ACC Gazette Section Stories: Southern Alberta
Skill building with the Southern Alberta Section
Story by Ryan Leavitt for the 2025 ACC Gazette
Back in 2015, during my first year of climbing, I found myself a bit over my head, tied into the top anchor of a double rope rappel on the popular “The Fold” climb in Kananaskis. It was pitch dark and my partner had started the rappel about an hour earlier. We had opted to only bring one rope, and we were very aware that we had to find the mid station of this rap to make it to the ground safely.
The wind was howling, and I had zero chance of understanding my partner’s calls, but I knew that he hadn’t found the mid station anchor and was struggling to perform some kind of improvised rappel extension. I knew at that moment that I had no idea what he was trying to do, and also that I didn’t have any skills, experience, or ability to do anything to help him.
Luckily, he made it to the ground, and then I was able to find the mid station anchor on my rappel without having to teach myself a new skill while suspended 40 metres off the ground in absolute darkness. Our evening ended with lots of laughs over a beer in the parking lot, happy to have escaped without harm, but it could have ended much differently.
Since then, I have learned numerous climbing lessons, perhaps the most important one being that things don’t always go as planned and when they don’t, we need skills and training to be able to handle what comes up.
Having the opportunity to learn new skills is one of the most valuable benefits of ACC membership. Over the years our Southern Alberta Section has coordinated many different levels of formal training from avalanche beacon practice, crevasse rescue, glacier travel, AST 1 and 2, navigation, anchor building, and much more. Much of the section training has been with ACMG certified mountain guides and has been subsidized by the section for our members.
This June I attended a rock rescue course organized by our section’s director of safety and training Justin Jensen and taught by Tim McAllister of Bugaboo Mountain Guides. Tim has worked with our small section numerous times over the years and has always been accommodating and able to tailor the courses specifically to the needs of our members. On the first day of the course, approximately 15 ACC members met at the Bible Camp climbing crag in the Crowsnest Pass and learned rock rescue skills. We practiced escaping the belay, setting up a hauling system to help an injured climber, rappelling to an injured climber, and tandem rappelling.
On the second day, we practiced what we had learned and hung on the wall working counterbalance rappels and rope ascension techniques. We all had learned so much from Tim and had a lot of fun working together that weekend.
When we climb in the mountains, we open ourselves to many possible “what if” scenarios and we will all eventually find ourselves in a situation different to the one we were expecting. If we are prepared for those moments, we will be able to move from system to system safely and with confidence until we are back safely on the ground laughing with our partners and sharing the adventure of the day.
Big thanks to Tim and the many mountain guides who offer invaluable teaching and services to our mountain community.
Regional ACC Sections are the Alpine Club of Canada’s strength. Membership in an ACC Section enables members to participate in numerous summer and winter mountaineering, rock climbing, and skiing activities, coordinated by experienced amateur leaders in their local area. The majority of activities offered by sections are either free or are offered on a break-even basis to their members. Through ACC Section trips you’ll learn all the basics you need to travel safely in the mountains, while meeting new friends to enjoy your experiences with.
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We are always seeking great articles and stories from members and regional sections. Drop us an email and pitch your ACC story – we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to our editorial team at gazette@alpineclubofcanada.ca
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