Lillian Gest

Lillian Gest was a distinguished American mountaineer, historian, and philanthropist who became one of the most significant chroniclers of the Canadian Rockies in the 20th century. Born in Merion, Pennsylvania, she spent nearly 60 consecutive summers exploring the mountains, eschewing the luxury CPR hotels for backcountry pack trips and Alpine Club camps.

Early formation. Daughter of William Purves Gest, a prominent banker and lawyer; graduated from Vassar College (1919) and earned a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania (1931). Her family discouraged paid employment, so she channeled her energy into volunteerism (President of the Philadelphia Children’s Bureau) and the mountains.

Rockies odyssey. Gest’s relationship with the Rockies began in 1921. She learned backcountry skills through Caroline Hinman’s “Off the Beaten Track” pack trips (1923–1933), often led by outfitters like Jim Boyce. She became a fixture at Alpine Club of Canada summer camps during the “Golden Age” of women’s mountaineering, forming close friendships with the Swiss guides Christian Häsler Jr. and Edward Feuz Jr..

Mountaineering. A formidable climber: Mount Assiniboine and Mount Eon (1934); first ascents of Mount Bryce, Queant Mountain, and Trident Mountain with Katie Gardiner (1937); Mount Columbia (1938). She published “Mt. Assiniboine and Mt. Eon” in the American Alpine Journal (1935) and served as founding editor of American Alpine Club News (1951–1959).

Documenting the Valley of the Ten Peaks. In History of Moraine Lake (1970), Gest provided a scholarly record of the Valley of the Ten Peaks and Moraine Lake: the evolution of Ten Peaks nomenclature (from Samuel Allen’s numbering to named peaks), Walter Wilcox’s 1899 “discovery” of Moraine Lake, and the development of the road, tea house, and lodge.

Published works. Self-published monographs: History of Lake O’Hara in the Canadian Rockies (1961), History of Moraine Lake in the Canadian Rockies (1970), and History of Mount Assiniboine in the Canadian Rockies (1979, at age 82).

Whyte Museum and Lake O’Hara. Gest donated her photographs, diaries, and correspondence to the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies (Banff). Her 16mm films and colour slides; digitized in the 2020s; capture candid life at ACC camps and pack trips in the 1930s–40s. In later years she summered at Lake O’Hara Lodge, where her evening slide shows made her the “living memory” of the region until her death.