2025 American Alpine Club Gala Awards

MEET THE AWARDEES

Discover their incredible stories, then join us for the 2025 American Alpine Club Gala to hear more!

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The Robert Hicks Bates Award: Brooke Raboutou

"Trieste" (V14) —Red Rock National Conservation Area, NV. Photo by Jess Glassberg/Louder Than Eleven.

FOR OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENT BY A YOUNG CLIMBER

Brooke Raboutou grew up in Boulder, CO, where she began climbing at age two. At 11, Raboutou sent Welcome to Tijuana (5.14b) in Rodellar, Spain, becoming the youngest person to climb the route. From 2020 to 2022, Raboutou pushed bouldering grades, sending Muscle Car (V14), The Atomator (V13), The Shining (V12/13), The Wheel of Chaos (V13), Doppelgänger Poltergeist (V13), Jade (V14), Euro Trash (V12/8a+), Euro Roof Low Low (V13/8b) Trieste (V14), Heritage (V13), La Proue (V13), Lur (V14), Evil Backwards (V13). Raboutou was the first American to qualify for the Olympics, and during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she finished 5th. 

In October 2023, Raboutou sent Box Therapy in Rocky Mountain National Park and promptly downgraded it from V16 to V15. In 2024, Raboutou won silver in the combined bouldering and lead competition at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in climbing. In April 2025, Raboutou sent Excalibur (5.15c), becoming the first woman to send the grade. 

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David R. Brower Conservation Award: Outdoor Alliance 

Crested Butte. Photo by Holly Mandarich.

FOR LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION AND THE PRESERVATION OF MOUNTAIN REGIONS WORLDWIDE

Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of national advocacy organizations that includes American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation. For more than ten years, Outdoor Alliance has united the human-powered outdoor recreation community to achieve lasting conservation victories. Its work has helped to permanently protect 40 million acres of public land, secure $5.1 billion in funding for the outdoors, and convert more than 100,000 outdoor enthusiasts into outdoor advocates. Adam Cramer will be accepting the award on behalf of Outdoor Alliance. He is the founding Executive Director and present CEO of Outdoor Alliance. During his time as CEO, Adam has brought new sensibilities to conservation work that have resulted in hundreds of thousands more acres of protected landscapes, improved management for outdoor recreation, and thousands of outdoor enthusiasts awakened to conservation and advocacy work. He is an avid whitewater kayaker and mountain biker, but is always on the lookout for a good skatepark. 

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Honorary Membership: Jack Tackle

Chilling ll in the Kishtwar Himalaya in India in 2015. Photo by Renny Jackson.

Honorary Membership is one of the highest awards the AAC offers. The award is given to those individuals who have had a lasting and highly significant impact on the advancement of the climbing craft.

For 52 years, Jack Tackle has focused on alpine climbing, particularly first ascents, in the Himalayas, South America, and Alaska. Jack Tackle is best known for his climbing in Alaska. He has done 35 separate trips, combining both attempts and successes since 1976, and completed 17 significant first ascents in Alaska’s various ranges. Tackle is a past Board member of the AAC (nine years) and served as Treasurer of the AAC from 2009-2012. He has been a member of the AAC since 1978. He presently serves on the Pinnacle and Grand Teton Climber Ranch committees and is the chairman of the AAC Cutting Edge Grant committee. For 30 years, Tackle was an independent sales rep for outdoor brands, including Patagonia, Black Diamond Equipment, and Vasque Footwear. In addition, Tackle guided for Exum Mountain Guides in the Tetons for 40 years, from 1982 to 2022.

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The H. Adams Carter Literary Award: Michael Wejchert

Michael Wejchert. Photo by Alexa Siegel.

FOR EXCELLENCE IN CLIMBING LITERATURE

Michael Wejchert began climbing as a scared ten-year-old in a swami belt. Now a scared thirty-nine-year-old, rock and ice climbing remain his overriding passion. He began writing about climbing in high school and hasn't stopped. In 2013, he won the Waterman Fund Essay Contest for a piece called Epigoni, Revisited, about a failed attempt to climb Mount Deborah in the Hayes Range of Alaska. His first book, Hidden Mountains, won a National Outdoor Book Award in 2023. His essays and features have appeared in virtually every North American climbing magazine and major media outlets: Alpinist, Ascent, Rock & Ice, Appalachia, and the New York Times, to name a few. He is a proud contributing editor at the new Summit Journal. He lives just down the road from Cathedral Ledge, New England's finest trad cliff.

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The Pinnacle Award: Kelly Cordes

Kelly Cordes at the team's second bivy, Great Trango Tower, 2004. Photo by Josh Wharton.

