Eduard Feuz Sr.

Eduard Feuz Sr. was one of the first two professional Swiss guides hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway(/encyclopedia/heritage/canadian-pacific-railway/) in 1899. With Christian Haesler Sr., he brought the “Swiss brand”; discipline, technical skill, and safety; to the Canadian Rockies, launching the golden age of North American alpinism.

Origins and recruitment. Born in the Interlaken region of the Bernese Oberland, Feuz was part of a global “brand” of Swiss guides known for safety and technique. The CPR did not hire them for marketing alone: after Philip Stanley Abbot’s death on Mount Lefroy in 1896; the first mountaineering fatality in the Rockies; the railway needed to ensure guest safety to sell the “50 Switzerlands in One” experience. The CPR (initially through Thomas Cook & Son) contracted Feuz and Haesler as the first official seasonal guides in 1899.

The diplomat. Feuz was described as having immense “tact, coolness, and gentlemanly” demeanour. He excelled with high-profile clients: in 1900 he guided Lord Minto, the Governor General of Canada, up Mount Avalanche; proving that mountaineering could be a safe “gentleman’s pursuit” for dignitaries. In their first season (1899) Feuz and Haesler guided Professor Charles Fay to the summit of Mount Dawson, then believed the highest peak in the Selkirks; they also made the second ascent of Mount Sir Donald (“Matterhorn of the Selkirks”), vastly improving the route and time.

Swiss style. Feuz and Haesler introduced the “Swiss pace”; a slow, rhythmic step sustainable for 15+ hours; and proper use of the ice axe (step-cutting, not just a walking stick), Swiss hobnail boots, and disciplined rope management. The guide’s word was law: if a client couldn’t keep up or weather turned, they turned back.

Glacier House and Edelweiss. While working across the Rockies, the guides’ spiritual home was Glacier House at Rogers Pass, where they wore traditional Swiss velvet jackets and hats. To retain them (they returned to Switzerland in winter), the CPR built Edelweiss Village in Golden, BC (1912); Swiss chalets that established a permanent community. Feuz established a dynasty: his son Edward Feuz Jr. became the most famous guide in Canadian history; Ernest and Walter Feuz also became CPR guides. The Alpine Club of Canada (1906) relied on Feuz and Haesler as official instructors at its inaugural camps; they trained a generation of Canadians. Zero client fatalities under Swiss guides (1899–1954) began with Feuz and Haesler.