The AAC Needs Your Help
Brittany Griffith on Desert Shield (5.12) in Indian Creek, UT. Photo courtesy of Andrew Burr.
We strive to be relevant to the needs of the climbing community and to individual climbers. We frequently get and read comments from members and non-members alike on various blogs, forums, events, and emails. Your ideas and your input help make us better and help us understand the ways we can make the American Alpine Club serve your needs and the needs of the broader community. Once again we would like your input. Every idea and comment is valuable, so please comment away; however we have identified a few areas where your specific comments would be helpful:
Conservation – Protecting the areas we climb: the AAC continues to do work pertinent to climbing area needs, specifically much-needed infrastructure (toilets, trails, etc.) and other projects that show that climbers are good stewards of the places where they recreate. We are considering some strategy changes in this area: 1) Developing the core competencies within the organization to be a resource for local organizations or land managers. This would probably be accomplished via an AAC funded Climbers Conservation Corps that would travel to areas where their expertise is required. 2) Create a new grant program specific to conservation where the AAC would receive applications for work that needs to be done. The club might provide expertise, volunteers, or money for approved projects. 3) A hybrid of the two strategies above.
Local Empowerment – We believe that local sections should be empowered to do what they are passionate about. In fact, we are thinking about changing our section strategy to instead be an opt-in structure based on passions and interests. You may live in Colorado, but love Yosemite, and want to engage with other Yosemite lovers. You may love sport climbing in the southeast and want to engage with others that also love that. In essence, we would like to engage and empower our membership by providing them with community based on similar interests and passions. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this, and on creative ideas for empowering and engaging local, volunteer groups.
Knowledge – The AAC has long been the source for reliable information on all forms of climbing and mountains worldwide. When the AAC started, to recent times, we were effective in this area with our library, the American Alpine Journal, and Accidents in North American Mountaineering – the latter two being print publications. What should the knowledge area look like at the AAC in the 21st century – a time when digitization, videos, and instant information is the norm?
Mentoring – Thousands of new climbers enter our sport every year – most through climbing gyms. The transition from indoor to outdoor climbing can be a confusing, and sometimes dangerous, process. We believe the club needs to create opportunities to mentor climbers no matter where they are at in their climbing career. We are exploring several strategies, including partnerships, training standards, and volunteer mentor programs. Please give us your ideas.
Thank you for your input on these, and any other ideas you might have. If you are uncomfortable posting your thoughts on a public forum, please email them to: planning@americanalpineclub.org.
[...] of the broader community. Once again we would like your input. Every idea and comment is valuable, so please comment away; however we have identified a few areas where your specific comments would be [...]
Bring back the old style rescue insurance.
Jody’s comment (#2) is really helpful. Thanks Jody.
Keep working on the conservation efforts. They’re needed now more than ever.
And invite Greg Mortenson back to speak soon!!!!
I would like to see the annual meeting held in the southwest.
There need to be more regional activities.
Thanks Steve and Steve! Your input is greatly appreciated.
I agree with Jody. Bring back the old style resuce insurance
+1 on returning to the former backcountry insurance plan. Cancelled my membership of 6+ years after the switch.
I joined in ’88 to establish my name on the list of registered American climbers. I’ve been paying dues since then to maintain my mark on that list. This is an old school viewpoint that is probably not popular among younger people who feel they are not important. If you are a competent climber you should be in the alpine club.
I’m glad we are not as political as the Sierra Club. No need to replicate that.
The senior members of the club with decades of experience have a duty to provide leadership and mentoring to younger a climbers and sponsor activities, etc.
More local events would be great as well as non-guide related mentoring. It would be great if every state had an AAC section that held a couple group hikes, climbs, BBQs, SlideShows, etc per month. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, I remember the SMCC used to have a random slide show the second tuesday of the month, at a bar, which was a great way to connect with fellow climbers; especially when you were new to town.
AAC should sponsor a sense of inclusive club atmosphere, which would need to start at the local level.
I agree with Jody and would like to see the old rescue insurance. I know there are cost factors involved with both types. I’m just not sure one might do all the right things to use the new kind since it seems you have to be kind of proactive in using it.
I’d also like to see more activities in the Southwest (southern California in particular). I see that there are a group of people trying to jump start this already and would like to let them know that this is encouraging.
Thanks for asking!
