivals and climbing club events
around the world.
Calgary Mountain Club – as told by Chic Scott
“The late 1970s were awesome years for the Calgary Mountain
Club. John Lauchlan and the Junior Boys Choir (Jim Elzinga, Darrel
Jones, Bruce Keller, Mike Sawyer, Gary Jennings and Rob Amaan)
were full of energy and the club hummed with new ideas and
plans. The Burgess Twins were living in Calgary, waterfall ice
climbing was hot, newcomers like Albi Sole were climbing hard
and women like Sharon Wood were just emerging as great alpinists.
New routes like The Maker were being done and new standards
being set. On Wednesday night, we would all meet at the Cecil
Hotel to drink beer and tell climbing stories. Some nights there
would be 50 or 60 of us gathered around a dozen tables laden with
cheap beer. The Cecil was a low life pub in the worst part of town
but it suited us. I suppose we felt like rebels and outcast ourselves.
November 1985 to October 1987, were two of the best years of my
life. They were good years for the Calgary Mountain Club as well.
There was tremendous energy in the Calgary climbing community
and there were dozens of outstanding climbers setting new
standards in Canadian mountaineering: Kevin Doyle, Jeff Marshall,
Barry Blanchard, Dave Cheesmond, Brian Wallace, Brian Gross,
Steve DeMaio, Choc Quinn, Tim Friesen and many more. During
this era in Canadian climbing I had the honour of being President of
one of the leading clubs and enjoyed the time immensely.”
22
Breaking Trail
Love Affair with the Yukon
Mt. Logan 1977 – Southwest Buttress Attempt
I
n the winter of 1974-75, once again back in
Canada from The Alps, Chic toyed with the
idea of organizing an expedition to the South Face
of Mt. Logan. He enlisted a high performance
team including Lloyd MacKay, Kurt Diemberger
and Dougal Haston. Unfortunately, the dream
was shattered in the summer of 1975 when Chic
suffered serious health issues.
The idea of a Logan climb was resurrected in
1976, and Chic received enthusiastic support for
the idea from his friend Urs Kallen at the Calgary
Mountain Club (CMC). With Urs as President
of the CMC and Chic as VP, the plans came to
life and were to be part of a series of high profile
expeditions culminating in a trip to K2 a few years
down the road. Sadly, Chic lost two of his best
friends and climbing companions. First, Lloyd
MacKay died of cancer in Banff in April 1976 and
then in January a year later, Dougal Haston died
in an avalanche in Switzerland.
Through his grief, Chic kept the plans for the
trip alive and began to put together a new team
consisting of Urs Kallen, Rob Mitchell, Murray
Toft, Jim Elzinga and Ron Langevin. Chic worked
tirelessly to secure supplies from sponsors and
food for the expedition. There was also a helicopter to be organized and paid for as well. Chic took
the burden on himself. He worked himself to the
bone and in all likelihood his focus on organizing
helped him find closure with the loss of two such
good friends.
When the day came to depart for the Yukon,
the team had changed slightly, Rob Mitchell broke
his leg, Jim Elzinga pulled out of the trip, so the
two team members were replaced by Dave Lloyd
and Dick Renshaw. The team bonded well initially
having a fun night at Kluane Lake with two
other CMC expeditions in the area. The climbing
progressed well too, heavy loads were carried
from base camp across a large glaciated basin that
was subject to constant avalanches. Fixed lines
were set up a steep couloir that would bring them
to the Southwest Buttress, their intended route
to the summit. As fate would have it, the exposed
and challenging climbing took its toll on the team
and several team members decided to abort the
attempt citing too much risk. In the end, all of
Chic’s hard work and enthusiasm couldn’t save
the expedition from suffering from differences
of opinion, a few days later the team flew back to
Whitehorse.
Chic learned his lesson from this first failed
attempt on Logan. He learned that training hard
and having a committed team was the most
important part of the planning process. He
decided he needed to involve the team members
earlier so he could gauge their commitment to the
effort once on the hill. He solicited the advice of
his friend Jon Jones who had successfully summited Denali the same spring as the first Logan
attempt. In the course of their conversation, Chic
mentioned the desirable East Ridge of Logan
that he had seen from the Southwest Buttress.
Jones was intrigued, and the two of them started
scheming of a lightweight trip, four climbers only
climbing alpine style. The team would arrive at
the base lean and fit and ready to climb. The new
tactic excited Chic, and he poured himself into the
new expedition.
Founding of the Canadian Himalayan Foundation
In the 1970s, as Canadians ventured abroad to climb more and
more, it became apparent that formal support for international
expeditions was in demand. Chic brought forward the idea of
creating a charitable foundation with some climbing friends from
the Calgary Mountain Club and with the help of his brother
Lorne who was a lawyer, the Foundation was established late in
1977. In March of 1978 the foundation held its first meeting with
inaugural directors; Chic Scott, Lorne Scott, George Faulkner, Brian
Greenwood, Don Forest, John Lauchlan and George Kinnear. The
foundation suffered financial woes from the onset but managed to
raise about $250,000 for various expeditions over the course of 25
years. Notable expeditions it supported were; Gangapurna (1981),
Dhaulagiri I (1981) and Rakaposhi (1984). Sharon Wood was one
of the first to receive support for her climb of the Cassin Ridge on
Denali in 1983. The CHF also assisted with the rebuilding of the
Thangboche Monastery and numerous other cultural endeavours.
