This is a good, short little breakdown of the main attempts on the Mount Garibaldi peaks.

Sometimes, the handwritten and scribbled notes of yesteryear are very intriguing. This list appears to be the BC Mountaineering Club members' attempts on Mount Garibaldi in the years of their exploration, though there is not enough information to confirm this.

Why hike from the valley floor when you can drive as far as you can? While early mountaineers on Mount Garibaldi had to hike on foot or ride horses, the building of forest service roads — or in this case a road to a planned ski development — made it easier to get to more distant trails.

Here, the BC Mountaineering Club take a day trip to Mount Garibaldi in 1979, taking their cars as far as they could up to Brohm Ridge.

If there were such a thing as Instagram in the 1920s, this would perhaps have been one for a post. Here, an unnamed mountaineer poses while on a BC Mountaineering Club Camp at Singing Creek, near Cheakamus Lake, in August 1924.

"Bill Dobson leading the way out onto Garibaldi Lake, Jack Sutherland roped in the middle and Jim Irving taking the pictures as we explored. Easter week 1928."

Described only as "camp" in 1914, it is likely to be one of the BC Mountaineering Club summer expeditions to the Garibaldi area. With the rope and their ice axes, these women look set for a day's trek, maybe across a glacier.

A photo of Castle Towers to Carr Mountain from Red Mountain in the Garibaldi Range. The photo is part of a photo album by Neal Carter of the Garibaldi area.

Please Note: This report includes the term "Indian” which is no longer acceptable as it does not reflect the sovereign status of Indigenous Nations and the cultural differences among them.

The Garibaldi area was the fourth park established in British Columbia. Today around eighty thousand visitors per year enjoy the views, likely without thinking about how it came to be.

This 1984 report gives a detailed and interesting look at the story of the park, including the activities of the BC Mountaineering Club, its members and the evolution of park access and infrastructure.

Please Note: This audio interview includes the term "Indian” which is no longer acceptable as it does not reflect the sovereign status of Indigenous Nations and the cultural differences among them.

When you climb so many mountains, memories of the treks must be interwoven with each other — which peaks you climbed, who you were with, the sights you saw, or the things that went right, or wrong.

Here, Dick Chambers recounts some of his memories from the 1950s climbing in the Garibaldi and Tantalus ranges.

A group of men and women mountaineers on the first recorded ascent of Fitzsimmons Peak, near Whistler, in 1924. What the photo does not show is that this peak is 2600 metres (~8500 feet) in elevation, making in impressive achievement.

According to item F205-S12(12-6)-i1, the first float plane landed on Garibaldi Lake in 1930 or 1931. This plane was possibly taking people and supplies for camp or Park needs. After years of trekking everything into the area by horseback, a plane was a much easier way to get to this lake that sits at an elevation of almost 1500 metres (~4500 feet).

This group photo was taken at the 1913 Garibaldi Camp, held by the BC Mountaineering Club.

These folks were serious about their outdoor adventures, but without clothing designed for camping or climbing in the alpine and subalpine, they had to make do with their regular clothes.

The party of mountaineers on route to Squamish (known as Newport at the time) “on the Britannia” for an attempt at reaching the summit of Mount Garibaldi. In the party were A. King, Arthur Tinniswood Dalton, William Tinniswood Dalton, G. B. Warren (back), James John Trorey (middle), and T. Pattison (front). Taken in 1907.

This expedition followed trips in earlier years to make an attempt on the summit.

Garibaldi Lake is at an elevation of almost 1500 metres (~4500 feet). Yet this timeline tells us that in 1928 the lake was stocked with fish. That begs the question, how were the fish taken there? Were they taken by horseback, cocooned in a swishing, sloshing saddle pack? Or were they air-dropped by a plane that never landed, as has been the practice elsewhere and in later years?

This document does not say why or how the fish-stocking happened. However, this short timeline is a very useful breakdown of the history of Garibaldi Park before 1942.

Early settler mountaineers fell in love with the Garibaldi area. Their passion for this special place led them to advocate for its protection.

This love for the area is clear to see in the photo albums of Neal Carter, an early BC mountaineer. These pages are an extract from expeditions to the Garibaldi region. The care and attention he has put into these pages suggests just how much the mountains meant to him.

