Check it out

The American Alpine Club Library isn’t just home to historic mountaineering ephemera but also maintains thousands of circulating items. As AAC members you have access to these items by logging into your library profile at: booksearch.americanalpineclub.org and requesting them through the “Get It Now!” feature. Books will be mailed to the mailing address you have on file (so make sure it’s current), all you have to pay for is return shipping. Averaging 230 items circulated to just 60 members each month, the greatest benefit to AAC membership (potentially biased opinion) is going under utilized by the majority of members. 

The library has everything you need from training guidebooks for all levels, hiking and climbing guides for your local crag or wherever you may be off to, and mountaineering narratives, literature and videos for rest days.

AAC Volunteers Bring New Heights Program to Underserved Kids

A report from AAC Triangle Chapter Chair David Thoenen

AAC Volunteer: “What's most fun about climbing?”
Shalynn, age 12: “Belaying… because that's when my friends know that I've got their back.”

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The AAC Triangle Chapter's New Heights program for underserved children began with an informal outing in the fall of 2014. A dozen or so kids enrolled in a YMCA mentoring program for at-risk children spent an evening with AAC volunteers, enjoying their first climbing experience. The Y and the Triangle Rock Club North Raleigh, provided logistical support while AAC volunteers belayed, cheered and laid out a pizza spread.

It was so much fun that the group did it again a month later. The seed had been planted.

AAC volunteers Rebecca Lem, Derek Morgan, Cathy Kramer and John Dagenhart recognized that the chapter could do more for the kids than simply get them into the gym for special outings. They proposed the creation of an ongoing outreach program, which launched in February 2015 with support from the Y, the Triangle Rock Club, and a dozen more AAC volunteers. Connie Lightner (Kai Lightner’s mother) and lead volunteer Rebecca christened the program New Heights.

New Heights is a program, not an event. Twelve kids per location are enrolled in the fall and expected to attend monthly sessions during the school year. In addition to offering climbing skill development, the program emphasizes character development, particularly goal-setting, positive interaction and relationships with adults and peers, physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

Each monthly session is structured to focus on both the kids' individual objectives and the program's objectives. On arrival, each child is expected to pick-up their shoes and harnesses and gear up independently. After stretching, individuals will work on a combination of bouldering problems and top-roping skills with their AAC climbing mentor. The evening wraps up with a pizza or sandwich dinner buffet for all.

It's great to see kids moving up the YDS scale at the gym. But it's maybe even better to see the older kids like Shaylynn taking on the challenge and responsibility of belaying, letting friends know they’ve “got their back.” 

A program that begins each school year with some fear of heights and general apprehension, ultimately yields significant personal growth. Y Learning leader Jennifer Watson has seen the growing self-confidence in all of her participating students – a development that translates to their academic perseverance and supportive interactions with peers, tutors and mentors.

In February 2017, the program expanded to support a new YMCA branch with a community of predominately Latino children. New Heights is now running monthly at two Triangle Rock Club location, supports two YMCA branches, and has over 20 AAC volunteers.

Thanks to local fundraising support and a generous scholarship from the Triangle Rock Club, this summer New Heights will sponsor twelve children from each location to attend one week of climbing day camp at the Triangle Rock Club. Also, in July, the program will fully sponsor two teenagers to attend a week of residential outdoor rock climbing at YMCA Camp Hanes! In 2018, New Heights plans to bring another Y branch into the program at the North Carolina State University climbing wall.

Growth requires solid program management. For the past two years, AAC volunteer John White has done a superb job as the New Heights Program Director, delivering an outstanding program across both locations.

“I've enjoyed supporting a program where perseverance and tenacity are nurtured through fun, exciting and engaging physical activity,” John says. “The program gives our kids the opportunity to apply their own definitions for success and failure to climbing. From there, I hope our kids are better prepared to apply the same goal-setting feedback to their everyday activities.”

John is supported by over twenty-five AAC climbing volunteer mentors and the chapter's New Heights Steering Committee, which includes long-term New Heights volunteers Ashton Drew and Bob Silk and is chaired by Brian Peters.  

Interested in learning more about our chapter program? Check out opportunities by location to find out what’s happening near you.

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Education, Counterculture & Mentorship: Annual Dinner Panels Announced

Left to Right: Kai Lightner, Sasha DiGiulian, Libby Sauter at last year's Annual Dinner. 

We're excited to confirm three panels and presentations that will take place on February 25, 2017 at our Annual Dinner in Seattle, WA.
 

The Education Crux: Together We're Smarter...or we should be
Time: 10am - 11:15am
AAC Education has been endeavoring to educate climbers for over a century, but rarely have all the disparate voices in climber education coalesced into a single mediated conversation. Today, more than at any point in climbing history, the American climber hungers for information, and a myriad of voices presume to fulfill their appetites.  At this special moment in climber education, the AAC will convene key voices, thinkers, educators, writers, to explore its historic vision of competent climbers and healthy landscapes.

From Counterculture to Mainstream
Time: 11:30a - 12:45pm
We are drawn to climbing because it provides adventure and fulfillment and uncovers the best in our partners and ourselves. The sport has grown significantly as the number of climbing gyms has increased and more people have access to the sport and lifestyle. 

As climbing transitions from its counterculture heritage in natural settings to urban and indoor environments, how does the climbing community build on its legacy as a foundation for inclusivity? What influence does social media, climbing gyms, coaches and the Olympics have on the way climbers transition from the gym to natural climbing landscapes?

We're partnering with Camber Outdoors to open this dialogue; see their description for more information. 