Chic Scott’s Story
23
Mt. Logan 1978 – East Ridge
T
his time the tight-knit climbing team
consisted of Jon Jones, Trevor Jones and
Don Chandler. The team bonded well on the
drive to Whitehorse telling jokes and smoking
dope along the way and Chic felt very confident
that they would find success on Logan once they
reached the mountain. The team’s patience was
tested as they waited almost two weeks for poor
weather to clear so they could fly into their camp.
At one point, the climbers were so keen to get to
the peak they started to investigate an alternate
plan of skiing in to the base. They were saved from
themselves when the weather finally cleared after
12 days. They were in action again.
Taking advantage of almost 24 hours of daylight
and cooler evening temperatures, the team
began their assault on the ridge. They packed
everything they needed for 12 days, miraculously
keeping their loads to about 25 kg each. Napping
during the day and climbing at night to stay out
of the excessive summer heat, the team made
The East Ridge of Mount Logan
towers almost 4000 metres
above the Hubbard Glacier.
Photo: Chic Scott
24
Breaking Trail
The moon rising over Mount Vancouver as seen from the
descent of the East Ridge. Photo: Chic Scott
good progress up the ridge on fine rock spines
interspersed with firm perfect snow. The team
moved up several hundred metres each day until
they finally began to feel the effects of altitude at
the end of the technical climbing around 4,100
m. With the knife edge rock ridge and steep snow
behind them, a broad snowy ridge lay before
them. A long walk to the summit was all that
remained.
A storm blew in and the team hunkered down
in their camp at 4,925 m, lazily napping between
bouts of reading Shogun, the only book they had
brought along (which had to be torn apart into
sections so everyone could read it at the same
time). After several days of high winds and harsh
conditions, the climbers finally emerged from
their tents and set off upward for the final stretch.
One final camp was established at 5,200 m leaving
them in a good striking position for the summit
the next day. Despite being on half rations for
more than a week already, the team remained
upbeat when they were forced to stay an extra
night at their high camp because of high winds.
Chic recalls the final steps to the summit:
Chic on the East Peak of Mount Logan. Photo Jon Jones
“It was bitterly cold, perhaps minus 30 degrees, and a sharp
wind swept across the peak. We stayed on the face to the right of
the ridge to get a little protection from the wind. It was too cold
to stop so we just kept going. At one point Jon hollered up to me
that he had to eat something so I broke off a piece of Kendal mint
cake and laid it in the snow beside the track. Jon picked it up as he
trudged by and we just kept going.”
After 14 days of hard effort, the team finally
stepped on the East Summit of Mt. Logan and
they were jubilant at their success. All their hard
efforts had paid off, and they had their summit at
last. The team descended rapidly only to arrive at
base camp and be forced into a week long wait for
their pick-up due to another Yukon storm. Itching
to escape the glaciated camp, the team dreamt of
cold beer and burgers in Haines Junction.
Trevor Jones repairing the tent
during a storm on Mount Logan.
Photo: Jon Jones
Chic Scott’s Story
25
South Face of McArthur Peak 1988
I
n 1988 at the age of 43, Chic decided he was
not quite done with the Yukon. Along with
fellow climbers Tim Friesen and Ken Wallator, he
arrived at the Kluane National Park wardens’ desk
in Haines Junction without a permit. Knowing
full well they wouldn’t be issued a permit for a
team of three to four members per climb was the
minimum at the time—the gang arrived hoping
that they wouldn’t be turned away empty-handed
after making the 2,500 km drive. Luck was on
their side, and the wardens reluctantly attached
them to another team’s permit.
On May 20th, with the paperwork in place, the
trio set forth via airplane to the Seward Glacier.
Once camped on the Hubbard Glacier below the
South Face of McArthur Peak, the group scouted
their route and agreed to follow a prominent rib.
Four days of moderate mixed snow and rock
climbing led the climbers close to the summit.
Chic noted in his journal: “I must admit that it
is about as big and frightening a route as I am
up for.”
On May 26th, they reached the summit in
a frigid -35 C clear spell. The cold sent them
immediately on their descent via the West Ridge.
While descending—and much to his surprise—
Chic fell abruptly, violently into a hidden crevasse
on the upper section of the mountain. Still in pain
weeks later, he would discover that he had broken
a small bone in his foot. The descent proved challenging and the team was put to the test through
technical terrain once they left the ridge heading
again for the Hubbard Glacier. Once back on solid
ground, Tim and Ken headed off to Logan for
more climbing while Chic nursed his sore ankle
and dreamt of future climbs.
Logan Once More 1989
I
n May of 1989, Chic felt the call of the St.
Elias Mountains again. With Richard and
Louise Guy, who were both in their seventies at
the time, and Jon Whyte, an enthusiastic writer
and poet from Banff, they traversed the Seward
and Columbus Glaciers below the South Face of
Mount Logan eventually reaching base camp for
the King Trench route. Rod McGowan, a guide
from Banff, assisted Chic with the duties on the
expedition.
The three of them were intelligent and articulate companions
with a love of history, mountains and the exotic. Rod and I in
our own ways were just as original. Together the five of us formed
a strange group, traversing the glaciers below the icy summits
of Mount Augusta, St. Elias and Logan—truly a one of a kind
expedition.
—Chic Scott
The motley crew spent many lovely days exploring the glaciers around
Logan and enjoyed evening banter as Jon read historical accounts from the
mountain including the first ascent of the Hummingbird Ridge by Allen Steck.
