Thank you for taking the time to dive into this second edition of the AAC’s quarterly Guidebook. A lot of things are changing at the AAC, and we are energized by the new opportunities that these changes afford.
AAC's Strategic Plan—2025-2027
Photo by AAC member Jeremiah Watt
What follows is the AAC’s Strategic Plan leading up to the organization’s 125th anniversary. Our plan is rooted in our core belief that climbing can change lives and ignite a passion and sense of meaning within its practitioners. With the power of climbing in mind, we are dedicated to facilitating this passion and supporting climbers as they seek their most fulfilling relationship with climbing.
Vision
A community of thriving climbers.
Mission
Provide climbers with resources that advance knowledge, inspiration, and advocacy.
Values
• Adventure
• Inspiration
• Curiosity
• Inclusion
• Commitment
Photo by AAC member Kylie Fly
Pillars
Empower Members
The AAC is committed to providing the tools, resources, and support necessary for climbers to thrive and excel in their pursuits. At each opportunity that we engage with our members, we’ll create a culture of empowerment for climbers of all backgrounds and skill levels to live their dreams.
Inspire Through Storytelling
The AAC has a powerful history of inspiring and uniting climbers through storytelling. We
will deepen our investment in these stories that evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and fuel imagination, encouraging climbers to pursue dreams, push limits, and connect with the natural world.
Advocate for Our Members and the Places We Climb
The AAC is committed to conserving climbing areas, mitigating impacts on nature, and advocating for members’ rights. Through advocacy, policy, and partnerships, we will continue to activate our members to protect the places they climb.
Photo by AAC member Calder Davey
Strategic Priorities
Enhance Member Experience
We prioritize personalized interactions and know that top-tier benefits are key to enhancing member satisfaction and loyalty. We will go beyond transactions, striving to build lasting connections by addressing members’ holistic needs.
Prioritize Collaboration and Partnerships
The AAC recognizes the power of collective action in protecting climbers and their cherished climbing destinations and will focus on seeking collaborative partnerships and promoting cross-sector collaboration.
Focus on Organizational Sustainability
We will align our efforts with key strategies that drive growth, ensure stability, and foster sustainability. Our focus areas include: developing skilled and engaged staff, ensuring long-term financial stability, modernizing infrastructure, enhancing risk management and compliance, and increasing environmental sustainability.
Increase Brand Clarity and Visibility
The AAC will sharpen its brand and expand its national reach to stand out within the outdoor community. This effort aims to increase AAC’s visibility and connect better with climbers nationwide.
A Tribute to Michael Gardner
Michael Gardner astride the Infinite Spur on Sultana (Mt. Foraker) during a climb-and-ski adventure. Photo by Sam Hennessey. Originally published in AAJ 2022.
Michael Gardner
1991-2024
We are deeply saddened by the death of Michael Gardner: a great alpinist and a vibrant life.
Michael was on an expedition funded by the AAC’s Cutting Edge Grant, attempting the unclimbed north face of Jannu East in Nepal with his long time climbing partner Sam Hennessey, when he fell to his death on October 7th, 2024. We are grateful that Hennessey is safe after the incident.
There have been so many tributes to Mike in the last few days that attest to his incredible empathy, enthusiasm, dedication to the craft of climbing, pure motivations and lack of ego. Indeed, his quiet pursuit of the mountains on his own terms means his legacy is not flashy, but found in traces and in the background—he was climbing and skiing for the sake of the craft, not for recognition. Yet he was repeatedly the preferred partner for Cutting Edge Grant recipients like Hennessey, and his name appeared again and again in the American Alpine Journal over the last few years, for his new routes, fast ascents of iconic faces, and creative ski alpinism.
Rather than listing his great ascents here, and reducing him to a list of accomplishments, we encourage all who knew him, all who were inspired by him, to dive into the AAJ stories that feature him—as a way to walk, for a brief moment, alongside him in the memories of some of his greatest life experiences in the mountains. The mountains called him back again and again, whether it was to put up a new rock route on Mt. Owens, Renny Take the Wheel (1,500’, 8 pitches, IV 5.11), or envision the first ascent of Hot Cars and Fast Women (850m, M6+) with Hennessey on Denali’s Ridge of No Return. Mike and Sam were also simply fast. Their second ascent of Light Traveler (M7) on the southwest face of Denali in 2018 was not only the fastest for this route at the time, but for any of the four routes generally considered to be most difficult on Denali’s south and southwest faces: the Denali Diamond, McCartney-Roberts, Light Traveler, and Slovak Direct. In 2022, they upped the ante when they joined up with Rob Smith to climb the Slovak Direct in 17 hours and 10 min. In next year’s 2025 AAJ, his more recent mountain adventures will live on, testifying to the kind of life he shaped for himself, including a new route on Mt. Hunter, a massive ski link-up in the Tetons, and a new route on the Grand Teton.
Reading through these stories, you can see the creativity and quiet passion he brought to his climbing, and to his life.
Describing his conflicted relationship to the mountains in an article for Alpinist in 2022, Mike writes how, when he climbs: “An indescribable awareness of place and peace takes hold. On the other hand, there are consequences to devoting yourself to the mountains. I know them intimately, and yet year after year, death after death, I continue to climb.”
We can’t know if Mike would have thought it was all worth it. All we can do is honor the incredible void his death has left behind.
Our thoughts are with Michael’s family and climbing partners.
