THE AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB E-NEWS FEBRUARY 2006
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Dear Members,
I have been out and about with the AAC a great deal during February. After quite
an enjoyable visit to the Ouray Ice Festival, it was off to the annual meeting
in Attitash, New Hampshire. By all accounts this year's meeting was a success.
The setting had a real mountain feel about it-I must admit, the Presidential
Range feels big. I thoroughly enjoyed a day on the ice at Frankenstein with
George Hurley before entering the nonstop pace of the board and annual meetings.
Reported below are the awards and new directors and officers of the club.
Another highlight that I found particularly flavorful included the live auction.
As you may already know, Jean-Christophe Lafaille was lost on Makalu in early
February. I was inspired by the response to our auction of the ice axe he use to
climb three 8,000-meter peaks in a single season. We were able to raise $4,000
that will go directly to his family (matched by a gift to the AAC). Overall, the
live auction raised over $17,000 for the club.
I was also quite impressed with the speakers and presenters. My personal
fondness for Charles Houston was deepened as I viewed, with awe, the
accomplishments of the 1938 and 1953 American K2 expeditions in his film, "The
Brotherhood of the Rope." Jennifer Tennican's "Benedictus" completed the morning
film series. On Friday night, Harish Kapadia's detailing of Indian
mountaineering was a new-route seeker's dream show. On Saturday afternoon we
received a survey of exciting climbing from Sue Nott, Joe Terravechia and
Alexander Ruchkin, who made his way to us from St. Petersburg, Russia. George
Lowe's show amazed us all by demonstrating the vast accomplishments that one man
can achieve during a lifetime in the hills. Knowing George, there is more to
come!
I note that the deadlines for all of the club's grants are either imminent or
one month away (in the case of the Mountaineering Fellowship Grant). I'm not
convinced we have done the best job possible advertising these wonderful
opportunities. If you are in search of funding for a climbing adventure, a
research project, a conservation effort or a combination of these, go
immediately to the website at
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/knowledge/grants.asp and apply for a grant
today. Be quick: With this letter I extend all March 1 deadlines to Monday,
March 6.
I look forward to seeing even more of you at the next annual meeting in Bend,
Oregon, on the last weekend of March 2007.
Warmly,
Phil Powers
Executive Director
ppowers@americanalpineclub.org
NEW OFFICERS, DIRECTORS ELECTED
A new slate of officers and directors was elected at the AAC's annual meeting in
New Hampshire on Feb. 11. The club's new officers are President Jim Donini,
Ouray, Colorado; Vice President Steve Swenson, Seattle, Washington; Treasurer
Charlie Sassara, Anchorage, Alaska; and Secretary Greg Miller, Berkeley,
California.
"I feel privileged to serve as president of the AAC," Donini said. "I have been
an active climber for over 40 years. During that time I have seen many changes
in climbing, but the commonalities that bring climbers together remain the
same."
Also elected at the meeting were new directors Bruce Franks, Ellen Lapham,
Travis Spitzer and Jack Tackle, along with returning directors Conrad Anker and
Mike Lewis. You can look up contact info for all AAC officials at the
members-only section of the club's website:
www.americanalpineclub.org/community/MembersOnly.asp .
AAC HONORS CLIMBERS WITH ANNUAL AWARDS
The AAC gave Henry Barber its Robert and Miriam Underhill Award, the nation's
highest honor for climbing achievement, at the club's annual dinner in Attitash,
New Hampshire. Barber, who lives in nearby North Conway, was one of the first
great rock climbers to travel the globe, and he shook up locals from Great
Britain to Australia with first free ascents and hard solo climbs.
The AAC gave its second-ever Gold Medal for lifetime achievement to Past
President Nick Clinch, who led the American expeditions that made the first
ascents of Hidden Peak, Masherbrum and Mount Vinson. Clinch also has been a
major force in the development of the club's library and the American
Mountaineering Museum, scheduled to break ground next year. The first AAC Gold
Medal was awarded to Tom Frost and Dick Duane for their efforts to preserve Camp
4 in Yosemite Valley.
