94% of climbers believe climate change poses a risk to the places we climb, ski, and mountaineer*

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AAC News

What you need to know
Phil Powers to Step Down from Position as AAC CEO
Cutting Edge Grant, Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grant, McNeill Nott Award, & Jones Grants Now Open
We've Completed Our Most Challenging Ascent Yet: Climb the Hill
2019 Cornerstone Conservation Grant Winners Announced
American Alpine Club Heads to DC for Fourth Annual Climb the Hill
Register for 2019 Craggin' Classics
2020 US Ice Climbing Team Applications - now open!
Inaugural State of Climbing Report Released
Announcing: Our 2019 Live Your Dream Grant Winners
2019 Cornerstone Conservation Grant Now Accepting Applications
Climbers for Climate—AAC Takes Action!

#AACGRAM

Join us in sharing the adventure, joy, and passion of climbing.

“You can’t always hold grace all the time. Some days are so hard that it's crushing. It’s about working with your mind and being kind with yourself and learning how to adjust,” says @angela_vanwiemeersch in her @climbinggrieffund interview (linked in bio). Angela, who lost her partner Scott almost three years ago, delves into the experience of grieving while continuing to climb at a professional level, and mentions the difficulty of finding mental health support from someone who understand the basis of climbing. We’re working on increasing accessibility to mental health support through individual therapy grants and a nationwide directory of mental health professionals that understand grief, trauma and climbing. Photo by @hennataylorfilms taken on Cheyenne and Ute land. #aacgram #climbinggrieffund
@bretteharrington lost her partner, Marc-André, in March of 2018. “The process of grief made me the best version of myself that I didn’t even know existed,” she told @climbinggrieffund, "All the little and unimportant things fade away; I don’t get stressed by them. But at the same time the sadness is just so heavy—there’s a reason why I don’t care about those other things.” Brette’s full interview in our Climbing Grief Fund story archive delves into the depths of the human experience in relationship to grief. Link in our bio. Photo by @hennataylorfilms taken on Cheyenne and Ute land. #aacgram #climbinggrieffund
Last year, AAC members @madaleinesorkin and @maryd_harlan climbed a link-up in the Black Canyon to raise awareness for the Climbing Grief Fund. “I longed to see support for friends suffering terrible losses and for my community to fully engage with its collective grief,” Madaleine writes, “What might it look like to anchor these particular grief cries into a collective narrative that makes space for death, our pain, and offers resources to return to the vitality of ourselves?” Now, the @climbinggrieffund evolves the conversation around grief and trauma in the climbing community and connects individuals to effective mental health professionals and resources. We’re also amplifying stories of community members who have reflections on the topic of grief, and hosting free Moving Forward with Grief and Trauma Workshops with mental health professionals at five of our seven #cragginclassic events. Links in our bio. Photo by @hennataylorfilms taken on Ute land. #aacgram #climbinggrieffund
Celebrate climbing, community, and stewardship in this stunning landscape with us at the Bishop Craggin’ Classic (November 1-3). Link to learn more about all seven of the Craggin’ Classics in our bio. Photo of @kaledoesit by @ken_etzel in the Happy Boulders on Northern Paiute, Southern Mono/Monache, and Western Shoshone land. #aacgram #cragginclassic
From the no-approach-needed bolts and cracks of Wall Street to the iconic splitters of Indian Creek, the sandstone surrounding our Moab Craggin’ Classic is ideal for learning new skills and practicing your technique. This event also features a legendary costume contest, a premiere of @reelrock 14, and, of course, the opportunity to give back through stewardship. See you there October 25-27! Link in bio. Photo by @emma.longcope taken on Ute land. #aacgram #cragginclassic
THIS is how the Craggin’ Classics make us feel. Mark your calendars (and get a ticket via our link-in-bio) for climbing, community, clinics, contests, stewardship and more at Shelf Road, Colorado October 18-20. Photo by @adamonthego taken on Apache, Cheyenne, and Ute land. #aacgram #cragginclassic
At Craggin’ Classics we’re stoked to offer clinics on a full spectrum of topics, rain or shine. Need a refresher on trad placements? We got you. Want to learn self-rescue techniques? We got you. Want to learn in a supportive group of only women? We got you. Link in bio! These shots are from the Midwest’s favorite climbing extravaganza, the Devil's Lake Craggin’ Classic, happening this October 11-13. Photos by Scott Thompson taken on land of Sauk and Meskwaki, Ho-Chuck, Miami, and Sioux tribes. #aacgram #cragginclassic
Banner photo: AAC member Garrett Grove
*Data provided by over 5,000 climbers in our 2019 Annual Climbers’ Survey