Conrad Kain: Letters from a Wandering Mountain Guide, 1906-1933

About Conrad Kain

Conrad Kain mountaineer (b 10 Aug 1883 at Nasswald Austria; d 2 Feb 1934 at Cranbrook BC). Conrad Kain is considered one of the most daring climbers of his generation. Dubbed Canada's First Super-Guide Kain was a rogue guide that did more demanding climbs than the Swiss Guides. Kain was born in Austria to a poor family that lived in dire circumstances. His father died when he was a young boy and he did much to support his family as a goatherder and quarryman poaching animals when money was tight. Kain discovered early on that his real passion was being in the mountains climbing and guiding. He received his guiding certificate (or Fuhrerbuch) in 1906 when he was 23 years old. Source: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/conrad-kain Zac Robinson is a historian and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He currently serves as Vice-President for Mountain Culture for the Alpine Club of Canada. Maria Koch studied and graduated at the University of Würzburg in West Germany and taught high school there until she emigrated to Canada in 1957. In 1964 she resumed her teaching career at the University of Alberta as a lecturer of German. She taught at the UofA for twenty-seven years until retirement. Originally from Germany John Koch attended the University of Würzburg and emigrated to Canada in 1954. After further studies at the University of British Columbia where he obtained a masters degree in social work John worked in the social welfare and health-care fields in the provinces of British Columbia Saskatchewan and since 1964 Alberta. John retired in 1987 and since has written and published books on German history as well as Martin Nordegg: The Uncommon Immigrant (1997) and most recently No Escape: My Young Years Under Hitler's Shadow (2004). John and Maria currently live in Edmonton.