Where the clouds can go, men can go; but they must be hardy men.
— Andreas Maurer
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Conrad Kain with clients at hut in the Alps, ca 1906
Conrad Kain and Amelie Malek on summit of the Hochtor, highest mountain in the Ennstal Alps, near Gsttaterboden, 1906. Photo courtesy Princeton University Library J. Monroe Thorington Collection WC005
Conrad Kain shortly after he arrived in Banff, 1909
ACC Camp at Lake O’Hara, 1910?
Conrad Kain on summit of Resplendent Mountain, Smithsonian-ACC expedition, 1911. Byron Harmon photo V263/975. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain (centre) with George Kinney and Donald “Curly” Phillips around campfire, Smithsonian-ACC Robson expedition, 1911. Byron Harmon photo V263/1148. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
A.O. Wheeler surveying in the Rockies. Byron Harmon photo V263. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain portrait at 1913 ACC camp
"Conrad Kain, of Nasswald, Raxalpe, now in the employ of the ACC." 1914 Conrad Kain portrait. Canadian Alpine Journal
Cropped closeup of Conrad Kain, Robson-ACC Camp, 1913. Byron Harmon photo V263/1046. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain at Cataract Creek camp, 1917. V14/AC192 P/4. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain portrait, Banff, 1919 (?). J. Monroe Thorington collection PA128-11. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain packing supplies to Timber Line Camp on Mt. Robson. Robson-ACC Camp, July 1924. V14-AC192 P/1-139. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain, 1933. Windermere District Historical Society
Conrad Kain climbing rock face during Smithsonian-ACC Robson expedition, 1911. Byron Harmon photo V263/6198. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
James Shand-Harvey, George Kinney, Conrad Kain, Donald “Curly” Phillips, Charles Walcott Jr., Harry H. Blagden, Ned Hollister, J.H. Riley and A.O. Wheeler around campfire. Smithsonian-ACC Robson expedition, 1911. Byron Harmon photo V263/1148. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain descending the summit ridge of Resplendent Mountain, Smithsonian-ACC Robson expedition, 1911. Byron Harmon photo V263/6040. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain climbing Resplendent Mountain, Smithsonian-ACC Robson expedition, 1911. Byron Harmon photo V263/6036, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain on horseback (rear) crossing the Sunwapta River, return trip from Maligne Lake to Lake Louise. Smithsonian-ACC Robson expedition, 1911. Byron Harmon photo V263/1022. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
George Kinney, Conrad Kain and Curly Phillips at camp on the Sunwapta River, return trip from Maligne Lake to Lake Louise. Smithsonian-ACC Robson expedition, 1911. Byron Harmon photo V263/1022. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain, Albert H. MacCarthy and Basil S. Darling, Robson-ACC Camp, 1913. Byron Harmon photo V263/1046. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
The party who made the first complete ascent of Mt. Robson, July 31st, 1913. Conrad Kain, W.W. Foster, A.H. MacCarthy. C.H. Mitchell photo M200/AC383/4. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain and two unidentified climbers on gendarme of Resplendent Mountain (?), Robson-ACC Camp, 1913. Byron Harmon photo V263/405. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
A.H. MacCarthy, Bess MacCarthy, Caroline Hinman, Conrad Kain and unidentified boy on Resplendent Mountain, Robson ACC Camp, 1913. Byron Harmon photo V263/936. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain on gendarme of Resplendent Mountain, Robson-ACC Camp, 1913. Byron Hamon photo V263/950. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain on the third ascent of Mount Darby (N.E. Arête), New Zealand, 1914. H.O. Frind photo. Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library. MS-1164-2/34-11-S05-506e
Conrad Kain and Herbert Otto Frind, Middle and Low Peaks of Mount Cook, New Zealand, 1914. W. Brass photo. Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library. MS-1164-2/34-9-S05-506a
Conrad Kain and Robert Young on summit of Mount Sefton, New Zealand, March 22, 1914. H.O. Frind photo. Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library. MS-1164-2/34/13-S05-506g
Conrad Kain and Peter Graham, Mt Sefton and Mt Cook from Maunga Ma (?), New Zealand, February 11, 1914
Mt Dela Beche and Minarets, Tasman Glacier and spur on Malte Brun Range, New Zealand, 1914
Conrad Kain on Classen Saddle and Wataroa Pass, New Zealand, March 7, 1914
Conrad Kain building a cairn on Mt Conrad, New Zealand, March 9, 1914
Mt Dela Beche and Minarets, Tasman Glacier and spur on Malte Brun Range, New Zealand, 1914
Conrad Kain at the Malte Brun Hut, New Zealand, 1914. H.O. Frind photo. Hocken Collections, University of Otago Library. MS-1164-2/77/14
South Spire of Howser Group from South-Southwest. MacCarthy-Kain Bugaboo trip, 1916. A.H. MacCarthy photo M200/AC383/6a. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain on crux pitch of Bugaboo Spire, Purcell Range, 1916. Windermere District Historical Society. Albert MacCarthy photo
Mrs. MacCarthy (Bess) on rope going from first to second summit, Bugaboo Spire. MacCarthy-Kain Bugaboo trip, 1916. A.H. MacCarthy photo M200/AC383/6. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain and Mrs. Thomson leaving for Ball Hut, New Zealand, 1916. J. Thomson collection 2002.80.47. Canterbury Museum
Mt Conrad from the Godley River, New Zealand, 1916
Conrad Kain on Tasman Glacier, New Zealand, 1916. J. Thomson collection 2002.80.48. Canterbury Museum
Cairn on Mt Darby and Conrad Kain, New Zealand, 1916. J. Thomson collection 2002.80.50. Canterbury Museum
Jane Thomson on top of Mt Cook, New Zealand, 1916. J. Thomson collection 2002.80.55. Canterbury Museum
Conrad Kain on the summit of Mt Cook, New Zealand, 1916. J. Thomson collection 2002.80.54. Canterbury Museum
Conrad Kain, apart from being a great climber and storyteller, was apparently quite the yodeler.
