AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB
GUIDEBOOK TO MEMBERSHIP
ALPINIST MAGAZINE
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ith each print edition of Alpinist, we aim to create a work of art in which every detail—from our extended photo captions to our carefully selected images and well- crafted stories—merges into a single, harmonious whole. Inside our pages, we strive to offer our readers an experience like that of exploratory climbing, a realm of words and images where they can wander, discover surprising new viewpoints, and encounter moments of excitement, humor, awe and beauty.
By publishing the work of climbers from a wide range of ages, technical abilities, nations and cultures—united by their passion for adventure and wild places—we hope to reflect and enhance the sense of community within the climbing life. Over time, back issues have become collectors’ items, serving as historical references and ongoing inspirations. Like our readers, we believe that great writing and art about climbing demand the same boldness, commitment and vision as the pursuit itself. JOIN US.
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GUIDE TO THE GUIDE
08
MEMBERSHIP THROUGH THE LENS
18
MEMBER STORIES
photos from our members
tales from our members
18 TRI HARD
not your average picnic by Bree Buckley
22 NO FOOTWORK NECESSARY
living the dream on Washington Column by Enock Glidden
24 LEARNING OUR WAY
belay standard time by Ron Funderburke
26 BLIND FAITH
introducing a new grant to keep our crags safe by Chris Weidner
28 THINKING OUTSIDE THE CHAINS
a makeover for Rumney’s top anchors by Allie Levy
30 THE ECSTACY OF A BEATDOWN
struggles and successes on the Silverthrone-Brooks traverse by Ryan Wichelns
32 RECREATION PIPELINE
protecting Valdez’s natural playground by Lee Hart
34 DREAMSCAPE
bringing memories of Smith Rock to life by Meg Kahnle
36 THE MISSING PITCH coming together to spread the word by Drew Brodhead
38 STACY BARES ALL
an interview with Stacy Bare
40 UPWARD
43
finding balance in the Karakorum by Scott Bennett
BETA everything you need to know
Guidebook to Membership | 1
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WELCOME
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hen we started making the Guidebook to Membership four years ago, we did so to help you understand the benefits of AAC membership. But over the years, the Guidebook morphed into something different—something more meaningful. As more and more of you started sending us your photos, artwork, and stories, it turned into a venue for sharing all the amazing things you, our members, accomplish. It’s only fitting that this book has become a tribute to the adventures our members have had over the last year, because the most important part about the Club is all of you. Your member dues go towards funding the dream trips of climbers across the country. Your volunteer hours keep our climbing areas healthy. But most importantly, your love for climbing is the lifeblood of the Club. This year’s Guidebook celebrates you more than ever before. In it, you’ll find more of the stories you’ve grown used to seeing here over the years, from first-hand accounts of grant-funded trips and conservation projects to spotlights on notable members. But you’ll also find a story about a how one woman’s psych sustained her for 42 hours of biking, swimming, and climbing in one of the Tetons’ unofficial mountain triathlons. And you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how the news of last summer’s rockfall on Half Dome spread through the climbing world. And once you’re done reading about the rad things your fellow members are doing, turn to the back of the book for a refresher on what being a member gets you—and how your membership contributes to making the climbing world a better place. ’Til next year! The GTM team
cAAC member Craig Muderlak 4 | American Alpine Club
Guidebook to Membership | 5
What are you planning on doing today?
Š Petzl / Photo: Kalice
AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB
GUIDEBOOK TO MEMBERSHIP
EDITORIAL
Production Director: Whitney Bradberry Editor: Allie Levy Contributing Editor: Erik Lambert Editorial Intern: Haley Littleton
CREATIVE
Art Director: David Boersma
CONTRIBUTORS Photographers: Savannah Cummins, Jeff Deikis, Jeremy Dreier, Ken Etzel, Kelsey Gray, Ross Henry, Craig Hoffman, Luke Humphrey, Tim Kemple, Eric Khape, Abazar Khayami, Jason Kruse, Keith Ladzinski, François Lebeau, Michael Lim, Craig Muderlak, Joshua Edric Perez, Alton Richardson, Austin Siadak, Drew Smith, Edwin Teran, Jeremiah Watt Writers: Stacy Bare, Scott Bennett, Drew Brodhead, Bree Buckley, Alison Criscitiello, Ben Foster, Ron Funderburke, Enock Glidden, Lee Hart, Meg Kahnle, Allie Levy, Michael Restivo, Greg Thomsen, Chris Weidner, Ryan Wichelns, Alex Wildman Artists: Whitney Bradberry, Meg Kahnle, Craig Muderlak, Clay Wadman, @climb_draw The Guidebook to Membership is made possible by contributions from members like you. This is your Guidebook. This is your Club. Our Vision: A united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes. Our Mission: To support our shared passion for climbing and respect for the places we climb. The American Alpine Club 710 10th Street, Suite 100, Golden, CO 80401 Phone: (303) 384-0110 • Website: americanalpineclub.org Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Copyright ©2016 The American Alpine Club. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Photographs copyrighted by photographer unless otherwise noted.
a [Cover] John Collinson frictions to the top of a limestone egg in the
boulder fields of Castle Hill, South Island, New Zealand, as Kaki Orr and Kaitlyn Farrington give a spot below. AAC member Tim Kemple [Page 1] Wolfgang Huber teeters along Aiguille d’Entrèves approaching the summit. AAC member Luke Humphrey [Right] Auzie Gwinn squeezes his way up Atari (V6), a Bishop classic in the Happy Boulders of the Volcanic Tablelands. AAC member Jeff Deikis
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a Mike Holland and Peter Hudnut top out Las Agujas (The Spires), El Potrero Chico, Mexico. AAC member Drew Smith
a Alex Johnson worms her way to summit glory on Plumber’s Crack (V2) in Red Rock, NV. AAC member Tim Kemple
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a Cristian Herrera makes the mandatory leap towards the descent after climbing Left Y Crack (5.9) on the Y Boulder in the Buttermilk area of the Eastern Sierra. AAC member Ken Etzel
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a [This Page] Miranda Oakley and
James Cherry carpool to the crag in Indian Creek, UT. AAC member Austin Siadak [Facing Page, Top] Tim Kemple takes belly flopping to the extreme in Laguna de Los Tres in El ChaltÊn, Argentina. AAC member Tim Kemple [Facing Page, Bottom] Mike Libecki scopes the tallest natural rock arch on the planet, Shipton’s Arch in Xinjiang, China. AAC member Keith Ladzinski
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a [This Page, Top] Dave Corkern susses the sequence on Gaston Legume (V9), tucked away in the New River Gorge, WV. AAC member Edwin Teran [This Page, Bottom Left] Barbara
Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher enjoy a sunrise on El Cap in Yosemite National Park, CA, during their ascent of El Niùo (5.13c, A0). AAC member François Lebeau [This Page, Bottom Right] Vickie Hormuth celebrates the end of a day in Indian Creek, UT, by pouring a drink as Wyatt looks on. AAC staff member Whitney Bradberry [Facing Page] Katherine Choong zeros in on her next clip on Paradise Lost (5.13a) in the Red River Gorge, KY. AAC member Michael Lim
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a [Facing Page] 2016 Photo Contest Winner: Anthony O’Neill thrutches up the off-width section of Beer Crack (V3) in Vedauwoo, WY. AAC member Jeremy Dreier [This Page, Top] Ken
Etzel heads for the Buttermilks in Bishop, CA. AAC member Jeremiah Watt [This Page, Bottom Left] Who says climbing trips are all fun and no work? Julie Ellison finds peace and an office space in Ten Sleep, WY. AAC member Alton Richardson [This Page, Bottom Right] Luke Stefurak showers on a rest day, Indian Creek, UT. AAC member Austin Siadak
Guidebook to Membership | 17
TRI
HARD Story by Bree Buckley, Photos by Savannah Cummins
18 | American Alpine Club
Guidebook to Membership | 19
F
or the most acclimated climbers, Mt. Moran is a two-day trek, and here we were, attempting it in mere hours. We had already spent 10 hours biking, swimming, and scrambling through a talus field, and once we reached the summit, we would have to turn around to do it all in reverse. Underground mountain triathlons, humbly nicknamed “picnics,” are unsanctioned races against fatigue using local terrain and one hell of a mindset. The first—dreamed up in Jackson, Wyoming, by photographer and writer David Gonzales as a way to push personal limits in the alpine—linked together a bike ride, alpine swim, and alpine climb to land participants on top of the majestic Grand Teton. Scenic, savage, self-made, and self-motivated, it provided an antidote to the elitist attitudes that sometimes plague organized endurance races. After the original picnic came a longer and more difficult version, the Moranic, which combines a 25-mile bike ride, three-mile hike, 1.6-mile alpine swim, 5,367-vertical-foot hike, and 1,000-foot technical climb to summit Mt. Moran. Any celebration at the summit is only half-lived, since the second half of the challenge still lies ahead. Intrigued and confused by the concept of these sufferfests, I joined Kelly Halpin to become the first women to attempt the Moranic. At 9 p.m. on a crisp summer night, we began our bike ride from the Jackson Hole Town Square. Watching the sun set majestically behind the Tetons, we sped through a vortex of canopied trees toward Leigh Lake, where we met up with our support crew. The 40-degree air made our transition at the lake’s shore a rapid, acrobatic shimmy into constrictive wetsuits. With slow and cautious steps, we waded into the chilling lake using glow sticks as spotlights, then paddled our way toward the gigantic boulders at the base of the climbers’ trail on the other side of the lake. Crawling like tadpoles to avoid slipping on the mossy rocks along the shore, we ripped our wetsuits from our bodies and took off on foot. Speeding up a boulder field by moonlight is as liberating as it is tricky. After 5,367 vertical feet, we reached the start of the technical route as the sun began to rise. Running low on energy and shivering from a sudden change in temperature, I wrapped myself in a sleeping bag and recharged for 10 minutes before setting off up the CMC Route, a five-pitch 5.5 up Moran’s east face. Finally atop Mt. Moran five hours later, we high-fived and scarfed down a quick picnic of Snickers and bacon, before locating our first rappel station and reversing our path. We finished our downclimb through a storm of hail, rain, lightning, depleted water, and exhaustion. We summoned the energy to squeeze back into our wetsuits and slither into the lake in the dead of the night. Battling severe dehydration and the threat of hypothermia as I swam, I recognized I had reached my physical limit and made the difficult decision to quit. Kelly believed that if her mind could do it, her body would follow. She found the motivation to push through sleep deprivation, dehydration, and dizziness and biked the final 25 miles back to the town square. Thirty-two and a half hours after we started and 42 hours since waking up two days ago, we finally had time to fall asleep. I didn’t win a prize or gain recognition. I didn’t even complete the triathlon. Instead, I walked away with a strengthened sense of self, pride in my ability to make safe decisions, and a new way to compete with myself—without registration fees or crowds—all by packing a simple picnic.
20 | American Alpine Club
a [Previous Spread] Bree scrambles to the summit of Drizzlepuss, where the technical climbing begins on Mt. Moran. [Top Left] Finished with her swim, Bree finds a path through the boulder field at the base of Mt. Moran. [Top Right] Content but confused, Bree and Kelly pause for a brief moment 24 hours into the Moranic. [Bottom] Bree follows the CMC Route.
