The Columbia Icefield

R.W. Sandford

$ 12.95

Brevity, it seems, is the soul of most Altitude Superguides. With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that it will take the average reader just about as long to finish this review as the original article itself.  

While author Bob Sandford is uncharacteristically concise in this particular instance, the pamphlet-sized publication is thoroughly informative. Sandford has plenty of expertise when it comes to the Columbia Icefield, having served as an interpreter at the Athabasca Glacier years ago. Not only did he serve as an agent of the government at the glaciers, Sandford claims to have had an experience where the icefield touched his soul. The prose may be somewhat florid, but the power of the anecdote in question is potent indeed, proving to be one of the most memorable passages in the guide. 

Those familiar with the format of most Altitude guides will know that the text is organized into bite-sized chunks according to theme, arranged on the page through a series of colourful text boxes, cutlines and sidebars. The images are the stars of the show, and given that the subject in this case is hard to describe in words, that’s a good thing. Indeed, Sandford seems to recognize the primacy of photographs at the icefield, devoting a small section of text to describing the best way of obtaining the ideal shot of the glaciers.  

The advantage to having information organized in this way is that the guide is well-suited to act as an accompaniment to the traveller, who can pick and choose the pieces of text to digest as they ride along in the snowcoach, suffer through a glacial breeze on the moraine or (hopefully not) drive dangerously below the speed limit along the Icefields Parkway.  

Unfortunately, this style of presentation does not allow for much in the way of illuminating detail, especially when it comes to the human history of the area. The story of the various aboriginal groups, as well as the white explorers who came to “discover” the icefield is fascinating and well deserving of the several volumes that tell these tales. At least the small section in Sandford’s guide should pique the interest of those tourists who would then be advised to stop by one of the finer bookstores in Jasper or Banff to satisfy that curiosity.

Sandford’s strength, however, is in the science of the Columbia Icefield. His descriptions of how a glacier is formed, and the multitude of interesting features found throughout the area, are examples of how to describe fairly complex natural structures in a manner that everyone can understand.

This guide hasn’t been updated in some time, and a more complete exploration of the science of climate change would add a great deal of value.

Some climatologists use the retreating glaciers of the Canadian Rockies as evidence of global warming. For others, however, the history of glaciation in the area leads them to the opposite conclusion. A summary and evaluation of these arguments would provide visitors from all around the world with something far more important that pretty pictures — substantial food for thought.