I recently activated a SPOT subscription. For an extra 12.95/year I get rescue insurance up to 100k underwritten by Lloyds of London. I would love it if the AAC could do something similar. I also agree with Chris Savage…PLEASE don’t get as political and activist as some of the other groups.
Wow, everyone, thanks. Your input is important and we will take all of these things into serious consideration. Thanks for your honesty and keep the comments coming!
The number and activity of climbing-related organizations seems to be growing, particularly at the local level (groups like the Denver Climbers Coalition and Northern Climbers Coalition). Often, I think that climbers feel they can have the most impact through activity and efforts in their specific region. I speculate that for the average climber this also might translate to a reluctance to join and be active in established organizations such as the AAC.
While climbing-related organizations do work together, I think that they might be able to strengthen their respective efforts if they begin to communicate and work together more closely on the issues that they care about. For example, the AAC could help local climbing groups with experience, resources, advice, etc. in tackling their specific challenges. Access concerns and issues can be best addressed through integrated collaborative efforts with local groups and the Access Fund instead of having parallel efforts. Through more collaborative efforts with other groups, the AAC may be able to increase its visibility, membership base, and impact.
You are the old boys club. You surely are not welcoming to others and what a piece of shit that Himalayan Database was with rumors and gossip and slander against people.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Someone got turned down for a grant.
I’ll try to give you my comments despite my poor English, The AAC. Wish you a great success. Warm regards.
_________________
@Jackson
I’d like to see the AAC focus on conservation/access, insurance and information. The insurance piece is the thing I feel that the AAC could do much better. The European equivilants do the insurance thing quite well, and it seems as though it is only a matter of time before we start to get charged more frequently for rescues in this country. Not to mention that it would be nice not to have to buy specific travel insurance for international trips.
AAC should start where Access Fund ends. Education. More and more climbing areas are under threat of being closed. Taking the time to educate more climbers about clean climbing ethics will lead to less complications with private and government owned lands. It may be a feasible plan to have the AAC branch into adding onto pro climbers slide shows about the effects of over use. Examples can be simple as, crash pads or too much use of chalk. Over bolting and crowding cliffs. Leaving trash behind. There are numerous examples that are leading to complications. Access Fund currently does a great job handling opening access to areas with land owners but with the climbing population rising, educating the climbers of tomorrow is something that should be addressed soon.
Less spray, more substance!
While it is interesting to read the latest, greatest, 5.13d link-up, done in a day, with one arm, by an infant, this is what every other climbing resource does. The AAC is the elite organization of the American climbing community and sits on a wealth of knowledge and resources. Give us the meat! Re-hash old stories or solicit new ones from the greats (I bet Mr. Powers has a few; and Donini, get him started; Cordes… the membership list goes on and on). This would also tie well to the mentorship and conservation programs as it would give those young rats a taste of what makes climbers and help folks see the reverence some of us carry for certain areas and experiences. Also expand beyond the climbing to include fitness, concentration, nutrition, etc. There is a lifestyle that connects us and making that available daily to my social media, where it doesn’t seem to be, would be a great and noble task for the AAC… not to mention, just saving the history. You guys rock! (sorry for the stupid pun)
All the best-
Maintain focus on what the AAC is…keep the AAC a climber’s club. While there are a number of environmental issues that affect climbing in broad terms, I would strongly prefer that the club keep the focus on specific, concrete, climbing-related concerns that directly affect access and/or the climbing environment.
More local events, definitely. I also agree with Mike Kapp in suggesting that the AAC keep the focus of the club on concrete climbing concerns. Public relations are not to be overlooked, though – I ran into AAC folks promoting awareness of and support for climbing among tourists in Yosemite by showing classic films. That sort of outreach is great and can help future access.
As a climber of some age (I’m 46), I’ve seem my fair share of things come and go. But what still remains important to any sport is education and information. I belong to several groups on the web and since I live in the middle of the flat state of Illinois, I have also started an online group for area climbers. I yearly host an event at a nearby climbing spot (Mississippi Palisades) where I have a free spaghetti dinner, have give aways and I also teach climbing at our local rec. dept. I’ve recently built a climbing tower in my back yard and host a few events here in the summer months too. Climbing is a blast that I love to share with others. I like most of the comments here and think most of you have the right idea. Group outreach and encouragement is the key. Everyone likes to learn a new trick they’ve not seen before or try a new piece of gear. One group I’m involved in started using local chapter representatives to do this type of stuff and I think in larger areas this method of getting together would work well for you too.