Melissa Arnot Reid - Partnership & Mentorship in the Mountains
Time: 1pm - 2pm
In 2016, Melissa Arnot became the first American woman to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen. Rather than rest after this monumental achievement, she sought her next adventure. With a friend she set her sights on the speed record for summitting the highest point in each of the 50 states state - completing the challenge in just 41 days! Melissa will share stories and photos from a year of challenge, record setting and mentoring the next generation of explorers. 
See you there!


Learn more about the 2017 Annual Dinner. 

Reservations are Open for 2017 Season-Grand Teton Climbers' Ranch

Photo: Brad Schwarm

Reservations are available for summer 2017 reservations. Book your stay!

Excellence in Climbing Awards Dinner Recap

Photo: AAC member Michael Lim/Edwin Teran

The AAC’s first ever Excellence in Climbing Awards Dinner at the History Colorado Center in Denver, presented by Adidas Outdoor, celebrated the inspirational 2016 Hall of Mountaineering Excellence inductees, the Alpina Cutting Edge awardees and raised critical funds for AAC programs and institutions. 

Read what the press had to say: 

True Heroes of Climbing
"The word “hero” gets thrown around a lot in climbing. But as impressive as summiting K2 or bouldering V15 might be, the genuine heroes of climbing are those whose achievements help make the world a better place..."—Climbing.com

Women Are On The Rise In The Climbing World
"It was a giant stepping stone,” said Libby Sauter, the award recipient and also the keynote speaker of the night. Sauter is the youngest climber to be added to the Hall, and only one of five women in its history, since the club’s birth more than a century ago..."—Gear Junkie.com 

View the photo album

 

2016 Excellence in Climbing Awards Dinner

What do these names have in common? Tom Frost, Hugh Herr, John Roskelley, Libby Sauter, and Geoff Tabin.

These are your 2016 Hall of Mountaineering Excellence inductees!

They will be recognized at the inaugural AAC Excellence in Climbing Awards Dinner on May 7th, 2016. We invite you to join us at the History Colorado Center to honor these amazing climbers who achieve both on and off the mountain.

This special event includes a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, high cuisine, keynote by Libby Sauter, and an after party with live music.

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Learn More:

The American Alpine Club is proud to announce our inaugural Excellence in Climbing Awards Dinner, presented by Adidas Outdoor. The dinner will feature a keynote by Adidas athlete Libby Sauter and honor the 2016 Hall of Mountaineering Excellence Awardees: Tom Frost, Hugh Herr, John Roskelley, Libby Sauter, and Geoff Tabin. This prestigious award is given to those who have made lasting contributions both on and off the mountain. These climbers have inspired a legacy for future climbers, positively impacted the environment, and advanced the fields of science and medicine, all while accomplishing incredible climbing feats.

“For the past 7 years, the American Mountaineering Museum has been quietly inducting America's most accomplished climbers into the Hall of Mountaineering Excellence,” said AAC CEO Phil Powers. “This year the AAC is recognizing these notable climbers in a much more public forum in downtown Denver.”

The event features a special keynote by Libby Sauter. An all around climber, Sauter has many accomplishments ranging from big walls to mountaineering to high lining. She holds speed records in Yosemite and has done first ascents in South America. When not in the mountains, Sauter works as a pediatric nurse for Novick Cardiac Alliance, a nonprofit that brings cardiac care to conflict zones.

Here is a little more about this year’s group of inductees:

Tom Frost for his efforts in saving Yosemite's iconic Camp 4 and his many first ascents in Yosemite including the Salathe Wall. 

Geoff Tabin for co-founding The Himalayan Cataract Project, which brings sustainable eye care to the Himalaya and for climbing the seven summits. 

John Roskelley for giving back to the climbing community with his writing, his public service and notable ascents in the Himalaya including the third ascent, and first American ascent,  of K2, by a new route.

Hugh Herr who is head of the Biomechatronics research group at MIT,where he develops wearable robotic systems that serve to augment human physical capability and for climbing many first ascents such as the first 5.13 on the East Coast with Lynn Hill.

Libby Sauter for her many speed records in Yosemite, including a new women's record on the Nose of 4 hours and 43 minutes, and for her work as a pediatric nurse for children who need heart surgery in third world countries.

The dinner  will be held on May 7, 2016 at the History Colorado Center located at 1200 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203. To go along with the keynote and induction ceremony, attendees will enjoy a cocktail reception, live and silent auctions, libations, and fine dining.  An after party featuring live music by 80’s cover band,  The Goonies, an open bar, and gear giveaway will take place directly after the dinner also at History Colorado. All proceeds benefit The American Alpine Club Library and The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum.

2016 Annual Benefit Dinner Reca

Over 400 people gathered in Washington, D.C., at the historic Mayflower Hotel for the American Alpine Club’s 2016 Annual Benefit Dinner presented by REI and The North Face. Legendary climbers of all generations, from Kai Lightner to Conrad Anker, mingled with politicians like Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, filling the room in support of the Club and climbing in America. The dinner celebrated the members of our community that we have recently lost and the enduring bonds that we create in the mountains and at the crag, serving as a powerful reminder of why we climb.

Secretary of the Interior Jewell took the stage to honor the memory of former AAC President Doug Walker, who passed away in a hiking accident in the Cascades in December. She praised Walker’s love of the outdoors and his dedication to creating ways for others to get outside themselves. Jewell concluded with the promise of expediting the permit process for those geared at getting kids outside. While she joked the lawyers called it the order for "Increasing Access to Extended Outdoor Experiences for Under-Resourced Youth," she said would affectionately refer to it as the Walker Permit.