People Archives | Coast Mountain Gothic: A History of the Gothic Arch Mountain Hut

Portrait of Martin and Ester Kafer

Ester and Martin met through the BCMC and were avid mountain climbers and in the early 1960s Martin was the President of the BCMC.

Portrait of Don MacLaurin

Don MacLaurin was responsible for organizing the committee that investigated the design of the alpine huts built by the BCMC.

Portrait of Werner Himmelsbach

Werner Himmelsbach was the original carpenter in charge of laminating the glulam arches for the Gothic arch huts built by the BCMC.

The Club Room at Zermatt in 1864

The Alpine Club (UK) was the first official mountaineering club that opened in 1857 but a few short years later clubs opened in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy.

The Lions

W. A. Don and Phyllis Munday, prolific explorers of the Coast Mountains from the 1920 to 1950, recorded a number of first ascents in the Coast Mountains. The […]

Arthur Oliver Wheeler

Arthur Oliver Wheeler was the first president of the Alpine Club of Canada and was a prominent surveyor for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He along with Elizabeth Parker […]

BC Parks Service ferrying work crew to Burton Hut

BC Parks Service Park Ranger ferrying supplies and the UBC-VOC work-crew members to the Burton Hut.

Roland Burton working on the new outhouse

Roland Burton posing with the materials for the new outhouse for the Harrison Hut in 2014.

Jeff Mottershead Drill

Jeff Mottershead standing on a ladder with a drill in hand poses near the entrance to the Harrison Hut.

Enjoying a brisk dip in a Creek

UBC-VOC work crew enjoying getting cleaned up in a creek following assisting on trail-building for access to the Harrison Hut.

Enjoying time indoors

Club Huts are mainly used as a base camp for further exploration within the Coast Mountains and gives new members a chance to learn from more experienced members.

Elfin Lakes Hut in winter

Skiers have arrived at the Elfin Lakes Hut in mid-winter.