American Mountaineering Center Update
Photo by AAC member Jon Glassberg
Since 1993, the AAC's office, library, and museum have been located in the American Mountaineering Center (AMC) in Golden, CO. Over the past few years, the AAC and Colorado Mountain Club have evaluated the AMC's future, including the option to sell the building that we have owned, managed, and occupied together. We are pleased to share that we sold the AMC building today, September 10, 2024. The AAC will continue to occupy the building while we work to envision a future location that will help us deliver on our mission and continue to serve our members and donors.
The AAC library and museum will close on September 20, 2024, to allow for cataloging and inventorying.
During this transitionary period, the library will cease new scanning requests, new research requests, and book sales. We remain committed to an inspiring future for the AAC library and mountaineering museum that honors the contributions of past donors and members and modernizes these critical resources for future generations.
We are proud to have partnered with the Colorado Mountain Club to steward this historic building in the heart of Golden for the past 30 years, and we firmly believe the new owner will continue to care for this important building in its next phase.
Lastly, we are grateful to the board of directors, led by Glenn Porzak, who dreamed of bringing the organization to Golden decades ago, and the members and donors who helped make that dream a reality. Your contributions, vision, and foresight brought us to this moment, which presents exciting future possibilities for the Club.
Remembering John Middendorf
Wind River Ranger, 1991 // Photo by Wikimedia/John Middendorf
We are deeply saddened by the loss of the incredible climber, mountaineer, inventor, writer, and historian of climbing gear John Middendorf. John (nicknamed the "Deuce") was a true friend to the American Alpine Club, and his insatiable curiosity and kindness made an impression on everyone he met.
Although his contributions to climbing are many, some in particular changed the sport forever. John’s ascent of the East Face of Great Trango Tower in 1992 with Xaver Bongard epitomized his elite climbing skill—The Grand Voyage was a performance of a lifetime on one of the biggest and remotest big walls in the world, and was one of the first Grade VII climbs. John also put up new Grade VI routes on Half Dome and El Cap, along with many first ascents in Zion National Park. He was otherwise a prolific contributor to the American Alpine Journal with exploratory climbs all across the world. John, an engineer and inventor, started a hardware company, A5 Adventures, in 1986. His innovations in portaledge design, as well as Birdbeak pitons, aiders, haul bags, and other gear, unequivocally changed the big-wall game. He sold A5 to The North Face in 1997. His 1994 book Big Walls, co-authored with John Long, was the crucial reference for many wall-climbing novices.
But besides being a great man in climbing, he also was a dear friend of the AAC. We deeply appreciate the generosity and knowledge he shared with the Club, his support of the AAC Library, and his contributions to the Legacy Series and the 2023 Cutting Edge Grant.
The AAC’s Library Director, Katie Sauter, reflected: “[John’s] insatiable curiosity led him to research so many avenues of climbing, often sending me questions about the most obscure references. He was very knowledgeable and wrote blog posts about a wide variety of topics pertaining to climbing history and the evolution of gear. He was generous with his time, and when he was visiting, he'd identify historic climbing gear for our collections. His enthusiasm was infectious. He was so interested in how gear was made that he even wanted to test the composition of some of our historic pitons to see what kind of metal was used.”
The AAC will truly miss John Middendorf, and our thoughts are with his wife, Jeni, his children, and his other family and friends as they grieve and celebrate him.
Remembering Cole Stevens
Cole Stevens, known as “Sweet Boy,” 23, of Westerville, and a passionate climber, passed away on February 11, 2024. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 10, 2000.
A note from Cole’s mom:
“Cole was the most amazing son, brother, grandson, friend, [and] human, and I was fortunate enough to be his mom. He had a way of making others look at life in an entirely different way. In his way too short 23 years, he embraced every second and said that life was about having adventures because adventures resulted in having better stories to tell. His motto for life was, "No Bad Days." He even had it tattooed on his leg as a reminder to himself. Cole said that no day was all bad, there was always something good in every day, you just need to dig a little deeper on some days to find it. Cole was all about the outdoors, celebrating every sunrise and sunset, gazing at the stars, searching for shells, and loved to hike in Colorado, West Virginia, Ohio—wherever and whenever he got the opportunity. He also loved climbing, which he started before he could walk by climbing out of his crib, belonged to a climbing gym, and never met a mountain he didn't want to conquer. He loved to take his beloved dog, Daisy Mae, on every adventure he could. He said that she, unlike his friends, had no problem getting up early to go on adventures. He was a huge advocate for conservation and believed that every child needed to be exposed to the outdoors and get away from the TV and video games.
He taught me so much about living, and I will continue to miss him every second of every day of my life. No mom should ever have to give a child back.”
Cole graduated from Thomas Worthington High School in 2019. Cole was proud of his career as a machining and fabrication technician at Buck Equipment. He aspired to have lots of adventures and stories to tell. He loved motorcycles, the outdoors, hiking, rock climbing, cliff diving, ATVing, surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding. When not dabbling in his addiction to extreme sports, he also enjoyed listening to all types of music from twangy country to EDM, cooking, antiquing and collecting clashing furniture off the side of the road. He loved and could repair anything with wheels or related to hot tubs. He had an affinity for people and animals alike and seemed incapable of going anywhere without finding a few new friends or places to nap. He was a self-proclaimed Mama’s boy; when he was little he would wake up his Mama just to have her to look at the sunrise. He loved spending time with his family almost as much as he loved raiding their refrigerators for leftovers.