We need more AAC activities on a local level. For example, there seem to be very few opportunities for AAC members in Northern California. There must be thousands of climbers and ski mountaineers out here. We need events and activities to connect folks and develop an AAC climbing community
I want to start by agreeing with Dryden. In addition, I would say that promotion of those activities and speakers needs to be a little bit better. I usually do not hear about speakers or other activities until it is too late, and this has led me to question whether a membership would really be worth it. I think there is too much mystery around the AAC among those who are newer to the climbing community, and if the organization were more visible it would really help draw people in. I do think that the use of networks like facebook are a huge help, but think more could be done to draw the younger/newer crowd.
educate,inform, and commmunicate.
I agree with the above… I would love a local chapter in Kentucky. We don’t have “mountains” for alpinism, but reaching a summit is one of my goals in the near future. A good local knowledge base would be invaluable. Next in line would be conservation of our wild areas for us to explore. It will always be someone’s first time on a peak/crag/trail and it’s our responsibility to keep it as pristine and awe-inspiring as our own first time.
I like the local empowerment idea. Local sections should do more than just host an annual event. AAC can do much more to build our climbing communities. The AAC has a fine legacy but it can seem stodgy and irrelevant for young climbers and local climbing issues.
Also, the switch to Global Rescue was very unfortunate. The $5000 benefit limit is low and the requirement to coordinate through Global Rescue is unrealistic in many cases. Give us back the real insurance and let people opt into Global Rescue for an additional fee. It’s particularly odd that AAC pays MORE for Global Rescue than it did for the rescue insurance.
Here are my two cents:
Conservation/access should probably be the primary focus of the organisation, but it should go through local climber groups who probably know the area better. I am not sure that parachuting experts whenever needed is such a good idea, as it could have the effect of sidestepping the locals, who will be the ones whose help is really needed for anything to work on the long term. The AAC should probably limit itself to providing financial, legal and scientific support to local groups. A grant system would also be a great way to work.
There are a lot of things the AAC could do for local empowerment since it has resources on the national level. A nice way to start would be to have a contact person for each major climbing venue in North America, who could act as a transition between the local climbing community and the AAC. Maybe ask him or her to write an annual report on interesting things and new developments in the area, which would be a nice way to catch up. He could also maintain a list of contact information of locals who are open to climbing with visiters. On short trips, one doesn’t always have enough time/luck to make contacts with the right persons, so having a way to get easy access to that information and get the ball rolling (“No, I’m not available that weekend, but I have some friends who would be interested in showing you the area and doing this route”, etc) would be awesome. I would kill to have that resource in Europe as well
Another thing that could be very helpful would be a presentation webpage of the area, with information that is not necessarily very easy to find, especially regarding local ethics (bolting, cleaning…), access and conservation concerns, maybe point out some new routes not yet in the latest guide or show the classics of the area. You could even make it a wiki and have it be self-maintained by the locals.
The AAJ and AiNAM are amazing resources, but they are underused if you don’t have access to a library. It’s great that the AAJ has been scanned and put online, but it could be made much more accessible. The search engine is really bad, especially in the way it present results: it should at the very least show the AAJ issue, article title and authors in a better way. A short summary of the article would go a long way, as it is very difficult to understand what the topic is from such a short snippet. It should also order articles by relevance: I tried searching for “Everest”, and had book reviews show up in the first page, instead of articles about significant ascents of the mountain. An easily accessible index by mountain would also be a fantastic resource. And since so many climbs have been inspired by a past issue of the AAJ, think of the impact that maintaining an “open mountaineering problems” page could have!
The meets are amazing ways to bring climbers together and make us realize how much we have in common. I was lucky enough to take part in the 2009 International Meet, and I had an amazing time and made tons of contacts and lots of new friends (and also learned to jam properly
Keep working on these, and consider developing them too. You could have more national and regional meets, or like the BMC, have more specific international meets: what about an ice climbing meet in Colorado, a sport climbing one at Smiths Rocks, a mountaineering one in the Tetons and a big wall one in Yosemite? Meets could also be a neat way to encourage mentoring. Fund local groups to run periodic meets where semi-beginners and gym climbers are introduced to outdoor climbing, both sport and trad, and also get to have a nice time camping and to meet like-minded climbers at the same stage in their progression.
