Page:Canadian Alpine Journal I, 1.djvu/55

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The first question is: What constitutes a field for an Alpine Club? The second question, and one of primary importance, is: Do the Rocky mountains of Canada fill the required conditions?

With reference to the former, it is necessary to trace the origin of the word "Alpine." We have the Latin word alpes, meaning a high mountain, and said to be of Celtic origin. The Irish ailp and its Gaelic equivalent alp have the same meaning as the Latin. The word alp is identical with the word alb, which would seem to be synonymous with the word albus, meaning white. We have, therefore, by a process of deduction, a meaning for the word alps, of high white mountains, or mountains clad with snow, holding stored in their recesses more or less extensive bodies of the same material.

An Alpine Club is one that has for its field of operations a tract of country fulfilling the above conditions. And herein lies the difference between an Alpine and a Mountain club: while any mountain tract will supply the requirements of the latter, those of the former can only be satisfied by a region where there is a permanent snow line, above which snow and ice may be found throughout the year.

Do the Rocky mountains of Canada fulfil the required conditions? To ascertain this fact, it is only