Cole is greatly missed by his parents, Amy and Brad Weiner; sisters, Delilah O’Dell, Megan (Meg) Sebar, and Marissa Weiner; grandparents, Carol Hill and Carolyn O’Dell; nephew, Bennett Sebar; Aunt Kathy; Aunt Denise (Corye); Uncle Phil and Aunt Jill; his special four-legged friend, Daisy Mae (aka, the Doozle dog); and his closest friends, Brock, Gabo, and Julian; as well as numerous extended family and friends.
Cole’s family’s wish is to honor and celebrate Cole’s life by encouraging others to make a gift in his memory. They suggest directing it to the AAC’s Advocacy program to carry on Cole’s deep passion for conservation and love of the great outdoors.
*Please be sure to include that your gift is in memory of Cole Stevens in the comments section so we can be sure to recognize your gift appropriately.
Smith Rock Craggin’ Classic—Update
Dear AAC community,
This weekend has brought a mix of emotions as we process the significance of the threat leading into the Smith Rock Craggin’ Classic. We are grateful for the outpouring of support from the incredible community of climbers who gathered for the event, showing resilience and support for each other in the face of such adversity.
As you may know by now, on Wednesday, October 18, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) informed the American Alpine Club of a significant threat that may have impacted the health and safety of climbers at Smith Rock State Park, including attendees to the Smith Rock Craggin' Classic event scheduled for October 20-22.
We partnered closely with law enforcement agencies and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, leveraging their guidance and expertise. Throughout this process, the safety of our staff, partners, volunteers, and participants was our number one priority. On Thursday, October 19, the AAC was informed that the individual was arrested and taken into custody by DCSO. Officers expressed confidence that he was acting alone and that there was no longer a threat and partnered with us to increase security out of an abundance of caution for the weekend events to continue.
We can confirm that the individual is a former American Alpine Club member. Still, we have no indication of a motive for the planned attack.
We are beyond grateful for the efforts of the law enforcement officers and the brave individuals who took the threat seriously and notified the Portland Police Bureau. Without either of these actions, the situation could have ended tragically.
Additionally, we sincerely appreciate the incredible community of nearly 400 climbers who rallied together for a weekend of clinics, education, and festivities at the Smith Rock Craggin' Classic event despite the challenge that knowledge of the intended attack presented.
The American Alpine Club takes the health and safety of all attendees seriously, and we will continue to actively partner with local law enforcement agencies to evaluate security at Craggin Classic events. We'll also provide our staff and volunteers resources to support them as they process the events of the last week.
As a member of the AAC, your dedication to the Club strengthens our community, and we are genuinely grateful for your continued support.
Should there be any questions or inquiries regarding the ongoing investigation, please direct them to the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office.
Sincerely,
Ben Gabriel
Executive Director, American Alpine Club
Smith Rock Craggin' Classic—Public Statement
On October 18, the American Alpine Club was made aware of a potential threat to the health and safety of attendees to the Smith Rock Craggin Classic to be held October 20-22, 2023, at Smith Rock State Park.
We worked closely with law enforcement agencies and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to monitor the situation and evaluate our ability to host the event, with the safety and well-being of our staff, volunteers, partners, and participants as our top priority. The associated individual was arrested and is now in custody, and authorities are confident there is no continued threat.
We are grateful to the law enforcement agencies for their efforts and support during this incident.
Please direct any questions and inquiries regarding the ongoing investigation to the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office.
Tom Hornbein (1930 – 2023)
Hornbein on the 1963 Everest expedition.
On May 6, the American Alpine Club and climbing community lost a luminary, a mentor, and a dear friend. Tom Hornbein, MD, was a legend in American climbing. Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld ushered in the modern era of mountaineering and set the standard for future generations with their iconic ascent of the West Ridge of Everest in 1963. This audacious feat has perhaps yet to find an equal in the annals of Himalayan climbing.
Tom Hornbein in March of 2023. Photo by AAC member Jim Aikman.
In his youth, Hornbein pioneered standard-setting rock climbs. In 1949, he climbed Northwest Passage in the Boulder Flatirons, incorporating the first use of sophisticated direct aid in the area. In 1952, Hornbein made the first serious foray onto the Diamond of Longs Peak. He’d return decades later and climb that iconic wall at age 64. In 1953, he led Hornbein Crack on the Chasm View wall with virtually no protection. At the time it was the hardest pitch of free climbing in the high mountains.
However, Hornbein will always be remembered for the West Ridge of Everest. In an interview for the American Alpine Club's Legacy Series, Hornbein described a shared fire to pursue the team’s objective: "Those of us on the West Ridge team needed something more than just to climb Everest—to do something that was different than what the Swiss and the Brits had done. We really wanted an adventure that we didn't feel was there for us on a route that had already been climbed a couple of times. That was the transcendent force: to be challenged by something that we didn't know we could likely pull off."
For his contributions to climbing and the American Alpine Club, Hornbein was awarded the AAC President's Gold Medal twice, once in 2013 along with the other members of the 1963 Everest team and again in 2020, as the sole recipient. The AAC President's Gold Medal has only been awarded seven times in the organization's history. He also received the AAC Honorary Member award and the Angelo Heilprin Citation award for exemplary service to the Club.
His professional achievements rivaled his feats in the mountains. Dr. Hornbein was Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He studied human physiology and performance at high altitude, making his work a link between medicine and mountaineering.
