Heritage Moment

Mount Begbie First Ascent

Mount Begbie is by far Revelstoke’s most recognizable landmark. Its name honours Matthew Baillie Begbie, the first judge of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in 1858. The mountain has been the subject of countless paintings by local and international artists and has even appeared in a motion picture, The Silent Barrier, released in 1936 by Gaumont-British Pictures.

A recent research request to the Revelstoke Museum & Archives led us to information on the first recorded ascent of Mount Begbie. A party consisting of three charter members of the Alpine Club of Canada ascended the mountain on June 11, 1907, accompanied by Swiss guide Edward Feuz. The climbers were Rev. Dr. Herdman of Calgary, Rupert Haggen of Revelstoke and Rev. James R. Robertson of Revelstoke. Rev. Robertson wrote a lengthy and detailed article on the climb which was published in the Revelstoke Mail-Herald.

This discovery of the date of Mt. Begbie’s first ascent has led to the formation of a committee to plan events for the 100th Anniversary of the First Ascent in June of 2007. Watch for information on this event and plan to get involved!

Cathy English
Revelstoke Museum & Archives