Frank S. Smythe—the world’s first professional mountaineer—has two Canadian mountains named after him, one officially and another unofficially. But, chances are, when you Google Mount Smythe, nine times out of 10, you’ll find the one in Jasper National Park, despite it being the unofficial of the two.
That’s just one of the many interesting facts that will be on display at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives in “Frank Smythe: The Rockies Revisited”, an exhibit curated by Smythe’s granddaughter, Ruth Bowen.
The exhibit opens Friday, May 8 with a reception and will be on display until Nov. 15.
Smythe is often called the first professional mountaineer because, not only did he climb—marking a number of first ascents—he also made his living by writing and lecturing about climbing.
In 1931, he led the first ascent of India’s Kamet, which at the time was the highest peak yet climbed. He was a member of three Everest expeditions in 1933, 1936 and 1938. He climbed mountains in his home country of Britain and climbed the Alps and Himalayas, as well as numerous mountains in North America.
And, during his short life—which ended prematurely after contracting malaria in 1949—he managed to publish 27 books about mountaineering and mountains, including two about the Canadian Rockies.
Climbs in the Canadian Rockies was his last published work. Although it is no longer in print, it will be on display at the museum.
The exhibit will focus greatly on his time in the Canadian Rockies, which he visited three times—first during the Second World War to serve as a mountaineer training officer for the Lovat Scouts, and later for the purpose of climbing.
As well as his adventures in the mountains, the exhibit will also discuss some of his philosophies on nature and wilderness, and highlight his concerns about climate change.
To find out more—including where the official Mount Smythe is located—visit the museum between now and November; to meet Bowen and her brother, Hugh Smythe, drop in May 8 between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. for the opening reception.
Nicole Veerman
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