Somewhere along the way, Richard discovered that Jon had been struggling
along so poorly because of half a dozen or more books he had stashed away in
his back. These were promptly thrown into the nearest crevasse after which the
team made good progress and had a joyous time for the days that remained.
26
Breaking Trail
The Finest Climb of Logan Yet 1991
O
n May 15th, 1991 Chic set off for Mount
Logan for what would be his last, but
perhaps finest ascent of the peak. As part of an
organized ACC trip, Chic was to act as expedition
leader along with Don Vockeroth and Terry
Duncan. After the usual three-day marathon drive
from the Rockies, they reached Whitehorse, where
they picked up their six clients at the airport: Don
Forest, Tom Swaddle, Bill Louie, Brad Robinson,
Bill Hawryschuk and Bob Bellis.
The team flew to the Quintino Sella Glacier at
the base of Mt. Logan, and taking advantage of a
good spell of weather, they began lugging supplies
up the route, establishing high camps along the
way. That particular good weather window proved
to be short lived, the wind came up and drove the
team into their tents above 4,100 m, forcing them
to wait out a three-day storm.
On the west Peak of Mount Logan in 1991. (L to R) Don Forest, Bob Bellis, Chic Scott, Bill
Louie Terry Duncan (lying down). Photo: Bill Hawryschuk
E
ventually the storm subsided allowing the climbers to establish Camp IV
in the Football Field at 4,940 m then Camp V at 5,390 m. On June 7th,
Don Forest celebrated his 71st birthday, his teammates miraculously produced a cupcake complete with a candle for a high altitude chorus of “Happy
Birthday”. The team began the long march up the summit plateau in -30 C
temperatures.
In order to ensure the success of the climb, Chic and Don decided to divide
the clients into two groups. Chic set out for the West Peak (5,925 m) with Don
Forest, Bill Louie and Tom Swaddle while the rest of the team headed for the
main summit. Knowing his team was tired and that time was of the essence,
Chic pressed on.
Chic Scott on the ACC expedition to Mount Logan in 1991.
Photo: Pat Morrow
The angle steepened and we removed our skis and put on
crampons, a difficult task with bare fingers. About this time Don
Vockeroth and his group showed up. They had decided that they
could not make the Main Summit and had decided to join us on
the West Peak. Slowly we all climbed the slope then continued
along a ridge until we could go no further. Bill Louie pulled out a
giant Canadian flag and we all took pictures.
—Chic Scott
The team had been successful, and Chic recalls the expedition with great
happiness. It was one of the most rewarding ascents of his career. He was
especially proud knowing he helped Don Forest, at the age of seventy-one,
reach the goal of a lifetime.
Chic Scott’s Story
27
The Alpine Club of Canada
I
Chic (front right) and the ACC youth camp in 1990 on top of Mount Castor.
Photo: Chic Scott
ACC 1988 Mount Robson GMC
– as told by Chic Scott
In mid-July I went to The Alpine Club
of Canada’s General Mountaineering
Camp at Mount Robson, volunteering
as an amateur leader. On my way north
from Calgary along the Icefields Parkway
I stopped late at night to sleep by the
side of the road. Rolling out my sleeping
bag I lay there under a million stars
listening to Mozart’s Coronation Mass on
my Walkman. I spent two weeks at the
camp leading guests to the summits of
Resplendent Mountain, Mount Mumm
and Mount Phillips. Although my
achievements as a guide were modest, I
had a good time and really enjoyed my
role. I met many people at that camp,
forming friendships that I still treasure.
And it was the beginning of a wonderful
association with The Alpine Club of
Canada that continues to this day.
28
Breaking Trail
Chic flanked by Don Forest
(left) and Ken Jones (right)
at the ACC ski camp at
the Wheeler Hut in 1991.
Photo: Kim Jolly
n the late 1980s, Chic began acting as an
amateur trip leader for The Alpine Club
of Canada in what was to become a mutually
rewarding relationship that would last for many
years. Chic began with winter ski trips for the
Calgary Section to places such as Storm Mountain
and Rogers Pass. Once he achieved his wilderness
first aid certificate, Chic planned a new ACC
course for members called “The Complete Ski
Mountaineer”. He made all the arrangements
necessary to conduct the course during a traverse
of the Wapta Icefield. He hired a guide, as he was
not officially allowed to guide the group. It was
not until a couple of years later that Chic finally
received an ACMG assistant ski guiding certificate
at the age of 43!
“The Complete Ski Mountaineer” covered all
aspects of ski mountaineering skills; map reading,
compass and whiteout navigation, crevasse rescue,
emergency shelters, avalanche safety, track setting,
first aid, cooking and glacier travel. The concept
provided Chic with a blueprint for many other
courses that followed. He often relied on his old
friend Dave Smith to act as the official guide on
his courses.
Chic’s work as an amateur leader formed some of the foundation of the
ACC’s activities program. For the next decade, Chic conducted climbing and
ski camps and many more courses for the ACC including youth camps and
another popular multi-day course called “The Complete Alpinist”. He became
a regular and reliable amateur leader at the annual General Mountaineering
Camps as well leading groups around Robson, the Fryatt Valley and other
spectacular alpine settings.
The Calgary Climbers Festival
1
987 and 1988 were busy years for Chic.