Guidebook to Membership | 21
NO FOOTWORK NECESSARY by Enock Glidden
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limbing the 3,000-foot face of El Capitan demands experience and endurance from any climber who attempts it. But for me, an adaptive climber with spina bifida—an incomplete closing of the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord—climbing El Cap requires experience, endurance, and thousands of pull-ups. Yet this is what I set out do when I applied for a Live Your Dream grant in early 2015, fueled by visions of long, clean granite lines. Prior to applying, I had done a few climbs of 100 feet or fewer in the Gunks and one 200-foot climb at Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire. But what I lacked in experience I made up for in enthusiasm, and I trained through the winter with pull-up after pull-up and never-ending weightlifting sessions. Following a weekend of ice climbing, I hit a major roadblock: frostbite. What would have been a minor setback for an able-bodied athlete threatened to cancel my trip entirely. Thankfully, after nine days in the hospital followed by a month of IV antibiotics, my body was strong enough to resume training. I spent the next few months doing more pull-ups and practicing my rope systems on a tree in my mentor Sean O’Neill’s backyard. Despite the obstacles, I arrived in Yosemite last September hopeful that I might complete my dream climb. A practice run at the base of the Nose, in which I attempted to reach the Sickle Ledge, left me frustrated when my systems didn’t work as smoothly as I had hoped. Forced to bail from 50 feet up, I had no idea how—or if—I would be able to pull off my objective. The next day, I had a stern heart-to-heart with a friend, who challenged me on my preparations and poked at the holes in my climbing knowledge. Following our conversation, my team made the disappointing—but wise—decision to attempt Astroman on Washington Column instead of El Cap’s Zodiac to simplify logistics. I would still need 10 people to carry me to the base. Unsure of whether we would be able to pull together a team, I went to bed not knowing if I would climb the next day. The next morning at 6:30 a.m., 15 people were waiting in the parking lot to carry me two hours up steep and rocky terrain. Finally at the base, the climbing team—consisting of Nick Sullens, Christian Cattell, and Craig Muderlak—set the first pitch. I roped into my Croll chest ascender, attached my T-bar ascender to the rope, and started up. Once the climb started all my doubt and frustrations melted away. With each pitch the view got better and my smile got bigger. We set up a portaledge bivy at the top of the third pitch. While I was not quite prepared for sleeping 1,000 feet up on a cold, windy night in October, the view of Half Dome beneath the stars made it worthwhile. In the morning, we decided to climb just one more pitch before heading down. While I struggled to find the motivation to get off the ledge, I managed to ascend the final 70 feet. In the end, my ability to climb depended on the community that rallied to help me, in the parking lot, on the trail, and on the wall. Only with their support was I able to achieve my dream of climbing in Yosemite—maybe not the route I wanted to climb, but the route I needed to climb.
Enock still dreams of climbing El Cap and has planned another attempt—and lots of pull-ups—for October 2016.
a [Top] A team of 15 volunteers showed up to carry Enock up the steep approach to Washington Column. [Middle] Enock pulls his way
up Astroman using specialized gear. [Bottom Left] The descent. [Bottom Right] Enock starts the day in high spirits following a cold, windy night on the wall. AAC member Craig Muderlak
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Forced to bail from 50 feet up, I had no idea how—or if—I would be able to pull off my objective.
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LEARNING OUR WAY by Ron Funderburke
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learned to climb while living in Montpellier in Southern France, on a strange little climbing wall hoisted up on the back of an athletic stadium, using a figure 8 descender to belay. When I moved back to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, I became a belay instructor at a climbing wall at the University of North Carolina and, soon after, at a gym in Durham. I taught with the kind of conviction that an abbot might apprentice the brewing of beer. But today, in my work as a guide and as the Club’s Education Manager, I teach an entirely different method. Over the years, that progression seemed odd to me, but the more time I spend with the AAC, the more I realize how perfectly average my own story is. I think of members like Al Kormesser, a climbing gym owner, AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructor, and mentor to countless climbers. He learned to belay at a gym in Miami, Florida—as unlikely an origin as I can imagine. Alison Osius, Executive Editor at Rock & Ice, learned to belay off her waist at a tiny crag in the middle of Vermont. These stories happen in every region, discipline, and community. All climbers start somewhere inauspicious, but our paths curve and detour and evolve. Coming up this year, the AAC’s educational initiative will be taking us back to the roots of our sport, to distill everything we know about belaying into one Universal Belay Standard. While belay technology has changed, the values have not. The proven historical principles of belaying connect our collective past and present. By partnering with gyms, mountain clubs, climbing guides, and other instructors, the AAC hopes to respark the entire country’s interest in a skill that is inextricably part of our craft, culture, and history. We are working on an educational outreach program designed to disseminate crucial belay standards at gyms and crags and through informational videos and articles. While I learned to climb on a dinky crag in France, I have belayed and been belayed from one end of this country to the other. I know that a routine task like belaying can easily slip into my quotidian rhythm unless I bother to pay attention, open my imagination, and learn more about where it came from, where it is today, and where it’s going. When I learn from the AAC, I learn from every member we have ever had—and every belayer that has ever endeavored to share what they know with others. Incidentally, everything about climbing is same way, and the Club is uniquely situated to archive where we’ve been, comment on where we are, and forecast what the future holds. Imagine the power of that kind of classroom: millions of climbers, thousands of places, and countless teachable moments. When we come together, we bring our stories, perspectives, and histories with us. What better place to learn? We are each other’s collective classroom.
Ron Funderburke began working as the Club’s Education Manager last fall. For updates on the Universal Belay Standard, as well as other education initiatives, visit americanalpineclub.org/education.
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THE UNIVERSAL BELAY STANDARD The different circumstances in which we all learned to climb mean we all belay just a little bit differently. Oftentimes, the differences between your belay technique and that of the climber next to you are trivial. But occasionally, a lack of belay standards can lead to accidents. The Universal Belay Standard, based on the following three principles, is designed to help every belayer find a common language and ensure you get a safe catch. —Allie Levy
1. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR BRAKE HAND ON THE ROPE. 2. THE BRAKE HAND ONLY SLIDES WHEN THE ROPE IS IN THE BRAKE POSITION. 3. POSITION YOUR BRAKE HAND ACCORDING TO YOUR NATURAL STRENGTH.
c@climb_draw Guidebook to Membership | 25
BLIND FAITH Story by Chris Weidner, Photos by Craig Hoffman
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cott Sederstrom hung about 30 feet up while rope-soloing a sport route at the Owens River Gorge, California, in March 2015. The 44-yearold climber was weighting the third bolt when it suddenly broke loose from the wall. He fell to the ground and died from his injuries. The culprit was a 3/8-inch button head—an inferior bolt climbers have long stopped using—with visible corrosion, likely placed more than 20 years earlier. The accident received wide coverage from the climbing media and drew attention to an important question: how many more of these ticking time bombs remain at the Owens River Gorge and across the country? Five years ago, my wife, Heather, was working a sport route at the Secret 13 wall in Red Rock, Nevada. Repeated falls onto the fourth bolt produced an outward force on the first three bolts—nothing abnormal. But one of her falls was the final straw, and the third bolt pulled straight out of the wall and spiraled down the rope to the quickdraw below. In this case, the hardware was likely up to snuff: a half-inch, five-piece expansion bolt, like all the others on the wall. But something—we’ll never know what—had gone wrong when it was installed. A certain ground-fall had been lurking behind a façade of security. America’s crags are littered with countless outdated or improperly placed bolts, often offering little or no visual indication that they are unsafe. Last fall, the AAC partnered with the Access Fund to create a grant that empowers local climbing organizations to
26 | American Alpine Club
upgrade fixed hardware at their crags. The first round of the Anchor Replacement Fund awarded a total of $10,000 to 17 rebolting projects across the country. One of those grants went to the Boulder Climbing Community, a local climbing organization dedicated to educating the community, recruiting volunteers, and funding efforts to modernize bolts across Colorado’s Front Range. The BCC used the grant to help fund a rebolting day in Eldorado Canyon. Eldo, primarily a trad destination, has been a popular climbing area for over half a century. Much of the original and second-generation hardware remains in place and hundreds of climbers every week trust their lives to corroding gear. We clip ourselves to rusted bolts and tell ourselves that blind faith will keep us alive. Last October, a group of 23 climbers gathered to replace old bolts at a popular cliff with a high concentration of bolted climbs: the Roof Routes. Many of the 49 bolts we replaced dated back to the 1970s and early 1980s. We removed them with frightening ease. Others had been upgraded as recently as 2003 but with plated steel, which left them rusty and weak compared to their stainless steel replacements. Together, we spent hours rigging and jugging lines, hauling heavy hardware, wrestling with stubborn, eroded bolts, and, finally, installing new hardware. The bolts we placed that autumn weekend should remain “bomber” for as long as 70 to 80 years—possibly a century. I like to think my great-grandchildren will safely climb on them. In that sense, bolt replacement is the ultimate form of climbing stewardship.
a [Top Left] Volunteers pulled dangerously rusty hardware out of Eldorado Canyon’s Fire and Ice and replaced them with upgraded hardware. [Bottom Left] Dan
Hickstein at work on Guenese. [Right] Boulder Climbing Community volunteer Evan Howell drills and hammers away at new anchors at the top of Pitch 1 of Psycho.
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THINKING OUTSIDE THE CHAINS by Allie Levy
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sport-climbing oasis in the midst of a trad-dominated Northeast, Rumney, New Hampshire, attracts thousands of climbers who show up in droves from Boston, New York, and beyond, looking to pull on schist and clip bolts. If you’ve ever climbed at Rumney, you’ve likely waited in line to get on a classic route and found heavily grooved anchors when you got to the top. Rumney is an incredible resource for climbers, and the heavy traffic the area sees creates accelerated wear on fixed hardware. On a trip to the Frankenjura in Germany, Rumney Climbers Association board member Dave Quinn stumbled across a type of top anchor not widely in use in the U.S., called pigtail anchors. Also known as ramshorns, each pigtail is composed of two loops of stainless steel jutting out from a horseshoe-shaped bend, giving them the durability of chains or rings and the convenience of other lower-off anchors. Dave returned from his trip with 50 pigtails to install at the top of his climbs. He and other RCA volunteers placed two at the top of each route. While toproping directly through fixed gear is always discouraged, Dave and the RCA encourage climbers to lower-off, rather than rappel, when cleaning anchors of climbs equipped with pigtails.
Eliminating the need to untie and re-thread the rope not only reduces the risk of accidents, but also cuts down on time spent at the top of a climb—and makes it possible for more people to enjoy the classics. Given that the wear of the rope is concentrated on the outside of each pigtail, Dave expects to be able to swap the positions of the pigtails currently installed, doubling the life of the hardware. The initial batch of pigtails proved successful, and the RCA applied for and received money from the Anchor Replacement Fund to install more. Currently, pigtails are only available from European suppliers, so the RCA has taken a gradual approach to installation. During the replacement process, they have reached out to the local community, educating local climbers on the proper use of pigtails through presentations, clinics, and mock top anchor setups in gyms. Ensuring that climbers understand how to assess the safety of bolts and top anchors and providing them with the power to upgrade aging hardware has become a priority for many local climbing organizations. The RCA is at the forefront of fixed anchor stewardship, looking beyond chains and mussy hooks to find safer, more sustainable solutions.
a [Facing Page] Rob Frost battles the waves of Technosurfing (5.12b) at Waimea Wall, Rumney, NH. AAC member Ross Henry 28 | American Alpine Club
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THE ECSTACY OF A
BEATDOWN by Ryan Wichelns
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notice the rope sagging between my harness and my last screw, 15 feet to my right in the nearly vertical ice. I pause to breathe. Check my front points—they’re solid enough. My single ice axe, daggered in my left hand, is stuck into the thin ice about as well as I can hope. I can see another 10 feet of ice below me... then nothing until the bottom of the basin that we’re aiming for.