FOR OUTSTANDING MOUNTAINEERING AND CLIMBING ACHIEVEMENTS

As an undersized kid who wanted to be a cowboy, Kelly Cordes never dreamed that climbing would define his life. But he stumbled upon an obsession that took him to places of unimaginable beauty and infused his world with meaning. He established challenging alpine routes in Alaska, Peru, Patagonia, and Pakistan along the way. Some of his notable ascents include: the first ascent of the Azeem Ridge on Great Trango Tower, Pakistan; first link-up of Tiempos Perdidos and the upper West Face ice routes on Cerro Torre, Patagonia; first ascent of Personal Jesus on Nevado Ulta, Peru; first ascent of The Trailer Park on London Tower, Alaska; first ascent of Deadbeat, Thunder Mountain, Alaska; and the first ascent of Ring of Fire, Thunder Mountain, Alaska. His personal experiences intersected with a larger journey in his award-winning book, The Tower: A Chronicle of Climbing and Controversy on Cerro Torre. Cordes was also a senior editor of the American Alpine Journal for many years. He claims to never tire of mountains and wild places. 

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The David A. Sowles Memorial Award: Jacques-Olivier Chevallier, Vivien Berlaud, Paulin Clovis

Photo by Graham Zimmerman.

FOR UNSELFISH DEVOTION TO IMPERILED CLIMBERS 

McNeill-Nott Award recipient Michaelle Dvorak and her climbing partner, Fay Manners, attempted a first ascent on Chaukhamba III (6,995m) in northern India. Falling rocks sliced their rope, sending their haul bag, with most of their gear, plummeting down the mountain. The two sent out an SOS before Dvorak’s phone died and hunkered down as a storm rolled in. They waited for rescue, but helicopters circled them without seeing them. After two days of waiting, they decided to descend on the third day. They only had one set of crampons, making the impending challenge a high-consequence affair. 

Three climbers from the French Group Militaire de Haute Montagne of Chamonix, or the High Mountain Military Group, named Vivien Berlaud, Paulin Clovis, and Jacques-Olivier Chevallier had heard that two climbers were missing and abandoned their attempt on the peak’s east pillar to rescue the two climbers. The High Mountain Military Group is an elite and small unit that includes some of the best mountaineers in the French Armed Forces among its members.

The two climbers safely reached the French advanced base camp with Vivien Berlaud, Paulin Clovis, and Jacques-Olivier Chevallier's help. The Indian Mountaineering Federation (IMF) helicoptered them out the next day. 

Vivien Berlaud is a sergeant of the High Mountain Military Group. 

Paulin Clovis is a member of the High Mountain Military Group. In 2023, he did the first repeat and winter ascent of Directissima (1200m 7a A2) on Pointe Walker on the north face of the Grandes Jorasses. 

Jaques-Oliver Chevallier is a High Mountain Military Group member and a mountain guide. Some of his accomplishments include: the Triple Direct (975m VI 5.9 C2) on El Capitan, Yosemite Valley; Cassin Route (1200m IV 5.9+ TD+/ED1 A1) on the north face of the Grandes Jorasses; Mont Blanc with a client; and Intégrale de Peuterey (4545m VI 5.9 WI4 M5) in the Mont Blanc massif.

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Angelo Heilprin Citation: Rick Wilcox

Ty Marshall, Edge of the World 5.13c, The Prow Area, Cathedral Ledge, NH. Photo by Andrew Burr.

FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE CLUB 

“Rick embodies the spirit of the Angelo Heilprin Citation through his decades of tireless service to the AAC, his instrumental role in establishing and leading critical mountain rescue operations, his entrepreneurial vision in fostering a thriving climbing community, and his dedication to our community and pursuits. It is without reservation that we select Rick Wilcox for the Angelo Heilprin Citation.” - Selection Committee.

Rick Wilcox has exemplified the dedication and service required for the Heilprin Citation for over half a century. He has been an AAC member since 1973 and served as secretary to three AAC presidents, providing invaluable continuity and institutional knowledge. He was also a member of the AAC Board of Directors and a highly active participant in the AAC New England section.

In 1976, while managing EMS in North Conway, NH, he was instrumental in establishing Mountain Rescue Service (MRS). He then served as MRS president for an impressive 41 years, leading essential rescue operations in the extreme environments of the White Mountain National Forest, which was recognized in 1999 when the New Hampshire MRS received the David A. Sowles Award for critical assistance to climbers.

Beyond his direct contributions to the AAC and mountain rescue, Wilcox purchased International Mountain Equipment in 1979, a pillar of the climbing community. Later, he co-owned International Mountain Climbing School with Brad White, which grew into a highly respected brand. In 1993, Rick, alongside Nick Yardley, co-founded the Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest, now the premier ice climbing event in the Northeast. He also had a six-year tenure as a director of the American Mountain Guides Association.

Wilcox’s unwavering dedication to the Club has benefited countless climbers for decades, particularly in the Northeast, where he has been a vital behind-the-scenes nexus. 

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American Alpine Club award winners will be honored with bespoke, sustainable, custom-made awards by metal artist Lisa Issenberg. Lisa is the owner and founder of the Ridgway, Colorado studio, Kiitellä, named after a Finnish word meaning to "thank, applaud, or praise." Lisa has been providing custom awards for the American Alpine Club since 2013. Kiitellä's process includes a mix of both handcraft and industrial techniques. To learn more, visit kiitella.com

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Attend the 2025 American Alpine Club Gala in Denver, CO, on October 18, 2025, to hear more from these awardees.