Amidst climbing expeditions and leading
trips, Chic launched on an ambitious project:
he wanted to bring the world’s best climbers
and alpinists to Calgary for a festival. He sought
out lecture and theatre space at the University
of Calgary and sent invites to the world’s best
known climbers of the time; Voytek Kurtyka,
Greg Child, Lynn Hill, Kurt Diemberger, and
Wolfgang Güllich were all on the invite list. On
Christmas day in 1987, Voytek agreed to attend,
and Chic was on cloud nine, it was a dream
becoming reality. Fred Beckey and Todd Skinner
planned to join the event too. Chic was adamant
about having a strong Canadian component at his
festival, so he secured top climbers Jeff Marshall,
Barry Blanchard and Kevin McLane to represent
the national climbing scene.
With limited funds, Chic relied on the goodwill
of his local climbing friends, as they provided
board for the guests. He was determined that all
ticket revenue would go back to the speakers. He
insisted on them being paid well for their presentations and doled out speakers’ fees in 20s and 50s
in his basement the Monday after the event was
over. Despite a few minor technical glitches and
lost revenue in the end, the festival was a success.
The main attraction of the weekend had been Kurt
Diemberger’s presentation about the 1986 tragedy
on K2. He had the audience on the edge of their
seats for the better part of two hours. The festival
rang true with authenticity; climbers old and new
shared stories and mingled after events in the
local pub. More than 300 climbers and enthusiasts
attended, they brushed shoulders with the world’s
best, and the crowd created a buzz that is hard to
replicate.
The poster for the 1988 Calgary Climbers Festival
After the Calgary Climbers
Festival Chic was broke.
Photo: Vance Hanna
Chic Scott’s Story
29
Legacy
Writer, Archivist and Historian
C
Chic working on the manuscript of Pushing the Limits in an
ACC Hut. Photo: Ken Chow
hic’s first bout with writing came in 1974 after his expedition to
Dhaulagiri when Canadian Geographic requested an article about the
trip. He had written little prior to the trip and had never been paid for his
work before. Little did he know, Chic was about to embark on a journey that
would make him Canada’s preeminent authority on Canadian mountaineering history. Eight years later, the Canadian Expedition to Mount Everest was
underway and was making headlines. Chic began the arc of his life as an
historian and archivist by having the forethought to interview members of the
team after their return home.
Chic has contributed stories and reports to issues of the Canadian Alpine
Journal and other climbing periodicals from the early 1970s until the present
day, but his first big break came in February 1987, when he launched his first
book. As president of the Calgary Mountain Club, he decided to write and
publish a brief history of the club. The book contained history, photographs
and newspaper clippings from 1960 to 1986, chronicling the activities of the
club for its first 25 years. The book was received well by members, and encouraged Chic to follow along the writing path and look for new projects.
In 1988, Chic began throwing around the idea of starting his own journal
of mountain writing, a hefty periodical for climbers written by climbers. He
tentatively entitled it Alpinism. Completely broke and with little resources at
hand, he forged ahead against all odds, working with publishers Tony and
Gillean Daffern. They helped make his dream a reality by the end of the year.
The first issue in fact arrived in Chic’s hands on the first day of the Calgary
Climbers Festival, the timing was indeed perfect! It contained quality writing
from the likes of Greg Child, Kurt Diemberger and Voytek Kurtyka. Sadly, it
was the first and only issue ever published.
The cover of Chic’s first
book, The History of the
Calgary Mountain Club.
Chic Scott and Joe Josephson
camped in Yamnuska
Meadows while working on
their books. Photo: Chic Scott
30
Breaking Trail
C
The cover of Ski Trails in
the Canadian Rockies,
Chic’s first commercially
produced book.
The iconic cover of the
first edition of Summits
and Icefields.
hic published Ski Trails in the Canadian
Rockies in 1992, it was his first foray into
the world of guidebook writing. The cross-country
ski guide proved successful enough that, while
living in his van in Banff one season, Chic decided
to write a backcountry skiing guidebook for the
Rockies and the Columbia Mountains. He dove
into the project during the winter of 1993-94,
skiing routes he hadn’t previously done and writing letters to guides and friends for information
about the ski tours he wanted to include in the
book. He spent hours in the archives at The Whyte
Museum of the Canadian Rockies, researching
history and consulting maps. What was to become
Summits and Icefields: Alpine Ski Tours in the
Rocky and Columbia Mountains suddenly took
shape. Finding his van an inadequate workspace
for the project, Chic rented a basement room from
Jeff Marshall to complete the project. Summits and
Icefields would become the definitive reference
for the area selling 900 copies in the first month
alone. It is now in its third edition, broken into
two volumes and has new lines and tours being
added with every new printing.
For the next four months I worked steadily on a small card table
making maps, editing the text, collecting and sorting images and
writing the photo captions. For entertainment I listened to CBC
radio and visited the library. On Saturday morning I would treat
myself to a Globe and Mail newspaper then nurse a cup of coffee
at a shop called the Bread Line along Fourth Street. Life was really
good and I was beginning to contemplate a future as a writer.
—Chic Scott
Immediately after publishing Summits and
Icefields, Chic decided a bigger project was in
order. He had always wanted to write the history
of mountaineering in Canada. The timing seemed
perfect, work by other authors had been published
before but those were incomplete. Chic envisioned
a massive comprehensive history, a reference that
would serve generations to come, and he was keen
to hurtle full steam ahead into research.
Chic poured endlessly over periodicals, recording every Canadian climb of note he could find.
He worked exhaustively at the archives of the
Whyte Museum and in the local history room at
the Calgary Public Library. He perused every issue
of the Canadian Alpine Journal, American Alpine
Journal, The Alpine Journal (UK) and Appalachia.
