Leaving a Legacy
“There is a lot to be learned from climbing mountains, more than you might think, about life, about saving the Earth, and not a little about how to go about both.” David Brower
An Organization of Activists
When John Muir, a founding member of the AAC, dedicated his life to preserving Yosemite Valley, he could scarcely have imagined the role those regal granite walls would play in the world’s climbing history. But Muir, the president of the AAC from 1908 to 1911, perfectly understood the links between climbing and conservation. He once said, “If the wilderness was to be saved, people must come to love it.”
For more than 100 years, AAC members have been leaders in the conservation of mountain environments, both domestically and abroad. Ansel Adams was a longtime member, and David Brower, one of the key figures in the modern environmental movement, was a passionate climber and AAC vice president. AAC members helped win passage of the landmark Wilderness Act of 1964. Today, the AAC continues to be a home for passionate climbers and conservationists like Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, and the club is working more aggressively than ever to protect alpine environments and climbers’ rights to explore them.
• The groundbreaking Alpine Conservation Partnership, a joint venture of the AAC and the Mountain Institute, is the first systematic, worldwide effort to preserve and restore alpine ecosystems. Formally launched in early 2007, this long-term effort will leave a legacy unmatched in the history of climbers’ conservation projects.
• The AAC is an essential voice in the shaping of federal and state regulations and management plans affecting climbers, including mountaineering fees, rescue policies, and the use of fixed anchors in wilderness areas. AAC members also were instrumental in the preservation of historic Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley. Click to learn more about national policy issues and management plans at important climbing areas.
• The AAC has been a leader in reducing the impact of human waste in the climbing environment, from the innovative Clean Mountain Cans program in Denali National Park to pilot “carry-it-out” programs at Indian Creek, Rocky Mountain and Grand Teton national parks, and other areas.
• AAC research, conservation, and expedition grants help climbers and scientists perform essential work in remote mountain areas. A brand new conservation grant, the Lara-Karena Bitenieks Kellogg Memorial Conservation Grant, was just established in 2007.
• The AAC’s David R.Brower Award, created in 1991, is an annual award recognizing leadership and commitment to preserving mountain regions worldwide.
Get Involved!
Support the AAC conservation mission with a donation to the club.
Contact the Conservation Committee to find out how to help on a national level. The current chair is AAC Board member Ellen Lapham.
Join a local preservation effort through regional AAC events.
Read the Conservation Committee's 2007 annual report.
Watch this space for the latest AAC conservation news.