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Suffer Well: A Climbing (and Life) Philosophy, with Kelly Cordes

Every year, the AAC bestows awards to climbing changemakers and celebrates their accomplishments at the AAC Gala. We’ll be announcing those award winners in mid July, but first, we wanted to give our listeners a sneak peak into the stories awaiting you, through diving into the life and personality of one awardee.  We invited the alpinist and climber Kelly Cordes, who will be receiving the Pinnacle Award this year, onto the pod to celebrate his outstanding mountaineering and climbing achievements, and simply to ramble a bit and tell good stories. Though too humble to brag, Cordes is known for his bold ascents, including the Azeem Ridge on Great Trango Tower, a link-up on Cerro Torre, many first ascents in Peru and Alaska, as well as his “disaster style” and “suffer well” philosophy. With a 20-year lens, we have Cordes reflect on the Azeem Ridge story and tell it anew with all that he’s learned since then. We also spend some time talking about his writing life, including supporting editing the AAJ for 12 years, and co-writing the bestseller, The Push, with his close friend Tommy Caldwell. Dive in to get just a taste of Cordes’ story, and why he’s committed to suffering well.

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Episode Resources:

Learn More About Kelly Cordes

The Full Azeem Ridge AAJ Report

Learn About the AAC Gala

An Update on the AAC's Craggin' Classic Series and Hueco Rock Rodeo

PC: Hunter Johnson, @shinyshinysilver

The American Alpine Club will no longer host the Craggin’ Classic Series or the Hueco Rock Rodeo. We’re thrilled with the impact these events have had over the years and the ways they connected the climbing community. At the same time, we’re inspired by our new Strategic Plan and are confident that we are equipped to deliver even greater impact for climbers with this plan guiding the AAC’s activities for the next three years.

PC: Hunter Johnson

The AAC ran the Craggin’ Classic Series for 13 years, and we're proud of the positive impact those events had on climbers and communities over that time. Nina Williams, AAC Board President, first connected with the Club through the Craggin’ series, and she is not alone. It is certainly true the Craggin’s were a party with a heart, and they truly epitomized bringing the community together over a passion for climbing. Across the 13 years of this series, we estimate that we've served over 30,000 attendees and nearly 8,000 clinic participants. Those same participants have given back to the local crags that host these events with well over 10,000 stewardship hours.

Additionally, the AAC hosted the Hueco Rock Rodeo event for over a decade, and we're proud to have played a role in responsibly introducing thousands of climbers from around the globe to this amazing landscape and world-class bouldering destination. The Rodeo focused on encouraging climbers to challenge themselves through friendly competition while fostering a strong sense of community. It was also an important vehicle to introduce many climbers to the ethics of respecting a fragile landscape and the Indigenous communities that share this land. We’re excited to continue to be a conduit for responsible climbing in Hueco through our iconic lodging facility, the Hueco Rock Ranch. 

We look forward to continuing to serve our members, engage local communities, and celebrate climbing through both new and existing initiatives. Please visit this page to learn more about the recently adopted AAC Strategic Plan.

Climbers of the Craggin' Classic: Ozarks

Ozarks Craggin’ Photos by Joe Kopek

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, Bishop, Ozarks—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.

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Meet Ozarks Climber: Andrew Gamma

Scroll to read Andrew‘s Story…

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CLIMB: Katie Lamb Dives Deep on Her Send of Box Therapy, and Losing Anonymity

In 2023, Katie Lamb sent Box Therapy. It was a definite level-up for her personal climbing, and with this ascent, she became the first woman in history to climb a boulder that many consider to be V16. Her landmark send made waves, and that’s why she is a finalist for the AAC’s Climb of the Year Award. We chatted with Katie about all that went into projecting Box Therapy, her climbing philosophy, how to use excuses to your advantage on bad days, what it was like to lose anonymity, her secret to work-climbing balance, the experience of everyone talking about you on the internet, and being authentic in the current climbing world.

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Learn More:

Learn More about Katie Lamb

See the Other Climb of the Year Finalists

Grab Your Tickets to the AAC’s Annual Benefit Gala

2024 Annual Benefit Gala Awards

MEET THE AWARDEES

Discover their incredible stories, then join us for the 2024 Annual Benefit Gala to hear more!

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The Climb of the Year Award

For pushing the limits of climbing, whether that is the grade or the most epic story—the redemption arc, the new frontier, or defying the odds. This award is determined by public voting.

The 2024 nominees include:

• Round Trip Ticket (M7 AI5+ A0 2700M), Jannu (7710m), Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell, and Alan Rousseau

• B.I.G. (5.15d), Jakob Schubert

• Aletheia (D16), Kevin Lindlau

• Box Therapy (V16, contested), Katie Lamb.

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The Community Changemaker Award

For the movers and shakers, the innovators, the loud voices and the doers. The people who, no matter the size of their platform, are making an outsized difference in shaping the future of our climbing community.