30 | American Alpine Club
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t’s our seventh (or maybe eighth) day on this ridge. We are nearly finished with a traverse from Mt. Silverthrone to Mt. Brooks in the Central Alaska Range—a fairly ambitious and technical first that links five peaks in a remote part of Denali National Park. Today was supposed to be our final day. About six months earlier, I received word from the AAC that I had won a McNeill-Nott Award, which would enable me to go on a trip I had dreamt of for years. In the following months, I studied topos and agonized over logistics for shuttling hundreds of pounds of gear and food to base camp. Hardly an exciting fantasy—but still, this was my dream trip. My toes are beginning to feel fuzzy, sloshing in the bathtub of cold water that my boots have become. I realize I’m soaked all the way up to my waist. My calves are bleeding after brushing off several minor crampon stabs, and my glove liners are nearly frozen. It’s 3 a.m. I’m fighting to keep the garage doors of my eyes from slamming shut as Gabe rappels down to meet me. We’ve been climbing continuously for 24 hours. We left camp early yesterday morning and summitted Brooks in a whiteout by stumbling up the peak’s blade-like south ridge, desperately struggling to keep our orientation in the white haze. And then somehow we ended up here, forced off route, sliding down a rope anchored by shallow v-threads and inventing a route into the bottom of this basin surrounded by cliffs. We are not supposed to be here. With no other choice, we rig rappel after rappel, until we finally make it to the glacier a few hours later. I stare back up at the mess of rock and ice. I crane my neck, trying to make sense out of the route we followed back to the glacier. I can’t. But somehow, one rope length at a time, we worked our way down. Clearly we did something right. This trip was by far the hardest thing we have ever done. And it was also the greatest thing we have ever done. It took us some time to realize those two ideas are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are often synonymous, even if it’s hard to see that when things go sour. Gabe later said we used everything we had ever learned about climbing to get from Silverthrone to Brooks and back to base camp. It tested us more than anything else ever has, validating all our training and begging us to go even bigger next time.
a [Facing Page] A view of the team’s camp in the col from above on a rare clear day on the route
up Silverthrone. [This Page, Top] Looking south over the Brooks Glacier toward Mt. Mather. [This Page, Bottom] The team’s first unobstructed view of Mt. Brooks following a week-long approach. AAC member Ryan Wichelns
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RECREATION
PIPELINE Story by Lee Hart, Photos by Kelsey Gray
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pending my winters in Valdez, Alaska, with its endless options for outdoor adventures, has ruined me for winter in the Lower 48. Tucked into a corner of Prince William Sound and surrounded by the majestic Chugach Mountains, Valdez is a natural playground where outdoor enthusiasts can climb, bike, hike, snowshoe, paddle, or ski on almost any day of the year. The southern terminus of the Alyeska Pipeline, Valdez is the snowiest city in North America and, ironically, the northernmost ice-free port, allowing oil tankers to motor in and out year-round to fill their holds with crude oil. But today, declines in production in the pipeline coupled with depressed global oil prices have left many Alaskans wondering how to diversify the area’s economy. A small band of passionate outdoorists in Valdez believe they have an answer. They created Levitation 49, a non-profit sports commission dedicated to economic diversification through the development of the area’s best attribute—its mountain sports offerings. Levitation 49 founder Nick Weicht, along with other Valdez climbing pioneers before him including Jeff Lowe, Andrew Embick, and Brian Teale, have worked for years to put up new rock, ice, and mixed routes in the area. Of Valdez’s five major climbing areas, Keystone Canyon is the most visited. Each year, climbers gather beneath Keystone’s spectacular waterfall ice for
the Valdez Ice Climbing Festival. Given our mission to support and grow the local economy through increased yearround visitation to Valdez, we knew we had to do something to proactively preserve and protect Keystone Canyon from being loved to death as the area grows in popularity. Last year, we applied for and were honored to be awarded a Cornerstone Conservation grant from the AAC. Funds from the grant will allow us to install permanent interpretive signage to educate climbers and other visitors on both the geology of Keystone Canyon and its climbing developments. The grant will also allow us to purchase eco-friendly, portable toilet structures that will be used at the Valdez Ice Festival, as well as Levitation 49’s other festivals, including the Chugach Fat Bike Bash in March and the Valdez Rock Climbing Festival in late May. Since receiving a Cornerstone grant, we have gained incredible momentum and support from the Valdez community, as well as leading companies and organizations in the outdoor industry. As our momentum continues to grow, funding from the Cornerstone grant has contributed to the infrastructure necessary to sustaining a growing outdoor community in Valdez.
Lee Hart is the Executive Director of Levitation 49.
a [This Page, Top] A traffic sign on loan from the Department of Transportation announces the 2015
Valdez Ice Climbing Festival. [This Page, Top Middle] A group of participants waits at the base of a set of topropes put up for the festival. [This Page, Bottom Middle] Dane Ketner leads an unnamed M7 away from festival crowds, with Daniel Linnell on belay duty. [This Page, Bottom] Patrick Harris climbs the steep ice of a feature nicknamed the Damalanche, which formed following an avalanche that filled Keystone Canyon with water in 2015. It has since melted. [Facing Page] The women’s clinic, led by Emily Escapule of SheJumps, gets larger each year. Over 40 women participated in 2016.
32 | American Alpine Club
Guidebook to Membership | 33
DREAMSCAPE by Meg Kahnle
E
lated, I sat covered in dirt, sweat, and sunscreen watching the shadows chase the Crooked River hundreds of feet below. I had just lead my first multi-pitch trad route from ground to summit—the West Face Variation of the Monkey in Smith Rock, Oregon—marking the completion of the first phase of my Live Your Dream grant. Beaming, I thought, “This is just the beginning.” I took a photo to commemorate this moment, and it takes me back to the summit whenever I see it. Receiving a Live Your Dream grant kickstarted a project to help others appreciate the power of images. Every photo we snap and store on our phones and our cameras has the ability to transport viewers to a specific moment in time. My project would fuse photos taken at Smith Rock to tell the story of climbing in the park— and to illuminate the greater power our photos possess when we bring thousands of them together. After collecting over 1,300 photos through social media, I
34 | American Alpine Club
began meticulously organizing each memory. I collaged the photos on three boards, then used a textured medium that dries clear to build up the shapes of Smith’s landscape. Finally, I painted over the medium with watered down acrylics, allowing glimpses of the stories I had collected to shine through the paint. As I painstakingly printed, cut, arranged, glued, and painted over each image, I felt as though I was transforming into an ambassador for our climbing community. Each photograph held a memory—of epic days in the park, of successes and failures through rain, snow, and blistering heat—that I could feel emanating from the canvas as I worked. This spring, I auctioned off the painting and donated all of the proceeds back to the Park. I hope that by sharing the stories of Smith Rock, from the development of its climbing scene to the couple who got married on the side of the Monkey Face and everything in between, I can inspire others to take a trip and find their own ways to give back.
“After collecting over 1,300 photos through social media, I began meticulously organizing each memory.”
a [Facing Page] The finished triptych. AAC member Eric Knape [Left]
The project comes together in Meg’s home studio. AAC member Meg Kahnle [Above] AAC member Eric Knape
Guidebook to Membership | 35
c Last summer’s rockfall on Half Dome forever changed the Regular Northwest Face. Clay Wadman’s topo maps out the scope of the damage. AAC member Clay Wadman 36 | American Alpine Club
THE MISSING PITCH by Drew Brodhead
“Just got a call from a buddy who is currently at the top of pitch 11 (pitch above the Robbins traverse) of the regular route on Half Dome and he says the ledge there is missing! Anyone heard of recent rock fall on HD? He’s done the route before so I kinda trust what he’s saying, as outlandish as it sounds.” —Dave Miller, Supertopo, July 5, 2015 “What do you mean? Ledges don’t just disappear!” Scott yelled as I swung around on an aged piton. On July 5, 2015, my partner Scott Sinner and I had intended to climb the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome car-to-car in a day—my third time up the Yosemite classic. Our weather window arrived following a series of storms in the Sierra Nevada, and we were happy to find the wall to ourselves when we arrived at the base at 7 a.m. Ninety feet off of the belay at the top of Pitch 10, I looked to my right, expecting to see the next belay ledge. In its place, I saw a faint dirt outline stretched across an improbable slab. Following some confused exploration, I lowered off a slung block, and Scott tied in to see for himself. He returned a few minutes later with the same bewildered expression, both of us suspecting that the ledge was scattered about the Death Slabs below. Back at the belay, we began calling former climbing partners to see if they knew something we didn’t. We confirmed our suspicion that the giant flake had fallen after talking to Dave Miller of California Mountain Guides, who immediately hopped online to solicit beta and put out a warning. While climbers across the country speculated about our situation on SuperTopo and Mountain Project, we began to bail, comforting ourselves with the knowledge that we were (we hoped) out of the path of any further rockfall. We downclimbed to the left side of the route then rappelled off of bootied carabiners and bleached cordage from past parties. We made it back to the ground leaving only one nut and two carabiners from our own rack. In the days following the discovery, word spread like wildfire thanks to climbing blogs, magazines, and the mainstream media. Climbing activity virtually ceased on Half Dome due to the threat of continued exfoliation. Our community got the word out and the quick response likely saved more than one unsuspecting party from getting stranded on the route. Though climbing may seem like a lone-wolf activity to outsiders, we are in fact a strong community that stretches to the corners of this planet that we love to climb. By looking out for one another—whether it’s alerting others to dangerous conditions, noticing a bad belay, giving correct beta, or just saying ‘hi’ at the crag—we forge a united community of climbers.
STORY CONTEST WINNER “‘What do you mean? Ledges don’t just disappear!’ Scott yelled as I swung around on an aged piton.”
Guidebook to Membership | 37
STACY BARES ALL AN INTERVIEW WITH STACY BARE
E
arly on in his climbing career, current AAC Board of Directors member and Sierra Club Outdoors Director Stacy Bare made a “harebrained” winter ascent of Longs Peak that turned into a mini-epic. The next day, he bought his copy of Freedom of the Hills. In the following years, Stacy, a former Civil Affairs Team Leader for the U.S. Army in Baghdad, founded Veteran Expeditions (along with fellow vet Nick Watson) to help others experience the therapeutic benefits of climbing and the outdoors. We caught up with Stacy to learn more about his views on how climbing can enrich, and even save, lives. —Haley Littleton AAC: How did you get your start as a climber? SB: A couple years after I got out of the Army, I moved to Boulder, Colorado. Part of my life was going great, but part of my life was pretty miserable. I reached out to a friend who challenged me to climb the Third Flatiron with him. I did and I was hooked. Climbing saved my life, quite literally. It pulled me out of my head and got me moving. It helped me find a sense of purpose, a community, a group of friends. AAC: What have you been climbing lately? SB: I started organizing ways for other veterans to come outside with me soon after I started climbing, so that takes a lot of time. I also became a dad in January, but climbing remains something I dream about—something I do as much as I can. AAC: What makes mentorship so crucial to our sport? SB: To start climbing you need someone who is willing to spend time teaching, encouraging, and supporting you. But we all need to remember that the process never ends—the moment someone tells me they know it all, I know that’s not someone I want to climb with. I’ve been mentored by folks older and younger than me, and I hope to pass on what I’ve learned to newer climbers. That’s the joy of the community! AAC: Why are you an AAC member? SB: The AAC was the first sponsor of Veterans Expeditions. I have since left VetEx, but without the AAC there would have been no VetEx and I would not be as involved in the climbing community. The Club has been a great community to be a part of as I’ve grown as a climber. The campgrounds are fantastic, the annual publications are the best reading material about first ascents and competency I can get, and the organization continues to grow as a great voice for the mountains.
