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Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.
Edward Feuz Jr.

Edward Feuz Jr.

A Story of Enchantment
ISBN: 9781771605090
D. L. Stephen
$28.00
  • Paperback / softback With flaps
Finalist for The Jon Whyte Award – Mountain Literature (non-fiction) at the 2022 Banff Mountain Book Competition

An intimate look at the life and climbs of Swiss alpine guide Edward Feuz Jr., patriarch of Canadian alpinism and genuine lover of mountains.

As a young Swiss boy, Edward Feuz Jr. (1884–1981) developed an insatiable passion for climbing. In time, he traded his Lausbub reputation for that of a responsible Swiss guide and was eventually drawn to Canada in the footsteps of his father, Edward Feuz Sr. (1859–1944), who was one of the first Swiss guides hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1898 to develop the alpinism in western Canada.

Handsome and charismatic, Edward (while still in training for his trade) was instantly smitten with the Canadian landscape — and so were his guests. They raved about the young man who showed such exceptional skills. He guided them all — professors, women of independent means, students, newspaper people, a Hindu holy man, and even "Sherlock Holmes" — through untrailed forests, across roaring streams, up icy glaciers, and to the tops of rocky summits. Young and old, they were all enchanted, and so they returned time and again — to the mountains and to their friend Edward.

Edward Feuz Jr.: A Story of Enchantment transports the modern reader back to a simpler time, when mountaineering in North America was less about pushing personal limits and more about the splendour of grand vistas, wide open spaces, and the opening of the West.

Customer Reviews

Based on 14 reviews
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J
Julia
If you love the Canadian mountains please read this book

I knew as soon as I heard Donna Stephen speak at our library presentation that I would enjoy this book. Her love of the mountains and Edward Feuz, one of the original Swiss guides, shone through. I loved the book. It is full of interesting history from around 1899 when the CPR first started employing Swiss mountain guides. It is well written with humour and nostalgia and the author has brought this era to life. I enjoyed her personal anecdotes of adventures in the mountains shared with Edward. I also enjoyed learning the history of familiar places such as the tea house at the Plain of the Six Glaciers at Lake Louise. I am privileged to have visited many of the places mentioned in the book which made it even more meaningful. It was an enchanting read.

C
Chris Fauvel
Would be great as a gift!

I really enjoyed this book which I found at an independent book store in Calgary. It was a joy to read and a great break from the dreadful news of the world. I learned a lot, laughed a lot and felt the love the author had for her climbing mentor, Edward Fuez. I would recommend this book to anyone who is an arm chair mountain climber and/or history buff like me. I loved the photos which augmented the author’s excellent descriptive writing. My son-in-law, an ardent hiker and back country skier, also enjoyed reading my copy. He told me he loves now knowing the history behind the names of the peaks he frequently visits. I finished this book with a feeling of having joined the author on a wonderful journey of adventure made possible through her very special friendship with a truly amazing climber and Swiss Guide.

J
Jane
An exciting, inspiring biography of a charming adventurous man.

Edward Feuz's biography is very well written. What a man! What an exciting way of life! It was very interesting to read about what life was like in Canada's early days. D.L. Stephen describes the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia vividly. The photos were lovely too. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys climbing or exploring nature, or anyone interested in the history of Canada. It was excellent!

K
K. Chandler
A passion for mountains jumps off the page

This is a beautifully written book which I read back-to-back in just a couple of days. In it, you learn the story of an amazing character who was an important founder of climbing in Canada, though the eyes of his close family friend. It is full of wonderful stories and anecdotes which bring the passion for climbing and being a mountain guide to vivid life and insights to a fascinating part of Canada's history. As someone who loves to read about outdoor adventure and stories of the mountains, I couldn't put it down.

A
Amazon Customer
a great read

i purchased (pre-ordered) my copy through a local independent bookstore.i loved most everything about this book.it is a genre i greatly enjoy, combining detailed and specific historical information with the loving touch of part memoir: the history of alpinism in canada, its integral connection to the growth of a country through national railway, the geography of western mountains, all told through the lens of a woman whose childhood was enchanted by the enchantment of the title character, Edward Feuz, Jr.the influence of Edward Feuz, Jr. and his contemporaries, on the birth and growth of mountaineering in the canadian rockies is a pleasant, informative read. the author, D. L. Stephen, captures his magic and, in turn, shares her own magic. she is the next generation influencer.the final chapter of the book is touching and highlights the sweet sense of reverence the author has for Edward which is evident throughout the text

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Book Details

320

October 1, 2021

Width: 5.50 in
Height: 8.50 in
Praise for Edward Feuz Jr.: A Story of Enchantment:

“It’s rare to come across an author whose formative years climbing in the Rockies reach back to, and intersect with, the life of an iconic Swiss mountain guide who was in the employ of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Donna Stephen and her adventuresome family were introduced to the wilds of the Canadian cordillera by none other than Edward Feuz Jr., who taught them how to pace themselves in order to properly absorb a love for the mountains. Rich in immigrant Swiss guide history, this book paints a 3D picture of what the guides and their guests sought, equipped with the most basic of climbing aids, decades before the advent of bear spray and the lottery system required to visit these now crowded destinations.” —Pat Morrow, adventure photographer, filmmaker, author of Beyond Everest: Quest for the Seven Summits and Searching For Tao Canyon

“The Swiss guides made mountaineering a profession and turned Canada into an alpine nation. Then they taught us to ski, which made the Canadian winter ours. A story of enchantment indeed!” —Robert William Sandford, author of The Columbia Icefield — 3rd Edition and Our Vanishing Glaciers: The Snows of Yesteryear and the Future Climate of the Mountain West

“This book is an excellent read from start to finish....” —Kathy Calvert / Dale Portman, authors of Vertical Reference, June Mickle, Ya Ha Tinda and Don Forest; and The Green Horse, respectively, and coauthors of Guardians of the Peaks

“A fascinating story about one of Canada’s most influential mountaineers. Feuz was known for his unmatched memory of the landscapes he visited, and Stephen has done him great justice with the in-depth research in Edward Feuz: A Story of Enchantment.” —Brandon Pullan, author of To Be a Warrior: The Adventurous Life and Mysterious Death of Billy Davidson and The Bold and Cold: A History of 25 Classic Climbs in the Canadian Rockies