The 2024 nominees include:

• Tommy Caldwell

• Adaptive Climber's Festival

• Marcus Garcia

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The Robert Hicks Bates Award: Matt Cornell

For an Outstanding Accomplishment by a Young Climber

Matt Cornell grew up in Michigan, where he began climbing at the age of 13. Once he turned 18, he headed west to climb full-time, following the seasons from Bozeman to Yosemite, and then on to Patagonia and the Himalayas. In 2021, after steadily building his skills and experience, he and Jackson Marvell (Robert Hicks Bates Award recipient in 2020) established two new routes on Pyramid Peak in Alaska's Revelation Range, Techno Terror (AI6 M7+ R A0) and Smoke' Em If You Got 'Em (AI5+ A2+); Austin Schmitz and Jack Cramer joined the latter ascent. Cornell received the American Alpine Club's Cutting Edge Grant for this trip.

In late March 2023, with Marvell and Rousseau, the three climbed a new route on the east face of Mt. Dickey in Alaska's Ruth Gorge over three days, Aim For the Bushes (AI6 M6 X). Then, in early October, roping up with Marvell and Rousseau over seven days, they climbed a new route on the north face of Jannu, 7,710m, in alpine style. They called their line Round Trip Ticket (M7 AI5+ A0).

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Angelo Heilprin Citation: Alison Osius

For Exemplary Service to the Club

"We chose [Alison] from a list of candidates we've carefully curated over the years. As many can attest, she's shown exemplary service to the Club by devoting countless hours in various recent and past roles, including as the Club's first woman president, from 1998 to 1999." -Selection Committee.

Alison Osius has been devoted to the Club for decades. She attends board meetings, annual dinners, panel discussions, and Club events. She's a trusted authority, a keeper of institutional knowledge, and vital to the community. Osisus is known for her engagement and mentoring of younger climbers and writers in their careers and her ability to relate to people from all walks of life who enjoy different climbing styles. 

As the Club's first female president (1998-1999), Alison led the AAC’s first extended public outreach campaign and continued the effort into rule-making on fixed anchors in Wilderness. Her many years of elegant writing and superb editing for prominent publications have delighted climbing and outdoor audiences. She is a senior editor at Outside and a former editor at Climbing and Rock and Ice. Osius has written for CNN.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. 

Her strengths as a storyteller, communicator, and role model build on her many years of climbing experience, including her previous work as a climbing guide in the U.S. and U.K. and becoming a three-time national champion in sport climbing, X Games finalist, and top-10 World Cup finisher. Rooted in her love of climbing, her abiding curiosity and exploration of our world, and her empathetic and inclusive approach to others, Alison's exemplary service to the Club has dramatically strengthened the AAC. 

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Honorary Membership: Kitty Calhoun and Geoff Tabin

Honorary Membership is one of the highest awards the AAC offers. It is given to those individuals who have had a lasting and highly significant impact on the advancement of the climbing craft.

The Honorary Membership Committee has selected Kitty Calhoun and Geoff Tabin as our 2024 nominees. Both are well known and recognized for their amazing climbing achievements, exemplary service to their communities, and lifetimes of noteworthy activities which reflect well on climbing—Tabin in medical outreach to underserved peoples often in mountain regions and Calhoun in her leadership actively supporting the development of women in climbing during the last 30 years.

Kitty Calhoun is honored to receive this award and happy to share her most proud accomplishments. She received an MBA from the University of Vermont, where she found her passion for ice and alpine climbing. This led to a 40+ year career as a guide for the NC and CO Outward Bound Schools, American Alpine Institute, and Chicks Climbing and Skiing. Calhoun founded Exum Utah Mountain Guides and later became co-owner of Chicks Climbing and Skiing. She is also an ambassador for Patagonia, SCARPA, PMI ropes, POW, and Lion Energy. Additionally, Kitty has been a member of the American Alpine Club since she can remember, has served on the Board of Directors, was Chairperson of the Expeditions Committee, and has received the AAC's Pinnacle Award. 

Calhoun's mountaineering achievements include a rare ascent of the Diamond Couloir on Mt Kenya, the first American female ascent of Dhaulagiri, three new Grade VI rock routes in Kyrgyzstan, and a new route on Middle Triple Peak in Alaska. She attributes her successes to applying the power of teamwork, which she learned through alpine climbing.

Geoffrey Tabin began climbing at Devil's Lake, Wisconsin. He went to college at Yale University, where he explored the rock and ice climbs of the Northeast from New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont, in addition to trips out West. He joined the American Alpine Club in 1977. He then went to Oxford University in England, where he and his climbing partner climbed the classic hard routes of the Alps. He received grants from the American Alpine Club and Oxford University to climb in Africa and Irian Jaya, Indonesia. They climbed the Ice Window route on Mt. Kenya and the first ascents of three long rock routes on the Mt. Kenya Massif, including the first free ascent of the Diamond Buttress on Mt. Kenya (V 5.11). In Indonesia, they climbed all five of the highest peaks in the Carstenz range, including the first ascent of the North Face of Puncak Jaya (Carstenz Pyramid). In 1983, Tabin was part of the American team that made the first ascent of the Kangshung East Face of Mt. Everest. In 1990, he became the 4th person to reach the top of all seven continents. Along the way, he also completed first ascents of rock or ice routes on all seven continents, including the first ascents of five 6,000-meter peaks. Tabin attended Harvard Medical School, trained as an ophthalmologist, and then worked as an eye surgeon in Nepal. He established the Himalayan Cataract Project, which is dedicated to overcoming needless blindness through education, training, and establishing a sustaining infrastructure. After returning to the United States, Tabin taught at both the University of Vermont and the University of Utah while spending three to four months per year working in Asia and Africa. He is currently the Fairweather Foundation Chair and Professor of ophthalmology and global medicine at Stanford University.

