Legend of Ontario Lives on Across Canadian Crags, Cabins, and Communities
Every January, we share a tribute to members of our community who we lost last year. Some were legends, others were pillars of their community, all were climbers. Read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2025 here.
Helmut von Microys, 91, December 4
Helmut von Microys, a pioneering Canadian climber, passed away on December 4, 2025 at the age of 91 years old. The routes he developed and his community leadership defined the growth of climbing across Southern Ontario.
A longtime member of the Alpine Club of Canada and a pillar of its Toronto Section, von Microys was born in Austria. After immigrating to Canada, he earned a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Toronto. From the late 1950s onward, he acted as a driving force in the development of Southern Ontario climbing.
Across the Niagara Escarpment, von Microys established routes around Rattlesnake Point, Metcalfe, Kelso, and Mount Nemo. On the Escarpment alone, he bagged 75 first ascents. His desire to strengthen others came through not only in his community involvement, but in the steady increase in grades he set, up to 5.9. At the time, this pushed the difficulty of climbing in the region.
Still, von Microys’s most enduring legacy lies at Bon Echo Provincial Park. Between 1964 and 1978, he and his partner Michael Rosenberger completed 34 first ascents on the exposed granite overlooking Mazinaw Lake. The difficulty of those routes expanded the region’s skill once more, reaching as high as 5.11. It also helped position Bon Echo as one of Ontario’s bedrock crags.
In 1967, von Microys was selected to lead the Mount Ontario expedition in celebration of Canada’s Centennial. After multiple attempts, his team completed the ascent in a single 40-hour push. This exhaustive and celebrated effort is remembered amongst friends and the provinces’ climbing history.
“Helmut was already a legend when I began climbing,” said Calvin Klatt, an Ontario climber and longtime Alpine Club of Canada organizer. “Still, he would climb with the most experienced people and the least.”
His contributions extended well beyond route development. In 1978, he and his brother Wilhelm played a pivotal role in constructing the ACC Toronto Cabin in Canmore. Now known as the Pat Boswell Cabin, this structure continues to serve as a central hub for the region’s climbers. Together with Gisele, he hosted countless potlocks, discussions and slideshows, often sharing expensive wine with friends, visiting climbers and anyone eager to learn.
That same thoughtfulness defined his life beyond climbing. While courting Gisele in the early 1960s, Helmut once sent her a letter written on birch bark. He wrote to her in German, their shared language, from a survey camp in Northern Ontario. It remains one of her fondest memories of him.
In the early 1980s, Von Microys helped establish the Ontario Rock Climbing Association to develop regional safety standards and guidelines. His long-standing commitment to equipment safety and organizational leadership earned him the ACC Distinguished Service Award in 1990. In 2021, he was named an Honorary Member of the Alpine Club of Canada in recognition of a lifetime devoted to climbing and community service.
Across a lifetime of summits worldwide, Helmut von Microys is remembered as a patient teacher and a foundational presence. His legacy and influence continues across Ontario, in its crags, cabins, and communities. He is survived by his wife Gisele, and their daughter Rion, son Robert, and five grandchildren. A celebration of his life is planned for later this year at Bon Echo.
Read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2025 here.
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