Throughout the years, Horbein was an inspiration to us all. AAC Board President Graham Zimmerman's recollections of Hornbein reveal the heart and soul that Horbein brought to climbing: "Tom Hornbein inspired us to dream big, fiercely pursue those dreams, and be exceptionally kind while on the journey. Not only did he demonstrate a dedication to climbing, but he also provided an example of how our experiences in the mountains can be applied to make the world a better place.
Tom was a friend whom I'm going to miss very much."
Hornbein’s generosity made a significant impact on the AAC during his life, and for that the Club will be forever grateful. His devotion to our craft and his passion for life have inspired generations of climbers, and his influence and example will continue to live on.
Legacy Series, Episode 5: Tom Horbein
Learn more about Tom Hornbein, MD, and his contributions to climbing through this Legacy Series video.
AAC Announces New Executive Director Ben Gabriel
The AAC Board of Directors has named Ben Gabriel as the organization's next executive director, effective April 17. Gabriel brings significant policy and advocacy and strategic leadership experience to the Club, having served as executive director for Wild Montana since 2017. Before joining Wild Montana, he was executive director of Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks in New Mexico.
"My physical, mental, and spiritual well-being is all based on my initial connection to climbing," Gabriel said. "That's what excites me most about coming back, full circle, to the American Alpine Club—re-engaging and serving this community that has been so transformational for me and helped me set myself on my current career path."
The AAC Board of Directors selected Gabriel after an extensive search led by the Isaacson, Miller search firm and an internal board committee. The groups prioritized an equitable process to identify a passionate climber with the requisite experience to lead the AAC into its future.
AAC President Graham Zimmerman shared excitement about the organization’s position and potential moving forward, saying, “Board members Pete Ward and Jamie Logan took on the role of interim director during a critical time for the organization. Through strong crisis management, operational excellence, staff mentorship, and decisive leadership they have left the organization in far better condition than they found it.
Subsequently, our new executive director, Ben Gabriel, is well-positioned to drive this organization into the future. I am joined by the rest of the board in being very excited for this next phase of the AAC and exceptionally confident in Ben's ability to lead us into the future that we envision for this organization.”
“The American Alpine Club is in a great business position now and I am excited for its future supporting and leading the climbing community,” said Ward, who served as interim director for the last year. “We are lucky to have an amazing staff, a visionary board of directors led by Graham Zimmerman, and now, we are privileged to welcome Ben Gabriel as he leads the AAC into the next leg of its journey. Ben is a proven leader and I look forward to supporting him and the AAC for many years to come.”
Wild Montana President Tim Lynch expressed appreciation for Gabriel’s tenure, saying “We can't thank Ben enough for the leadership, innovation, and dogged energy he brought to Wild Montana during his 5 years as our executive director. In that time, he led the organization through the process of rebranding, greatly expanded our capacity and effectiveness, and steered us through some extremely challenging times. Even during those times, the organization protected hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlands, led several successful efforts to increase conservation funding at the state and national levels, and played a crucial role in helping reform the federal oil and gas leasing system. We're sad to see him go, but wish him the best in all of his future endeavors.”
Gabriel expressed optimism for the Club’s potential in the coming years and commented "I feel that there's a lot at stake now between rapidly changing climate, attacks on public lands, and decreasing access to some of our favorite places. I think the climbing community can share a lot of the lessons they've learned and educate the public more broadly. It's a unique role that the American Alpine Club will be able to play into the future."
We've Signed the Indigenous Field Guide, Here's Why
PC: Dawn Kish. Recreating at Oak Flat, land sacred to the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
When we were first asked to sign the Indigenous Field Guide pledge, we as an organization were challenged by how broad many of the tenets were, and how they were inconsistent with many of the current practices of climbers today. While some of the tenets of the pledge ring familiar with Leave No Trace Ethics, such as respecting rock art and staying on trails, other elements of the pledge—such as refraining from rock stacking, or seeking permission to share geographic locations from local Tribes—initially led us to a place of defensiveness. However, we also recognized this reaction should be seen as an impetus to really examine what the pact meant, and why we were reacting in this way.
The AAC has decided to sign onto the pledge, and we’re happy to share why.
Coming from a perspective of Western thought, we are accustomed to taking pacts such as these literally, assigning truth to every word, and were thus afraid we would be signing it performatively. We feared that we would not be able to fully comply with the pact, and instead would continue the pattern of broken promises experienced by Indigenous Tribes since the days of early settlers.
However, through multiple and overlapping conversations with the writers of the Indigenous Field Guide, we came to understand the spirit of the pledge and the value of committing to it despite our hesitations. Fear of failing would only prevent us from growing.
For example, we learned through various discussions with the writers of the pledge that the deepest importance of the imperative to seek permission before sharing coordinates is about protecting undefended Indigenous archeological and cultural sites that are as yet unrecognized or do not have conservation protections. This imperative is a manifestation of the last and most comprehensive directive from the Indigenous Field Guide writers: “I promise that exploration and first ascents are never more important than cultural resources.”
The AAC has a long-standing practice of publishing GPS coordinates of new routes in order to fulfill our mission of supporting and informing climbers. In fact, the sharing of GPS coordinates seemed a step in the direction of inclusion, so that no one developer or elite climber would “hoard” or gate-keep knowledge of a particular climbing area and make climbing that much less accessible for many people. Yet we had not considered how in certain cases, such sharing of coordinates can threaten areas of cultural significance to Indigenous peoples, with increased traffic threatening the spirituality of the sacred place, increasing erosion, and increasing potential defacement.