38 | American Alpine Club
a [Top Left] Last fall, Stacy returned to Angola, where he spent time clearing landmines 10 years ago, with friend Alex Honnold. [Above] Joined by members of the Honnold Foundation, Stacy and Alex explored Angola’s mostly undeveloped climbing potential. AAC member Abazar Khayami
Guidebook to Membership | 39
UPWARD by Scott Bennett
T
oday, this pitch, this crack, this hold—this is why I climb. During my six weeks in the Karakoram, I’ve done plenty of hiking, ferrying loads back and forth. I’ve spent entire days in my tent, watching movies on a tiny screen. But rock climbing has been in short supply. So to be here, on granite thousands of feet up, is exhilarating. It’s my second day on Changi Tower with Graham Zimmerman and Steve Swenson—my day to lead. After a morning of scrappy mixed climbing and zigzag traverses, I reach a beautiful dihedral, gray and gold walls laced with streaks of black and white. A crack forms the spine of the corner. At the top, perhaps 500 feet away, an overhang taunts me; this will be a battle to the last inch. I’m grateful for all of those summers spent in Yosemite Valley. If it’s granite and there’s a crack, I’m confident that I can somehow scratch my way up. I slide my arm into a slot and make a fist, locking my hand in place. I lift my knees nearly to my chest and place my toe on a quarter-inch ledge. Breathing carefully so as not to upset my balance, I lever upward. Another tiny edge, another hand deep in the crack. I’m slowly gaining ground. Still above me, though, hangs the protruding lip of rock. A sinister wide crack grins, little icicles hanging in it like teeth. I imagine my body crammed up in this cave, nothing but air below and icy granite on all sides. After two days of climbing and six weeks of travel, could this last obstacle really stop us? Scanning the mountain above, I see a bit of snow hanging on the edge of the dihedral. There must be a ledge there, or else the snow would have been swept away. If I can get there, perhaps I can skirt around and access the easier snowfields leading to the summit. I feel a rush of confidence: this is the way. Little round pockets honeycomb the face, and my feet and hands fit perfectly. One step over, then two... I’m leaving the security of the crack and the possibility of placing protection. But to the left the snowy ledge gleams in the sun. Breathe smoothly, keep my chest in close to the wall, shake out my arms to get a quick rest, balance on each scooped foothold. Focus burns away every shred of doubt, and I move upward.
Scott was awarded a Lyman Spitzer grant for his trip to the Pakistani Karakoram with Graham and Steve. The team made the first ascent of Changi Tower, a striking 6,500-meter granite spire. A week later, Scott and Graham made the second ascent of K6 West. Their expedition is the subject of a feature article in this year’s American Alpine Journal. Look for it on page 44 when you receive your AAJ this summer.
40 | American Alpine Club
a [Top Left] The team approaches Changi Tower. AAC member Scott Bennett [Bottom Left] Scott and Graham work their way up the clean granite dihedral on Changi Tower. AAC member Steve Swenson [Above] The view of Changi Tower, lit up in the distance, from the team’s camp. AAC member Scott Bennett
Guidebook to Membership | 41
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2015 Annual Report In 2015, we grew to 16,000 members which, combined with over $1.4 million in donations, allowed us to expand our key programming efforts. Take a look at the year’s biggest milestones and greatest achievements. We’ve been busy! QQ We launched Member Share 2.0, a new way to connect with all 16,000 members. QQ Under the leadership of our new Education Manager, Ron Funderburke, we launched an initiative to standardize safe climbing practices. QQ We reignited our dedication to protecting climbing landscapes with a new five-year policy plan to guide the work of incoming Conservation and Advocacy Director, Maria Millard. QQ Accidents in North American Mountaineering got a facelift and a new name, Accidents in North American Climbing. The 2016 version will be printed in full-color. QQ Our lodging network continues to expand. The newest AAC campground in the Gunks hosted climbers for its first full season, and the New River Gorge Campground saw the completion of its bathhouse. QQ $130,000 went towards climbing, research, and conservation through AAC grants— including the largest Live Your Dream payout to date as well as a new grant, the Anchor Replacement Fund, launched in partnership with the Access Fund. QQ Climbers gathered together to develop their skills and give back to the areas they love at the two newest Craggin’ Classics, in Shelf Road, Colorado, and Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin. QQ The support of volunteers all over the country enabled us to launch our new Chapter Program, with 16 new local chapters in 2015 and at least 25 on deck for 2016.
Fiscal 2016 Performance 13.07% 34.69%
14.09%
Expenses $2,775,089
38.15% Membership
Contributions & Grants
Program Services
Other
7.75%
On the last day of 2015, we lost our President, Doug Walker, to an avalanche. He was a force in the conservation and climbing worlds and cared deeply about making sure that young people had access to our public lands and the instruction they need to get outside safely. Doug left us with a vision and inspiration for the Club’s future, which we will continue to work toward in 2016 and beyond.
51.04% 14.51%
Revenue $3,153,440 Phil Powers CEO 26.70%
Read the full report: bit.ly/2015AACreport
Salaries
Community
Contributions & Grants
Operations
5 Year Growth by Membership Type 1 5,903
622
2 5,923
1,717
1 20 1 20
3 6,898
Regular
1,517 844
4 7,474
974
3,147
1 20
5 8,083 6 8,429
2,572 1,156
3,673
1 20
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
Joint
2,270 1,055
3,560
1 20
Senior
1,968
2,401
1 20
Junior
10,000
1,167 12,000
2,725 2,782 14,000
16,000 Guidebook to Membership | 43
Membership Join the Community Together, we share a passion for climbing. When you join the AAC, you become part of a community that’s making a big difference. We support each other with rescue insurance, critical lodging facilities, conservation projects, advocacy, grants, discounts, and more. Introductory: $45/six months First-time members only. Plan automatically renews at $70/year upon expiration
Regular: $70/year (on auto-renew) $85 single year. Our most popular plan. Student: $35/year (on auto-renew) $50 single year. Must be currently enrolled at an accredited institution. Family: $70 for first adult, $65 for second; $30 for each child (on auto-renew) Additional $15/year for single-year plans. Options for one or two adults (18+) plus up to five minors. All members receive full benefits, but we send only one set of publications.
Lifetime Membership: $2,500 individual • $4,500 joint Show your dedication to the climbing community and support your fellow members and climbers for life. Dues are permanently waived after this one-time payment. Benefits forever!
Visit membership.americanalpineclub.org/join or call (303) 384-0110.
Connect Member Profile By visiting your online profile at profile.americanalpineclub.org, you can: QQ QQ QQ QQ QQ QQ
find AAC events in your area access all your benefits invite your friends to join the Club and score free swag donate to the Club access Member Share update your account settings
Member Share Meet members. Climb. Share beta. Member Share is a network of members that have opted in to share resources or meet up. It’s completely optional and a great way to meet people in your local climbing community or around the country. By opting in, you can: QQ QQ QQ QQ
find a climbing partner find a couch to sleep on during your next climbing trip search local discounts on gyms, guide services, and gear shops sync up your Mountain Project ticklist
To access Member Share, sign in at profile.americanalpineclub.org.
Social Media facebook.com/americanalpineclub twitter.com/americanalpine instagram.com/americanalpine 44 | American Alpine Club
a Colin Grey “Last year, I relocated from Seattle, a city with a long and storied mountaineering tradition, to Boulder. Moving to a smaller city, I found the climbing community accepting but incredibly tight-knit, and hard to penetrate at times. I even tried looking for climbing partners on social apps. I decided to give Member Share a try, and I found people much like myself: climbers who had recently moved or were actively seeking new partners. I sent an email to introduce myself and found several people willing to meet up at the gym. After one session, we were already planning future trips. Meeting other climbers through Member Share not only improved my confidence on the wall, but also gave me the confidence to meet new partners even in a new place. I’m thankful for the opportunity to connect, meet people who match my ambitions, and learn from new partners.” —AAC member Michael Restivo
#AACGRAM
Support the Club
a Climbers rejoice during the kickoff of the 2015 Fall Highball Craggin’ Classic, held each November in Bishop, CA. AAC member Jeff Deikis
How to Give Your tax-deductible gift to the American Alpine Club helps members and volunteers pursue the mission and core programs of the Club. From conservation to competency, your donation will work to protect the climbing experience for years to come. Options for giving include a one-time gift, monthly giving program, matched gift, stock donation, combined federal campaign, or Great Ranges Fellowship contribution.
Piolet Society The Piolet Society honors those who remember the AAC in their estate plans. Most estate gifts come as a bequest through a will or living trust, or as a beneficiary designation of an IRA or life insurance policy. Each of these options allows you to retain full control of your assets during life. Through the Piolet Society, you can leave a legacy as timeless as the mountains themselves. For more information about charitable estate planning, or to join the Piolet Society, please contact us at (303) 384-0110 or give@americanalpineclub.org.
Great Ranges Fellowship The Great Ranges Fellowship (GRF) brings our donor-members together with exclusive events and trips, timely insider communications, access to staff and officials like never before, and more. At the AAC, we value every gift—no matter its size. In recognition of our most generous donors, we’ve created this program. The GRF provides benefits, recognition, and communication to donors at various levels. Most gifts qualify toward annual membership in the GRF including those directed toward key operating programs such as the American Alpine Journal, Accidents in North American Climbing, the American Alpine Club Library, the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch, and grant programs. The program does not include Corporate Partners, Media Partners, or fiduciary programs such as expedition support. POWERED BY: Teewinot Fellow: $1,000 QQ QQ QQ QQ QQ
exclusive GRF duffel bag recognition in the American Alpine Journal recognition in the Guidebook to Membership subscription to Alpinist inclusion on the Fellowship Insider email
Robson Fellow: $2,500 QQ all the benefits of Teewinot Fellow QQ invitation for two to VIP Reception at the Annual Benefit Dinner with purchase of tickets
Alpamayo Fellow: $5,000 QQ all the benefits of Robson Fellow QQ a limited-edition hardcover American Alpine Journal QQ two AAC gift memberships to share with your friends and family
Eiger Fellow: $10,000 QQ all the benefits of Alpamayo Fellow QQ two additional (four total) invitations to the VIP reception at the Annual Benefit Dinner with purchase of tickets QQ two additional (four total) AAC gift memberships to share with your friends and family
Learn more at americanalpineclub.org/great-ranges-fellowship. Guidebook to Membership | 45
Get Involved AAC volunteers are crucial to the functioning of the Club and its programs. Our dedicated volunteers across the country do everything from presiding over the Board of Directors to pouring beer at local events. If you’d like to volunteer on a local level with your section or chapter, visit your section page through americanalpineclub.org/regions and send an email to your section chair.
CASCADE
MONTANA
NEW ENGLAND
OREGON
UPSTATE NEW YORK
NORTH CENTRAL
IDAHO
MIDWEST WYOMING MID-ATLANTIC
METRO NEW YORK
GREAT LAKES WASHINGTON D.C. SIERRA NEVADA
UTAH FRONT RANGE WESTERN SLOPE
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN
HEARTLAND
SOUTHWEST ARIZONA
NEW MEXICO DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS HAWAII
ALASKA
Chapter Program Chapters are smaller, more localized organizations within the AAC. Our chapters work on a grassroots level in climbing communities across the country, giving members a chance to connect with one another through events, stewardship, and education. Don’t have a local chapter in your area? Would you like to start one? Please contact Adam Peters at apeters@americanalpineclub.org.
