APRIL, 2003 NEWSLETTER

Peakfinder Updates

The major development to Peakfinder this month is the addition of hyperlinks to the biographies section of the website. There are almost one hundred biographies of historically significant individuals available through "Finding People" on the main page. Now, if any of these people are mentioned in the "Additional Information" section of a particular mountain page, a link is available to open the biography directly. Hopefully visitors will now be more likely to learn more about these interesting people.

We now have photos of all the "11,000 Footers," the last of these being submitted by Steve Vachon. Thanks Steve.

Another big improvement is the addition of 35 or so photos from the collection of Bennett Wong. My favourite is Mount Onslow from the north end of Northover Ridge. Thanks Bennett. 


If you have a favourite mountain photo or any information about the peaks of the Canadian Rockies that you would like included in Peakfinder please contact <dave@peakfinder.com>.

Please note that all of the previous newsletters have been archived and are available on the site. If you're interested in other esoteric lists, unusual mountain names, etc. browse through the earlier issues.
 


April's Unusual Canadian Rockies Name

WALRUS MOUNTAIN
The name first appeared on a 1929 survey plan by A.J. Campbell. The reason for the name is not known.

Enter "Walrus Mountain" in the Finding Peaks search box to learn more about this mountain. 

Look who's honoured in the Canadian Rockies

ALBERT MUMMERY
Albert F. Mummery was an inspiring figure to British Climbers at the end of the Nineteenth Century. Frank Smythe described him as a, "prince among rock climbers, and the prototype of the modern rock climber and mountaineer". If the old boiling-point thermometer and geological notebook excuse for mountain climbing still prevailed in certain quarters, Mummery killed it stone dead. He climbed simply and solely for the fun of the thing!

Norman Collie
named in excess of thirty peaks in the Canadian Rockies, but this one must have been one of the most meaningful to him. Collie and Mummery, together with Geoffery Hastings, climbed together in the Alps in 1894 and the following year in the Himalayas. They had been climbing for over a month on August 23rd when Mummery set out with two "Ghurkhas," Ragobir and Gomar Singh, to cross Diama Pass near Mount Nanga Parbat and perhaps make another attempt at the summit that had eluded the party. Collie seems to have been suffering from the many weeks at altitude and according to a letter written by Mummery, "was not keen on it."

Mummery and the Ghurkhas were never seen again. It was not until September 13th that Collie and Hastings set out on a three day trip to reach the camp where they had last seen their friend. However this late in the season searching the high glaciers was out of the question and according to Collie, "Slowly we descended, and for the last time looked on the great mountain and the white snows where in some unknown spot our friends lay buried."

    -"Happily for us, the great brown slabs bending over into immeasurable space, the lines and curves of the wind-moulded cornices, the delicate undulations of fissured snow, are old and trusted friends, ever luring us to fun and laughter and enabling us to bid a study defiance to all the ills that time and life oppose." -Albert F. Mummery

For information about Mount Mummery enter the name in the "Finding Peaks" search box on the main page.

April's Esoteric List

MOUNTAINS THAT MAY BE SEEN FROM HIGHWAY #93 BETWEEN CASTLE JUNCTION AND RADIUM
Mount Assiniboine, Boom Mountain, Castle Mountain (Alberta), Cockscomb Mountain (Alberta), Copper Mountain, Mount Daer, Eisenhower Peak, Goodsir Towers, Mount Haffner, Mount Harkin, Hawk Ridge, Isabelle Peak, Mount Ishbel, Mount Kindersley, Lookout Point, Mount Mitchell , Redstreak Mountain, Mount Selkirk, Sentry Peak, Mount Sinclair, Spar Mountain, Split Peak, Stanley Peak, Mount Verendrye, Vermilion Peak, Mount Wardle, White Tail Peaks, Mount Whymper
For information regarding any of these mountains enter the name in the "Finding Peaks" section on the front page.

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