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Climbing Trips

The American Alpine Club Announces 2025 McNeill-Nott Winners

March 2025

The American Alpine Club (AAC) and Mountain Hardwear are excited to announce the 2025 McNeill-Nott recipients. With the untimely death of Sue Nott and her climbing partner Karen McNeill on Sultana (Mt. Foraker) in 2006, the AAC partnered with Mountain Hardwear to establish the McNeill-Nott Award in their memory. This award seeks to preserve the spirit of these two talented and courageous climbers by giving grants to amateur female climbers exploring new routes or unclimbed peaks with small teams.

Heather Smallpage

Heather Smallpage will receive $2,000 to attempt big wall and alpine-style first ascents in a little-climbed region of Baffin Island: Arviqtujuq Kangiqtua (formerly Eglinton Fjord). Natalie Afonina, Shira Biner, Char Tomlinson, and Kaylan Worsnop will all join the expedition, which will be almost entirely human-powered. The expedition team will travel over 250 km by skiing, climbing, packrafting, and walking. The team hopes that this expedition will not only inspire people to see what is possible for female and nonbinary alpinism but also emphasize how increasingly essential and joyous these spaces are in this sport and will tell a story that includes voices that are often quieted or left out of the climbing media.

Allie Oaks (left) and Angela VanWiemeersch (right).

Angela VanWiemeersch will receive $4,000 to attempt to establish a technical line in alpine style on a 5,000-meter peak in the Pamir Alai mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Allie Oaks will join VanWiemeersch on this expedition. Oaks and VanWiemeersch have been growing a long-distance partnership over the last four years and will be doing a training trip in the Canadian Rockies this April. This will be their first big expedition together. 

PC: Robert Taylor

Brooke Maushund will receive $1,000 to attempt to climb and ski unclimbed peaks on the Southern Patagonian Icefield (Hielo Continental) with a primarily female team. Since avalanche forecasting in the U.S. during austral summers, Maushund was driven to extend her winters in the Southern Hemisphere. After spending close to four months skiing in Patagonia last year, starting to learn terrain, snowpacks, and weather patterns, she is excited to continue learning through exploratory skiing in this dynamic, wild environment. 

Applications for the McNeill-Nott Award are accepted each year from October 1 through November 30.

Contact:

Berkeley Anderson, Foundation and Grants Coordinator: banderson@americanalpineclub.org

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About Mountain Hardwear

Mountain Hardwear, Inc., was founded in 1993 and is based in Richmond, CA. We exist to encourage and equip people to seek a wilder path in life. For 30 years, we’ve built essential equipment for climbers, mountaineers, and outdoor athletes and have supported expeditions on the world’s highest peaks. Relentless precision continues to inspire everything we do — our designers sweat every stitch and detail to continuously improve function, durability, and comfort. Mountain Hardwear is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company that distributes its products through specialty outdoor retailers in the United States and 34 countries worldwide. www.mountainhardwear.com

The Liminal Line: A Story from the Live Your Dream Grant

PC: Benjamin Wollant

“The line lived in a liminal space between impossible and just maybe.

Reaching the base of the splitter was an unsolved puzzle. Long runouts were certain. The bolting ban on the Bitterroot National Forest would need to be lifted. So, the south face of Mystery Dome continued to haunt the back of my mind for nearly two years, only coming to the fore every several months when I pulled up photos of the line to ask once again, 'what if?'"

Benjamin Wollant couldn’t get the possibility of the south face of Mystery Dome in the Bitterroot wilderness of Idaho out of his head. In 2020 Wollant put up Bitter Fruit (5.11-) on the west face of Mystery Dome days before he moved to Montana. Join Wollant on his journey back into the Bitterroot wilderness to put up the Liminal Line(5.11b A3 V).

Climbing out of the Comfort Zone: A Story from the Catalyst grant

Mika and Tyler descending PC: Jay Louie

Climbing is a way Jay Louie, Mika Kie Weissbuch, and Tyler Poston build strength, deal with difficulty, and rejuvenate. They climbed Castleton Tower via the North Chimney (5.9) in April 2022, thanks to the Catalyst Grant. Jay, Mika, and Tyler are members of the queer, trans, and persons of color community, with jobs in social justice fields that require significant emotional investment and labor.

"Climbing is all about community. Although you can climb on your own and grow from there, if you really want to progress, especially into more advanced climbing styles like trad, big wall, and alpine, you can't learn it alone," said Jay.

The three climbers with different skills and backgrounds came together to cultivate a safe space to pursue a desert tower climb. Dive into their story, told from three different perspectives below!

Foiled by Foliage: A Story From the Live Your Dream Grant

PC: AAC Member Christian Black

“After a couple of hours, we arrived at the base of the slightly steeper climb, which was described to us using the vague phrasing: ‘...from there, I think we climbed some bushes for a little while…’. The next part of the route ended up being at least 1,000ft of dirt-filled cracks and 5.9+ bush climbing, often slinging bushes as the only protection. It felt like someone was actively fighting you while you were trying to climb, brushing branches out of your face as they snag and pull on other parts of your body simultaneously.”

After receiving the Live Your Dream grant, the team bushwacked into the British Columbia wilderness in search of good rock. Continue reading Christian Black, Hayden Wyatt, and Keenan Nowak’s trip report about their expedition to Mount Bute below!

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Let's Climb! Red Rocks Trip, April 2020

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April 19 - 25, 2020
 Red Rock, NV

Too much time in the gym this winter? Craving sunny sandstone? Excited to meet new climbing partners?

Join the AAC’s Education Director, Ron Funderburke, AAC's trips organizer Carol Kotchek, and your fellow Club members in the legendary climbing area Red Rock, Nevada. If you've been looking for the best time to go, the right partners, or the motivation to put together the logistics here’s your opportunity!

We have rented a huge, deluxe, AirBNB, all you need to do is get yourself to Vegas with your personal gear and your psych! Please note the AirBNB is bunk-style so be prepared to share rooms.

Basecamp Includes:

  • Six nights lodging within 25-minute drive to Red Rock ParkBreakfast and lunch to-go options.

  • Daily single pitch climbing with Ron Funderburke, AMGA Certified Rock, Alpine Guide.

  • Opportunity to learn new skills and debate best practices.

  • Discount on local guide services with Jackson Hole Mountain Guides
    In past years this event has sold out. Not all AAC members wanting to attend have been included due to limited space.  This year we will have a short application to fill out. There are no pre-qualifications to attend this event. Our goal with the application process is to create a diverse group of climbers.

To receive an application please contact Carol Kotchek at frontrange@americanalpineclub.org 
We will be letting applicants know by Feb 20 of their acceptance into the event. 

Let's Climb, Red Rock Trip Cost: $600
A $200 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of application acceptance. The remainder is due on or before Feb 29, 2020.