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K2 1938: The First American Karakoram Expedition
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Climbing & Splitboarding Adventure Grant Updates

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We’re excited to announce the following climbing and adventure grants are now open for applications, meaning we’re awarding over $40,000 to climbers and backcountry snowboarders in the next few months!

  • CUTTING EDGE GRANT
    The Cutting Edge Grant seeks to fund advanced and capable climbers planning expeditions to remote areas featuring unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, difficult new routes, first free ascents, or similar world-class pursuits. Awards will typically fall in the $5,000 to $15,000 range, however award amounts will vary based on project and budget. Open through November 30th—learn more & apply.

  • JONES ADVENTURE GRANTS
    The Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant & the Jones Live Like Liz Award support splitboarding expeditions with strong exploratory and adventure components. The project objective may focus on a single descent/summit or a tour/traverse of a region. Each grant recipient will receive a $1,500 cash award plus a Jones splitboard, skins and backcountry touring backpack. 

    The Jones Live Like Liz Award is open only to our female riders, while the Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant is open to all AAC members. Open through November 30th—learn more & apply.

  • COPP-DASH INSPIRE AWARD
    EXTENDED DEADLINE! Established in the memory of Jonny Copp and Micah Dash, the Copp-Dash Inspire Award provides $20,000 in climbing grants to assist small teams tackling difficult climbs in the great mountains of the world and multimedia instruction to help them to share their ascents through a blend of storytelling elements. Open through November 30th—learn more & apply.

    Not a fit for these grants? The Live Your Dream Grant and others will open for applications this winter and spring, so stay tuned.

The Andrew J. Gilmour Collection

by Allison Albright

At the American Alpine Club Library, we’re very fortunate to have quite a few collections of photographs of climbing and mountaineering from the early 20th century. One of these, a collection of roughly 3000 photographic negatives dating from 1900 to about 1930, has been digitized in its entirety and made available to everyone.

It’s a great feeling to complete a project.

We’re excited to be able to increase access to this collection through digitization, which also reduces wear and tear on the original negatives and adds an additional layer of preservation.

This collection of photos belonged to Andrew J. Gilmour, a dermatologist living and working in New York who was an avid climber and active member of the American Alpine Club during the 1920s and 1930s. He did a number of ascents in the Alps, the Canadian Rockies, the Cascades and the Western U.S., as well as Wales and the Lake District in the UK. His photos show us a lot about climbing at that time, the techniques, equipment, conditions and the people and places involved. It also provides us with a glimpse of what the world was like about 100 years ago.

We’ve gathered some of our favorite images from this collection in the slideshows below. Enjoy!

To see more of these images, check out our Andrew J. Gilmour album on Flickr.

Climbing and Mountaineering

Photos of climbing parties and mountaineering expeditions from about 1910 to the mid 1930’s.

Equipment

Hobnail boots, hemp rope, canvas and silk tents and men’s and women’s climbing attire.

Summits

Men and women on top

Camps and Huts

Huge camps for gatherings with the Alpine Club of Canada, tents and lean-tos in the woods, Swiss Alpine Club huts - many of which are still in use today.

Travel

It was harder in those days to get to some of these remote locations. There were far fewer roads, almost no highways and air travel was still in its infancy. Trains, ships and horses were commonly used.

Life and Times

The world has changed a lot since 1900 - these photos illustrate just a few of the differences.

Places

Some gorgeous photos of some famous locations as they used to be.

Check out our Flickr account for more! Or, to view all the photos, head to our archival collections site and scroll down to Collection Tree.

Suggested reading:

For details of mountaineering and climbing in the first decades of the 20th century, check out the handbook Mountain Craft by Geoffrey Winthrop Young.

For more about some of the places depicted in these photos:
Mount Rainier a Climbing Guide by Mike Gauthier
Cascades Rock the 160 Best Multipitch Climbs of all Grades by Blake Herrington
The North Cascades by William Dietrich
Mont Blanc the Finest Routes: rock, snow, ice and mixed by Philippe Batoux
Mont Blanc: 5 routes to the summit by Franȯis Damilano
Swiss Rock Granite Bregaglia: a selected rock climbing guide by Chris Mellor
Canadian Rock select climbs of the west by Kevin McLane
Sport climbs in the Canadian Rockies by John Marin and Jon Jones
Mixed Climbs in the Canadian Rockies by Sean Isaac

For more information about the person who took these photos, you can read Gilmour’s obituary in the American Alpine Journal.

