Conrad Kain (eBook, ePUB)

Letters from a Wandering Mountain Guide, 1906-1933
Redaktion: Robinson, Zac

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Examine the life of the pioneering guide in these 144 letters sharing his thoughts on immigrating to Canada, his passion for nature, his travels, and more. Conrad Kain is a titan amongst climbers in Canada and is well-known in mountaineering circles all over the world. His letters to Amelie Malek-a life-long friend-offer a candid view into the deepest thoughts of the Austrian mountain guide, and are a perfect complement to his autobiography, Where the Clouds Can Go. The 144 letters provide a unique and personal view of what it meant to immigrate to Canada in the early part of the twentieth century. Kain's letters are ordered chronologically with annotations, keeping the sections in English untouched, while those in German have been carefully translated. Historians and mountain culture enthusiasts worldwide will appreciate Kain's genius for description, his passion for nature, his opinions, and his musings about his life. "In a culture that enjoys as many romantic figures as there are mountain peaks on the horizon as viewed from a lofty summit, Conrad Kain holds a special place in the historical landscape of western Canada's mountains. Robinson ... makes no secret of his affection for Kain, and that's a good thing, because he handles the letters Kain wrote throughout his adult life while guiding in Canada and New Zealand to his dear friend in Austria, Amelie Malek, with the care and reverence they so richly deserve." -Lynn Martel, Alpine Club of Canada Gazette "From his letters, it's obvious that Kain loved climbing mountains for the physical challenge, to meet interesting people, to make a living, and for opportunities to travel around the world, but most especially because of his all-consuming love of the natural world." - Cyndi M. Smith, The Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol. 129, No. 1

Produktdetails

• Verlag: The University of Alberta Press
• Seitenzahl: 420
• Erscheinungstermin: 8. Dezember 2021
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781772120165
• Artikelnr.: 48153125

Autorenporträt

Conrad Kain, mountaineer (b 10 Aug 1883 at Nasswald, Austria; d 2 Feb 1934 at Cranbrook, BC). Conrad Kain is considered one of the most daring climbers of his generation. Dubbed "Canada's First Super-Guide," Kain was a rogue guide that did more demanding climbs than the Swiss Guides. Kain was born in Austria to a poor family that lived in dire circumstances. His father died when he was a young boy, and he did much to support his family as a goatherder and quarryman, poaching animals when money was tight. Kain discovered early on that his real passion was being in the mountains, climbing and guiding. He received his guiding certificate (or "Fuhrerbuch") in 1906 when he was 23 years old. Source: http: //www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/conrad-kain Zac Robinson is a historian and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He currently serves as Vice-President for Mountain Culture for the Alpine Club of Canada. Maria Koch studied and graduated at the University of Würzburg in West Germany and taught high school there until she emigrated to Canada in 1957. In 1964, she resumed her teaching career at the University of Alberta as a lecturer of German. She taught at the UofA for twenty-seven years until retirement. Originally from Germany John Koch attended the University of Würzburg and emigrated to Canada in 1954. After further studies at the University of British Columbia, where he obtained a masters degree in social work, John worked in the social welfare and health-care fields in the provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and, since 1964, Alberta. John retired in 1987, and since has written and published books on German history, as well as Martin Nordegg: The Uncommon Immigrant (1997) and most recently No Escape: My Young Years Under Hitler's Shadow (2004). John and Maria currently live in Edmonton.