North America, Canada, Alberta, Rocky Mountains of Canada, A Note on the Chaba Glacier

Publication Year: 1938.

A Note on the Chaba Glacier. On July 7th, 1933, being encamped in the eastern fork of the Chaba, E. Cromwell and the writer reoccupied the glacial observation station made by the Harvard party of 1927, at which time (July 28th) the ice was within 45 ft. of the station. At the time of our visit the ice had retreated an additional 559 ft., roughly 62 ft. annually. Photographs were taken from the station, and a record left with the figures of the 1936 measurements.

On July 6th our party had ascended through the main icefall to the summit of the present Chaba Peak, expecting it would be a first ascent. We found, however, the record of E. Schoeller, of Breslau, and the guide, Julius Rähmi, of Pontresina, who ascended the mountain on September 6, 1928, while on a hunting trip. The peak was not attempted by the Harvard party of 1927.

As already stated in the Climber's Guide, this is not the peak to which Habel gave the name ‘‘Chaba.” On July 8th we ascended the peak 10,300 ft., one mile further east, and found Habel’s record of August 1st, 1901, on the summit. Habel was accompanied by the packers, Fred Ballard, of Banff, and Dan Campbell, of Michigan, their climb having been made “on a beautiful cloudless day.” The fact that, following Habel’s account (Appalachia, x, 34), we were able to proceed directly to his peak and find the record is sufficient refutation of Wheeler’s statement (Alta.-B. C. Boundary, Part II, 73) that “the the description given is too vague to permit the certain identification of either [‘Mt. Eden’ or ‘Mt. Chaba’].”