Documentary: "Swiss Guides in the Canadian Rockies - Beyond Adventure"

Around 1900, the Canadian Rocky Mountains were merely viewed as an obstacle. This perception drastically changed when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) hired Swiss Mountain Guides in order to make the Rocky Mountains accessible for mountaineering tourism.
The mountain guides that came from the Swiss Alps to work for CPR hotels between 1899 and 1954 led hundreds of first ascents and taught safe climbing techniques to thousands of climbers. The legacy of these early Swiss pioneers continued to live on in the 1950s and 1960s when a younger generation of Swiss mountaineers became crucial for the development of modern mountain rescue, avalanche control, skiing and helicopter skiing.
Most importantly however, the Swiss Guides helped cultivate a common appreciation of Canada’s majestic Western mountains and of an
environment to be both preserved and revered.
The documentary "Swiss Guides in the Canadian Rockies - Beyond Adventure" (2013) tells the story of these early Swiss Guides and their legacy that still keeps shaping Canadian mountain culture.
A film by: Counting Ants Productions
Director: Josias Tschanz
Executive Producer: Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver
+++ Update 2022:
Further information regarding the Edelweiss Village in Golden, BC:
The Edelweiss Village is the historic home of the pioneering Swiss Mountain Guides in the Rocky Mountains. The property is currently on sale, which has prompted an interest group to take action. In order to prevent the loss of this historically signifcant site, a group of Swiss-Canadian stakeholders has launched the campaign "Saving Edelweiss Village in Canada".
Find more information on their website: www.swissvillage.ca/

[@heinrichkleist3473]

Great video and wonderful to learn about the history behind mountain culture in Canada. We're so lucky to have folks still alive that can tell the story and through the story, make the connection between past and present. Hats off to Rudi Gertsch who recognises the need for respect of nature as opposed to using nature as a stage for our own hubris.

[@efraimadventure]

Congratulations guys! For all this history and passion for the Mountains. Strong hug from a Brazilian Guide.

[@Choccytube]

"Mother nature lets you know in a hurry". That is the key thing to take away. I love the respectful nature of Rudi Gertsch, he has knowledge but understands that the newer generation will push what he has already taught. Not a mountaineer myself but love the insight to the culture.

[@gabornyers7091]

Masterpiece! Thanks for sharing!!!!

[@kirktaylor4954]

Rudy was my guide a few years back at Purcell Heli and he was a magician of fun and adventure. I feel so lucky to have spent some time with him!

[@kirktaylor4954]

Rudy disappeared into a tree-well to show us how not to do so, then how to rescue yourself from the tricky scenario. I had no idea how special was these insights; until we got back and I started to see who this man really is - the last of a generation that pioneered and protected others in the wild Canadian Rockies - thanks again to Rudy and the team at Purcell. The guys in Alaska's Chugach Range could take some lessons from them for sure!

[@swissrepresentationscanada]

Thank you for your comment, Kirk, and for sharing the story of your encounter with Rudi Gertsch with us! Rudi truly is an outstanding mountaineer.

[@CM-hd8jx]

Excellent stuff. Right on Golden!

[@scottgoodson7910]

Amazing film, love getting hit with some knowledge! I have learnt so much about my back yard and Canada through mountaineering. The BCMC have an amazing heritage, though more rooted in the lower mainland, its just incredible to see how these mountains across Canada have inspired so many. Thanks for putting this together much appreciated.

[@bobelliott2748]

A very nice movie.

[@choisam20]

This documentary is so well done!

[@swissrepresentationscanada]

Thank you very much. We are happy to hear that you've enjoyed the film!

[@patrickmaloney6716]

The beginning of this documentary is obviously footage of the Wasatch Range in Utah USA, not the Canadian Rockies! There’s also another short insert where you can see the Salt Lake Valley in the distance!

[@williammorris6097]

I was mountain guide in the 80's 90's thru 2011. Please look up and read The Guiding Spirit" which is a well written rich history of the immigration of professional mountain guides to build up the tourist industry for these Canadian mountain resorts.

[@unpaved7040]

Good one! Thx.

[@noiseforthealgorithm4668]

legends

[@nachtaktiv1]

R.I.P Ueli Steck at 4:57

[@TylerCruickshank]

The mountains in the beginning of the video are the Wasatch in Utah.

[@Doodlik54]

Nice piece. I was a tad disappointed it was so 'Banff-centric'. The contribution the Swiss and Austrians made in Jasper should have been included.

[@swissrepresentationscanada]

Thank you for your comment. Absolutely, the Swiss Guides were influential not only in the area of Banff but across the Rocky and Selkirk Mountains. If you are particularly interested in Jasper, we can recommend the chapter on ski pioneer Joe Weiss in the catalogue "Swiss Guides - Shaping Mountain Culture" (p.36). You can find the catalogue here: bit.ly/3Mlj1bO

[@Doodlik54]

@@swissrepresentationscanada I will look that up for sure. Thank you for replying. I was not meaning to be overly critical. I just have a soft spot for Jasper and my memories of Willy Pfisterer and Hans Swartz. Again, a nice piece of work you did here.

[@zigarten]

For more "we did it first" stuff, read "Vertical Reference" by Kathy Calvert.

[@lordtudraska1796]

Here I am wondering how I can come up with 2million to crack into the tourism bizangg... but people are already crowd funding for the village. Great to hear. My dad worked on Assiniboine for the parks branch back in the day, glory to the mountains! I reckon I'll just write a book about it.

[@Abravenewfear]

👍

[@lronbutters5688]

❤️♾Ueli

[@paulkerby4829]

Read story

[@bencahn4119]

6:05 what did he say?

[@derbar7928]

Hit some Black Ice.

[@justluke8730]

So, it wasn't just me...

[@Del1Dub]

Same here

[@saddamhussain6904]

Saddam hussain