ALPINE HUTS IN CANADA'S WESTERN MOUNTAINS

From their European origin, mountain or alpine huts have spread to many of the world's mountain areas. This paper traces their development in Canada's Rocky, Selkirk, and Purcell Mountains where, in less than 100 years, they have diffused from a core area to most of its major climbing areas and are now located at 'big mountains' as well as in easily accessible valleys below tree line. Reflecting changes in the society at large and the climbing community in particular, they have evolved into homogeneous, unartistic, and environmentally alien, but practical, functional, and cost-effective structures. Considerations for their siting, architectural aspects of their design, governmental and Alpine Club of Canada policies regarding huts, as well as arguments for and against building them are discussed. Options for their role in the overall future development of Canada's ever-shrinking and environmentally sensitive undeveloped mountain areas are supplied.