Canadian Rockies legend Glen Boles and Indian explorer Harish Kapadia were named
honorary members of the AAC. In other awards, the AAC Literary Award was given
to author and humorist John Long; the Robert Hicks Bates Award for achievement
by young climbers went to Washington-based alpinist Colin Haley; the David
Brower Conservation Award was given to Alton Byers, director of the Research and
Education Program of the Mountain Institute; and the Angelo Heilprin Citation
for service to the club went to longtime New England Section Chair Bill
Atkinson.
HUASCARAN NATIONAL PARK REGS ON HOLD
Jim Bartle, an AAC member living in Peru, writes: "Proposed new regulations that
would prohibit all visitors to Huascarán National Park (the Cordillera Blanca)
from entering the park except with a guide or 'authorized service provider' have
been put on hold until a new park chief is named. [The] former chief was
dismissed in December.... Peruvian and international climbing and hiking groups
began to protest soon after the proposed regulations were released last
August.... The UIAA adopted a measure presented by the AAC asking Peruvian
authorities to respect the rights of independent climbers. The wave of faxes,
letters and e-mails sent to National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA) has
clearly had an impact, but how great is still unclear. The point that seems to
have created the most doubt is that mandatory guides will reduce the number of
hikers and climbers coming to the area, where international tourism is a key
facet of the local economy....
"It is unclear when INRENA will begin to reconsider the public-use regulations,
or even when a new park chief will be named. It is virtually certain that no new
restrictions will be in place for the 2006 climbing season. (Climbers and hikers
will still be required to register at the park office in Huaraz and pay the $20
use fee.) People interested in expressing an opinion to the Peruvian government
can send e-mails to Leoncio Alvarez Vasquez, Jefe del Inrena, Ministerio de
Agricultura, at the following address: lalvarez@inrena.gob.pe , with copies to
csalinas@inrena.gob.pe and jbarrios@inrena.gob.pe . Messages in Spanish are
preferred, of course, but English is fine as well.
For more information, write to Jim Bartle at jbartle@terra.com.pe .
CONSERVATION SUMMIT PLANNED FOR APRIL
Under the AAC slogan "Knowledge, Conservation, Community," protection of the
mountain environment has long been one of the club's three main missions. But
many AAC leaders believe it's time for the club to step up its involvement in
mountain conservation. In order to establish priorities for this increased
commitment, the club will host a full-day "conservation summit" at the American
Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado, on Friday, April 21. The goal is to
begin a process that will result in a more focused conservation mission
statement for the club. If you'd like to attend, or for more information, e-mail
Executive Director Phil Powers at ppowers@americanalpineclub.org .
NEW CAMPGROUNDS IN THE WORKS
The AAC is working with the Mohonk Preserve and the state of New York with the
hope of creating a badly needed climbers' campground just below the Shawangunk
cliffs. Under the proposal, the state would help develop a campground with at
least 20 sites on 45 acres of land, and the AAC would run the facility along
with the Mohonk Preserve. If all goes well, the new Gunks campground could open
by early 2008.
Meanwhile, the AAC board of directors has empowered Past President Jim McCarthy
and Executive Director Phil Powers to negotiate a letter of intent with the
landowner to operate a Joshua Tree Climber's Ranch, a new campground just
outside the national park in Joshua Tree, California. The board also instructed
Powers and the AAC staff to embark on an effort to raise $50,000 for this
project.
AAC HELPS SHAPE FINAL DENALI MANAGEMENT PLAN
Climbers headed to Denali National Park over the next 20 years will experience
conditions generally similar to those encountered today, thanks to dogged
persistence by the AAC in shaping the park's Final Backcountry Management Plan.
The plan was formally adopted Feb. 21.
Under the plan, seasonal climbing use on Mount McKinley will be capped at 1,500
climbers, a figure that will be revisited in a decade. Climbers will be able to
hand-place (and replace) fixed anchors in the wilderness and non-wilderness
backcountry areas; bolt ladders and anchor-intensive routes will not be allowed.
Climbers will be required to remove human waste above the 14,000-foot camp and
within one half mile from a glacier landing strip if other waste-disposal
options are not provided. Commercial use on Mount McKinley will be limited to 25
percent of the seasonal capacity.
The plan also addresses the sticky issue of scenic passenger flights. The AAC
was able to get the NPS to establish a "climbing and mountaineering" zone in
part of the park that allows easy air-taxi access but prohibits most landings by
scenic flights. In addition, glacier landings between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. are
prohibited. A copy of the final plan has been posted at
www.americanalpineclub.org/conservation/landmanagement.asp.