Gill and Tony Daffern flank
Chic Scott with the first copy
of Pushing the Limits, the day
the book arrived at Rocky
Mountain Books.
Photo: Chic Scott
Chic Scott’s Story
31
B
y the spring of 1995, he had produced a 100page chronology and outline for the book,
but the real meat of the volume was to follow.
He was about to embark on a five-year project
without fully realizing it. Finally comprehending
the significance of the task and getting the facts
straight, Chic spent a whole month writing a
measly 10 pages of the first chapter. Along the
journey he found he needed to be mobile to
conduct his research, so he bought a beat-up
Chevy truck with the little money he had and
hit the road. He conducted dozens and dozens of
interviews in the process, visited eastern Canada
to document climbing there, and was meticulous
The cover of Pushing the Limits,
published in 2000.
about backing-up stories with facts from local
archives and libraries. No stone was left unturned.
In the process he also had the joy of reading early
mountaineering classics including In the Heart
of the Canadian Rockies by James Outram 1905,
The Canadian Rockies: Old and New Trails by A.P.
Coleman 1911 and Climbs and Explorations in the
Canadian Rockies by Norman Collie 1903.
Chic was strapped for cash throughout the project, he had been turned down for a grant from the
Alberta Foundation for the Arts when he applied,
but received some support from a couple of private
donors and some financial assistance from the
ACC and the Canadian Himalayan Foundation.
By the end, Chic had conducted over 90 video and audio interviews with
climbers. These tapes would be a core facet of his contribution to the archives
of the Whyte Museum once the book was published. The interviews contain
candid, unedited and raw footage of Canadian climbers at their best. He
particularly enjoyed meeting and learning the history of climbing in Québec.
Virtually no one had recorded the scene there, and Chic was thrilled to be the
one to do it.
When finances really started to wane, Chic acted as custodian at the ACC’s
Bow Hut where he wrote the last chapter of the first draft. Eventually he
squatted in his Chevy in the meadows below Yamnuska, having no choice as
he couldn’t afford to spend any money for a monthly rent cheque. During the
writing and interview process, he also collected images, over 10,000 in all, of
which 650 would be used for the final design. The first draft of the book rolled
in at a hefty 800 pages or 400,000 words, and Chic began to work with Gillean
Daffern on the daunting task of an edit.
Pushing the Limits – as told by Gillean Daffern
The biggest project we tackled was Pushing the Limits that
took years to research, write and produce. There are no funny
stories to relate. Rather it was a lot of very hard work. We would
spread the manuscript on my kitchen table, break for lunch, then
get at it again, hammering out problem areas until we were both
satisfied. Chic was always fun to work with him, especially when
our discussions took on a philosophical turn as it often did. I
remember the day when we cracked once and for all the thorny
question of who first climbed Mt. Robson. If we’d had a bottle of
champagne, we would have opened it. Instead we had yet another
cup of caffeine. There is no doubt Pushing the Limits almost singlehandedly changed the way the world thought of Canadian climbing
and climbers. This led to Chic being in demand at mountain
festivals around the world to tell our story.
32
Breaking Trail
The edit and design of Pushing the Limits
took seemingly endless months, but finally in
the summer of 2000, the book was launched in
Calgary with a host of good friends and climbers
there to celebrate what had become a five-year
labour of love. The book received many accolades
and the climbing community was thrilled that
Chic had been the one to tell their story. His hard
work and dedication came to a head when Pushing
the Limits went on to deservingly win two awards
at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival
and a Writer’s Guild of Alberta award. It also won
Trade Book of the Year at the 2000 Alberta Book
Awards, in essence establishing it as the best book
of the year for the province.
The cover of The Yam,
50 years of Climbing on
Yamnuska
After the triumph of Pushing the Limits, Chic
endeavored to make the most of his reputation as
Canada’s leading authority of climbing culture.
Many new titles and updated editions of the
guidebooks followed, all well received, and there
was a book launched every few years for the
decade and a half that followed. From 2003 to
2014 he launched: The Yam: Fifty Years of Climbing
on Yamnuska (with Dave Dornian and Ben Gadd),
Powder Pioneers: Ski Stories from the Rockies and
Columbia Mountains, Deep Powder & Steep Rock:
The Life of Mountain Guide Hans Gmoser and
Mountain Romantics: The Whytes of Banff. Chic
remained a diligent writer of articles for periodicals throughout this period too.
Over the years his writing skill has
increased. This does not mean his
writing has become flashy or literary
obscure—it was always very clear and
straightforward—but rather that for my
part I have far less work to do. While
continuing to be impressed with his
meticulous research and attention to
detail, I especially like how as a person he
is always mindful of other people’s feelings,
which, of course, means certain constraints
when writing biographies.”
—Gillean Daffern
The cover of Powder
Pioneers (2005)
The cover of Mountain Romantics, the
White/Whytes of Banff (2014)
Deep Powder & Steep Rock: The Life of Mountain
Guide Hans Gmoser – as told by Chic Scott
The cover of Deep Powder
and Steep Rock, the Life
of Mountain Guide Hans
Gmoser (2009)
Writing the biography of Hans Gmoser was one of the greatest
experiences of my life. Margaret (Gmoser) gave me access to all his
papers, including his personal letters, business papers and climbing
diaries and I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the private
details of this most fascinating life. At one point Margaret asked her
lawyer, Gordon Rathbone, if we needed a contract and he replied,
“I don’t think so.” We worked on trust and mutual respect. Margaret
took great interest in the progress of the book but never interfered.