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The H. Adams Carter Literary Award: James Edward Mills

For Excellence in Climbing Literature

James Edward Mills is a National Geographic Explorer and a contributor to National Geographic Magazine, a Fellow of the Banff Center Mountain & Wilderness Writing Program in Alberta, Canada, and a recipient of the Paul K. Petzoldt Award For Environmental Education. He has worked in the outdoor industry since 1989 as a guide, outfitter, independent sales representative, writer, and photographer. He is the author of the book The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors and the co-writer/co-producer of the documentary film An American Ascent. Mills is a contributor to several outdoor-focused print and online publications such as National Geographic, Outside, Rock & Ice, Alpinist, SUP, Elevation Outdoors, Women's Adventure, the Clymb, Park Advocate, High Country News, Appalachia Journal, The Guardian, The New York Times, Sierra, and Land & People. 

In recognition of his work sharing the important history and legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and their efforts at the dawn of the National Park Service, James was named a Yosemite National Park Centennial Ambassador in 2016. Currently, Mills is a faculty assistant at the University of Wisconsin Nelson Institute For Environmental Studies and teaches a summer course for undergraduate students on diversity, equity, and inclusion in outdoor recreation and public land management called Outdoors For All. His climbing accomplishments include two ascents, one solo, of the mountaineers' route on California's Mount Whitney, sport climbing routes on the Gheralta Massif of Ethiopia, a team ascent of Mt. Baker, and a trek to Everest Base Camp.

The committee believes it's hard to overstate the importance of The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors in shaping the discourse around justice and equity in mountaineering since it was published in 2014, which is why James Edward Mills absolutely deserves to be celebrated with the H. Adams Carter Literary Award for this year.

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The Pinnacle Award: Steph Davis

For Outstanding Mountaineering and Climbing Achievements

Steph Davis is a rock climber, BASE jumper, and wingsuit flier. She began climbing as a freshman at the University of Maryland in 1991. After receiving a master's in Literature, she moved out to Moab, living in her grandmother's Oldsmobile. Some of her notable ascents are the First Female Ascent of Freerider, the First Female Ascent of the Salathe Wall, free solo of the Pervertical Sanctuary on the Diamond of Longs Peak, and the first American woman to summit Fitzroy. Davis started skydiving and BASE jumping in 2008; human flight is her second passion. She is one of just a few people in the world, and the only woman, to combine free solo climbing with base jumping and wingsuit flight. She is the author of High Infatuation and Learning to Fly.

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The David A. Sowles Memorial Award: Roger Schaeli, Matteo Della Bordella, Thomas Huber, and Roberto Treu

For Unselfish Devotion to Imperiled Climbers

The Cerro Torre Rescue

Patagonia is considered by the world’s best climbers to be one of the most difficult and dangerous climbing areas in the world. Climbers who attempt Cerro Torre, Fitz Roy, and other notable climbs understand an accident here requires self-rescue, as an organized rescue is unlikely or uncertain at best. Two teams established two new routes on Cerro Torre on January 27, 2022. The teams had climbed the last 1,000 feet with each other, summiting together. The Italian team, Matteo Della Bordella, David Bacci, and Matteo De Zaicomo, decided to bivy up on the summit of Cerro Torre and descend the next morning while the other team, climbing guides Tomás Aguiló, 36 (Argentina), and Korra Pesce, 41 (Italy) decided to descend in the dark to mitigate the danger of rock and icefall. 

As Aguiló and Pesce descended, on the morning of January 28, they were hit by an avalanche of ice and rock. Pesce was paralyzed, while Aguiló was seriously injured, but able to move. Aguilo continued to descend, eventually finding his satellite device and calling for help. 

Unaware of Aguiló's satellite device message for help, someone had seen a headlamp's SOS signal high on the mountain and got together a group of ten to hike the two hours to the glacier's base and investigate. Some of the group continued on to the base of the east face, where they saw Aguiló slowly descending to a triangular snowfield about 1,000 feet of technical climbing above the glacier. A drone was used to pinpoint Aguiló's location, and a rescue operation was formed. 

By 5 p.m. on Friday, Della Bordella's team had finished rappelling 30 pitches from their summit bivy and met up with the rescue party. Upon learning the news, Della Bordella, alongside Thomas Huber (Germany), Roger Schaeli (Switzerland), and Roberto Treu (Argentina), climbed the first seven pitches of the Maestri Route in three hours to reach Agulió. Around midnight, Treu and Huber descended with Aguiló, while Della Bordella and Schaeli waited for any sign of Pesce. A storm was approaching, and the two only had one rope between them. As the weather worsened and exhaustion set in, the two decided to descend for their own safety around 3 a.m. Unfortunately, Pesce perished. Rescuers carried Aguiló down to the bottom of the glacier, where he was helicoptered to a hospital.  

