Fifty Percent of Mountaineering is Uphill

Fifty Percent of Mountaineering Is Uphill is the enthralling true story of Jasper’s Willi Pfisterer, a legend in the field of mountaineering and safety in the Rocky Mountains. For more than thirty years, Willi was an integral part of Jasper’s alpine landscape, guiding climbers up to the highest peaks and rescuing them from perilous situations.

Originally from Austria, this man of action came to Canada in the 1950s to assail the Rockies and stayed to play a pivotal role in the development of mountain safety in Western and Northern Canada. His daughter, Susanna Pfisterer, has shaped his stories and lectures as an engaging and educational adventure story that features over 100 archival photographs, including avalanche control in the National Parks, guiding adventures with prime ministers, and highlights from the 1,600 peaks Willi climbed and the over 700 rescues he was involved in. Accompanied by the humorous wisdom of the “Sidehillgouger,” readers will traverse an historical and spectacular terrain.