LWCF Passes Out of House Natural Resources Committee

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Last week, the House Natural Resources Committee passed an important conservation bill that, with your help, the AAC supported. This is a huge testament to what we can accomplish together! Thank you to everyone who responded to our action alerts and made your voices heard.

This bill is a crucial step to permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund (H.R. 502), a conservation program set to expire at the end of the month. You can learn more about LWCF and climbing here.

As Outdoor Alliance writes, “[The passing of this bill] is proof that repeated, insistent public outreach does make a difference. We can get good bills across the line eventually, and after years of having outdoor enthusiasts reach out to [representatives] about outdoor recreation issues, we have started to see real results.”

We still have work to do to permanently reauthorize LWCF, so let’s keep this momentum going. The current LWCF expiration date is still 17 days away— take action by telling your member of congress to continue to prioritize the reauthorization.

United we climb, and united we stand for our public lands!

#CLIMBLIKEAGIRL

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This is our effort to bring more women into the AAC community and bring attention to the need to support women in climbing. These shirts, with art by AAC member Brooklyn Bell, are designed to mean more.

What does #climblikeagirl mean to you? Wear your shirt proudly, snap a photo, use the hashtag, let us know. Then go crush it out there. 

Use PROMOCODE: CLIMBLIKEAGIRLSHIRT when you Join or Renew from Sept. 14th to Oct. 15th and receive a free #climblikeagirl tank or Tee!

2019 World Cup Youth Team Applications Open

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Athletes interested in the Ice Climbing Youth World Championship February 28 - March 2 in Oulu, Finland, must complete the google form application by 11:59PM MST on October 4, 2018.  

 The American Alpine Club will make their selections and athletes will be notified by October 18.

 The USA can send 6 men and 6 women in each of 3 age categories. Athletes must turn 12 (or older) in 2019 to participate.

Photo by M. Garcia, USA Youth Ice Team. 

AAC is Accepting 2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Team Applications

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As a Member Federation to the UIAA, the American Alpine Club is responsible for selecting the 2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team. 

Athletes interested in competing in any of the Ice Climbing World Cup & World Championship events must complete the google form application by 11:59pm MST on September 25, 2018.  

The American Alpine Club will make their selections and athletes will be notified by October 5.

2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Team Selection

As a Member Federation to the UIAA, the American Alpine Club is responsible for selecting the 2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team. 

Athletes interested in competing in any of the Ice Climbing World Cup & World Championship events must complete the google form application by 11:59pm MST on September 25, 2018.  

The American Alpine Club will make their selections and athletes will be notified by October 5.

USA World Cup Team Selection:

  • The USA can send up to 8 men and 8 women in each of Difficulty (Lead) and Speed to each World Cup event, including the Denver World Cup in 2019.  For World Championship events the quota is 3 men and 3 women.
     

  • As the future of Ice Climbing competition is headed toward combined difficulty and speed events, priority will be given to athletes who compete in both.
     

  • Since we are working to develop a team, priority will be given to athletes who are competing in more than one World Cup event, and who plan to compete in future years.
     

  • Athletes must turn 16 or older before the end of 2019 (born 2003 or later).
     

  • We encourage people who are experienced competitors in any form of climbing to apply.


6 spots per gender will be selected based on the following performance criteria:

  1. National ranking from the 2018 season (top 2 spots are guaranteed participation)

  2. Highest rankings in each of the categories (Difficulty and Speed) from the 2016, 2017 and 2018 World Cup seasons

  3. Ranking in previous non-World Cup competitions (e.g. Ouray, Bozeman, Michigan Ice Festivals)

  4. Number of World Cup competitions you are applying to compete in during the 2019 season

  5. Competition experience in any form of climbing

2 Development spots per gender will be selected based on the following criteria:

  1. Historical competition participation

  2. Number of competitions you are applying to compete in during the 2019 season

  3. Current training plan

  4. Competition experience in any form of climbing

  5. National ranking from the 2018 season

  • In the event that participants are only competing in either Speed or Difficulty (and not both) the AAC will select enough athletes to be able to field a team consisting of 8 men and 8 women for the Speed portion and 8 men and 8 women for the Difficulty portion.
     