Western Region
americanalpineclub.org/western-region Sierra Nevada Section Chairs: Karen Zazzi, Kristen Knute Tahoe Chapter Chapter Chairs: Sam Nies, Adam Selby
46 | American Alpine Club
San Francisco Chapter Chapter Chair: Jeff Reupel Southwest Section Chairs: Tony Yeary, Eric O’Rafferty San Diego Chapter Chapter Chairs: Piotr Andrzejczak, Johnathan Wachtel
Arizona Section Chair Open Phoenix Chapter Chapter Chairs: Eli Berko, Ben Watson Flagstaff Chapter Chapter Chair: Jeff Snyder Hawaii Section Chair Open
Northwestern Region
Central Region
Cascade Section Chairs: Chris Mutzel, Truc Allen, Erin Schneider
Midwest Section Chair: Ray Kopcinski
americanalpineclub.org/northwest-region
Alaska Section Chairs: Cindi Squire, Harold Hunt Montana Section Chairs: Kevin Brumbach, Emily Stifler Oregon Section Chairs: Graham Zimmerman, Ally Imbody, Preston Corless
americanalpineclub.org/central-region
Triad Chapter Chapter Chair: Todd Mullenix Washington, D.C. Section Chair: Dave Giacomin
Heartland Section Chair: Jeremy Collins
D.C. University Chapter Chapter Chair: Charlotte Drizen
Texas Section Chair: Adam Mitchell
Baltimore Chapter Chapter Chair: John Richardson
North Central Section Chair: Mark Jobman
Richmond Chapter Chapter Chair: Rick DeJarnette
Great Lakes Section Chair: Bill Thompson
Seneca Rocks Chapter Chapter Chairs: Diane Kearns, Tom Cecil
Idaho Section Chairs: Kammie Cuneo, Meghan Kahnle, Jason Luthy
Southeast Region
Northeast Region
americanalpineclub.org/southeast-region
americanalpineclub.org/northeast-region
Rocky Mountain Region
Deep South Section Chair: Michael Kidder
New England Section Chairs: Rick Merritt, Nancy Savicas
Southern Appalachian Section Chair: Danny McCracken
Mid Atlantic Section Chair: Barry Rusnock
americanalpineclub.org/rockies-region Front Range Section Chair: Carol Kotchek
Denver Chapter Chapter Chairs: Casey Allen, Nate Allen Western Slope Section Chair: Lee Jenkins Utah Section Chair: Blake Summers Wyoming Section Chair: Micah Rush New Mexico Section Chair: Pat Gioannini
Columbia Chapter Chapter Chairs: Jennifer Kane, Heather Stuckless
Philly Chapter Chapter Chairs: Alex Wildman, Shawn Ryan
Charleston Chapter Chapter Chair: Robert Lavarnway
Central PA Chapter Chapter Chair Open
Triangle Chapter Chapter Chairs: Brian Peters, Dave Thoenen
Pittsburgh Chapter Chapter Chairs: Jim Kunz, Cat Salvatore
Charlotte Chapter Chapter Chair: Garrett Gossett
Upstate New York Section Chairs: Will Roth, Mark Scott Metro New York Section Chair: Howard Sebold
“I first heard of the American Alpine Club years ago while on a trip to the Grand Tetons. This was going to be my first climbing trip that involved a plane and I was stoked. While hiking up to the Lower Saddle on the Grand, we came across two climbers that could not stop talking about the AAC. They told us about the benefits, the sweet Climbers’ Ranch, and how the collective power of climbers can make a difference. I was beyond excited to find this community of passionate climbers. After joining, I wanted a way to share this excitement with the climbing community back home in Philadelphia, which led Shawn Ryan and I to start the Philadelphia Chapter. The creation of this chapter and the events we’ve organized have helped us create deeper connections in the community we love so much.” —AAC member Alex Wildman
Guidebook to Membership | 47
Benefits of Membership AAC members enjoy discounts on gear, lodging, gym memberships, guide services, and more.* For the most up-to-date list of discounts, as well as information on how to redeem each discount, log in to your profile at profile.americanalpineclub.org and visit the members-only discount section.
Featured Discounts*
20% off
30% off
15% off
PMS 647c c100 m56 y0 k23 r0 g86 b149
48% off
40% off
40% off Himalayan Hoodie; 20% off other clothing
25% off
25% off
20% off
20% off
90% BLACK
20% off
100% WHITE
20% off
20% off
20% off apparel
20% off
10% off
10% off
$10 off
ProMotive.com: AAC members also have access to discounts on over 300 more brands through ProMotive.com. To join the AAC’s ProMotive team, follow the instructions detailed on the Gear Discounts page of your online profile at profile.americanalpineclub.org.
Featured Online Retailers*
$10 off when you sign up
$15 off orders of $75 or more
Free Webolette if you spend $75
$10 off when you sign up
Additional Discounts* Asana Big Agnes BlueCosmo Satellite Communications Dry Ice Tools Feathered Friends Gneiss Apparel Supply Co.
Hydroflask Icebreaker iClimb.com Insta-Bed Julbo Kelty Kleen Kanteen
NEMO Equipment Ortlieb USA Rack Attack Sharp End Publishing Slumberjack Top of the World Books Ultimate Direction
Vertical Medicine Resources Vigilante Wenzel Y&Y Belay Glasses
In-Store Discounts* Feathered Friends Seattle, WA
The Mountain Shop Portland, OR
Rock and Snow New Paltz, NY
GreenLife Adventure Sports Norfolk, VA and Glen Allen, VA
Second Ascent Seattle, WA
Down Wind Sports Marquette, MI
Rockwerx Barre, MA
Anvil Crash Pad Rentals Chattanooga, TN and Atlanta, GA
Patagonia New York, NY, Boulder, CO, and Denver, CO locations only
*Discounts are subject to change and restrictions may apply. Discount percentages listed are approximations and may not apply to every product. Though we try to provide you with accurate information, we cannot guarantee you will receive the discount rates listed here or on our website. 48 | American Alpine Club
Gym Discounts* Boston Rock Gym Woburn, MA Initiation fee waived. $50 per month. $25 Intro to Climbing and Learn to Lead. Boulderdash Indoor Rock Climbing Thousand Oaks, CA Initiation fee waived. Boulder Rock Club Boulder, CO $550 annual pass. Brooklyn Boulders Brooklyn, NY; Long Island City, NY; Chicago, IL; Somerville, MA Initiation fee waived. 15% off membership. $25 day pass with gear. Climb Nashville Nashville, TN 10% off membership. The Crag at Cool Springs Franklin, TN 10% off day pass. Earth Treks Climbing Centers Columbia, MD; Timonium, MD; Rockville, MD; Golden, CO 50% off initiation fee. Edgeworks Climbing Gym Tacoma, WA 50% off initiation fee. 10% off membership. $10 day pass first Tuesday of each month. Evolution Rock & Fitness Concord, NH 15% off three-month pass. Flagstaff Climbing Center Flagstaff, AZ 50% off initiation fee.
High Point Climbing and Fitness Chattanooga, TN $2 off adult day pass.
Sanctuary Rock Gym Sand City, CA $12 day pass. $40 monthly pass.
Mesa Rim Climbing and Fitness Centers San Diego, CA; Reno, NV Initiation fee waived.
Seattle Bouldering Project Seattle, WA 10% off monthly membership. $10 day pass during Send and Social events.
MetroRock Rock Climbing Centers Boston, MA; Newburyport, MA; Essex, VT; Brooklyn, NY Initiation fee waived. $14 day pass. New Jersey Rock Gym Fairfield, NJ 10% off day pass. Peak Experiences Midlothian, VA $60 monthly membership. Petra Cliffs Burlington, VT Initiation fee waived. 20% off monthly pass. 20% off day pass. First visit free. Phoenix Rock Gym Tempe, AZ 10% off two-week, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual passes. Planet Granite Belmont, CA; San Francisco, CA; Sunnyvale; CA Initiation fee waived. Rock Fitness Gym Wildomar, CA Initiation fee waived. 20% off monthly membership. 20% off day pass.
Granite Arch Climbing Center Rancho Cordova, CA $11 day pass. $45 monthly pass.
Rocknasium Davis, CA $12 day pass. $34 monthly pass. $374 annual pass.
The Gravity Vault Upper Saddle River, NJ; Chatham, NJ; Middletown, NJ 10% off day pass.
Rock’n & Jam’n Thornton, CO; Centennial, CO 10% off day pass. 10% off monthly pass. 10% off paid-in-full memberships.
Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center Rutland, VT; Hartland, VT 10% off annual pass. 10% off monthly pass. $10 day pass. 10% off guided trips.
Rock Spot Climbing Lincoln, RI; South Kingstown, RI; Boston, MA Initiation fee waived. 10% off annual pass. $12 day pass. $18 day pass with gear.
Hangar 18 Hawthorne, CA; Riverside, CA; Upland, CA $10 day pass. $33 monthly pass.
Salt Pump Climbing Company Scarborough, ME 10% off day pass. 10% off punch cards. 10% off membership.
Sender One Climbing Santa Ana, CA 80% off initiation fee. Solid Rock Gym San Marcos, CA; San Diego, CA; Poway, CA Initiation fee waived when you pay two months upfront. $13 day pass. Stone Summit Atlanta, GA; Kennesaw, GA 10% off all options. Tennessee Bouldering Authority Chattanooga, TN 10% off membership. Threshold Climbing and Fitness Gym Riverside, CA Initiation fee waived. $5 day pass. Touchstone Climbing & Fitness San Francisco, CA; Berkeley, CA; Sacramento, CA; Concord, CA; Oakland, CA; Fresno, CA; San Jose, CA 75% off initiation fee. Urban Rocks Chattanooga, TN 10% off membership. Vertical World Seattle, WA; Redmond, WA; Lynnwood, WA Initiation fee waived. Vital Climbing Gym Carlsbad, CA; Murrieta, CA; Bellingham, WA $5 off monthly pass. Warehouse Rock Gym Olympia, WA 10% off membership. 10% off day pass.
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Magazine Discounts*
1 year, 4 issues: $29.95 2 years, 8 issues: $54.95
1 year, 8 issues: $9.95
1 year,10 issues: $12.95
1 year, 9 issues: $9.99 & a free gift
1 year, 2 issues: $13.98
Guide Service Discounts* The following guide services offer discounts for AAC members on instruction and guided trips both in the U.S. and abroad: Alaska Mountain Guides and Climbing School Alaska Mountaineering School Alpine Ascents International Alpine Skills International Alpine World Ascents American Alpine Institute Chicks Climbing & Skiing The Climbing Life Guides Colorado Mountain School Denver Mountain Guiding
Devil’s Lake Climbing Guides Erratic Rock Exum Mountain Guides Fox Mountain Guides High Peaks Mountain Guides International Mountain Guides Jackson Hole Mountain Guides Kingdom Adventures Mountain Guides Longleaf Wilderness Medicine Mountain Gurus
Mountain Madness New River Mountain Guides Northeast Mountaineering Northwest Alpine Guides San Juan Mountain Guides Southwest Adventure Guides Thomson Kilimanjaro Treks & Wildlife Safaris Vertical Medicine Resources
For specifics on discounts offered and more information on the guide services that support us, visit americanalpineclub.org/guides.
Lodging Discounts* AAC members enjoy discounted rates at the following lodging establishments: DOMESTIC Hans’s Basecamp Yosemite National Park, CA The Lodge at Colorado Mountain School Estes Park, CO Mountain Studies Institute at the Historic Avon Hotel Silverton, CO The Inn at Raspberry Ridge Marble, CO Appalachian Mountain Club Huts and Lodges Various locations, NH, ME, NJ
The Notch Hostel North Woodstock, NH
North Cascades Basecamp Mazama, WA
High Peaks Mountain Guides Guides’ House Lake Placid, NY
Wexler Hut Seneca Rocks, WV
The Keene Farm Adirondack Forest Reserve near Keene, NY Mazama Lodge Mt. Hood, OR The Crash Pad Chattanooga, TN Greenmont Farms Underhill Center, VT
Hotel Engine Up to 60% off accommodations nationwide using hotelengine.com
Bentwood Inn Wilson, WY
INTERNATIONAL Kathmandu Clubhouse Kathmandu, Nepal
The Alpine House Jackson, WY
Sorcerer Lodge Golden, British Columbia, Canada
Devils Tower Lodge Devils Tower, WY
Erratic Rock Hostel Puerto Natales, Chile
Double Diamond X Ranch Cody, WY
Refugio Cochamo Cochamo, Chile
Turpin Meadow Ranch Moran, WY
For more information on specific discounts, visit americanalpineclub.org/aac-lodging-network.