In addition, we learned that the request to not stack rocks is not a ban on cairns, but rather a way to highlight that the land should be as untouched as possible, and remain exactly as it is, unless steps are necessary (such as marking a trail in wilderness areas) in order to accomplish that goal of minimal impact. Specifically, balancing rocks and creating rock gardens in rivers and streams can destroy fish habitats in the immediate vicinity and downstream.
We as an organization have signed the Indigenous Field Guide Pledge and have started examining how we can transform our internal practices to align with what we have learned. By committing to the pledge, we are committing to staying in the conversation as we move forward collectively. What does that look like for us, the AAC?
We continue to encourage climbers to be conscientious of their impacts on land and people.
Moving forward, the American Alpine Club strongly encourages grant applicants to consider the locations of their pursuits, and when possible to seek out consent from local Tribes before climbing and before publicly sharing coordinates. For many of the grants, having the endorsement of local Tribes will be a condition for the grant to be awarded.
In cases where publication of coordinates might draw large numbers of new visitors to an area, the editors will urge contributors to our publications to consult with local Tribal leaders about the sensitivity of the area and any potential impacts.
We encourage our members and community to learn more here and to sign the pledge for themselves, if they likewise see value in holding themselves accountable to learning and recreating with this context of Indigenous knowledge.
With Immense Sorrow, We Say Goodbye to our Dear Friend Hilaree Nelson.
With immense sorrow, we say goodbye to our dear friend and board member Hilaree Nelson.
Hilaree was a groundbreaking ski mountaineer, an inspiration to women and particularly adventurous moms, and a force among the AAC Board of Directors since her nomination in 2020. As a community, we find comfort in recognizing the number of lives she touched, the people she inspired, and the energy she carried through life.
We also know the pain and grief felt by those closest to her, particularly her children and partner, are unbearable. Who she was as a mother, partner, and our friend are part of what inspired us all so much. In the future, we will create space to fully celebrate her profound impact on the mountain community. In the meantime, our thoughts are with her loved ones as they grieve and learn to live on in her absence.
“Hilaree was a beacon for our community. She led a life defined by immense grace and strength that extended far beyond the world's great ranges. Her advocacy created change, while her leadership enabled those around her to do the same. I am personally devastated to have lost her as a colleague and as a friend, and my heart goes out to her family.”
-Graham Zimmerman, AAC Board President
“Hilaree was an inspiration, a kind and humble leader, a total badass, and a genuine friend. I'm grateful to have known her, and my heart is with her family, her children, and Jim.”
-Katie Stahley, AAC Board Member
“The profound example set by Hilaree is one to which the rest of us can only aspire. Her accomplishments as an athlete shine brighter because she was a mother participating strongly in our community of climbers, skiers, and activists. Volunteering demonstrated yet another force of hers, guiding many of our compasses both in and out of the mountains. May she rest in peace.”
-Brody Leven, AAC Board Member
”Being on the board of the American Alpine Club with your heroes is always a strange experience. You go through ebbs and flows of fandom while you sit next to one of the world’s greatest climbers or most visionary alpinists. So when someone like Hilaree Nelson hops in a chair next to you, you are almost speechless. But that immediately fades away, because in minutes, she has you cracking up about the time she climbed this, or the time she skied that mountain, or the cute thing her son did the other day. She had this amazing knack of making every one of us on the AAC board remember why we were there together, why we love the wild spaces. She knew how to read a room, a person, and a line up and down a mountain. I will grieve her loss for a very, very long time. But I will forever treasure those times we laughed together, climbed together and shared in our love of the mountain community together. RIP Hilaree.”
-Jen Bruursema, AAC Board Member
If you need support in grieving Hilaree’s loss, or any loss such as this that happened in the mountains or because of an accident, you can find therapy, shared experiences, and financial resources here.
Renaming the Robert & Miriam Underhill Award
As Outside Magazine recently reported, the American Alpine Club (AAC) has entered into a process to rename the Robert and Miriam Underhill Award for outstanding mountaineering achievement.
The AAC is a nationwide community of climbers spanning age, gender, race, ability, and religion. A shared passion for climbing and a commitment to fostering an inclusive community and protecting the places where we climb unite us all. We firmly commit to a continual process of examining and shining a light on all parts of our history, including and especially the aspects of that history that must evolve. We are accountable to our community and to ourselves to be open, accurate, and transparent in that evolution.
As we work to rename the award, we want to understand the modern purpose of an award dedicated to "the highest level of skill in the mountaineering arts" and seek to connect it genuinely to the better parts of climbing history. Our goal is to do this in a way that ensures we're awarding meaningful contributions rather than simply being generic and performative.
The AAC will complete the renaming process and better define the award's purpose before presenting it again in early 2023. We will not limit the tools we consider in that process and recognize that no effort will be complete without internal and external perspectives.
Our Climb United program vision states that “Adventurousness and exploration are not only where I went, but also what did I imagine and what perspectives did I consider along the way.” The renaming of this award presents an excellent opportunity for the AAC to illuminate and explore perspectives.
