| In my thesis, I look at perceptions of risk, using the term as a culturally defined concept, in the sport of mountaineering in twentieth century Canada. The Canadian Alpine Journal, which is the voice of the Alpine Club of Canada, is my primary source. The CAJ established a discourse on risks in mountaineering, reflecting the values of the mountaineering community and reinforced the rules of conduct for mountaineering. Over the twentieth century, mountaineers have used guides or gear to protect themselves from the risks of mountaineering. I argue that as climbers shifted from relying on guides to relying on their own mountain skills and their gear their perceptions of risk also changed. |