Huts Discounts* AAC members enjoy discounted access at huts owned and operated by alpine clubs around the globe, including the UIAA huts in Europe, the New Zealand Alpine Club’s huts, and the Alpine Club of Canada’s huts. AAC members are automatically eligible for the same rate as NZAC and ACC members at most huts in New Zealand and Canada; AAC members may choose to purchase a hut stamp for UIAA huts in Europe, where rates vary by country. To learn how to purchase hut upgrades, visit americanalpineclub.org/aac-lodging-network#huts. *Discounts are subject to change and restrictions may apply. Discount percentages listed are approximations and may not apply to every product. Though we try to provide you with accurate information, we cannot guarantee you will receive the discount rates listed here or on our website. 50 | American Alpine Club
a The Hueco Rock Rodeo 2016 ramps up after dark. AAC member Jason Kruse
AAC Lodging The AAC is committed to building and maintaining facilities for climbers in popular climbing destinations across the country. Members enjoy reduced rates at these facilities. For information on additional lodging options, visit americanalpineclub.org/aac-lodging-network. Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch Moose, WY Located just south of Jenny Lake and four miles north of Park Headquarters, the GTCR offers the most affordable and accessible lodging for climbers visiting Grand Teton National Park. Book your stay at americanalpineclub.org/grand-teton-climbers-ranch.
New River Gorge Campground Fayetteville, WV The campground at the New River Gorge features 40 tent sites on a 40-acre parcel adjacent to National Park land, within walking distance of popular crags. Book your stay at americanalpineclub. org/new-river-gorge-campground.
Gunks Campground Gardiner, NY The AAC’s newest campground, located a short walk from the Trapps and Near Trapps, includes 50 drive-in and walk-in campsites for visiting climbers. Book your stay at americanalpineclub.org/ gunks-campground.
Snowbird Hut Talkeetna Range, AK The Alaska Section’s Snowbird Hut is beautifully situated in the Talkeetna Mountains on the northern edge of the Snowbird Glacier. The hut is open to the public at no cost. For more information, visit americanalpineclub.org/snowbird-hut.
Hueco Rock Ranch El Paso, TX Located just three miles from Hueco Tanks, the Ranch offers climbers both bunk-style accommodations and tent sites near some of the best bouldering on the planet. Book your stay at americanalpineclub.org/hueco-rock-ranch.
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Rescue AAC members are automatically eligible for $10,000 of total rescue benefits. Step past the trailhead and you’re covered for any humanpowered, land-based activity. Trailhead Rescue QQ $5,000 global coverage QQ No elevation restriction QQ To use the Trailhead Rescue Benefit, members must call Global Rescue at (617) 459-4200 as soon as possible during an emergency
Domestic Rescue Benefit QQ $5,000 reimbursement for out-of-pocket rescue expenses within the U.S. only—Canada and Mexico excluded QQ FIle a claim within 60 days of evacuation by emailing claims@ americanalpineclub.org or calling (303) 384-0110. Reimbursement
subject to verification and approval Rescues in 2015 In 2015, 30 members were rescued thanks to the Trailhead Rescue Benefit, and two members received reimbursement from the Domestic Rescue Benefit. Upgrade AAC members may upgrade to a full Global Rescue membership at a 5% discount. Learn more at americanalpineclub.org/rescue.
Publications The print editions of the American Alpine Journal and Accidents in North American Climbing are delivered each summer as part of your membership. Digital copies of the books are available anytime through your online profile. (If you’d like to help the AAC save resources, you can opt out of receiving print copies by visiting your account settings at profile.americanalpineclub.org.) To search any article ever published in the AAJ or Accidents, or submit your own story, visit publications. americanalpineclub.org. American Alpine Journal Published annually since 1929, the 400-page AAJ documents “the world’s most significant climbs” and wilderness exploration. In hundreds of first-person reports and photos, the AAJ provides both an essential historical record and a feast of inspiration. Accidents in North American Climbing The AAC publishes Accidents in North American Climbing each year to record notable climbing accidents. In this keystone of the Club’s educational mission, climbers, rangers, and rescue professionals analyze what went wrong, so you can learn from others’ mistakes and come home safely.
Library The Henry S. Hall Jr. American Alpine Club Library, located in Golden, Colorado, provides you with all the information you could ever want on mountain culture, history, and climbing routes. Our staff and 52 | American Alpine Club
volunteers are happy to assist with research and trip planning. Our collection of over 50,000 books and videos is always growing. Learn more at americanalpineclub.org/library. Explore Explore is a community resource that shares the AAC’s special and digital collections online and organizes them into exhibits, from the history of the Yeti to the story of the 1966 American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition. Check out the exhibits or browse the full collection at americanalpineclub.org/explore. Bookmail AAC members can borrow up to 10 books and five videos at a time for 28 days. Books may be checked out online and sent anywhere in the U.S. You pay only for return shipping. Use the online Guidebook Finder map to check out the guidebook you need for your next trip at americanalpineclub.org/guidebooks or search the catalog at booksearch.americanalpineclub.org.
Museum A joint venture of the American Alpine Club and Colorado Mountain Club, the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, Colorado, is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to mountaineering and rock climbing. The museum hosts rotating exhibits and showcases a scale model of Mt. Everest, the ice axe Pete Schoening used to save five falling ice climbers on K2 in 1953, and equipment from the first American ascent of Mt. Everest. Stop by to browse at your leisure, or join us for one of our monthly happy hours. For more information, visit mountaineeringmuseum.org.
Conservation and Advocacy The AAC is committed to working with partner organizations to protect our public lands, support facilitated access and healthy climbing landscapes and to advocate for other human-powered, outdoor recreation communities. For more information on our programs, visit americanalpineclub.org/conservation.
Education From publishing Accidents in North American Climbing to piloting the Universal Belay Program, the AAC is dedicated to keeping you educated on best practices and safe at the crag. To check out our educational initiatives, visit americanalpineclub.org/education. Universal Belay Program The AAC’s Universal Belay Program is designed to help every belayer find a common language and recognizable belay standard to ensure you get a safe catch. We are currently working with the UIAA and institutions around the country to establish safety standards that will reduce accidents. We have already begun disseminating this information through videos and articles, and soon, you will be able to take the AAC Universal Belay Standard course at your local gym, club, school, or course provider. Upon completion, you will receive a Universal Belay Certificate that will give you and your partners confidence in your ability to belay safely. Learn more at americanalpineclub.org/universal-belay-program.
Grants Each year, the AAC gives over $100,000 toward climbing, conservation, and research grants to help you realize your climbing dreams and protect the places we love. For more information about each grant, including application deadlines and funds available, visit americanalpineclub.org/grants. CLIMBING GRANTS Live Your Dream Grant
largely unexplored areas to complete difficult climbs. The longestrunning AAC grant.
POWERED BY: All climbers have dreams. Let us help you live yours. The Live Your Dream grant is designed to help you, the everyday adventurer, take your abilities to the next level. Receive $200-$1,000 of seed funding to jumpstart your next adventure. Cutting Edge Grant Supports advanced climbers undertaking high-level climbing and mountaineering objectives in remote areas, including unclimbed peaks, difficult new routes, first free ascents, or similar pursuits. Copp-Dash Inspire Award Designed for small teams that plan to document and share their ascents through multimedia storytelling. Primarily funds teams on unclimbed objectives in distant ranges, requiring a high level of skill and commitment. Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant A dual-purpose grant that funds projects with a humanitarian primary objective and a secondary objective involving climbing. McNeill-Nott Award Funds amateurs exploring new routes or unclimbed peaks with small, lightweight teams. Mountaineering Fellowship Grant Funds climbers ages 25 and under seeking to travel to remote,
Chris “Haliku” Pruchnic Grant Enables climbers living in the AAC’s Rocky Mountain Region to obtain Wilderness First Responder certification in an effort to increase their independence and knowledge of safe practices. CONSERVATION GRANTS Cornerstone Conservation Grant POWERED BY: Funds infrastructure projects spearhead by local climbing organizations that protect and conserve climbing areas in the United States. Anchor Replacement Fund Launched in 2015, in partnership with the Access Fund, to address the growing concerns of anchor failure and the access issues that could result from these incidents. Awarded to local climbing organizations and rebolting groups to keep our crags safe. Scott Fisher and Lara Kellogg Memorial Conservation Grants Funds expeditions that support and improve the health of mountain environments and habitats. Research Grants The AAC’s Research Committee administers funds from the Arthur K. Gilkey Memorial Research Fund and Bedayn Research Fund to support scientific research projects that align with AAC values.
“When you see an email from the AAC blinking in your inbox that starts with ‘congratulations,’ you know there’s a big adventure on the horizon. Along with Rebecca Haspel and Kate Harris, I set out to ski Tajikistan’s wintery border with its neighboring countries, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and China. And like any adventure worth its salt, nothing went as planned. Some regions we explored deeper than we thought possible, and in other regions we were thwarted. We were a team of three, but always part of something much bigger than our frozen trio. The support of the AAC and others helped us get creative when options were slim—namely, and most often, when the snow ran out. Ultimately, we are using our ski traverse of the eastern Pamir to bring awareness to global issues of conservation and wildlife connectivity across borders through a forthcoming film, articles by Kate, and presentations by Rebecca. This was an immense quest in every sense of the word, which would have been impossible without the support of the American Alpine Club Scott Fischer and Lara Kellogg Memorial Conservation Grants.”
a Kate Harris
—AAC member Alison Criscitiello
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Events The AAC brings our community together at hundreds of events throughout the year, from the Annual Benefit Dinner, which attracts members from across the country, to locally organized section dinners and more. AAC members enjoy discounted access to most events. Visit americanalpineclub.org/aac-events.
Craggin’ Classics
International Climbers’ Meet
POWERED BY:
Spend a week climbing and dining in the country’s most iconic climbing destination, Yosemite Valley, with climbers from every corner of the globe. ICM participants have the opportunity to participate in clinics and conservation projects, all while sharing a rope with partners from around the world.
The Craggin’ Classic series unites climbers around the campfire at world-class climbing destinations nationwide. Each fall, these festivals combine clinics to promote competency with stewardship projects to keep our climbing areas healthy. But most of all, they are an opportunity to hang out and climb—gatherings of the tribe. 2016 Lineup New River Gorge, WV Sept. 16–18
Moab, UT Oct. 28–30
Devil’s Lake, WI Sept. 30–Oct. 2
Bishop, CA Nov. 4–6
Shelf Road, CO Oct. 21–23
2016 Dates: Sept. 25–Oct. 2
Annual Benefit Dinner The Annual Benefit Dinner is the Club’s largest, most anticipated event of the year. Each year, the Annual Benefit Dinner weekend involves a packed schedule, including a Friday night Climbers’ Gathering and Saturday morning panels and presentations, leading up to the main event. The 2016 Dinner, located in Washington, D.C., gave guests the chance to rub shoulders with climbing legends, enjoy fine dining, and celebrate the year’s greatest climbing achievements. The 2017 dinner will take place in Seattle, WA.
Excellence in Climbing Awards Dinner A community celebration of inspirational climbing heroes whose achievements make the world a better place. Honorees at this year’s inaugural Denver-based event included the Hall of Mountaineering Excellence inductees and Alpina Cutting Edge Award recipients.
Athlete Tour From Aug. 28 through Sept. 14, the AAC will bring Ueli Steck back to the U.S. for a 10-city athlete tour. The Swiss Machine will share tales of his experience tackling 82 4,000-meter peaks in just 62 days and his recent Himalayan expedition. “The first annual Devil’s Lake Craggin’ Classic brought our local climbing community together to hang out and share the stoke. Not only did we get to climb a ton, but we also got the chance to give back to Devil’s Lake community by doing service projects to help keep the Lake clean. The variety of clinics offered something for everyone to further their skills, and getting the chance to learn from experts from all over the country was rad. There really isn’t any other climbing event like this in the Midwest, and I cannot wait until next year!” —Ben Foster
54 | American Alpine Club
Section Dinners, Chapter Gatherings, and More Stay up to date on other local happenings—including section dinners, presentations, movie nights, and more—by keeping an eye on your section newsletter and the events section of your online profile at profile.americanalpineclub.org.
