Leo Grillmair came to Canada from Austria in 1951 and since then has played a major role in the Canadian mountain community. He pioneered new routes in the Rockies, most notably Grillmair Chimneys and Direttissima on Yamnuska, made the first Canadian ascent of Mount Alberta, climbed a new route on Denali in Alaska, and was a founder of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.

For many years, Leo was Hans Gmoser’s partner in the heli-ski empire, Canadian Mountain Holidays, and served as the manager of Bugaboo Lodge for several decades.