In the Heart of the Canadian Rockies.

John Abbott is a professor of history at Laurentian University’s Algoma University College. He is the co-author of The Border at Sault Ste Marie and The History of Fort St. Joseph.

In these two reprints, modern readers will find an intriguing tableau of late-Victorian perspectives on the wilderness experience. Mary Schäffer and James Outram were born within three years of each other, in 1861 and 1864, respectively. Schäffer was an American who first experienced the lure of the Rockies in the company of her botanist husband between 1889 and his death in 1903. His precarious health confined their exploration to land adjacent to the CPR tracks. Between 1903 and 1907, more arduous treks beyond the railway corridor steeled Mary’s resolve to undertake summer-long expeditions by pack train into little-known recesses of the Banff–Jasper wilderness, a decision that challenged the social conventions around the behaviour of single women. The expeditions of 1907 and 1908 provided the material for this volume.

James Outram was English born, educated at Cambridge, and ordained as a minister in the Church of England. A nervous breakdown brought him to the Canadian Rockies in 1900. In the mountains he found a soul-restoring outlet for his store of compulsive energy: in only three years he and his companions made 32 first ascents, of which 20 were mountains exceeding 10,000 feet. Outram’s account explores the close fellowship of men seeking conquest, yet attuned to the magnificence of God in nature. Interwoven with perspectives from the peaks are details on the strategy, techniques, and equipment of Edwardian climbers.

Schäffer’s viewpoint is that of a woman (and her female companion) in the company of male outfitters and guides. As a result of social constraints and Victorian literary conventions, readers learn far more about the pack and riding horses (all with names and fully developed characters) than the men who were their constant companions. Perhaps this is what prompted Schäffer to confess that she had written a “rather silly” book. On the other hand, her description of the landscape (from the perspective of valleys and passes), the indigenous people (from an early 20th-century perspective), and the “joys” of camping a century ago make for a rewarding tale.

Both books will be of special interest to those who know the Banff–Jasper wilderness and wish to read historic accounts for context. Outram’s account will appeal to climbers.