BACKGROUND - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 521

Phillips are synonymous with this era, and their names grace everything from pubs to
mountain peaks.
Early Mountaineering
Recreational mountaineering has been popular in the Canadian Rockies for more than 100
years. Reports of early climbs on peaks around Lake Louise spread, and by the late 1880s
the area had drawn the attention of both European and American alpinists. Many climbers
were inexperienced and ill equipped, but first ascents were nevertheless made on peaks
that today are still considered difficult. In 1893, Walter Wilcox and Samuel Allen, two Yale
schoolmates, spent the summer climbing in the Lake Louise area, making two unsuccess-
ful attempts to reach the north peak of Mount Victoria. The following summer they made
first ascents of Mount Temple and Mount Aberdeen, extraordinary achievements consid-
ering their lack of experience and proper equipment. Accidents were sure to happen, and
they did. During the summer of 1896, P. S. Abbot slipped and plunged to his death attempt-
ing to climb Mount Lefroy. In doing so, he became North America's first mountaineering
fatality. Following this incident, Swiss mountain guides were employed by the CPR to sat-
isfy the climbing needs of wealthy patrons of the railway and make the sport safer. During
the period of their employment, successful climbs were made of Mount Victoria, Mount
Lefroy, and Mount Balfour.
In 1906, Arthur O. Wheeler organized the Alpine Club of Canada, which was instru-
mental in the construction of many trails and backcountry huts still in use today. In 1913,
Swiss guide Conrad Kain led a group of the club's members on the successful first ascent
of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. By 1915, most of the other
major peaks in the range had been climbed as well.
Changing Times
One major change that occurred early on was the shift from railroad-based to automobile-
based tourism. Until 1913, motorized vehicles were banned from the mountain parks, al-
lowing the CPR a monopoly on tourists. Wealthy visitors to the mountains came in on the
train and generally stayed in the CPR's own hotels for weeks on end and often for the
entire summer. The burgeoning popularity of the automobile changed all this; the motor-
vehicle ban was lifted, and road building went ahead full steam. Many of the trails that had
been built for horseback travel were widened to accommodate autos, and new roads were
built: from Banff to Lake Louise in 1920, to Radium Hot Springs in 1923, and to Golden
in 1930. The Icefields Parkway was finally completed in 1940. Visitor numbers increased,
and facilities expanded to keep pace. Dozens of bungalow camps were built specially for