  • In the event that there are not 6 performance or 2 developmental applicants that are qualified to participate at the international level, the allocation numbers will be adjusted.

2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in Denver

February 22-24, 2019
Civic Center Park, Denver

The American Alpine Club is hosting the USA World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in Denver. This event is free and open to the public to attend and watch over 120 athletes from over 20 countries compete in Lead and Speed competitions. 

At-A-Glance
Friday, February 22: Athlete Registration, Opening Ceremony, Dinner
Saturday, February 23: Speed Climbing Qualifying & Semi-Finals, Lead Qualifying
Sunday, February 24: Speed Finals, Lead Finals, Award Ceremony, Ticketed VIP Party

Athletes interested in competing in this, or any World Cup competition must fill out an application by September 25 by midnight MST.

Information and the application can be found here.

2019 World Cup Schedule

January 11-13 South Korea
January 18-20 China
January 24-26 Switzerland
February 1-3 Italy
February 8-10 France
February 22-24 USA

AAC Responds to the Sexual Harassment Survey

This past summer we helped launch a survey to better understand the results of sexual harassment and sexual assault (SHSA) in climbing. Over 5,000 climbers took the survey around the world and the results are staggering. 

About 40% of women and 9% of men answered “yes” to the question “Have you experienced SHSA while engaged in a climbing activity?” 

The survey also asked about more specific behaviors: have respondents experienced specific types of SHSA (e.g., unwanted touching, forced kissing, etc.). These more detailed questions revealed that 47%  of women and 16% of men have experienced interactions that could be classified as SHSA while engaged in a climbing activity, even if they do not report it as such. 

Looking at data from the United States alone, the numbers are similar in range as the global data: 

42% of US women and 9% of US men answered “yes” to the question “Have you experienced SHSA while engaged in a climbing activity?” 

50% of US women and 15% of US men reported experiencing behavior that that could be classified as SHSA while engaged in a climbing activity, even if they do not report it as such. 

At the American Alpine Club, we know safety means more than a good belay. We strive to maintain a safe and non-hostile work environment for our employees, volunteers, and all participants at AAC events. We also acknowledge that our role as a leader within the climbing community extends our responsibility to promote a safe and harassment-free environment among the entire climbing community.

AAC members and volunteer leaders are expected to serve as role models in the community. American Alpine Club will appropriately screen all staff and volunteer leaders prior to granting leadership positions. Reports of discriminatory and inappropriate behavior will be dealt with swiftly, seriously, and judiciously. Violations of our harassment and assault policy will include discipline up to and including termination of membership or employment at the AAC.

Hear what your Board President Deanne Buck and CEO Phil Powers have to say in an op-ed to Alpinist.

Learn more about what the data is telling us. and how climbing and outdoor communities around the world are doing to collect data, drive conversation, share best practices, provide press coverage and address the issues.

 

Speak Up For LWCF

Photo by AAC member Brian Payst of LWCF-funded climbing area Stone Mountain. “Climbers have already reaped the rewards of the visionaries who established the LWCF and we’re set to see further gains in the future, but we won’t be able to unless …

Photo by AAC member Brian Payst of LWCF-funded climbing area Stone Mountain. “Climbers have already reaped the rewards of the visionaries who established the LWCF and we’re set to see further gains in the future, but we won’t be able to unless it is reauthorized,” Payst writes.

Action alert! The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) provides funding dedicated to the protection of national treasures, and has been used to purchase and improve some of our most beloved crags. Without timely action from Congress, this extremely important bipartisan program will expire September 30th. Learn more, then take action!

United we climb.

Packs for Public Lands

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AAC has joined forces with Cotopaxi and Utah-based artist Samantha Zim to create limited edition packs! 

The packs feature side panels with custom art inspired by the Utah desert. 

The Cotopaxi Luzon Del Día also features a top drawstring closure, front zippered pocket, ultralight mesh shoulder straps, large main compartment, internal hydration sleeve, and lightweight ripstop nylon shell fabric. The pack is available in two colors: blue & purple.

Proceeds from the sales of these packs will support AAC's Policy & Conservation Program. We only created 600 of these; get yours before they're gone!

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The Colorado Mountains: View from the Archives

Atop Mount Audubon, circa 1916-18.

Now more accessible than ever! Thanks to a grant from the Colorado Historical Records Advisory Board, we were able to process and digitize a portion of the Colorado Mountain Club Archives.