Ok, I think that’s all I have at the moment
It would be great if login into the Member Area on the AAC site did more then just listing the member’s own profile and let search through members database. Maybe some sort of member-only access to online digital resources and possibly a bulletin board or forum that could help connecting members (posting climbing plans, partner calls etc.).
I really liked the idea of the Gunks meet in May – too bad it was rained out and also not very well coordinated (no one at Rock & Snow or at Mohonk Reserve knew what the plans were even a week before the meet). Informal BBQ and/or Beer/Pizza (say quarterly) local events would be better attended by younger climbers who cannot afford annual black tie dinner events.
bring back rescue insurance…
I think that communication of issues is extremely important. Especially in the regional areas. I am part of the sout west region. I see comments and activity going on all over, but rarely in my area. Sometimes there is events 2 hours north in Los Angeles, but down in San Diego, we aren’t seeing it.
Communication is key to letting the members know WHAT is going on in their area. I have yet to see a sub director or manager for regions. Communication, via website, email, text message would be great in getting the community involved. Activism on the communication is key as well. Bring in the help and allows us climbers to be empowered in the community.
I too preferred the older version of rescue insurance – it was one of the primary reasons I joined. It’s unrealistic to coordinate through Global Rescue in an accident.
I like the recent efforts to create more places for climbers to stay in areas where it’s difficult/ expensive to camp, like the Climbers Ranch, the new campground at the Gunks, etc. More of that.
National level advocacy is important, esp in dealing with international issues.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
br
I second the request for more local activities. Group climbing, hiking, slideshows, etc, are a great way to create some community and get younger members in touch with the more seasoned members. And, try to get more young members out to these events. They can usually be lured out with free food.
Although I don’t think anyone has mentioned it, far and away the greatest weakness in the AAC is in the area of determining best safety practices and in testing the effectiveness of gear. This is the kind of thing only a national climber’s organization can do.
The DAV and CAI have major programs for this, but the AAC seems to be so disconnected from the idea that they haven’t managed to translate what is already known, much less promote and/or support research of their own.
The inability to weigh in with any authority on the myriad issues involving protection and anchoring systems, belaying devices and methods, equipment usage and misusage, and other issues of critical importance to everyday climbing seriously interferes with the legitimacy of the AAC as an organization promoting the interests of American climbers.
I agree with some of the comments above. I do not think politicization helps anyone ultimately. On the stewardship note I cannot speak to the development of a Conservation Corps but I think the grant idea is wonderful. I can think of plenty of projects in our area that we could probably raise the human power to accomplish if we had some money behind it. Thanks for all you are already doing and thanks for polling the climbing community to see how to continue to serve the membership best.
I’m impressed that so many people are interested in what we seem to be calling “local empowerment.” We all know that Colorado is a very important climbing state, but many of us rarely go there, and we can’t attend meetings there without a lot of trouble and expense.
Also, I think there is very little attention given to climbing as a family sport or even a sport for all levels of ability. AAC is always asking for, and publishing, reports of very difficult routes, new routes, death-defying feats, and so on. This is interesting, but it is not representative of the abilities of the majority of the members. I can remember when some of the runners’ magazines many years ago reported mainly on world-class racing results, and those magazines are gone now or they’ve been bought by Runner’s World. I think there’s a lesson here.
I agree with others posting that the AAC should act like the senior climbing organization. That means more well thought through, meaningful pieces and fewer poorly thought through, careless pieces of writing. Thank goodness most climbing sites do not have Web access or we would have Twitter postings with one hand while belaying.
Agree with several of the other comments. Don’t be political but rather follow suit with Mortenson’s philosophy of, if want to create positive change, you need to educate the younger and/or newer peeps, as evident by some of the other comments. Cheers.
I just took out the $500,000 rider to cover a 60 day climbing trip to Nepal. Cost was $400. Price seems steep but worth the peace of mind if something unfortunate does happen. Plus we have to have some sort of rescue insurance as a permit requirement. I don’t see Global Rescue being that importnat here in NH where we have SAR agencies already dealing with SAR. Plus one has to be 160 miles from home for Global Rescue to kick in. So seems better for international climbs than on a home crag.
As for a membership perk to AAC members…I’d like to see a members page of who is going climbing where. Be nice to know if any other AAC members are climbing in the same general areas when going abroad.
Thanks!