The AAC Supports UIAA Decision on Russian Events and Athletes
The American Alpine Club (AAC) stands with other UIAA members in fully supporting Ukraine. Like the UIAA, the AAC fully condemns, in the strongest possible terms, any and all use of state or individual violence to settle perceived or actual disputes, as in the case of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The AAC joins our voice to the calls for international peace and an immediate end to the war. In the meantime, we support the UIAA's decisions to signal this support by canceling upcoming and future UIAA events in Russia and restricting access to UIAA events. While we know that not all Russian mountaineers and climbers support the war, these actions function to pressure the Russian Federation to stop their aggressive actions.
We hope to continue to see the solidarity from within the climbing community and an immediate end to the war.
Sincerely,
Kevin Duncan
Jamie Logan
Interim CEO
American Alpine Club
Board President
American Alpine Club
Accidentes de escalada en Norteamérica
Bienvenido a la inauguración de la edición en español de Accidents in North American Climbing.
Desde 1949, American Alpine Club ha publicado este libro anualmente. Nuestro objetivo es ayudar a que nuestros lectores escalen de manera más segura, es por eso que compartimos historias y lecciones de accidentes de escalada en todo Norteamérica. Hoy, con esta traducción hecha por primera vez del libro de Accidentes, buscamos compartir estas lecciones con escaladores de habla hispana en todo el mundo.
Los reportes en este libro documentan y analizan accidentes de escalada técnica y de esquí de montaña que ocurrieron durante el 2019. No incluimos todos los accidentes de escalada, no obstante, intentamos reportar los incidentes más educativos. (Las “Tablas” en la parte trasera de este documento brindan información básica de más accidentes). La traducción al español es un poco más corta que el libro en Inglés. Sin embargo, todos los reportes que hemos publicado en inglés se pueden encontrar en publications.americanalpineclub.org.
Nuestros traductores utilizaron los términos y frases de escalada que se escuchan más frecuentemente en México. En el futuro, planeamos incluir un glosario de términos de escalada empleados en varios países de habla hispana.
Adidas Outdoor patrocina generosamente Accidents in North American Climbing en español. Estamos muy agradecidos con adidas por apoyar la educación de escaladores en todo el mundo.
Favor de compartir este PDF con amigos, cordadas y organizaciones de escalada. Las correcciones y solicitudes para enviarnos reportes de accidentes en México, Estados Unidos y Canadá son bienvenidas. Usted puede ponerse en contacto con nosotros por medio del correo: [email protected].
Le deseamos una escalada segura y feliz.
Welcome to the inaugural Spanish edition of Accidents in North American Climbing!
This book has been published annually by the American Alpine Club since 1949, sharing stories and lessons from climbing accidents throughout North America. Now, with this first-ever translation of the Accidents book, we aim to share these lessons with Spanish-speaking climbers throughout the world.
The reports in this book analyze technical climbing and ski mountaineering accidents during the year 2019. The Spanish edition is slightly shorter than the original English book. You can find every report we’ve ever published, in English, at publications.americanalpineclub.org.
Our translators used the climbing terms and phrases commonly used in Mexico. In the future, we plan to develop a glossary of climbing terminology for various other Spanish-speaking countries and regions, including Puerto Rico.
This project received generous sponsorship from adidas Outdoor. We are very grateful to adidas for supporting the education of climbers around the world.
Please share this PDF with your friends, climbing partners, and climbing organizations. For more info, contact us at [email protected].
¡Descarga el libro aquí!
Este PDF se puede descargar de manera gratuita. Favor de compartirlo con amigos y cordadas.
Los Voluntarios
La edición en español de Accidents in North American Climbing fue traducida por un equipo muy dedicado de voluntarios de tres países. Sus nombres están enlistados a continuación. ¡Sin ellos, esto no habría sido posible!
Download the book here!
The Spanish PDF is free to download. Please share this book with your friends and climbing partners.
Volunteers
The Spanish edition of Accidents in North American Climbing was translated by a hard-working team of volunteers in three countries. Their names are listed below. We could not have done this without them!
Omar Gaytán, director
Symon Ardila
Austen Bernier
Bernardo Beteta
Néstor Y. Durán Nungaray
Alma Esteban
Tiffany Hensley
Molly Herber
Jasna Hodzic
The American Alpine Club launches Climb United initiative
The American Alpine Club (AAC) is proud to announce Climb United, a new initiative centered around convening climbers, climbing organizations, and industry brands to transform the culture around inclusivity. Current partners of the Climb United project include REI, Eddie Bauer, Mammut, The North Face, and Patagonia.
We are excited to launch the program with a draft of Principles and Guidelines for Publishing Climbing Route Names developed by the Route Name Task Force, composed of a group of publishers and climbing community members. The Guiding Principles will serve to establish an agreed-upon philosophy toward publishing climbing route names, while the Guidelines provide an evaluation and management system for addressing discriminatory route names. The AAC will host a public forum on the draft guidelines on April 21 at 6 p.m. MDT to engage the community and encourage questions and feedback. You can also provide feedback on the draft guidelines via this survey.
Participants in the working group include Alpinist Magazine, Climbing Magazine, the Climbing Zine, Gripped Magazine, Mountain Project, Mountaineers Books, Sharp End Publishing, and Wolverine Publishing.
