We are committed to providing climbers with resources that advance knowledge, inspiration, and advocacy. Through our rescue benefit and medical expense coverage, climbing and grief grants, campgrounds, and discounts, we are committed to empowering our members. We share knowledge and inspiration through the American Alpine Journal, Accidents in North American Climbing, and preserving climbing history in the AAC Library and Archives. Finally, we advocate for our members and the places we climb by breaking down barriers to climbing and seeking to preserve our climbing landscapes and public lands nationally and locally. At the AAC, we are connected through our passion for climbing.

Please send an email to [email protected] or give us a call at (303) 384-0110. Our office hours are 9am-5pm Monday through Thursday. The AAC office is closed on Fridays.

Our office is located at 710 10th St. Ste 100 Golden Colorado 80401. Our library is located at 710 10th St. Ste 15 Golden Colorado 80401. Please note that neither our office or library are open to the public at this time.

We are the oldest climbing nonprofit in the United States. We have been around since 1902!

We have 26,000 active members from around the world.

Anyone who joins the Club or renews their membership and resides in the U.S. is eligible for that year’s member shirt. If you just joined or renewed online this month, check that you have a t-shirt size in your member profile to ensure you’re included in next month’s mailing list. If you auto-renew this month, keep an eye on your email inbox for a form to fill out to request your t-shirt. If you renewed or joined earlier than this month, please reach out to us at [email protected], and we can get you a shirt!

Log in to your AAC Member Profile. Click Benefits, then Discounts, then navigate between the gear, gym, guide, or lodging tiles.

You can add an Alpinist and/or Backcountry subscription to your membership purchase any time you join or renew with us. You can also log in to your AAC Member Profile and go to Discounts, then Magazine Discounts. Enter the code at our store link here.

Yes! We welcome international members at the Partner level or higher. At the Partner level, entering a non-US mailing address will change the total price of membership to $130-140 to account for the increased cost of shipping our annual publications internationally. Please reach out to our membership team at [email protected] if you need this fee refunded and would not like to receive our publications. Please note we do not ship our member t-shirts outside of the United States.

 As soon as your membership dues payment is received, your membership and all associated benefits are active and available to you!

Click the link: https://membership.americanalpineclub.org/upgrade.

Log in to your membership. Select the membership level you would like to upgrade to. The remaining months left on your current membership will be prorated and automatically applied towards your new membership's initial price.

Requests for mid-cycle downgrades are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please contact [email protected], and we can refund the difference in the membership price and change your membership status if eligible.

Log into your Member Profile, navigate to My Profile and then click on Membership Card. You can then download or print this to keep on hand. Please note that you will not be asked to show physical proof of membership in the event of a medical evacuation through Redpoint Travel Protection.

Log into your Member Profile, navigate to Settings and reset your password there. Be sure to click save before exiting.

Log into your Member Profile, navigate to Settings and change your contact information there. Be sure to click save before exiting.

 Active AAC members at the Partner, Leader, Advocate, and Great Ranges level receive access to our international rescue and medical benefit, provided by Redpoint Travel Protection.

To initiate an evacuation for a medical emergency, please contact Redpoint Travel Protection at +1 628-251-1510. Please see a flow chart of how and when to initiate a rescue here.

Please see a map of covered areas here. Coverage extends internationally and to all altitudes, with exclusions for the polar regions (above the Arctic Circle or below the 60th parallel south).

Yes, as long as there was a legitimate reason for Redpoint not being contacted. If they were not initially contacted to start an evacuation, please make an effort to contact them as soon as possible, in case they are able to step in and take over coordination efforts. If they had no involvement in the evacuation, expect to pay your own bills out of pocket and file a claim for reimbursement afterwards. Please note that Redpoint may only reimburse up to the amount they could have negotiated for an evacuation.

See our chart here for more context. 

This coverage applies to any outdoor activity, other than flying, piloting, or acting as the crew of any aircraft or engaging in other “high-risk” activities such as base jumping, paragliding, or skydiving. Covered activities include, but are not limited to: climbing, skiing, biking, hiking, and paddling.

Your membership status is shared live with Redpoint Travel Protection to ensure instant and continuous coverage from the time of sign-up. They can confirm your identity with your first name, last name, and email address. If you need proof of membership to a guide company or other entity, please use the Proof of Membership letter found in your Member Profile.

You can find Garmin inReach instructions on our website here. 

Rescue and medical claims documents can be found in your Member Profile under Benefits > Rescue. 

Redpoint offers a comprehensive travel insurance product called Ripcord, for which active AAC members can receive 10% off. Learn more and get a quote here.

If you are not on auto-renewal, your membership will naturally expire on it’s expiration date. If you are on auto-renewal, please reach out to us at [email protected] to cancel your subscription.

Log in to you member profile, navigate to Settings (gear icon) > Payment > Update Credit Card. You can also email or give us a call to inquire about what credit card you have on file with us. 

No, membership dues for Supporter, Partner, Leader, and Advocate memberships are not tax deductible since they are considered a fee-for-service. Any donations made here or towards a Great Ranges Fellowship membership are tax deductible. 