The American Alpine Club is honored to recognize Matteo Della Bordella, Roger Schaeli, Thomas Huber, and Roberto Treu with the David A. Sowles Memorial Award for their voluntary actions to rescue Tomy Aguiló and Korra Pesce on Cerro Torre. The David A. Sowles Memorial Award is the American Alpine Club’s highest award for valor, bestowed at irregular intervals on climbers who have "distinguished themselves, with unselfish devotion at personal risk or sacrifice of a major objective, in going to the assistance of fellow climbers imperiled in the mountains.” The recipients’ voluntary actions to rescue Aguiló and Pesce at great personal risk is the embodiment of why this award was created. 

About the Rescuers

As soon as Roger Schaeli began walking, the mountains became his fate. For Roger, climbing is passion, a sentiment, a strong emotional confrontation with the mountain, life, and himself. Schaeli is an IFMGA(UIAGM/IVBV) Mountain guide and Swiss Alpinist. Schaeli has many notable ascents all over the world, including more than 56 ascents on the North Face of the Eiger, the first ascent of Odyssee (5.14 1,400m), and the linkup of the six most prominent North Faces of the Alps (Eiger, Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses, Grosse Zinne, Piz Badile, and Dru) in a non-stop, unsupported trek over 45 days. 

Matteo Della Bordella began climbing at 12 years old, thanks to his dad. In 2006, he joined the group of Ragni di Lecco and had the opportunity to grow both as a mountaineer and a person. He likes to climb technically difficult big walls in the most remote places on earth. Bordella's proudest achievements as an alpinist are the first ascent of the route Brothers in Arms on Cerro Torre's east and north face, the first ascent of the west face of Bhagirathi IV (6192 m) in the Indian Himalaya, the "by fair means" expedition to Greenland which involved 200 km of kayaks and the first ascent of Shark Tooth north face, the first ascent of Torre Egger West face in Patagonia, summiting the Cerro Torre three times, and Cerro Fitz Roy four times. 

Thomas Huber is a German climber and mountaineer. Huber is known for his speed records and first ascents. Of his most notable climbs are the FA of the direct north pillar of the Shivling (6543m) with Iwan Wolf, which won them the Piolet d'Or, and the first ascent of El Niño and the first free ascent of Zodiac on El Capitan in Yosemite. 

Roberto Treu "Indio" is originally from the province of San Juan, where he found his passion for the mountains. He is an IFMGA Mountain Guide at Patagonia Ascent and the director of the technical committee of the AAGM (Asociación Argentina de Guías de Montaña). Some of his most important achievements have been the Cerro Standhardt, Herron, Egger traverse, and the Directa Huarpe, a new route on the West Face of Cerro Torre. In addition to these climbs, Treu has climbed Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy numerous times.

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The President's Award: Steven Swenson 

For Extraordinary Accomplishments in the Climbing World

Steve Swenson grew up in Seattle and started climbing in the nearby Cascade Mountains at age14. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Civil Engineering. He has been climbing for over a half-century with over twenty expeditions to South Asia, including ascents of K2 and Everest without supplemental oxygen. He was part of a team that won the 2012 Piolet d'Or award for the first ascent of Saser Kangri II (7518 meters), and a team that won the 2020 Piolet d'Or for the first ascent of Link Sar (7041m). He is married with two sons. He is retired after a 35-year consulting engineering career in project management, design, policy-making, finance, and communications consulting related to water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Since his retirement, he has served on several nonprofit boards and has expertise in governance, fundraising, and strategic planning. His book titled Karakoram: Climbing Through the Kashmir Conflict was published by Mountaineers Books in 2017. 

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American Alpine Club award winners will be honored with bespoke, sustainable, custom-made awards by metal artist Lisa Issenberg. Lisa is the owner and founder of the Ridgway, Colorado studio, Kiitellä, named after a Finnish word meaning to "thank, applaud, or praise." Lisa has been providing custom awards for the American Alpine Club since 2013. Kiitellä's process includes a mix of both handcraft and industrial techniques. To learn more, visit kiitella.com

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To hear more from these awardees, join us for the 2024 Annual Benefit Gala in Los Angeles, CA, on April 27, 2024.

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Join us for our Annual Gathering + Benefit Gala and go through our selfie booth from DigiBooths! No matter the size and location of your event DigiBooths is your first stop for selfie booths. They're a DigiGroup Entertainment company that offers more than just photo booths. You can book DJs as well by visiting Pittsburgh Digital DJs.

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GAME DAY: Hueco Rock Rodeo

It’s about to be game on for the 28th annual Hueco Rock Rodeo, and so we had our own Game Day panel to talk shop about strategies for the competition, the major players to look out for, and how the condies are shaping up. We had Nina Williams and Jon Glassberg on the pod to chat podium predictions, climbing rivalries, whose injured, and whose coming in with momentum, and whether Daniel Woods is really going to win the Hueco Rock Rodeo, AGAIN. Dive in to get all the beta on the top competitors, funny stories from past competitions, performance tips, competitive vibes, trash talk, and more.