In February of this year, the AAC surveyed climbers and found that over 82% of respondents believe it is important that the climbing community address diversity and inclusion within the sport. Additionally, over 77% of respondents believe it is important to address discriminatory route names to make climbing more welcoming to all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, age, range of abilities, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
AAC CEO Mitsu Iwasaki described the importance of the Climb United project, "Our climbing culture, which I have been a part of and contributor to for nearly 30 years, has, without mal-intent, created spaces that have been hurtful and uninviting to many. I am grateful through Climb United, we (brands, publishers, and climbers) have come together with an abundance of humility to engage in difficult and necessary conversations to evolve, elevate, and ensure a vibrant future for climbing."
The AAC recently hired Climb United Director Cody Kaemmerlen to help guide the project. Kaemmerlen shared his excitement about joining the initiative as the Climb United Director, “I’m honored to serve the climbing community that I care so deeply for and to help all folks find their way to this sport. The crags, mountains, and remote summits continue to bring me a lifetime of memories and relationships. I understand the enormity of the barriers that exist, and I’m excited to push extra hard to help break them down.”
Climbers can also follow along with Climb United’s progress via a timeline of past projects and future goals.
Learn more about Climb United at climbunited.org
UPDATE: PRACTICAL BETA ON CLIMBING IN THE COVID ERA
Throughout the pandemic, climbers have cleared the crags and demonstrated responsible decision-making out of concern for their community. Thank you.
Across the country, restrictions on access to public lands are beginning to change, and, with heightened vigilance, climbers have started to head back to the crags. As we re-engage the activity that we love, our decisions should prioritize the well-being of all individuals and communities that we may impact.
To help foster responsible decision-making and protect vulnerable communities, we offer the following Guiding Principles as we enter the next phase of the pandemic.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
Don't become a vector for transmission; your behavior matters.
Default to always wearing a mask when there is a potential of being near others.
Know and follow federal, state, county, and local health guidelines and recommendations.
Follow guidance from local land managers and climbing organizations.
Be respectful of rural gateway communities, and use heightened vigilance if you choose to travel to these areas.
Keep your objectives conservative. Climbing accidents are avoidable and expose first responders, search and rescue teams, and hospital staff to increased stress and disease risk.
Be kind, respectful, and patient with one another during this time. We all want to spend time outside safely; let's work together to create an environment that allows this.
SHOULD I GO CLIMBING?
If you feel confident that you can climb while keeping others and yourself safe, ask the following questions before heading to the crag:
Do I Feel Sick Or Have Reason To Believe I've Recently Been Exposed To COVID-19?
Do not go climbing if you feel sick!
Learn more about COVID-19 symptoms from these CDC Guidelines.
You may be a carrier of COVID-19 without experiencing symptoms. Be sure to make conservative decisions if you believe you may have recently been exposed to COVID-19.
Who Should I Climb With?
As with any social activity, minimize the number of different partners you climb with during this time.
Climbing in large groups increases the impact on the land, each other’s experience, and the likelihood of spreading the virus. If you’re in a large group, consider breaking into smaller sub-groups to climb.
Where Should I Climb?
States and counties have adopted different standards—check federal, state, and local regulations before deciding where to climb.
Respect and follow local climbing organization and land management guidelines.
Be hypervigilant if you do decide to travel to vulnerable rural gateway communities.
What Should I Do If I Choose A Crag, And When I Arrive, It's Packed With People?
Have a plan B, or even plan C. If you get to the crag, and it's too crowded to maintain social distancing guidelines, head to another spot.
If you are at the crag, and it gets crowded, leave for another area.
What Can I Do to Protect Myself, My Partner, And Others?
Default to always wearing a mask when there is a potential of being near others.
Keep your outdoor objectives conservative.
Practice frequent hand sanitation before, during, and after a session.
Treat the rock and gear as you would surfaces in town.
How Else Can I Help?
Rapid COVID-19 tests are becoming widely available. If you choose to travel, consider a COVID-19 test before and after your trip.
Continue to practice Leave No Trace principles.
Financially support your local climbing organization.
Thank you for continuing to represent the climbing community through responsible decision-making.
Joint Statement on Climbing Route Naming
The American Alpine Club, Appalachian Mountain Club, Colorado Mountain Club, Mazamas, and The Mountaineers join with those speaking out and taking action against racist, sexist, and otherwise derogatory route names, and we welcome the conversation about how best to move forward as a community.
Historically in the U.S. climbing community, the opportunity and privilege of naming a route has been given to the first ascensionist. Naming a route is an earned honor, responsibility, and form of artistic expression. When done well, a route's name tells a story. It often cleverly captures the experience of establishing or climbing the route or a unique characteristic of the formation. At worst, a route name inscribes onto the rock an individual's prejudice, insecurity, and violence. These names deface the special places where we climb. Names like "N*****s Wall," "Case of the F*gs," and "Slant Eyes" signal that not all people are welcome, creating a hostile environment that we should not accept.
Recent movements across our nation, including Black Lives Matter, SafeOutside, and Me Too, have been a catalyst for many individuals and organizations to recognize the institutionalized and systemic oppression built into the foundation of our society.
Though not a new problem, we are grateful to Erynne Gilpin, Ashleigh Thompson, and Melissa Utomo, along with Brown Girls Climb, Melanin Base Camp, and Natives Outdoors, for bringing focus back to this problematic practice. As individuals and as a community, we must recognize that words matter. The climbing community as a whole is accountable for the language we use to identify and describe the places where we climb. We must own the toxicity in the practice of naming routes. It’s time for change.