Located in the American Mountaineering Center, the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) Archives are maintained by the staff of the American Alpine Club (AAC) Library. From April 2017 to May 2018, with a dedicated group of enthusiastic CMC & AAC volunteers, we organized, inventoried, rehoused, and digitized much of this collection. The most painful part was organizing the huge duplicate collection of Trail & Timberline back issues and flattening summit registers. Interested in purchasing back issues of the T&T? Contact us at [email protected]. Proceeds will go towards archives maintenance.

What's in the Colorado Mountain Club Archives?

The archives date back to before the founding of the Colorado Mountain Club in 1912. There are trip reports, photographs, lantern slides, scrapbooks, old gear, 'Save the Wildflowers' posters, and much more. Currently, most of the early trip reports (over 1,150) have been digitized and eight photo scrapbooks. We are gradually adding them to our Digital Collections website. As we create and catalog finding aids, you can find them in our catalog here.

Putting It All Together

Having all of these records inventoried and cataloged makes it so much easier for researchers to find information. For example, you can now find photographs from the 1915 Clear Creek Outing on our Digital Collections website, with a selection seen below.

By searching the inventories, you can pair those photographs with the Song Book written by the Club members, the Grays and Torreys trip report and the summit registers that were signed by the CMCers when they climbed Grays and Torreys on August 20, 1915. 

There are many more great records. Feel free to drop by the library and take a look. Keep an eye on our Digital Collections website as we are constantly adding more photographs and records.

This project was supported in part by an award from the Colorado Historical Records Advisory Board, through funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), National Archives Records Administration. This project would not have been possible without the volunteers that inventoried, sorted, boxed, re-foldered, and scanned. Many thanks to Donna Anderson, Karyn Bocko, Dan Cohen, RoseMary Glista, Ann Hudgins, Peter Hunkar, Mike Lovette, Jan Martel, Barbara Munson, Roxy Rogers De Sole, Linda Rogers, Lin Wareham-Morris and Pat Yingst. 

The 2018 Guidebook to Membership is Here!

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The 2018 Guidebook to Membership is here! The Guidebook is our Club’s collective yearbook. This year’s issue, “the changing faces of the AAC”, features stories and photos by some incredible changemakers in our community as well as information about AAC programs and opportunities. We hope you find it inspiring and informative! If you’ve opted to receive our print publications, you should see it in your mailbox any day now. You can also view the Guidebook online.

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Cover photo by Austin Siadak. 

AAC's Peter Metcalf on Senator Mike Lee's Anti-Public Lands Ideology

Read AAC's policy committee member Peter Metcalf's opinion piece in the Salt Lake Tribune.

"Ours is not a story of moneyed elites demanding rural oppression. It is the opposite. It is all of us coming together to protect access, enjoy, and profit off our shared lands and their natural features and resources. This is Utah’s story."

Happy Anniversary, Gasherbrum I First Ascent!

by Eric Rueth

60 years ago today, Peter Schoening and Andy Kauffman topped a rounding ridge and had nowhere higher to go. After eight hours of climbing they found themselves on the summit of Gasherbrum I and became the only Americans to make a first ascent of an 8,000-meter peak.

"On July 4 all five os us started for Camp V which we hoped to establish at the 24,000-foot col between the south summit and the main peak" (Schoening, 1959).

To celebrate the ascent we're sharing some photo's from Andy Kauffman's collection.

To add some context here is the introduction to Pete Schoening's article from the 1959 American Alpine Club Journal and a link to the full article below.

"There is something exciting about expeditions. In part it must be the uncertainty of them. Perhaps this is adventure. But for Hidden Peak there was something even more. It could be the last chance for an American first ascent of an achttausender, and it seems extremely probable that first ascents of the fourteen achttausenders will become forever historically indicative of the mountaineering activity and ability of the various areas in the world.

Whether for adventure or history or whatever other reason, the ascent of Hidden Peak still required a party, permission and assistance from Pakistan, money, equipment, and an effort to carry out the attempt. Nick Clinch was the driving force behind the 1958 American Karakoram Expedition.* He was the "Director" and organizer.

