Some mistakes are burned on the memory cells forever. Whenever it`s needed thereafter, the subconscious mind steps in to remind you not to repeat it again. Considering the size of my slide collection, it feels rather trivial looking back. But it sure hurt at the time. You walk 72 miles (115 kilometres) to get to and from the base of a mountain, glow with pride for weeks after, having soloed its north ridge, and then you go and make a big howler. In Juneau Alaska, you post (unregistered) three rolls of exposed film, depicting your ascent, and optimistically hope they will arrive at Fuji`s developing lab in the U.K. Which of course they never do.
It wouldn`t be so bad, but the mountain in question is the most beautiful in North America outside of Alaska. And even up there, only a few compete with her for ruggedness. Almost none do for elegance of form. Mount Assiniboine, the "Matterhorn of the Rockies" is the lady in question.
The hut at the base of the north ridge is eighteen miles from the trailhead. Multiply that eighteen by four, as the first attempt with Colin Cameron was scuppered by heavy snowfalls. Flat-topped neighbour, Mount Strom, was claimed instead. But really, in August, there should not be enough fresh snow on its summit to build a snowman

Postscript: I went back to this area twenty-one years later (2009). From my distant vantage-point above Spray Lake, I could see that global warming had taken its toll on this majestic mountain.

Totem pole, Banff-Jasper Highway

Belly River, Waterton Lakes
National Park

Mistaya Falls

Assiniboine from above Spray Lake

Spray Lake above Canmore

Peyto Lake in August 1988

Mistaya Falls

Mistaya Falls

Mistaya Falls

Snow-plastered Mount Assiniboine
with Hind Hut beneath (1988)

Possibly the first snowman ever built
on the summit of Mount Strom (1988)

Ian Swarbrick on Mount Strom,
Assiniboine behind (1988)

Colin Cameron on Mount Strom,
Mount Sturdee behind (1988)

Fresh snow on Mount Assiniboine,
seen from the Hind Hut (1988)

Spray Lake with
Sundance range behind

Glacier lilies, Peyto Lake

Ranger presentation at Sunwapta Falls

Totem Creek beneath Mount Murchison

Mistaya Falls

Spray Lake with Mounts Morrison
and Turner behind

Spray Lake, Three Sisters behind

Running Eagle Falls,
Glacier National Park

Upper end of Peyto Lake

Tourist protected from a slip,
Sunwapta Falls

Two wet climbers back at Naiset cabins
(1988)

The necessary side of mass tourism,
Sunwapta Falls

Butterfly factory,
Waterton Lakes National Park

New life near old,
Chief Mountain Highway

Running Eagle Falls,
Glacier National Park

Grey jay at Peyto Lake car park

Mistaya Falls

Mount Fay, with Moraine Lake below
(1988)

Eiffel Pinnacle
from Eiffel Peak (1988)

Flood damage in the Bow River

Small snowfield near
summit of Eiffel Peak (1988)

Scarlet paintbrush
at Peyto Lake

Colin Cameron on summit of Eiffel Peak,
Mount Temple behind (1988)

Mount Temple from Eiffel Peak (1988)

New life near old,
Chief Mountain Highway

For image licensing or to purchase a print, contact Ian Swarbrick
e-mail: imagesfromthewild@bluewin.ch
Rehetobelstrasse 34, CH9000 St Gallen, Switzerland
Tel: 0041 71 245 29 17
To specify images, copy from the caption of the pop-up image and paste into the email form