I asked Andrew—a longtime Member of the Club—to write us on his use of the Library’s Guidebook Finder web-tool. His blog (The Suburban Mountaineer) frequently veers into very interesting literary territory and has great commentary on climbing and alpinism—both contemporary and historical—and I wanted his thoughts on the tool. My assumption … Read more…
The American Alpine Club’s Selection Committee recently selected its delegates for the upcoming Winter Meet held January 22-29, 2012. The BMC International Winter Meet hosts an annual week-long gathering for 40 international guests from about 25 countries. The meet showcases the full delights of Scottish winter climbing—scotch, haggis, and rime-crusted world-class … Read more…
We’d be remiss if we didn’t comment on the historic climb completed by AAC Member (and 2011 Bates Award Winner) Hayden Kennedy, along with his partner Jason Kruk. Hayden and Kruk, though details are still fuzzy, have apparently completed the first “fair means” ascent of Cerro Torre’s Southeast Ridge. This … Read more…
A couple of weeks ago, we posted an interview with Renan Ozturk. When we spoke with him, he sent us a link to this video about his, Zack Smith’s, and Freddie Wilkinson’s attempt(s) on Alaska’s gnarly Tooth Traverse. We thought it relevant to post it here for your enjoyment. Here’s … Read more…
In the two days since Jack Roberts’ death from a long fall at Bridalveil Falls near Telluride, CO, several touching articles have been posted online. One of the most poignant can be found on Climbing‘s website, written by Editor Dougald MacDonald. Though we were not close enough to offer such … Read more…
One of our Members emailed us about his and his partner’s recent trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Some horrific wind event made their day much longer. Read about it (and other reports) on our Trip Reports page. If you’re a Member, submit your own! Or just email info@americanalpineclub.org and … Read more…
Renan Ozturk. Climber, artist, filmmaker, dirtbag, and ground-up success story. 2011 was a year of high highs and low lows for Ozturk, a longtime AAC Member and The North Face Team Member. Not only did he suffer from a near fatal ski accident while on location in the Tetons, he … Read more…
It’s hard to explain why we fall in love with rocks and risk our lives for the chance to climb to the summit—especially in a place as rugged, remote, and politically unstable as Kyrgyzstan. During the summers of 1999 and 2000, violent political insurgencies erupted along the southern borders in … Read more…
Longtime AAC Member and multiple Research Grant awardee Jon Kedrowski spoke with us about alpine research in the American West, what climbing goals mean to him, and his most recent project—bivying on the summit of each of Colorado’s 14,000′ peaks over the span of 95 days. Patience is truly a … Read more…
See all the photos from the event in our Media Galleries. On Thursday, December 8, Outerlocal presented “From Cleated Boots to Ski Descents: The Past, Present and Future of Teton Guiding” in Jackson, Wyoming. Over 300 climbers and skiers jammed into the cozy Snow King Lodge Room and over 400 … Read more…
AAC Board Member, accomplished climber, and Friend of the Club Pete Takeda spent some time talking to our Northwest Regional Coordinator, Eddie Espinosa about the recent Bozeman Ice Festival. [Watch the Trailer] The 15th annual Bozeman Ice Climbing Festival, ran from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11, 2011 in the town of … Read more…
What began as a friendly favor to help fund a small medical clinic in rural Nepal has changed the lives of thousands residing in impoverished mountain villages all over the world. When Scott MacLennan realized $1 per person per year can staff a basic clinic in Nepal’s Rasuwa District, he … Read more…
This spring and summer, the Club entered all new Members (and any current Members that renewed) into our Climb With a Legend Sweepstakes. We drew a winner and Utah’s Rusty Wackerman won $1,000 in cash for travel & lodging, a $500 Black Diamond Gift Card, and his choice of four … Read more…
This November, the American Alpine Club proudly partnered with the seventh annual Adventure Film Festival premiere at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado. This three-day festival featured 40 insightful and award-winning outdoor and environmental films, photography and filmmaking seminars, a Kid’s Film Festival, Jonny Copp Photo Exhibit, and closed with … Read more…
In June and July 2011, the Deep South Section of The American Alpine Club spearheaded an environmental mountaineering expedition to Peru’s highest mountain range. The Cordillera Blanca contains the highest concentration of mountains higher than 6,000 meters (19,685 ft.) in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the highest mountains in the Tropics. Section … Read more…
In June and July 2011, the Deep South Section of The American Alpine Club spearheaded an environmental mountaineering expedition to Peru’s highest mountain range. The Cordillera Blanca contains the highest concentration of mountains higher than 6,000 meters (19,685 ft.) in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the highest mountains in the Tropics. Section … Read more…
I recently had the chance to spend the day with guidebook author and climbing pioneer Armando Menocal. As a founding member of the Access Fund and climbing guide, Armando has climbed all over the world and has been deeply involved in the climbing community for decades. He stopped by the … Read more…
In the autumn of 2008, American Alpine Journal Editor John Harlin III and the AAC organized a gathering of magazine and journal editors from around the world and dubbed the meeting the “First Editors’Summit.” Editors of print journals and websites gathered in Colorado, then Utah for climbing and discussion on … Read more…
Have you ever wanted to somehow combine your love of climbing and your desire to protect the environment—and actually get paid for it, rather than living in a van and leeching off your quickly diminishing savings? Well, you’re in luck! The American Alpine Club has just announced three new position … Read more…
Have you ever wanted to somehow combine your love of climbing and your desire to protect the environment—and actually get paid for it, rather than living in a van and leeching off your quickly diminishing savings? Well, you’re in luck! The American Alpine Club has just announced a new position … Read more…
Today, The American Alpine Club announces that the application deadline for the prestigious Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award has been moved up one month. The new deadline is December 1, 2011. The Lyman Spitzer program promotes state-of-the-art, cutting-edge climbing through financial support of small, lightweight climbing teams attempting bold first … Read more…
The American Alpine Club is pleased to announce that The American Alpine Journal—the world’s journal of record for notable climbs—is once again available to the public. In July the Club announced that the Journal in printed form would be available only to AAC Members. More than 100 climbers commented on … Read more…
Golden, CO—The American Alpine Club (AAC) is proud to announce the recipients of the first annual Cornerstone Crag Conservation Grant. This year, $25,000 will go toward multiple local projects: human waste management systems, road and parking improvements, trail work, signage, camping improvements, and more. New for 2011, the Cornerstone Conservation … Read more…
The American Alpine Club’s BMC Winter Meet Selection Committee selected its delegates for the upcoming Winter Meet and it must be said that it was difficult. The last meet—the BMC’s Summer Meet in Wales—was an easy choice, as only a couple of people applied (by the way, thanks Jay Hack, … Read more…
This year, The American Alpine Club is proud to partner with The North Face for their Speaker Series. The majority of featured speakers are proud AAC Members and all proceeds from the October 19, Jackson, WY event featuring Mark Synnott will be donated to the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch! This year, supporting the Climbers’ … Read more…