It was a real pleasure to work with her and in the end I think we
were both really pleased with the finished product.
Chic Scott’s Story
33
A
Chic receiving the UIAA J. Monroe Thorington Award for
the best book on mountain history from Ernest Haase at
the 2000 Banff Mountain Book Festival.
Photo: Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival
s of the present day, Chic has published over 150 magazine and journal
articles and is the author of more than a dozen books. In line with
his modest and humble demeanor, his contribution as an archivist has gone
largely unknown however. Right from the onset of his writing career, Chic
has been an obsessive and adamant collector of documents, photographs
and notes. After each of his publications, he contributed his research to the
archives at the Whyte Museum where the fruits of his labour will be useful
and admired by future writers and historians. The bulk of his contribution
includes more than 187 audio tapes and 148 video interviews conducted while
researching Pushing the Limits, not to mention almost 1,000 images. The
interviews will no doubt prove invaluable one day to the right people. Many
of those interviewed have since passed, and these tapes are an important
chronicle of lives lived. His contribution in this regard is overwhelming and
immeasurable. His friends and family unanimously believe his writing and
research is the golden fruit of what will become his legacy to the Canadian
mountaineering community.
Archivist and Chronicler – The Chic Scott Fonds
Chic Scott fonds at The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies contains:
ӹӹ Sound recordings: 187 audio tape cassettes, 7 audio tape reels.
ӹӹ 980 photographs: 27 CD-ROM.
ӹӹ Moving images: 148 videocassettes: 133 Hi8, 15 VHS.
ӹӹ 3.0 m textual records.
Fonds consists of Chic Scott’s interviews with members of the 1982 Canadian Mount
Everest Expedition and interviews with other Canadian mountaineers, 1988-1990. Everest
interviews are with Laurie Skreslet, Bill March and Al Burgess. Other interviewees are Don
Vockeroth, Charlie Locke, Bob Hind, Glen Boles and Ken Jones.
Fonds also consist of records generated in the process of researching and writing Pushing
the Limits: The Story of Canadian Mountaineering including:
ӹӹ 90 interviews (video and audio).
ӹӹ 1996-1998: photographs (scanned images), research notes, manuscript, copies of
documents and articles, chronology, lists and transcripts, and biography files.
Additional archival materials include research notes and other materials from the following
publications and projects:
ӹӹ Powder Pioneers: 600 photographs, 30 recorded interviews.
ӹӹ The Yam: 500 photographs, 25 recorded interviews.
ӹӹ Deep Powder and Steep Rock: 600 photographs, 40 recorded interviews.
ӹӹ Mountain Romantics: 800 photographs, 40 recorded interviews.
ӹӹ Hans Gmoser Film Preservation Project: two banker boxes of textual records.
ӹӹ Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies, Summits and Icefields: research notes.
Plus a collection of Calgary Mountain Club newsletters, Canadian Himalayan Foundation
minutes and financial statements.
34
Breaking Trail
On the World Stage
C
hic had been presenting in front of
audiences at local events and festivals
worldwide since early in this climbing career.
But with the publication of Pushing the Limits,
he became in demand at some of the biggest and
most celebrated mountain culture festivals around
the world including the Dundee Mountain Film
Festival and Kendal Mountain Festival in the UK.
Everyone wanted to hear the story of Canadian
mountaineering, and Chic was celebrated as a
guest of honour wherever he went. Doug Scott
invited Chic to be his special guest at the 132nd
Annual Alpine Club Dinner in London, a true
privilege for the humble Canadian.
Once he returned home, Chic also did an
extensive Pushing the Limits tour across both
eastern and western Canada. The national tour
sold many books and forced a second print run
of the expensive volume. He was so impressed by
the UK and its climbing culture, that he returned
again and again, making the trip across the pond
five times between the years of 2002-2007. He gave
over 35 presentations to various clubs and festival
audiences, enjoying a pint or two along the way,
no doubt! With all the presentations and successful book sales, Chic was finally in a position
of living comfortably. He no longer had to worry
about a bit of money rolling in, and his days of
squatting in the Yamnuska meadows seemed like
a distant memory.
In 2000 the 132nd annual Alpine Club dinner was held in
the Great Hall at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London.
Photo: Chic Scott
At the Alpine Club dinner
Chic reconnected with Tony
Welling (left) and John Monks
(right) with whom he had
skied the Haute Route in 1971.
Photo: Chic Scott
In 2004 Chic presented
the Pushing the Limits
slide show at a meeting
of the American Alpine
Club in Bishop California
where this photo was
taken. (L to R) Chic Scott
(Pushing the Limits), Allen
Steck (Fifty Classic Climbs
in North America), Chris
Jones (Climbing in North
America) and Andy Selters
(Ways to the Sky).
Photo: Chic Scott
Chic Scott’s Story
35
Golden Years in Banff
T
hroughout his life, Chic has never stopped
doing adventures in the mountains. Even
as his age began creeping up on him and while
working on writing projects, he would head to the
hills for some solace and time to think between
projects.
In his mid-sixties, Chic convinced Marg
Gmoser (also 64 years old at the time) to join
Faye Atkinson leads Chic
across a tricky creek
crossing on the Jasper to
Banff traverse in 2010.