2015 Grant Recipients LIVE YOUR DREAM GRANT Western Lucas Barth Nilo Batle Tara Bhuthimethee Brett Bloxom Ian Bolliger Peter Carey Miguel Diaz Jonathan Foley Logan Fusso Chelsea Gelbart Allyson Gunsallus Lars Hedin Eric Hengesbaugh Diana Hitchen Nathan Kalish Paul Koubek Kate McHugh Hari Mix Alix Morris Tomasz Podkanowicz Bernadette Regan Alex Rosenthal Jordan Shackelford Sarah Steele Brandon Thau Bob Thompson Keegan Wilson
Northwest Toby Butterfield Jenn Carter Emilie Cortes Matthew Farrell Nicolas Frazee Spencer Hennigan Ezekial Hocking Rachel James Jon Jantz Meghan Kahnle Jason Luthy Johan Ugander Barbara Schwarz Audrey Sniezek Mimi Stone Jaren Watson Sol Wertkin
Rockies Alton Richardson Jessica Meiris Micah Howard Owen Witesman Madeline Pickering Emily Hendrick
Jonathan Byers Hannah Trim
Central Jordan Horner Tyler Twoerk Greg Fischer
Northeast Wendy Ong Craig Muderlak Ben Teasdale Ryan Wichelns Enock Glidden Brian O’Leary Lucas Weiss Kelly Prime Garrett Drayna Joanna Sweetgall
Southeast Alan Goldbetter Andrew Blease Brandon Phillips Cathy Cramer Corey Winstead David Hurley Gary Owen Joe DeGaetano Kayah Gaydish Naz Ahmed Rick DeJarnette Sharon Stoleberg
LYMAN SPITZER CUTTING EDGE AWARD Kyle Dempster Skiy DeTray Anne Gilbert Chase Graham Zimmerman
MCNEILL-NOTT AWARD Rachel Spitzer Ryan Wichelns
COPP-DASH INSPIRE AWARD Joshua Lavigne Rachel Spitzer Michael Wejchert Zach Clanton
MOUNTAINEERING FELLOWSHIP Fall Kat Vollinger Brady Deal David Lee, Kurt Ross & Keenan Waeschle Ryan Wichelns
Ethan Newman Matthew Morris & Phillip Straub Riley Hawkins Jimmy Voorhis
Spring Dylan Cousins & Michael Tsuji Tess Ferguson & Alan Goldbetter Login Jamison, Jesse Mease, Rob Duncan & Nathan Conroy Jacob Wells & Eric Boyette Trevor Bloom & Jordi Johnson Mary Grace Helton & Shayna Brown
RESEARCH GRANTS Trevor Bloom Grant Lipman Patrick Wright Robin Thomas Tim Graham Kristin Schild
ZACK MARTIN BREAKING BARRIERS Mike Libecki & Lilliana Libecki
ANCHOR REPLACEMENT FUND AAC Colorado Climbing Posse Boise Climbers Alliance Boulder Climbing Community Clifton Climbers Alliance Climbing Association of Southern Arizona CRAG-VT East Idaho Climber’s Coalition East Tennessee Climbers’ Coalition Friends of Pinnacles Northern Colorado Climber’s Coalition North Idaho Climber’s Alliance Red River Gorge Fixed Gear Initiative Rumney Climbers Association Southern Utah Climber’s Association Telluride Mountain Club Washington State Anchor Replacement Project Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
CHRIS “HALIKU” PRUCHNIC GRANT Seth Blum
SCOTT FISHER-LARA KELLOGG MEMORIAL CONSERVATION GRANT HoWL Sergiu Jiduc Will Roush
RESEARCH GRANTS Grant Lipman Kristin Schild Trevor Bloom Tim Graham Patrick Wright Robin Thomas
CORNERSTONE CONSERVATION GRANTS Levitation 49 Truckee Donner Land Trust Climbing Association of Southern Arizona Carolina Climber’s Coalition Duluth Climbers Coalition Madrone Wall Preservation Committee Pikes Peak Climber’s Alliance Southeastern Climbers Coalition Boulder Climbing Community Guidebook to Membership | 55
2015 Great Ranges Fellowship $10,000+ Eiger Fellow
Anonymous (2) Nicole Alger & Zachary Karabell Malinda & Yvon Chouinard
Wes Edens Timothy Forbes Clark Gerhardt Todd Hoffman
Lou Kasischke Craig McKibben Allen Miner Mark & Teresa Richey
Carey Roberts Jim Simons Cody J Smith
The Spitzer Family Foundation Doug & Maggie Walker
$5,000-$9,999 Alpamayo Fellow
Patti Casey Jeffrey R. Cohen Maryclaire & Jim Collis Kit DesLauriers Philip Duff
Charles & Lisa Fleischman Gerald E. Gallwas Eric Green Rocky & Laura Henderson Stephen Hindy
Bradley Hoffman Phil Lakin Jr. David Landman George Lowe III Shelly Malkin
Peter Metcalf James Morrissey Vanessa O’Brien Steve & Paula Mae Schwartz
William Sheil Barbara & Bill Straka Geoff Unger Finn Wentworth
Thomas Janson Paul Morrow Karla Pifer Paul Rose Charles Sassara Stewart Sayah Ulrika & Mark Schumacher Stephen Scofield A.C. Sherpa
Theodore Streibert Robert Strode Lewis Surdam Joshua Swidler David Thoenen Pete Thompson Jack Tracy Lawrence True & Linda Brown Robert Wilson
Doris & Charlie Michaels Hacksaw David Morton Bob Palais Alan Peterson Louis Reichardt John Reppy Wolf Riehle Michael Riley Joel Robinson Darren Rogers Jeb Sanford Janet Schlindwein Stephen Schofield George Shaw John Sheu Fred Simmons Jay Smith De Snook Vincent Starzinger
John Stauffer Oliver Stauffer Robert & Jennifer Stephenson Duncan Stuart Steven Swenson & Ann Dalton Thomas Taplin John Townsend Ronald Ulrich Dieter Von Hennig Roger Walker Mark Wilford Warren Wilhide Todd Winzenried Steve Wunsch Keegan Young Rob Ziegler
$2,500-$4,999 Robson Fellow
Warren Adelman Penn Burris Bruce Carroll John Catto Eric Christu Christopher Croft James Crosslin William Davis James & Cheryl Duckworth
Kevin Duncan Alexander Eaton Jim & Michelle Edwards Greg Engelman Philip Erard Gary Evans Jim Frush Chris Gay Marilyn Geninatti Neil Gleichman
David Goeddel Jeffrey Hall Robert B. Hall Roger Hartl Sandy Hill Richard Hoffman Denny Hogan Robert Horton Robert Hyman & Deborah Atwood
$1,000-$2,499 Teewinot Fellow
Anonymous (2) Lisa Abbott Robert Anderson Jon Anderson Melissa Arnot Joseph Ashkar James Balog Gail Bates Vaclav Benes Brook Bennet Tanya Bradby & Martin Slovacek Wesley Brown Deanne Buck William Burd David Burton Betsy Cabot Dan Cohen Kevin Cooney Matt & Charlotte 56 | American Alpine Club
Culberson Rupert Dance John Davidge III Joseph Davidson Scott Davis Ed Diffendal Jesse Dwyer Bill Egger Ken Ehrhart Lee Elman Dan Emmett Terrence English Marc Evankow Todd Fairbairn Chas Fisher Chris Flowers Charlotte Fox James Frank Ellen Gallant James & Franziska Garrett
Frank Gould Wayne & Cynthia Griffin John Hebert Christopher Heintz Peter Helmetag Michael Hodges Marley Hodgson Dr. Thomas & Kathy Hornbein Michael Hornsby Tony & Hannah Horton Bradford Johnston Rodney Korich Misha Logvinov Chris Lynch Garrett Madison Brent Manning George McCown Gary McElvany Garry Menzel
2015 Donors $500-$999
Peter Angood Philippe Asseily In memory of Bill “Dolt” Feuerer & Ann Schaeffer Virginia Boucher Donald Brier Ian Broden Paul Brunner & Coleen Curry Melvyn Douglas Michael Feldman Erin Fitzgerald James Holmes Jonathan Hough Davina Kaile Diane Kearns William Kilpatrick M.D. Adam Kravetz Christine Kuhnke Daniel Lochner Edward Matthews Nat Matthews Edwards Matthews Matthew Mcdonough Alan Nagel Hilaree O’Neill Cynthia Outlaw John Parsons Stephen Richards Faanya Rose Jeffrey Rueppel Raymond VJ Schrag Howard Sebold Jennifer Stephenson Arthur Sulzberger Erwin Thomet Daniel Tocci Mark Tuller John Tunheim Alexander Uy Janet Wilkinson T.C. Price Zimmermann
$200-$499
Anonymous (1) Peter Ackroyd Carol Akerson Brian Aldrich Frank Alling Hirotatsu Armstrong William Atkinson
Carol Baker Nancy Baker Michael Barker John Beahrs Robert Bechaud Jenny Billet Cherie Blackburn David Blau Steve Boes Robert M. Branch Keith Brenneman Grant Brill Mark Butler Deanna Byck Jeffrey Campbell Zander Capozzola Juliana Chen Jerome Chin Dan Chung Geraldine Cohen William Combs William Cox Brian Dannemann Tony Decaneas Megan Delehanty Abby Dilley Christopher Downs Mark Dryden David Dugdale William Everheart Gregory Frux Thomas Gaidus Jeff Gelles Stephen Geremia Frederick Glover Eli Gottlieb Heather Gray Richard Gromlovits David Hahn Rick Hanheide Daniel Hartman Riley Hawkins John Heilprin John R. Kascenska II Rhonda Kelner Stephen Knapp Fred Knecht Al Koury Chris Kurtz Aaron LaFevers David Lawrence Vincent Lee Dougald MacDonald
Larry Achenbach
Henry Alicandri Conrad Anker Christopher Anthony Chuck Aude Mia Axon Allan Bach Michelle & Jeff Bader John Baily Stacy Bare Robert Baribeau Stephen Barry Kenneth & Kelly Bayne Christopher Beals Kenneth Beck Jacqueline Becker Hugh Behling Manfred Berretz John Berry Sumit Bhardwaj Richard Booth William Bourassa Jim Bourgeois Sharon Bovie Jane Bowman Bob Box Pat Brennan Kevin Brenneman Mandy Broden Bradley Brooks Jared Brown Lynn Buchanan Jake Burkhead Daniel Burres Gary Butcher Tommy Caldwell Angel Canales Charles Chapman Rue Chitwood Nicholas Chope Gerald Clarke Nicholas Clifford Justin Collett Christos Contakos Kevin Cooper David Coward Edward Cox Caspar Cronk Edward Dabrea Chase Dalton Lawrence Dauelsberg Mike Davis Robert DeBirk Stephen DenHartog
Richard Dietz Robert Dodson Mark Duffy Cynthia Dugger Alan Durfee David Dyess Charles Eiriksson Michele Evans Erik Fabricius-Olsen Martha Feagin Morris Firebaugh Mark Fletcher Casey Flynn Frederick Fonner Craig Fournier Kenneth Frankel Greg French Paul Friberg Paul Gagner Joseph Galbraith David George Glen Gierke Paul Gill Michael Gilliland Bob Gordon Steven Goryl Garrett Gossett Roy Goudy Ian Gourley Larry Graham Gordon Green Tyler Gress Charles Gunn Lindsay Hair Matthew Hale Cynthia Hamilton Curt Harler Dan Harper Paul Hayes Daniel Heacock Giles Healey Matthew Heimermann John Hewett Daniel Hildreth John Hodder William Hodgman Catherine Hollis Kim Hood Peter Horan Kristen Hughes Barry Hutten Harlan Irvine Brian Johnson
Timothy Jursak Betsy Katz Michael Kidder Kristopher Klein John Korfmacher Alfred Kormesser & Kimberly Dukes John Kozlosky David Krashes David Krenik David Kuban Tom Lannamann Andrea Laue Peter Law Kevin Lawlor David Lee Carl Lehner Arthur Leissa Paul Lorion Donald Lund Ross Macfarlane Jerry Mandello Al Marchiando Wallace Martindale Kelly Mathews Paul Maxwell K.J. Maxwell Peter McCarthy Michael McCormick Karen McDivitt Timothy Medvetz Alison Miyasaki Elizabeth Moran Michael Morgan Michael Morrison Daniel Murphy Ryan Nichols Mark Novak Brian Oestrike Beth Olson Chad Ovel Timothy Ozanne Richard Parker Dean Patenaude Gail Pavlich David Peterson Matt Powell Richard Pownall Joshua Randow Alexander Read Ted Regan Dorothea Reilly Drummond Rennie
William Ricci Justin Rich Court Richards John Rigney Benjamin Ringe Peter Robinson Brady Robinson Dennis Roscetti Charles Roskosz Kimberly Ross Doug Rothe Andrew Rubin John Rupley James Rusk Mark Sandrof Aidan Scannell Christopher Schroeder Roy Schwitters Dan Slack James Sneeringer Dan Snyder Katelyn Stahley Jonathan Stone Joshua Stone William Sweasy Nathan Tableman Rowland Tabor Bruce Theriault & Terry Coble Alexander Thomson Charles Tint Thanhvan Tran Angelina Trujillo Jolene Unsoeld William Van De Graaff Royce Van Evera Greg Van Inwegen Jehangir Varzi Elisia Villemure Bill Vipond Walter Wadlow Michael Walenta Ritner Walling Peter Ward Peter Webb David White Roger Wiegand Wayne Wilson Leonard Winchester Alana Winter Jon Wolff John Young Graham Zimmerman
Frank Castle Penny & George Cepull Nicholas B. Clinch David H. Coward Robert W. Craig Steven K. Davis Jerry Dixon Robert H. Dodson Phil Erard Ken Ehrhart
Keith Martin Fleishman James Frush Clark Gerhardt Jocelyn C. Glidden William C. Guida Judy Hannah William Hauser William & Dana Isherwood Richard M. Jali
Mark Kroese Ellen Lapham Don Liska George Lowe III James P. McCarthy Robert M. McConnell Bob McGown Margot McKee Natalie Merrill Will D. Merrit
Gregory Keith Miller Halsted Morris Mike Mortimer Monty & Kaye Music Alison K. Osius Drummond Rennie, M.D. Allen R. Sanderson Willits Sawyer Alan & Jan Scherer Charles Stuart
Shimanski Greg Sievers Barbara & William C. Straka Theodore Streibert Steven Swenson & Ann Dalton Jack Tackle Dr. Brett Taylor Martin Torresquintero
Reinhold A. Ulrich Edward E. Vaill Timothy Wilt Paul R. Winther II Loren M. Wood Michael Yokell
James F. Henriot Richard K. Irvin
Henry W. Kendall Reese Martin
Polly Prescott George R. Sainsbury
Mell Schoening Lyman Spitzer, Jr.