I know this has probably already been said, but more local and regional events, both social and educational.
I would like to see more events hosted in the southeast. there is a lot of climbing areas that are hard to access and with the aac we can help gain access to them.
I would like to see increased focus on regional local events (particularly Southern California).
I also think that it would be interesting to develop an education/feeder program to bring new people into the sport of climbing. Instruction, workshops, safety, equipment, ruotefinding, Researching objectives, etc. This would be a good way of building awareness of the sport and creating stronger and broader connections with the community
Many have mentioned the old rescue insurance, and I too consider this a crucial issue to my membership.
Seems like the Europeans do a great job with huts near climbing areas allowing climbers to travel to the base , before the climb. The Diamond on Long’s,(for one) something like the climber ranch on the Teton, but higher up the mtn.
Promoting these things would show the AAC’s concern for the specific needs of climbers.
I also think mentoring functions are important at the local/regional level. Many people leave the comfortable environment of the climbing gym for the real world with only the vaguest ideas of how to keep themselves safe when climbing actual rock, snow or ice. To be fair, if I’d learned to climb in the gym I’d likely be in the same boat. People need opportunities to learn how to handle themselves in the real world, especially on longer routes and in mountain weather.
I’d love to see more building of the local psyche factor. Here around Seattle, a lot of folks are going for it full time and have put up a ton of incredible lines over the last year or so. I think it’s about time we had local, regular FA potlucks. Swap stories,spread the stoke, and share photos of brand new or newly repeated sick lines or other grand adventures, all while eating other people’s tasty home cooked food!
My dues are up for renewal, and I wonder what I pay for. That said, I like being part of something bigger. I generally like the people that are part of ACC. I must say though, meeting them has been pretty random. I would like to see more activities, friendship building, climbing activities… I’d like to figure out how I can contribute. There seem be be very few opportunities for someone that’s just a moderate everyday climber.
The greatest gains will be made on the local level, as newcomers get more serious about climbing and find the AAC as source for historical memory and springboard for the next amazing trip.
Unfortunately (for national-level mobilizing, at least) grass roots grow from the ground. One or two interesting people BSing over a pint can have way more impact in forming a local group than any number of strategy meetings.
Two concrete suggestions –
1. Increase visibility of the AAC at local crags, gyms, etc. Patches, stickers, and other schwag are easy ways to do this. Good job so far keeping the AAC logo on functional gear (water bottle, Ibex hoodie come to mind).
2. Nurture emerging local groups by sharing ideas with more established chapters. What kinds of events have worked well in other areas? Film nights, BBQ at a local crag, gym session w/recovery at the local watering hole, … What do AAC members get together and do locally?
Local climbing events and support of local initiatives are an excellent goal for the AAC chapters.
However, we are the American ALPINE Club.
Alpine climbing is an activity that in many cases is not a local option.
Perhaps we could learn something from taking a look at the activities of our Canadian counterpart, the ACC.
American Alpine Club run or supported annual climbing events in alpine environments like the Wind River, the North Cascades, or High Sierra could provide a much needed opportunity for newer climbers who have some rock climbing experience to experience for the first time the Alpine environment.
Having other climbers present who are also new to alpine climbing and having experienced leaders available who could provide a safe introduction to this level of climbing would go a long, long way to overcoming the difficulty that exists for many newer climbers who want to take the next step in their climbing by experiencing the world of Alpine rock and snow.
At the local level, the AAC should be more proactive in education. As much as the crustys (myself included) might not like the ever-increasing hoards of new climbers, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our craft. If there are folk who truly want to get out and learn how to climb, we should work to help that process. I’m getting a little disgusted whenever someone asks, “So, how do I learn to climb?” and the responses all shout, “Hire a guide!!!” At some point in our climbing lives, we all learn from a more experienced partner; I count those days as some of the best I’ve had. Let’s create thoughtful opportunities for determined beginners. We will all benefit from it.
I’d like AAC to become even more visible in large urban areas (such as my hometown, NYC)and see more outreach and education programs tailored for the young (and old)city folks to teach them to appreciate and protect our wilderness areas.
Thanks for supporting the Lander International Climbers Festival and the New sections control sounds excellent!
Conservation – work closely with Access Fund or similar organization, don’t create redundant organization that will take money to run. Unless you believe that AF is worthless.