Photo: Tony Hoare
It was a long hard trip, particularly for Margaret and me. We
carried 20 kg loads and camped out for 20 nights. Most nights we
cooked our meals over a campfire, which was very pleasant. Before
dinner I always had a couple of tots of cheap brandy, which put a
glow on the day. Luckily Tony and Faye were very strong and did
the bulk of the trail breaking through deep snow.
—Chic Scott
Margaret Gmoser leads the
group down the Pipestone River
near the end of the Jasper to
Banff ski traverse in 2010.
Photo: Tony Hoare
36
Breaking Trail
him on another adventure. They would attempt
another Jasper to Lake Louise traverse. This time,
however, Chic wanted to do the traverse on the
eastern side of the highway, linking together the
Skyline Trail, the Eight Pass Route, Poboktan
Creek, Jonas Pass, Brazeau River, Cataract Pass
and down the Cline River to the David Thompson
Highway to the half way point. After Nordegg,
the plan was to carry on to Lake Louise via the
Siffleur River, the Pipestone and on to Skoki
Lodge. In order to help with trail-breaking, Chic
solicited the help of two “youngsters”, Tony Hoare
(age 54) and Faye Atkinson (age 49). The snow
was horrible in the valley bottoms, the facets were
relentless and unconsolidated snow tired the team
out with each step forward. Chic and Marg made
it to Skoki Lodge while Tony and Faye carried on
to Banff. They decided that they had skied enough.
Despite not making the full trip to Banff, they
were proud of their achievement. Chic suffered
severe blisters for the entire journey while Marg
had chronic knee pain, an ongoing condition as
a result of having her kneecaps removed many
years before.
I
n 2011, Parks Canada was celebrating the
bicentenary of David Thompson’s winter of
1810-11 crossing of Athabasca Pass, and Chic
wanted to repeat the crossing on skis himself. He
asked his good friend Marg Gmoser if she might
join him, which she enthusiastically did. The
brutal temperatures got the best of them however,
and they decided to abandon the trip having to ski
35 km in -32 C temperatures to escape back to the
Icefields Parkway.
The Bicentenary of David Thompson’s trip over
Athabasca Pass – as told by Marg Gmoser
Chic really wanted to join the historical occasion of David
Thompson’s crossing of Athabasca Pass and Parks were going in
ahead of time. Parks was going to break a trail in, set up a tent and
they’d have some gear up there. It was early January, I’d forgotten
what that was like. The weather was okay when we started and
then it became really cold. It was -32 C and Chic had a single
wall tent we both slept in, head to foot, one on each end and it
just turned into Dr. Zhivago’s ice palace with all the frost feathers
coming down. The second night out we met Jerry [Auld] and Dustin
[Lynx] and we all camped out together in the same spot. The next
day Chic and I decided we’d bail and go out in one day, it’s about
35 kilometres or something, quite far. It was too cold to camp again
and we knew if we did we might be in trouble. We didn’t get out
to the car until about 11:30 at night and it had also snowed. The
plow hadn’t been there so we were kind of worried about that. We
were more worried that the car wouldn’t start, we were cold, really
cold. We hardly stopped to eat along the way, it was too cold to
do anything. And we finally got in the car and it started, we had
all our gear on to keep warm. I still had on my ski boots and over
boots too, I could hardly feel the gas or brake pedals. And I could
not get the car into gear, it was like it was frozen or something. At
least the car was going, but we thought what are we going to have
to do? Maybe we’ll have to sleep in the car, we couldn’t camp again
it was just too cold, but then we might run out of gas if we had to
leave the heater on. After about twenty minutes I still couldn’t get
the car into gear. Then Chic, who doesn’t own a car, quietly says to
me “Marg, in a car like this, don’t you have to put your foot on the
brake to shift into drive?” Of course! Of course you have to put your
foot on the brake, which is what I did and we got out eventually and
got to Jasper and limped into a motel. The next day on the drive
back to Banff we both decided, at our age, it wasn’t really necessary
for us to go winter camping anymore, especially in January.
The team at Skoki Lodge after
skiing from Jasper, (l to r) Tony
Hoare, Margaret Gmoser, Chic
Scott and Faye Atkinson.
Photo: Tony Hoare
Marg Gmoser and Chic on the Jasper to Banff traverse.
Photo: Tony Hoare
Chic Scott’s Story
37
The Hans Gmoser Film Collection
A
fter the Jasper to Lake Louise traverse in
2010 and the completion of Hans Gmoser’s
biography, another opportunity for an important
conservation project came to the fore. Chic’s
friend Marg Saul had an idea to digitize and
preserve the Hans Gmoser film collection, an idea
that would allow the films to be more accessible to
the public and showcase the works as an important part of Canadian mountain culture. Once
again, Chic dove into the project with a passionate
fervor. The project proved very complex. There
were more than 130 film canisters to go through,
some containing raw footage and A or B roll.
It was a huge task requiring over $100,000 to
complete. Marg and Chic received tremendous
support from the community who contributed
funds to the project. The Whyte Museum was
also an enthusiastic supporter as they owned the
rights to the films. One of the most challenging
elements was matching the films to link up with
scripts and the corresponding images. Chic had
Hans’ nephew, Michael Hintringer, assist with
narration. With the help of professional video
technologist Will Schmidt from Canmore, the
successful project was finally complete three years
later in 2014.