Bill Stall Robert J. Swanson
Bradford Washburn Paul Wiseman
Tim Maly Mary Ann Matthews Montgomery Mayko Justin McCarty John McCue C. Wayne McIlwraith Roger Mellem Richard Merritt Jack Middleton David Millar Jack Miller Miriam Nelson Ilona Nemeth Helen Nicholls Chris O’Connor David Oka Allen Peery Christopher Petrini John Pope Melissa Prager Greg Pursell Bill Randolph Jodi Richard Arnold Robson Alfheidur Saemundsson Robert Sanborn Andreas Schmidt Friedel Schunk Samuel Silverstein M.D. Kirk Smith Quade Smith Brian Stafford George Stanton Mark Stein Scott Strong John Tedeschi Tennessee Bouldering Authority Richard E. Tucker Mark Udall Charlotte Unger Justin Varga Edward Vervoort Jarett Wait Pete Ward Jim Wagon & Nancy Cohen Matthew Whooley H. Witte John Young
$100-$199
Piolet Society Living Edward Ames Michael A.P. Barker Roger E. Barnes Richard Bence Valclav E. Benes Richard G. Bickel James D. Booth Virginia Boucher Robert W. Burns, Jr. Robert J. Campbell
Deceased Robert Hicks Bates Stanley Boucher
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Partners The American Alpine Club is committed to supporting and inspiring everyone who loves climbing. The work we do has the endorsement, in the form of financial and in-kind support from a multitude of industry leaders. The unrestricted money we raise each year from our corporate partners is essential to the core operations of the AAC: national and international advocacy and
conservation work, publications like the American Alpine Journal, and events like the International Climbers’ Meet, all of which keep the spirit of climbing thriving. Our Media Partners—magazines, websites, photographers, artists—provide essential in-kind support to improve and spread the AAC’s message. Thank you for supporting those who support us.
Media Partners
Austin Siadak California Climber Magazine Cascade Climbers Climbing Zine Corey Rich/Aurora Photos Craig Muderlak Dirt Myth Photography Drew Smith
Edwin Teran Fixed Pin Publishing Gabe DeWitt Garrett Grove Jeff Deikis Jeffrey Rueppel Jeremy Collins Joe Stock
Organizational Partners
Joshua Edric Perez Luke Allen Humphrey Menno Boermans Michael Lim Mountainweather.com Nathan Welton Outback Media Sharp End Publishing
SNEWS Tim Kemple Top of the World Books Trailspace Truc Allen Media Wolverine Publishing Women’s Movement
Featured Corporate Partner "I grew up bouldering on the sandstone rocks at Stoney Point, in Chatsworth, California. Since the early 1930s, Stoney has been a training ground for American climbing legends like Glen Dawson, Jules Eichorn, Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, and Tom Frost (a recent inductee to the AAC’s Hall of Mountaineering Excellence). When I later ventured to the High Sierra, Yosemite Valley, the Himalaya and beyond, I always took a little piece of Stoney Point with me. The many people I met and climbed with, often AAC members as well, all had their own Stoney Points. We were members of a magical fraternity, and from Chatsworth, California, to Kathmandu, we always had each other. Now, as Managing Director of Adidas Outdoor USA, it’s exciting to watch the fraternity of climbers grow and come together in meetings, at award ceremonies and grassroots events, and through the Universal Belay Standard instructional video series. Through our fellowship, the flame first lit at the Stoney Points of the world continues to warm us and gets passed on to the next generation of Glen Dawsons, Royal Robbins, and Libby Sauters." —AAC member Greg Thomsen, Adidas Outdoor
58 | American Alpine Club
Corporate Partners Summit $50,000
High Camp $25,000
Basecamp $15,000
Patron $10,000
Partner $5,000
4025 Spencer St. #101 Torrance Beach, CA 90503, USA ph: 424.201.0689 fx: 310.214.2100 www.hippytree.com
Sustainer $2,500
Supporter $1,000
LOGO STYLE SHEET PLEASE USE LOGOS WITHIN THE GUIDELINES STATED BELOW ALL LOGOS MUST BE SCALED PROPORTIONATELY PLEASE USE THE BELOW PANTONE NUMBERS FOR PRINTING: PANTONE GREEN 361 PANTONE BLACK PANTONE WHITE
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NAME: HIPPYTREE BAR LOGO 3 COLOR LOGO WITH WHITE TYPE (USE ON ANY COLOR BACKGROUND)
Member $500
In Kind
Eddie Bauer • Dry Ice Tools • Gneiss Apparel • KNS Reps • Restop
Forty Below • Goal Zero • Nuun • Exped • Native • Omega Pacific • Trail Butter • Mountain Madness • Bluewater Distilling • Marmot Guidebook to Membership | 59
Board of Directors [HONORARY OFFICERS] Honorary President James P. McCarthy Honorary Treasurer Theodore (Sam) Streibert
[EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE] Matt Culberson President Clark Gerhardt Vice President Deanne Buck Secretary Phil Lakin Treasurer
[DIRECTORS] Term Ending 2017 Janet Wilkinson Kit DesLauriers Term Ending 2018 Mia Axon
Stacy Bare Brad Brooks Mark Butler Ken Ehrhart Chas Fisher John Heilprin Lauren Sigman
Term Ending 2019 Philip Duff Kevin Duncan Chuck Fleischman Peter Metcalf Carey Roberts Vik Sahney
Staff Phil Powers Chief Executive Officer Nat Matthews Chief Financial Officer/Director of Operations Keegan Young Managing Director Janet Miller Executive Assistant Craig Hoffman Information Technology Director Vickie Hormuth Development Director Philip Swiny Facilities Director Maria Millard Conservation & Advocacy Director Sam Andree Membership Coordinator Bob Baribeau Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch Manager David Boersma Graphic Designer Sterling Boin Financial Operations Analyst
Paul Curran Gunks Campground Manager Jeff Deikis Senior Programs Manager, Craggin’ Classic Series and Climbing Grants
Eric Rueth Library Assistant
Paul Dusatko Marketing Manager
Katie Sauter Library Manager & Museum Curator
Ben Edwards Development Coordinator
Devyn Studer Museum Manager
Eddie Espinosa Western States Manager
Roman Yalowitz Hueco Rock Ranch Assistant Manager
Ron Funderburke Education Manager Natalie Hawley New River Gorge Campground Manager Michelle Hoffman Online Store Manager Carol Kotchek Accountant Dougald MacDonald Publications Executive Editor Brian Martin Hueco Rock Ranch Manager
Blake Bowling Software Engineer
Collin McMillian Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch Assistant Manager
Whitney Bradberry Content Manager
Heidi Medema Special Events Coordinator
60 | American Alpine Club
Adam Peters Senior Programs Manager, Volunteer Leadership Program
Interns Michael Bovee Library Intern Andrew Forkes-Gudmundson Conservation & Advocacy Intern Fletcher Keeley Marketing Intern Haley Littleton Guidebook to Membership Intern John Rader Conservation & Advocacy Intern Lizzy Savino Library Intern Adam Wruck Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch Intern
I choose Hilleberg tents. Because life is too short to stay indoors. Lonnie Dupre Iconic cold-weather adventurer with a life-long passion for snow and ice. Uses a Hilleberg Soulo. A few of his accomplishments: L
First solo winter ascent of Denali in January.
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First circumnavigation of Greenland.
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First summer expedition to the North Pole.
Learn more about Lonnie at oneworldendeavors.com
Lonnie and his Soulo at 16,250 feet on Denali, January 2015
“ on my previous denali winter climbs, I’d always used snow caves because I couldn’t find a tent that I trusted
to handle the hurricane-force winds and heavy snow loads and that would allow for easy set-up in extreme cold. Then I found the Soulo. Hilleberg makes the best tents on the market!
”
Order a FREE catalog online at hilleberg.com or call toll free 1-866-848-8368 follow us on facebook.com/HillebergTheTentmaker
62 | American Alpine Club
THIS IS YOUR CLUBHOUSE.
a Brandon Fisher catches the last rays of light over the Alps near the Rochefort Ridge. AAC member Luke Humphrey
Guidebook to Membership | 63
a Crash pads in tow, a group of friends heads out into their “backyard” to take advantage of the sending temps in Boulder’s Flatirons. AAC member Joshua Edric Perez
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It’s lonely at the top. It’s lonely halfway to the top, too. Colin Haley pauses on his way to the summit of Punta Herron via Spigolo dei Bimbi before continuing on to finish his solo ascent of Torre Egger. Colin Haley