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Show Notes

More about the Hueco Rock Rodeo

More about Nina Williams

More about Jon Glassberg

Climbers of the Craggin' Classics: Bishop

Bishop Craggin’ Photos by Sierra Farquhar

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.

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Meet Bishop Featured Climber: Andrew Kang!

Scroll to read Andrew’s story…

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2023 Craggin’ Classic Supported By

Climbers of the Craggin' Classic: Moab

PC: Matthew Cunningham @clamsjog

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.

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Meet Moab Craggin’ Featured Climber: Katrina Le!

Scroll to read her story…

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The 2023 Craggin’ Classic Series is Supported By

Climbers of the Craggin' Classics: Shelf Road

PC: Rob Murillo @murillo.fotographia

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.

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Meet Featured Climber Stephen Lyter!

Scroll to hear from Stephen about climbing education and safety…

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2023 Craggin’ Classic Series Supported By

Climbers of the Craggin' Classics: Smith Rock

PC: Kenny Gamblin

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.

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Smith Featured Climber: Living Legend Alan Watts

Scroll to read Alan Watt’s take on the AAC’s advocacy event at Smith Rock…

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2023 Craggin’ Classic Series Supported By

Climber's of the Craggin' Classic: Devil's Lake

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.

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Chad and Cooper Donahue.

Featured Climbers: Chad and Cooper Donahue

Devil's Lake Photos by: Laurel Myers @laureljmyers

AAC: How did you get into rock climbing?

Chad Donahue: Growing up I had a couple friends who were into rock climbing and so went a handful of times throughout high school. But my son Cooper and I really started getting into it last year, with Adaptive Adventures. My family found Adaptive Adventures, and hooked me up with Kat and Jesse and some of the other incredible people running it. My first trip with them I did some wakeboarding and I’ve tried a bunch of stuff from there!

There’s one rock climbing gym in Madison, and on every last Sunday of the month, Adaptive Adventures hosts an adaptive night for free. We’ve been going to these for a year. Any time I have Cooper, we end up going climbing if we can or doing something else active. They also have a couple times a year where they take climbers outside, and the clinic at the Devil’s Lake Craggin’ was one of them!

AAC: What does climbing mean to you?

Chad Donahue climbing indoors.

CD: Rock climbing gives me an opportunity to share anticipation—like getting excited to go to the movies as a kid. It's sometimes not even about the rock climbing, it's just the whole process. There is no right or wrong way to do the moves either, so it's really cool how different people can do the same thing in different ways. Like Moe, who was also at the adaptive clinic, is in a wheelchair, and he was just campusing this overhung route that is so hard for me! And climbing is just such a cool way to share those moments of connection and love of the outdoors.

I had a traumatic brain injury in 2014, and if that hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have gotten back into rock climbing. Because of the TBI, I have a visual impairment and I’m legally blind, but I can see kind of well for someone who is legally blind. It’s kind of like being permanently without your glasses, everything is really blurry. A lot of fine motor skills are hard, so tying the rope for climbing is really hard. Spacial awareness can be pretty challenging now too…

AAC: Who are you besides a climber?

Chad Donahue rapelling.

CD: Well I’m a dad, a big music lover, our family has always been huge ice cream people, and I love being really active. I used to play a lot of sports—like basketball, tennis, lacrosse, and football.

Cooper is in 8th grade, I can’t believe he’s going to be in high school next year! He’s a really kind and thoughtful kid. He loves video games and anime, and he’s really incredible at art. And he likes climbing outdoors 5x more than indoor climbing. When we were wrapping up for the day on Sunday at the Craggin’ he didn’t want to come down.

We do a lot of active things together. Like we’re working towards a triathlon with Dare 2 Tri. Cooper likes biking but is definitely not a runner. When he was spacing out at the crag during a break from climbing, someone asked him what he was thinking about—and he said snowboarding haha. So we’re always getting up to something.

AAC: Tell us about the adaptive clinic at the Craggin’ event!

CD: We ended up climbing inside on Saturday due to weather, but it was still really fun! On Sunday, it was perfect weather out, and Cooper and I got to climb outside for the second time ever. The rock isn’t very grippy at Devil’s Lake, the handholds are weird. Climbing outside is in some ways so different than inside, it's kind of like starting over! But it was really fun to figure out a way up.

With every new volunteer that I climb with at Adaptive Adventures, I feel like I’m learning something new because they all have a different perspective. Like that day Jason was teaching me how to turn my hip in to extend my reach.

AAC: What’s climbing like for you?

Cooper Donahue helping Chad Donahue with his harness.

CD: My vision is barely a problem indoors because the colors of the holds stand out to me, but outdoor climbing really levels the playing field. It’s a lot more challenging outside, especially to find the footholds. One technique I’ve been working on will help me spot footholds better, by dragging my foot up the wall as I move it, so I can feel the feet without seeing them.