Knowledge – go digital (with printed copy for purchase)
Local Empowerment and Mentoring – that’s a weak point of AAC. I grew up in eastern europe where alpine clubs were always socially strong. They allowed people to meet on regular basis in same place and talk about everything related to climbing: trips, beta, rating, standards, ethics, logistics, training etc. Since same people were meeting often there was no problem with mentoring newcomers or overlooking their training. Clubs organized (paid) climbing courses, which follow national standards.
A lot of good climbers came out from those clubs across all eastern europe.
I think this is something you can look at.
The great ones of yore have all but been forgotten. Dedicate some space to some of the greats like Matt Culberson, guys who are not even recognized in the ranger station in Talkeetna anymore.
1. Become experts in building and maintaining cooperation and partnerships between individuals and organizations to achieve the common goals of mentoring, education, and conservation.
2. Create a base of knowledge of about what works and what doesn’t in the partnerships.
3. Clearly communicate the best practices you have learned and documented about partnerships.
4. Teach members how to use the organizational structure and resources of the AAC to create their own partnerships to meet their local goals.
More hut systems in mountainous regions would be great. Here in Alaska we have a pretty good series of huts (maintained by the state, the Mountaineering Club of Alaska, and of course the AAC). It would be neat if there were more huts (like in the Pacific Northwest) that were acknowledged and promoted by the AAC. I know that there are several fire lookout cabins in the PNW that would make great cabins.
Other than that, what else is there to request? The AAC does an amazing job and I’m glad to be a part of it!
As we get more and more “wired” with the internet, facebook, twitter, and the rest, it seems that actual face-to-face contact via climbing meets, slide shows, clean-ups, and any other grouping of climbers becomes all the more important. We, as climbers, have to put more efforts into bringing newbies into the fold, to make every event more inclusive, to make honest efforts to befriend one and all at the crags…sort of like the old days.
All of the prio mentioned ideas are very good and benificial. My suggestion/idea is to continue doing what you have just done in this forum. continue to ask the question; What can we do to make AAC better. To keep the question fresh and on the front burner at all times so as to know pulse of the whole community and then act on what the issues that most are concerned with. Thanks, David
I agree, it would be great to see the old insurance brought back in some form. Also, more of a chapter presence with clinics for the average moderate alpinist would be nice. Despite living in CO, or perhaps because I live in CO, there are not many opportunities for beginners and moderates to learn from seasoned climbers. Also agree AAC should avoid overlap with work conservation and other climber orgs are doing. Rather, they should support efforts already in place.
I would like to see a “craggin classic” scheduled in the east–in the gunks or Lake Placid. Or maybe the White Mountains….
I would like to see the rescue insurance back again.
I like all of the ideas that were put forth in other comments, particularly local events.
My idea is that AAC budgets some grant money for beneficial expeditions. What I mean is that there would be a fund created to help fund clean up efforts or expeditions into the mountains. It could be as simple as $1000 grant that could be applied for if a team of climbers is planning on arranging a clean up on popular a popular route like the Nose or Camp I on Everest.
It would accomplish many things in the process. First it would get AAC’s name out there, second it would help make the mountains cleaner etc, and third it would help fund climbers that are trying to help.
Of course, now that I read above I see that AAC is already planning this. Oops. Well, I vote for this idea….
trying to make a larger network that gives more deals for members would be great… like we have at the teton climbers ranch… how about making deals with air taxis in alaska? a lot of my partners have well-paying jobs, but i don´t… every penny counts!
i personally think the AAC should help out valle cochamo and conservacion patagonica more to deflect prospective development in the southern America, as well
i`m all about preservation too… fighting against any kind of development in wild places would be funds well allocated
i think the AAC should help dispurse Leave No Trace ethics and pamphlets as well… too many climbers are not conscious of the damage they cause… either from ignorance or poor schooling, diseminating the LNT info could easily be done with the AAC mailings or simple links in the emails
how about ways to find partners worldwide… im going to japan in february by myself and would love a way to find climbers who actually know the areas im going… you would think with 500 million people on facebook that could be possible, but it is much more arduous than perceived
[...] of you might have heard, the AAC’s book club has plans for global domination. In response to your requests for more local activities, we are hoping to launch book clubs in each AAC Section that wants one, possibly by [...]
[...] some of you might have heard, the AAC’s book club has plans for global domination. In response to your requests for more local activities, we are hoping to launch book clubs in each AAC Section that wants one, possibly by [...]