Peter Sarbach

Peter Sarbach (1844–1930) was a renowned mountain guide from St. Niklaus, Switzerland, near Zermatt. He began his career as a porter for Sir Edward Whymper in 1864 during an attempt to climb the Matterhorn and later became a respected mountain guide in the Swiss Alps. In 1897, he was invited to Canada, becoming the first Swiss guide to work in the Canadian Rockies. His visit was partly due to the request of Edwin Hale Abbott, whose son Philip Stanley Abbott had tragically died the previous year. Sarbach led a memorial expedition for Abbott, along with John Norman Collie and others, to make the first ascent of Mount Lefroy on August 3, 1897. He also guided expeditions that resulted in the first ascents of Victoria Mountain, Mount Gordon, and Mount Sarbach (named after him). Despite his significant contributions, Sarbach returned to Switzerland after the 1897 season and never revisited Canada. His work laid the foundation for the recognition of skilled mountaineering in the Canadian Rockies and influenced future invitations to Swiss guides like Edouard Feuz Sr. and Christian Haesler Sr.