AAC: What’s it like climbing with your son Cooper? Do you worry any extra about safety because you’re also worried about him?

CD: The nice part about working with Adaptive Adventures is that I know that Cooper is in good hands and we’re showing him the ropes in a safe way. I just appreciate the joy on his face, and how excited he is to go rock climbing. He’s always ready to jump in though. His first time out rock climbing he got to rappel!

AAC: Do you have any dreams or goals around climbing?

CD: I just want to continue to have fun…and maybe go on a rock climbing trip to Colorado sometime!

Adaptive Clinic participant, Moe Ewing shows off his powerful pulls.

AAC: In your opinion, how can the climbing community better support adaptive climbers?

CD: Just treat ‘em like any other rock climber and offer help. They might not need it, but you never know unless you ask. With rock climbing becoming more popular, I think that it's really important for everyone to know that groups like Adaptive Adventures or Dare 2 Tri exist. Just because you have differences or challenges doesn’t mean shit. The mind and body is limitless! It’s all mindset—like in rock climbing when you think you can’t go anymore, but you pause and realize you can go a little further, and you push through and do more than you ever thought you could.

Adaptive Clinic participant, John Heim poses with his dog Scout.

Meet Chad and Cooper Donahue: Devil’s Lake Craggin’ Climbers

Scroll to read their story…

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2023 Craggin’ Classic Series Supported By

Climbers of the Craggin' Classics: NRG

PC: Tanner Henson

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.

Meet Leanne Christine Reilly!

A NRG Craggin’ Climber

Scroll to read her story…

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2023 Craggin’ Classic Series Supported By

Climbers of the Craggin' Classics: Rumney

Photo Credit: Leah Gussoff

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.

Meet Caper Loomis!

A Rumney Craggin’ Climber

PC: Leah Gussoff

Scroll to read her story…

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2023 Craggin’ Classic Series Supported By

Behind the Scenes of United in Yosemite

Dig into the details of the first ever United in Yosemite event, hosted by The American Alpine Club (through our Climb United program), Yosemite National Park, and the Yosemite Conservancy. This climbing festival was an intentional space created to celebrate the diverse voices of climbing—to make sure the big walls are the only intimidating thing about this legendary climbing location, not the culture or community. Dive into the photos and participant reflections about the event below.

For all current United in Yosemite information click here.

CONNECT: United in Yosemite, with Genevive Walker and Thomas Bukowski

The AAC is super excited to be co-hosting a brand new climbing festival this summer that centers BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and adaptive climbers in Yosemite Valley, called United in Yosemite. In this episode, we sat down with Genevive Walker and Thomas Bukowski, who are each deeply embedded in the climbing world, helping create more inclusive climbing experiences, and are guides who will be running clinics at United in Yosemite. Our conversation covers what climbing means to them, the obstacles they face as guides, why United in Yosemite matters, and the magic these kinds of events can generate. Listen in to get a sneak peek of what to expect from the event and get a glimpse behind the scenes of the guiding world.

American Alpine Club Podcast · CONNECT: United in Yosemite, with Genevive Walker and Thomas Bukowski

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Show Notes:

Learn more about Genevive Walker

Learn more about Thomas Bukowski

Learn more about United in Yosemite

Yosemite Conservancy

National Parks Service

Transforming the Conditions for the Send

Saturday Session panelists Kareemah Batts, Roshni Brahmbhatt, Lyndon Cudlitz, Ady Wright, and Tommy Caldwell.

The 2023 Annual Benefit Gala

Together we laughed, cried, and celebrated this incredible community.

At this year's AAC Gala, the energy for advocacy was unprecedented. You could feel it in the room, the energy to transform the conditions for the send. At the AAC, we know there are a mess of things impacting the send, not just the weather! Bigger picture—climate change, equitable climbing access and inclusive community, the conservation of public lands, ever evolving climbing management plans, and education for climbers—are all impacting our climbing. At the AAC, we're fighting to transform those conditions in order to protect the heart of climbing—the people and places who make climbing so special. At this year's Gala, the climbing community turned out in force to support and celebrate this transformation.

Climbers near and far came together to celebrate the boldness that is crucial for our climbing endeavors and advocacy. We were joined by Former Vice President Al Gore, the Full Circle Everest Team, and a room full of AAC members, industry leaders, and climbing stars.

Dive deep into an unforgettable night in climbing, below!

Climb United

Building community at the AAC’s Craggin Classic

United We Climb

Every Fall, the American Alpine Club hosts the Craggin Classic, a climbing festival at world-class climbing destinations in the United States. Participants dance wearing glow sticks at night and climb all day. This year the Craggin Classic held Climb United meetups at all locations, creating a safe and welcoming community for everyone.

Climb United works to uplift traditionally marginalized groups in the climbing community. Through intentional programs like the Route Naming Task Force, the Climb United Affiliate Support Network, and the Pull Focus Grant, Climb United is working towards change within the climbing community to welcome all groups. Climb United is all about gaining new perspectives from others to create a more accessible, loving, climbing community.

Take a look at the Moab, New River Gorge, Smith Rock, and Shelf Road CU meetups!