The love affair between early settler adventurers and the Mount Garibaldi region was strong. Being among the few settlers who knew the area, their desire to preserve it to share with others led to their advocacy for Park status.

This article in the British Columbia Monthly magazine in 1919 is an eloquent description of the area and the place it had in the hearts of those who knew it.

In 1920 it became the Garibaldi Park Reserve, before becoming Garibaldi Provincial Park in 1927.

Harold O'Connor, George Wallis, and Tom Keogh (cook) at the BC Mountaineering Club's Black Tusk meadows camp, said to be "probably 1930."

For those focused on exploration, a camp cook must have been indispensable. Was the cook one of the untold heroes of these camps? It could not have been easy to cook for a large group of hungry people at roughly 1700 metres (~5500 feet), with basic supplies and probably a lot of insects swarming about. Hope he was paid well.

Four unnamed mountaineers on a glacier. Named as “Helmut Glacier in Garibaldi section”, which could be Helm Glacier. Taken in 1930s.

Horses and carts take passengers on the road through Squamish (known as Newport at the time). This was part of the journey of the mountaineering party that hoped to succeed in the first recorded ascent of Mount Garibaldi. Taken in 1907.

On this journey were A. King, Arthur Tinniswood Dalton, William Tinniswood Dalton, G. B. Warren, James John Trorey, and T. Pattison.

The BC Mountaineering Club's summer camps were big expeditions. The men and women would not be able to carry camping gear, equipment, food and supplies for a large group of people in backpacks alone.

Thank goodness for horses, such as these trekking to the camp at Black Tusk meadows in 1935.

This was the sixth camp attended by G. Wallis who took the photo.

A view of an ice wall on the glacier that was named Warren Glacier, after G. B. Warren. He was one of the mountaineers on the expedition to claim the first ascent of Mount Garibaldi. Someone from the climbing party took this photo on their climb in 1907.

On the expedition were A. King, Arthur Tinniswood Dalton, William Tinniswood Dalton, G. B. Warren, James John Trorey, and T. Pattison.

This photo of Lake Garibaldi showing Mount Garibaldi, Sphinx, and The Table is a view that countless hikers have seen in the last century. In 1914 when this photo was taken, far fewer people had looked over this landscape. Back then, only Indigenous Peoples such as those from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation, the early settler mountaineers and perhaps a few trappers or prospectors had stood here.

Many of the mountaineers overlooking the view back then were members of the BC Mountaineering Club. They recognized how special the area was for its glaciers, peaks, meadows and water bodies. Their time there led them to advocate for the creation of Garibaldi Park.

In October 1915, the BC Mountaineering Club sent a special resolution to the Provincial Lands Department, calling for protection of the Mount Garibaldi District. They wanted to see natural features “preserved unimpaired for the instruction and recreation of the people of Western Canada.”

Today, parkland is generally created for habitat preservation, more than for "instruction and recreation." Early settlers had limited understanding of the ecosystem and they had biased views on preservation. They saw preservation as a benefit to people rather than the flora and fauna of the area, and they did not understand Indigenous land use either. However, the BCMC advocacy for Garibaldi most likely helped save this special ecosystem from logging or mining at a time when there were few regulations in place to prevent such areas from exploitation.

Without horses, BC Mountaineering Club summer camps may not have been feasible. With so many supplies to take for a large group for two or more weeks, horses were the only way to get everything they needed to the site. Even carrying one tent canvas to the site would have been heavy and bulky, let alone several tents, and all the food, blankets and equipment needed.

And with sites such as this one at Black Tusk meadows being approximately 1700 metres (~5500 feet) in elevation, these camps were a long trek to get there. Year unknown.

The first European settlers who explored the Garibaldi area had no maps. Doing their own surveys and making their own maps formed part of their expeditions.

Neal Carter took on the challenge and hand-drew some beautiful maps from his own surveys. This beautiful map of the Garibaldi area was one of the first to be made, if not the first. The map is part of a photo album he made showing peaks of the area.

Nellie Chapman in the Mount Garibaldi area as part of her expeditions with the BC Mountaineering Club. Taken in 1910.

With her rope and ice axe, her day probably involved crossing a glacier or climbing up snow slopes.