As signers, our 5 organizations represent 150,000 members nationwide. We commit ourselves to building a more respectful community. That includes working collaboratively with climbers across the country to change names of existing routes, providing anti-racism and anti-harassment training for our members and volunteer leaders, and auditing our own publications and websites to determine a process for expunging offensive route names. These changes represent only a starting point, but they are a necessary first step toward making the climbing community more inclusive and our crags and mountains welcoming to us all.
In unity,
American Alpine Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
Colorado Mountain Club
Mazamas
The Mountaineers
AAC Announces Next CEO—Mitsu Iwasaki
Golden, CO—The American Alpine Club (AAC) Board of Directors announced today that it has named Mitsu Iwasaki as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer, effective August 3. Iwasaki is currently the Executive Director of the Mazamas in Portland, Oregon.
Prior to the Mazamas, he led the rebuilding of the Northwest Outward Bound School where he was the executive director for more than five years. He has also held senior roles at Outward Bound and Big City Mountaineers. “I first joined the AAC as a member in 1997 and am honored to step in as the next leader,” said Iwasaki. “The AAC has broad and deep influence both within and outside the climbing community. The AAC is at an exciting and important juncture with an opportunity to build on the strong foundation put into place under the leadership of Phil Powers.”
AAC Board of Directors President Kevin V. Duncan said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Mitsu as our next CEO. Mitsu brings a strong track record of guiding organizations through periods of growth and transformation. Climbing is evolving rapidly and the AAC is leaning in. As more people are introduced to climbing through gyms and outdoor adventure films, our mission is to both share and support our passion for climbing, as well as respect the places we climb. We are more attuned to the responsibility we share to protect the public lands on which we recreate and to ensure that climbers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe. We are confident that Mitsu is the best person to lead us into this new future.”
Current AAC CEO Phil Powers announced his resignation in October 2019, after fifteen years at the helm of the organization. “On behalf of the Board of Directors,” said Duncan, “I wish to thank Phil for his outstanding leadership. His contributions to the club have been invaluable, driving significant growth and diversification of membership, and setting the stage for continued expansion and relevance.”
Iwasaki was selected after an extensive national search led by the Koya Leadership Partners. “At every step of the way, we challenged ourselves to be inclusive of input from our broad stakeholder community,“ said immediate past President Deanne Buck and search committee chair. “We were looking for that unique individual who brought a depth of experience running organizations with significant growth, the ability to connect with the national politician and the first time climber, a track record of inspiring, building, and leading a team of dedicated professionals, and who has a deep and unabiding love and passion for climbing and the mountains. Mitsu brings all of those attributes and more.”
Iwasaki will be located in Golden. He is a partner at the Outdoor Policy Outfit and serves on the boards of Big City Mountaineers, Oregon Humanities, and the Oregon State Parks Foundation.
CONTACT:
Shane Johnson, Marketing and Membership Director
THE NEXT PITCH: PRACTICAL BETA ON CLIMBING IN THE COVID ERA
Climbers across the country have set personal needs aside, cleared the crag out of concern for their community, and taken precautions to help "flatten the curve."
Thank you.
With the easing of shelter-in-place policies across the country, restrictions on access to crags are beginning to change. Deciding whether it’s appropriate to head back out to your local crag will be an important and localized decision. To help, we want to offer the following Guiding Principles on when and how to re-rack for the next pitch.
Guiding Principles:
Be respectful of rural gateway communities, and avoid traveling to these areas.
Follow federal, state, county, and city health emergency guidelines and recommendations.
Recreate close to home, don't travel to climb.
Take cues from your local land managers and climbing organizations.
Keep your outdoor objectives conservative. Climbing accidents will place further stress on first responders, search and rescue teams, and hospital staff.
Be kind, respectful, and patient with one another during this time. We all want to feel safe spending time outside; let's work together to create an environment that allows this.
Should I go climbing?
If you feel confident that you can safely climb in your area, keep the following questions in mind before heading to the crag.
Do I feel sick or have reason to believe I've recently been exposed to COVID-19?
Do not go climbing if you are feeling sick!
You may be a carrier of COVID-19 without experiencing symptoms—be sure to make decisions based on the most vulnerable members of our community.
Who should I climb with?
Climb with people from your own home. If you can't do this, consider climbing with just one partner.
Where should I climb?
Individual counties may adopt more protective standards than others—check local regulations before deciding where to travel.
Comply with all local climbing organization and land management guidelines.
Restrict your travel and climb close to home. Avoid going to vulnerable rural or gateway communities.
What should I do if I choose a crag close to home, and when I arrive, it's packed with people?
Have a plan B, or even plan C. If you get to the crag, and it's too crowded to maintain social distancing guidelines, head to another spot.
Consider the conditions of your approach—is it vulnerable to erosion or damage if you have to leave the trail to maintain six feet of distance?
What can I do when I get to the crag to protect myself, my partner, and others?
Keep your outdoor objectives conservative.
Practice frequent hand sanitation before, during, and after a session.
Treat the rock and gear as you would surfaces in town.
Wear a mask when near others.
Avoid putting climbing gear in your mouth—your rope as you pull slack to clip, for example.
How else can I help?
Not everyone will be able to return to climbing at the same time. If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to safely climb in your area, be considerate of those who can't.
Continue to practice Leave No Trace principles.
If you’re financially able to, support your local climbing organization.
Thank you for continuing to lead with responsible decision-making in your local climbing community.