Family memberships are available to folks at the Partner level only and require that you share a mailing address. Pricing is $100 for the first adult, $80 for the second adult, and $45 for each dependent, for a maximum family membership of up to 2 adults and 2 dependents. Options are as follows:

• 2 Adults = $180

• 2 Adults + 1 Dependent = $225

• 2 Adults + 2 Dependents = $270

• 1 Adult + 2 Dependents = $190

• 1 Adult + 1 Dependent = $145 

In order to qualify for a family membership, we ask that you share a mailing address with the adults/dependents on your account.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, all donations to the Club are 100% tax-deductible. Membership dues are not tax-deductible, due to the exchange of goods and services.

Yes, gifting appreciated stock is a tax-savvy way to support the programs you care about most.

The Piolet Society honors individuals who include the AAC in their estate plans. Whether through a bequest in your will, a beneficiary designation of an IRA, or a life insurance policy, planned giving lets you leave a legacy as enduring as the mountains we love and strive to protect.

The Great Ranges Fellowship (GRF) is a leadership giving society for donors wishing to support American Alpine Club programs with $1,000 or more annually. It comes with heightened membership benefits as well. Learn more about GRF and other ways to give here.

Reach out to our library team at [email protected] for assistance setting up your Book Search account for the first time. Find the book you would like to check out and click “Place Hold.” You can expect to receive the book in 7-10 days. Make sure your mailing address is current.

Ship the book(s) back to the library: AAC Library, 710 10th St. Ste 15 Golden CO 80401. Borrowers pay return shipping and insurance.

Unfortunately, the library is not open to the public at this time due to an extensive cataloging and reorganization project.

Please contact the library staff at [email protected] for research requests.

Donate today! Unfortunately, the library is not accepting donations of books at this time.

Published since 1929, the American Alpine Journal (AAJ) is renowned as the most comprehensive worldwide source of information on major new climbs. The AAJ publishes first-person reports about big new routes, first free ascents, significant attempts, and mountain exploration anywhere in the world. This rigorous record-keeping of the cutting edge of climbing is a feast of inspiration for all climbers!

Published annually since 1948, Accidents in North American Climbing documents the year’s most significant and teachable climbing accidents. Each incident is analyzed to show what went wrong to help climbers avoid similar problems in the future. Whether it’s how quickdraws can come unclipped from a bolt hanger under specific circumstances, or how the rise in hiking apps is getting less experienced climbers and hikers into dangerous situations, our expert analysis will keep you informed on how to stay safe out there at the crags and on the slopes.

Our newest publication, the American Climbing Journal, tells the stories of ascents in the disciplines of bouldering, sport climbing, single-pitch trad, and performance big-wall—almost entirely from the first person POV of the climbers themselves.

The American Alpine Club’s Guidebook (previously Guidebook to Membership) has been published annually since 2012, and is now delivered to Partner members and above quarterly. The Guidebook serves at once as a collection of stories from the climbing community and a literal guide to the Club’s work. The majority of each issue is dedicated to photos and stories, working to define (and redefine) the ever-changing faces of American climbing and the Club that serves to unite them. From articles on diversity in climbing to mountain arts and important conservation and advocacy stories, the Guidebook covers many important topics from a unique member perspective.

The American Alpine Journal, Accidents in North American Climbing, and the American Climbing Journal are mailed annually in the fall (September/October) to all active members at the Partner level or higher. Books also become digitally available to those members at the same time. Mailing lists are compiled by July 1st each year, so please update your membership, preferences, and contact information by then to ensure the fastest delivery.

Join or renew your membership before July 1 to ensure your eligibility to receive this year’s publications in the mail (benefit only available to members at the Partner level or higher). If you miss that deadline, you can expect to receive the following year’s publications.

You can purchase old issues of our books in our store here. Members can receive 20% off their order using the code found in Member Profile. You can also search our digital archive of individual articles here.

If you are an active member of the American Alpine Club come July 1st, 2026, have an up-to-date mailing address in your member profile, and are opted into any of our current books (Accidents in North American Climbing or American Alpine Journal) you will automatically be sent the first edition of the ACJ! If you have any questions or issues accessing your member profile, please contact us at [email protected].

Grant recipients must be active American Alpine Club members and U.S. citizens. 

There are different application periods for the grants. We have a spring, fall, and rolling grant cycle. Fall cycle: Cutting Edge Grant, McNeill-Nott Award, Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grant, Jones Backcountry Grant. Spring cycle: Catalyst Grant, Live Your Dream Grant, Research Grant. Rolling cycle: Climbing Grief Fund Grant and Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant.

Log in to your AAC Member Profile. Go to the lodging section. The AAC Member promo code is in the description. Enter the code into the promo code section at checkout.

Yes, you can find more information about it here.

Anyone is welcome to stay at the AAC campgrounds! AAC Members do receive discounted nightly rates and can find the discount code in Member Profile under Benefits, then Lodging.

Each campground has different open and closing dates. Please check with the specific campground for specific dates! Hueco is open for the winter season. The Gunks, the New River Gorge, and Rumney are open from spring to fall. The Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch is open for the summer season. The Snowbird Hut is open year-round.

Each campground is different; please check with the campground where you are interested in staying. The price ranges from $5 to $75.