Nellie Chapman, Phyllis Dyke, Rachel Moore, Mable Burns and an "anchorman” named only as Phong. The group are on a glacier near Mount Garibaldi, 1910.

They may be on Sphinx Glacier or Phoenix Glacier, with Garibaldi Lake in the background.

A photo of Mount Garibaldi from Mount Mamquam. The photo is part of a photo album of the Garibaldi area that was made by Neal Carter.

Mountaineers "hiking through snow" in 1910. Their ropes would have been made of hemp or similar, making them heavy when wet.

While the location is not specified, it seems that they are actually on Garibaldi Glacier, looking at the east faces of both Mount Garibaldi (right) and Atwell Peak (left), with the Garibaldi Neve in the centre.

Stopping for a smoke seems to be at least one of the reasons this group is taking a break from a hike in the Black Tusk area in 1914.

A group of mountaineers pose for a group photo in 1914. Location unknown but likely to be a BC Mountaineering Club Camp, perhaps around the Black Tusk Meadows. The woman fifth from right reached the top of Black Tusk as she is seen in item 57-006 on the summit. How many more of these women also reached the summit?

For the party of mountaineers on the first recorded ascent of Mount Garibaldi, their route took them across Brohm Ridge, seen here in the foreground.

The party of mountaineers were A. King, Arthur Tinniswood Dalton, William Tinniswood Dalton, G. B. Warren, James John Trorey, and T. Pattison.

Mountaineers on a glacier, looking towards "Castle Towers” near Garibaldi Lake, “at 8000 ft“ (approximately 2400 metres) in 1916.

One of the most intriguing things about this photo is the decorative hat and coat worn by the woman in the foreground. Why was this her choice? Were they old clothes no longer smart enough for city life? Was the hat's wide brim to keep her face out of the sun? Or did she just want to add a touch of class to her outdoor wear?

For those hiking in the backcountry today, sharing the summits and lakes with other hikers is normal. For the mountaineers in the years of early exploration, they had those areas to themselves.

With all that solitude, what was this mountaineer thinking as he relaxed by this meadow lake, somewhere in the Garibaldi area?

A view across the glacier that was named Warren Glacier, after G. B. Warren. He was one of the mountaineers on the expedition to claim the first ascent of Mount Garibaldi. Someone from the climbing party took this photo on their climb in 1907.

On the expedition were A. King, Arthur Tinniswood Dalton, William Tinniswood Dalton, G. B. Warren, James John Trorey, and T. Pattison.

Mountaineers at the BC Mountaineering Club Black Tusk Meadows trip in 1916. The man in the front seems to be cleaning or maintaining his hobnail boots. A wise decision seeing how important good boots are for giving you solid grip when mountaineering.

In 1917, three years after trying to engage the Provincial Lands Department on the preservation of the Mount Garibaldi district, the BC Mountaineering Club were not seeing much progress. For support, they sought the endorsement of the Alpine Club of Canada.

This letter shows that support and outlines the reasons that the ACC also felt that the Province should protect the area.

Rosemary Weaver in the meadow beneath Black Tusk, 1935

“The park would be a rich field for the mountaineer, the geologist, the botanist, the photographer and the mountain camper. Few people in Vancouver are aware of the magnificent opportunities for outdoor recreation afforded by the almost unpenetrated range of mountains that lies at their doors.”

The BC Mountaineering Club advocated for the creation of Garibaldi Park long before it became one. Their motivation was to protect the area from exploitation and to make it available for recreation, allowing those living in Vancouver and beyond to experience the wonders of nature.

This short article gives some detail about their motivations and vision for what the park could be.

The Vancouver skiers of the 1930s and 1940s were a "hardy bunch." With no road or gondola, it was a hike — with skis — for around six hundred metres (~2000 feet) to get to the slopes. The fortunate ones had cabins and could extend their stay, getting the most from that gruelling hike. For the rest, they hiked up, skied, then had to hike out again.

Here, James Adam Craig recalls his winter memories, of Whistler, Grouse Mountain, Hollyburn, and in Washington, learning the Christiania ski turn, and the equipment that took him onto the slopes.

Gertie Beaton (nee Wepsala) was a ski champion who wrote a newspaper column in the 1950s. It is possible that this document is one of her typed drafts and handwritten edits.