Late in November 1957, Nick received Pakistani approval through the American Embassy in Karachi. From then on events began to occur at an increasing pace. Our freighter would leave New York by the end of March. In the middle of February as the party was being completed, I became a member. Besides Nick and myself, there were Andy Kauffman, Captain S. T. H. Risvi and Captain Mohd Akram of the Pakistan Army, Tom McCormack, Bob Swift, Dr. Tom Nevison, Gil Roberts, and Dick Irvin."

Click here to read the full "Ascent of Hidden Peak" article.

 

By Eric Rueth

Land & Water Conservation Fund

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is one of our nation’s most successful conservation tools. Created in 1965 from offshore oil and gas royalties, LWCF authorizes $900 million per year for the acquisition of land and water to protect natural treasures, with an emphasis on recreation. LWCF has supported 42,000+ projects to develop parks and outdoor recreation projects in all 50 states.

Without timely action from Congress, this popular, bipartisan program will expire September 30th, 2018. If LWCF is not reauthorized, city urban areas, small local communities, states and national parks could potentially lose many millions of dollars—including those with premier climbing areas.

Please join us in asking members of Congress to support either a stand-alone bill, or an amendment to the FY 2019 Interior appropriations bill, that permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund before it expires on September 30, 2018.

According to research by Access Fund, LWCF has been used to purchase or improve more than a dozen climbing areas, including: 

AAC member Justin Fricke climbs in Chimney Rock State Park, NC. Photo: Adam Fricke

  • Wilson Peak & Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO

  • Seneca Rocks, WV

  • Bozeman Pass, MT

  • Castle Crags, CA

  • Palisades Park, AL

  • Stone Mountain State Park, Hanging Rock State Park, Pilot Mountain State Park, Chimney Rock State Park & Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

  • Cumberland Trail State Park, TN

  • Hueco Tanks State Park, TX

  • Custer State Park, SD

  • New River Gorge, WV

  • Many more... Use this tool to find your home crag! 

STORIES FROM LWCF-FUNDED CLIMBING AREAS

"Stone Mountain is known as a premier slab climbing destination. Long run outs on off-vertical terrain characterize the climbing on this beautiful granite dome. Winter days at Stone can lead to climbing in a t-shirt with snow on the ground. Stone is home to many NC climber's first trad leads, such as the 5.5 Great Arch route which splits the South face and climbs a huge right-facing dihedral for 3 pitches to the top of the cliff." -AAC member Brian Payst (photo).

Some of the most popular climbing areas in NC have benefitted from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Pilot Mountain, Stone Mountain, Chimney Rock and Crowder’s Mountain State Parks all have seen investments from this important fund. Pilot Mountain was one of the first parks in the state to receive LWCF funding, just two years after the fund was created in 1965 and Stone Mountain benefitted just two years later. LWCF funds have supported important acquisitions and expansions at Chimney Rock and Crowder’s Mountain. All of these are popular destinations for climbers.

As climbers, it’s easy to just grab the pack or pad and head for the day’s objective, but that route you’re on or the boulder problem you and your friends are sessioning was touched by the LWCF. We need to rally support for this important program and do everything we can to make sure it is permanently and fully funded. NC climbers have already reaped the rewards of the visionaries who established the LWCF and we’re set to see further gains in the future, but we won’t be able to do it unless it is reauthorized. Many thanks go to NC Senator Richard Burr, who recognizes the value the LWCF has brought to his state and is a leading champion for it in the Senate. However, Senator Burr can’t do this alone and we need your help. If you’ve climbed in NC or just hope to one day, now is the time to get behind the LWCF.

– AAC member Brian Payst, President of the Carolina Climbers Coalition

"Rumbling Bald at Chimney Rock State Park is home to over 400 routes and close to 1,000 boulder problems and is a regional destination in the Fall, Winter and Spring. The Bald also hosts the Carolina Climbers' Coalition's annual Rumble bouldering competition, which draws hundreds of climbers in January of each year. Technical face climbing, crack routes, high quality rock and an amazing diversity of boulder problems draw thousands of climbers in the prime seasons." -AAC member Brian Payst (photo).

[The LWCF-funded crag] Palisades Park, Alabama is the first place I tied into a rope, the first place I learned how to build anchors... the first place I took a lead fall, the first place I learned how to drill top-rope anchors, and the first place I learned to give back to the climbing community by participating in a trail day.

Located about 40 minutes from downtown Birmingham, the park sports dozens of high quality routes throughout the grades.