The team that worked together on the Hans Gmoser Film Preservation Project. (L to R)
Michael Hintringer, Emilia Schmidt, Will Schmidt, Chic Scott, Michelle Todd, Eva Zidek and
Marg Saul. Photo: Craig Richards Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
38
Breaking Trail
The Next Chapter
B
y 2006, Chic had moved back to Banff on
a more permanent basis. For several years
that followed, a friendship with Banff local Kathy
Madill had blossomed. Chic and Kathy had met
45 years earlier while working at Sunshine Village
where she was a chambermaid and he worked the
ski lifts. They had known each other in passing
only up until 2006, but they shared a love of
mountains, books and music and they both found
they had much in common. They attended many
social events together in Banff as friends and
enjoyed one another’s company. Kathy had been
a nurse at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital for
the good part of 45 years, and in 2014, after a successful and rewarding career, she finally decided
to retire. That same year Chic and Kathy moved
in together, and their friendship continued to
solidify and grow.
Chic and Kathy at Skoki Lodge. Photo: Kathy Madill-Scott
One of my friends calls Chic pedantic. And it’s true! It’s the
way he skis, it’s the way he hikes, it’s the way he does his work. He
just puts one foot in front of the other and does it right. He’s not
in a hurry but he accomplishes what he’s set out to do. Which is
really good for me. I’m a bit A.D.D. I think. Chic is just so steady. I
always say he’s my rock.
—Kathy Madill
Chic Scott and Kathy Madill were married in Banff on April
9, 2016. Photo: Sandy Irvine
I
n spring of 2015, Chic and Kathy decided to take an extended trip to
Greece. It was their first adventure abroad together. Little did Kathy know,
Chic had high hopes for the trip. While enjoying a lovely sunset on the island
of Paros, Chic proposed to Kathy, and she accepted. At the age of seventy,
Chic decided that climbing and skiing in the mountains were no longer
his top priority and felt that he could finally throw full body and soul into
a relationship by being a worthy and unselfish husband. He was ready for
marriage, and he was thrilled that Kathy had agreed to spend the rest of their
lives together.
On April 9, 2016 Chic and Kathy were married at Lake Louise, Alberta.
More than 200 friends and family members were in attendance to join in the
celebration. The reception was hosted by Louise and Charlie Locke, and the
festivities took place at The Lodge of the Ten Peaks at the Lake Louise Ski
Resort. The wedding was described by many friends as an especially joyous
occasion—in fact it was the party of the decade. Everyone saw the wedding as
the start of a wonderful new adventure for both Chic and Kathy, one nurtured
by love and companionship. They are the perfect pair, and undoubtedly, a
perfect match for the golden years of travel and adventures yet to come.
Chic Scott’s Story
39
References & Bibliography
“The Great Canadian High Level Ski Tours”, Chic Scott, Canadian Alpine
Journal Volume 61 (Banff, The Alpine Club of Canada, 1978)
The History of the Calgary Mountain Club: Its Members and Their Activities
1960-1986, Chic Scott (Calgary, Calgary Mountain Club, 1987)
Alpinism, Chic Scott (Calgary, Rocky Mountain Books, 1988)
Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies, Chic Scott (Calgary, Rocky Mountain
Books, 1992)
Summits and Icefields: Alpine Ski Tours in the Canadian Rockies and Columbia
Mountains, Chic Scott (Calgary, Rocky Mountain Books, 1994)
Pushing the Limits: The Story of Canadian Mountaineering, Chic Scott
(Calgary, Rocky Mountain Books, 2000)
The Yam: 50 Years of Climbing on Yamnuska, Chic Scott, Dave Dornian and
Ben Gadd (Calgary, Rocky Mountain Books, 2003)
Powder Pioneers: Ski Stories from the Canadian Rockies and Columbia
Mountains, Chic Scott (Calgary, Rocky Mountain Books, 2005)
Deep Powder & Steep Rock: The Life of Mountain Guide Hans Gmoser,
Chic Scott (Banff, Assiniboine Publishing Limited, 2009)
Summits and Icefields 1: Alpine Ski Tours in the Canadian Rockies, Chic Scott
& Mark Klassen (Calgary, Rocky Mountain Books, 2011)
Summits and Icefields 2: Alpine Ski Tours in the Columbia Mountains, Chic
Scott (Calgary, Rocky Mountain Books, 2011)
Young at Heart: the Inspirational Lives of Richard and Louise Guy, Chic Scott
(Canmore, The Alpine Club of Canada, 2012)
Mountain Romantics: The Whytes of Banff, Chic Scott (Banff, Whyte Museum
of the Canadian Rockies, 2014)
The Book of Mortimer, Celebrating a Life of Volunteerism, Chic Scott
(Canmore, The Alpine Club of Canada, 2014)
40
Breaking Trail
Breaking Trail:
Chic Scott’s Story
Chic Scott is a man of unconventional firsts. The first Canadian to summit a Himalayan
peak, the first Canadian to guide in the European Alps, and he was part of the first team
to climb Mount Assiniboine in winter. He is also a local mentor, historian and ski pioneer
who has spent his whole life touching the lives of all those who call the Rockies home. Chic
is perhaps known best for the ambitious grand ski traverses he achieved; in essence he has
broken the trail for an entire generation of adventure skiers who follow. His writing and
books have reached mountain communities further afield, spreading the rich history of
Canadian mountaineering to outdoor enthusiasts across Canada and around the globe. This
booklet celebrates the life of Chic Scott with his most memorable contributions to mountain
life and tales told by his close friends.
For further information regarding the Summit Series of mountaineering biographies,
please contact the National Office of The Alpine Club of Canada.
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca
Twenty-second in the SUMMIT SERIES
Biographies of people who have made a difference in Canadian mountaineering