In it she talks of a proposed ski development in Garibaldi Park, with “a luxury hotel at the 6,000 foot level.“ Could this be the ski resort at Brohm Ridge that never happened? Interestingly, she questions the logic of this given the unpredictable weather.

She also talks of the ski season across the province and across the border in the United States. She certainly had her finger on the pulse of the ski world.

Holly (last name unknown), Nellie Chapman and two unnamed mountaineers on the slopes of Black Tusk. Nellie explains in the photo caption that she and Holly “climbed part way up the chimney and through the shale which slid from them”, which they found to be “rather exciting”. She also notes that the snow on the downslope is from a “moving glacier”. Taken in 1910.

A sense of adventure was not the only thing that drove early settlers to explore the mountains. Many felt attracted to the plants, insects, birds and other animals they found. For them, summer expeditions were a time to research as well as climb.

The BC Mountaineering Club had a Botanical Section that at one time had more members than active mountaineers. In 1918 they joined with Vancouver’s Arbor-Day Association to form the Vancouver Natural History Society.

In this photo, a botanist is at “work” in his tent in 1917. Although the location is unknown, it is possible he is on a summer expedition to the Black Tusk meadows area.

This photo was taken in 1935, but the location of this camp kitchen is unknown. It was probably for a BC Mountaineering Club summer expedition and may have been their camp at Black Tusk Meadows. With a group of hungry mouths to feed after a long day's climb, having a camp cook was essential.

A bugle hangs on the line by the tent. The cook would have used it to call the campers to the dining tent when their food was ready. That sound must have been a joy to hear for the campers.

When the BC Mountaineering Club hit the age of fifty, the members chose to produce a booklet of memories, and fortunately for us today, we can read them here.

This is a great account of the early years of the BCMC — memories of the intrepid explorers who made the mountains their home-from-home.

• Cabins, Camps and Climbs, 1907-1911, by Frank H. Smith
• Early Days of the BC Mountaineering Club, by R. M. Mills
• Recollections, by Charles Dickens
• Reminiscences, by Professor John Davidson
• The Conception and Birth of the Vancouver Natural History Society, by Professor John Davidson
• The Story of Garibaldi Park, by L. C. Ford
• Some Reminiscences of 1920-1926 With the BCMC, by Neal M. Carter
• Snow Peaks, Mount Judge Howay, by Tom Fyles
• Robie Reid, First Recorded Ascent, June 1925, by Elliot Henderson
• Waddington Diary - 1936, by Elliot Henderson
• Waddington Area - 1956, by Jo Yard
• Anniversary Peak, by Roy Mason
• Bushwacking, by R. A. Pilkington
• A Mountain (song), by R. Culbert

The party of mountaineers who plan to make the first successful ascent of Mount Garibaldi. Here they are about to set out for the mountain, having passed Squamish. They are equipped and ready for the climb. From left to right: Arthur Tinniswood Dalton, T. Pattison, James John Trorey, A. King, and G. B. Warren. Taken in 1907.

Missing from the photo is William Tinniswood Dalton who is perhaps taking the photograph.

Getting closer to the summit of Mount Garibaldi and to achieving the first successful recorded ascent of the mountain. The mountaineers are roped up below the main peak. The party are Arthur Tinniswood Dalton, William Tinniswood Dalton, James John Trorey, Atwell Duncan Francis Joseph King, T. Pattison, and G. B. Warren.

Members of the BC Mountaineering Club spent summers among wildflower meadows near Black Tusk and Garibaldi Lake. Surrounded by such beauty, it is no wonder they fell in love with this area and wanted to see it protected from natural resource extraction.

This passion for place led to their advocacy for the creation of Garibaldi Park.

Three mountaineers pose at the foot of Sphinx Glacier, on the eastern shore of Garibaldi Lake, in 1917. Their journey there was probably part of one of the BC Mountaineering Club's summer expeditions. Even today it is not an easy place to reach.

Unknown mountaineers on the summit of Black Tusk (2319 metres) in 1914. The peak was first climbed in 1912, and although it is not known when the first woman reached the summit, it is likely that the woman in this photo may have been one of the first; being followed in later years by many more.