Full-on yodel
Dr. Cora Best, Audrey Shippam and Conrad Kain on the Starbird (Horsethief) Glacier, 1922. Byron Harmon photo V263/299. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Dr. Cora Best, Audrey Shippam and Conrad Kain at mouth of ice cave in Starbird (Horsethief) Glacier, 1922. Byron Harmon photo V263/266. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain with members of Cora Best-Audrey Shippam party, Mount Assiniboine, 1922(?). Glenbow Archives NA-4460-17
Conrad Kain, J. Monroe Thorington, Jimmy Simpson, unknown climber on the summit of Columbia Mountain, Columbia Icefield expedition, 1923. Enid Hurst Hansen family collection
Conrad Kain and Annette Buck at Robson-ACC Camp, 1924. C75. Windermere District Historical Society
“Capt. & Mrs. McCarthy & friends.” Albert H. and Bess MacCarthy, Robson-ACC Camp, 1924. V14-AC192-187. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
The first party for Robson arriving at Timber Line Camp having carried up food supplies. (Conrad Kain left) Robson-ACC Camp, 1924. V14-AC192 P/1-137. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
From the Robson camp in 1924. Kain is standing in the mist beside Edmonton's Margaret Gold, who, a day after Munday's and Buck's ascent, became the third woman to climb Robson. Courtesy of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies (V105-PA-7746)
Conrad Kain on Ice-Wall of Mt. Robson. Robson-ACC Camp. July 1924. V14-AC192 P/1-153. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain at Lake of Hanging Glaciers 1924. Byron Harmon photo
Albert H. “Mack” MacCarthy. Mount Logan Expedition, 1925. H.F. Lambart photo
Bess MacCarthy, one of Kain's most talented clients, helped found an early version of the SPCA for stricken domestic animals
Thorington and Kain’s “Mosquito Camp” at the head of Dutch Creek, Purcell Range, July 25, 1930. Enid Hurst Hansen family collection.
J. Monroe Thorington and Conrad Kain (centre) with companions at “Old Cabin” camp, Dutch Creek, Purcell Range, July 24, 1930. Enid Hurst Hansen family collection
Conrad Kain (left) with J. Monroe Thorington (top) and unknown climber atop Findlay Peak, Purcell Range, July 30, 1930. Enid Hurst Hansen family collection
Conrad Kain and J. Monroe Thorington at summit of Trapper Peak, Wapta Icefield, July 1933. H.S. Kingman photo V622-NA66-1778. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Conrad Kain on Yoho Peak, July 26, 1933. J. Monroe Thorington photo. American Alpine Club Library
Flora and Amelie Malek portrait, unknown date. Courtesy of Manfred Rotter
Amelie Malek, Kain's confidante, 1932
Mrs. Conrad Kain (Hetta) in wheat field at Kain’s farm in Wilmer, BC, ca 1923. Byron Harmon photo V263/4237. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Conrad Kain in his garden, Wilmer, BC
Henriquito “Hetta” Kain and girls, Wilmer, BC
Bess MacCarthy at Karmax 2 Ranch south of Invermere, BC
Conrad Kain at his home, Wilmer, BC, ca 1930. C78. Windermere District Historical Society
Mrs. Conrad Kain (Hetta) in wheat field at Kain’s farm in Wilmer, BC, ca 1923. Byron Harmon photo
Henriquito “Hetta” Kain at home, Wilmer BC, ca 1930. C79. Windermere District Historical Society
Conrad Kain's grave headstone, Pioneers Cemetary, Cranbrook, BC
Hetta Kain's grave headstone, Pioneers Cemetary, Cranbrook, BC
Peterborough (before it became Wilmer) seen from north end of MacCarthy's Karmax Ranch on hill above 1902
Conrad Kain's poem for Flora Malek (Malleck)