– AAC member Bob Farley

Photo: Christopher Neal

Like many climbing areas throughout the world, the boulders and cliffs at Rumbling Bald are simply conduits for connection. When I started climbing there in 2010 it was almost always with a group of friends that inevitably grew throughout the day as we met new people. Exploring the thick forest, sprinkled with granite boulders and capped by sheer granite cliffs, cultivated timeless bonds in all of us with people, place, and community. I’m not sure those same bonds would have been possible without that forest and the protection provided to it by the LWCF.


– AAC member Azissa Singh

AAC to Host 2019 UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Competition in Denver, CO

The AAC is pleased to announce that UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing is coming to Denver, Colorado February 23–24, 2019. The new North American tour stop will serve as the 2018 / 2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in which over 200 athletes from 26 countries around the world will compete for the overall World Cup in both Lead and Speed categories.

The 2019 event is the first time the Ice Climbing World Tour has come to Denver, Colorado. The weekend event will be held in Denver’s Civic Center Park and will be free to the public. The ice climbing competition will take place over two days with qualifying rounds on Sat, Feb 23, and semi-finals and overall finals on Sun, Feb 24.

Golden, CO, June 26, 2018—The American Alpine Club (AAC), America’s oldest and largest non-profit organization for climbers, is pleased to announce that UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing is coming to Denver, Colorado February 23–24, 2019. The new North American tour stop will serve as the 2018 / 2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in which over 200 athletes from 26 countries around the world will compete for the overall World Cup in both Lead and Speed categories.

The 2019 event is the first time the Ice Climbing World Tour has come to Denver, Colorado. The weekend event will be held in Denver’s Civic Center Park and will be free to the public. The ice climbing competition will take place over two days with qualifying rounds on Sat, Feb 23, and semi-finals and overall finals on Sun, Feb 24.

"We are proud to support our U.S. ice climbing athletes and bring this impressive event to downtown Denver," said American Alpine Club CEO, Phil Powers. "Competitive ice climbing is one of the most exciting things I've ever watched; the stamina, skill, and seeming impossibility of it all makes for an outstanding spectator experience. They’re up there doing crazy moves, wielding sharp tools and they hang on forever.”

Competition ice climbing combines formidable over-hanging walls of ice with artful technique and sheer power. In the lead discipline, ice climbers require great technique, tactical mastery and nerves of steel to ascend seemingly improbable icy pillars dozens of feet above the ground. The speed discipline is most closely akin to all out vertical sprint using ice axes and crampons. In 2014, competitive ice climbed debuted as an exhibition sport at the Sochi Winter Olympics. The sport is currently being considered for full-scale Olympic inclusion in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing .

Luis Benitez, Director of the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry and event partner, also commented, “Ice climbing has a strong presence in the culture of outdoor recreation in Colorado. From our world class ice park in Ouray, to our iconic routes in Vail and Rocky Mountain National Park, this is a sport whose time has come. We are thrilled to welcome the World Cup event to Denver in February to highlight just how special ice climbing is and share that feeling with the rest of the country watching!”

The 2019 Denver World Cup Ice Climbing Competition is being hosted by the Golden, CO based American Alpine Club in partnership with the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation and tour organizer), the Civic Center Conservancy, Denver Sports Commission, Visit Denver, Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry, and the Denver Office of Special Events.

“We’re thrilled to help host this exciting international event in Denver’s historic Civic Center Park and expose this amazing sport to a larger population than ever in North America,” said Scott Robson, Executive Director of the non-profit Civic Center Conservancy, “Civic Center Park is the heart of Denver and has hosted iconic events for over a century. Hosting the 2019 World Cup Ice Climbing finale in such an urban setting will not only make this competition accessible to multitudes of new fans, but will also be visually stunning to watch.”

US athletes who wish to compete at the 2019 Denver World Cup will be able to earn entry at qualifying competitions. 

For additional information, including how to become a sponsor, please contact: Vickie Hormuth at [email protected] or visit: americanalpineclub.org/uiaa-federation/ 

Denver Ice Climbing World Cup Schedule:

Friday, Feb 22               
Athlete Registration

Saturday, Feb 23           
Lead Qualifiers, Speed Qualifiers

Sunday, Feb 24                
Lead Semi-Finals, Lead Finals, Speed Finals, Closing Ceremony, After Party (hosted by the American Alpine Club)