Iconic Canadian Climber and Artist Glen Boles Dies at 87

Canadian climber, author and artist Glen Boles has passed away in Cochrane, Alberta, at the age of 87. His photos and works of art hang on countless walls around the world, and he was an honorary member of the Alpine Club of Canada, the American Alpine Club and the Calgary Mountain Club. He acted as honorary president of the Alpine Club of Canada from 2005 to 2009. In 2005, he received the summit of excellence award for his contribution to Canadian mountaineering.

Born in St.Stephen, New Brunswick, in 1934, Boles moved to Calgary in 1953. As a child all his spare time was spent either drawing, taking part in sports or roaming the woods. In 1957, he was persuaded to go climbing by fellow worker and climber Heinz Kahl, a native Bavarian. With Kahl and top British climber Brian Greenwood he was introduced to the more difficult side of climbing, by 1960 he began to take it seriously.

Boles took part in many facets of mountaineering from expedition climbing to mountain rescue and since the early days, he’s climbed in the St Elias Range of the Yukon and Alaska, the Alps of Europe and extensively in the Rockies and the Interior Ranges of British Columbia, summiting close to 600 peaks. His first love though are the Canadian Rockies where he summited over 450 peaks including many new routes. During this time his pencils, pens and brushes had to take a back seat.

Also an avid skier, he enjoyed cross country skiing, ski mountaineering and downhill skiing. He spent 13 years on the Canadian ski patrol system and was a member of the ski friends program at the Lake Louise ski area.

Boles was married to his wife Elizabeth in 1965 and resided in Cochrane. Since retiring, he resumed his interest in art, drawing in pen and pencil and painting with water colours and acrylics.

From his mountaineering experiences, Boles has also developed a keen interest in photography and writing as well as art, these have evolved as enjoyable sidelines. Over the years he built a large collection of mountain photos in both colour and black and white to work from. Boles authored Glen Boles My Mountain Album in 2006, which featured his black and white photography and his art.

He was also co-author with Bill Putnam and Roger Laurilla of two editions of The Climbers Guide to the Canadian Rockies-South and Place Names of the Canadian Alps, renamed Place Names of the Canadian Mountains for the second edition.

“I’ve had a great life, especially with great partners to climb with – Heinz Kahl, Brian Greenwood, Bob Geber, Al Cole, Don Forest, Gordon Scruggs, Mike Simpson, Leon Kubbernus, Lyn Michaud, Jim Fosti and Walt Davis,” Boles said in 2014. “There are so many more mountain friends I skied and hiked and climbed with who were great companions through the years. I sure met a lot of nice people along the way. I’ve had a great life.”

Fellow author and Canmore-based climber Lynn Martel said after Boles’s passing: “In 2014, I was blessed to grow friendship with Glen and his lovely wife, Liz, while I wrote Alpine Artistry: The Mountain Life of Glen Boles, one of 10 Summit Series booklets I penned for the ACC. Glen was kind, never boastful, always generous and a joy to be with. The project was exactly why I’ve devoted so much of my life to writing about the special people who comprise our mountain community.

“Glen glowed with love for the wildflowers, the gushing creeks, the powerful glaciers and rocky summits, especially the Rockies and Selkirks of western Canada. His climbing wasn’t about accomplishment, but simply where he loved to be, sharing special experiences with his friends, and Liz.” Martel’s book on Boles is a must read, and you can find it available online for free here.

Our condolences to Boles’s family, friends and several climbing partners.

Fireside Chat with Glen Boles