INDIAN CREEK WASTE PROJECT PROGRESSES
The AAC has donated 1,000 Wag Bags and contracted for the construction of four
pipe safes (for donations) to support the Friends of Indian Creek's
human-waste-removal project. Voluntary waste removal is part of the Bureau of
Land Management's new management plan for the world-class crack-climbing site in
southeastern Utah, and is essential to retaining the area's free, primitive
camping. The Friends of Indian Creek have produced a video, "The Wag Bag
Movement," starring climbing comic Timmy O'Neill, to promote responsible waste
management at these beautiful crags.
For more information, visit www.friendsofindiancreek.org.
FRED BECKEY DOCUMENTARY IN THE WORKS
The AAC is supporting a planned film about the renowned climber Fred Beckey, one
of the most prolific and influential pioneers in North American climbing
history. Now in his early 80s, Beckey is making an attempt on an unclimbed
19,000-foot peak in Sichuan Province of China this spring. "Direct Beckey," a
film by Dave O'Leske and Through A Child's Eye Productions, will cover this
attempt and tell Beckey's life story.
Donations to the AAC for the project will be matched by one of Beckey's most
influential apprentices, Yvon Chouinard, up to a total of $7,000 toward the end
goal of $30,000. Donations of $500 and up will receive a signed copy of the
completed film. More info: www.throughachildseyesproductions.com/beckey.htm.
ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA TURNS 100
The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) will celebrate 100 years of mountaineering and
mountain culture in 2006, and it is inviting AAC members to take part in the
various celebrations, including ski mountaineering and climbing camps. This
summer, Canada Post plans to issue a stamp in honor of the ACC's centennial, and
in the fall major events will include an art exhibition at the Whyte Museum in
Banff, the hosting of the General Assembly of the UIAA, and the Centennial
Dinner of the club on Oct. 14, 2006, in Banff. The AAC's fall board meeting has
been timed to coincide with this event and will take place in British Columbia.
For more information on the ACC's ski mountaineering and climbing camps, as well
as all the festivities, visit the "Mountain Adventures" and "Centennial
Celebration" pages at www.alpineclubofcanada.ca.
LIVE IN YOSEMITE VALLEY FOR FREE
Interested in living for free in Camp 4 this summer, working as a member of
Yosemite's Bear Team? In order to help mitigate human-wildlife interactions,
Yosemite National Park is looking for volunteers to live and work in Camp 4.
Duties will involve educating visitors about proper food storage and bear
behavior, assisting with Wildlife Management's response to habituated bears, and
disseminating campground regulations. Volunteers must be interested in bear
management issues (degree in the biological sciences preferable) and must be
willing to devote five-plus hours each evening (one week on, one week off) to
working with Wildlife Management and other park officials. If you're a climber
who has a minimum of 30 days to volunteer and climb this summer, go to
www.volunteer.gov/gov and submit an application.
2007 MOUNTAIN FEST SET FOR BEND, OREGON
The AAC's 2007 annual meeting and Mountain Fest will be held March 30-April 1,
2007, in Bend, Oregon. Beautiful Bend offers inexpensive lodging and convenient
access to both the superb rock climbing of Smith Rock and good spring skiing on
Mt. Bachelor. Save the dates and watch for more details in coming months.
COMING EVENTS
March 3-5
Ontario
The Nipigon Ice Fest at the top of Lake Superior, with clinics and slideshows.
See http://www.nipigonicefest.com/.
March 4-5
New York
The fourth annual Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival in Keene Valley, featuring
clinics, demos and a slideshow/dinner. Info at www.mountaineer.com or
518-576-2281.
March 12
California
Buttermilks Restoration Project at the Buttermilk Boulders. Work party starts at
10 a.m., followed by climbing and then Roxanna Brock slideshow at 6 p.m. at
Mountainlight Gallery in Bishop. Info at www.friendsoftheinyo.org.
March 18
Massachusetts
Tenth annual New England Section dinner in Weston. Special Guest: Ed Webster,
speaking on "Kenneth Henderson and the Pioneers of the 1930s." Contact Nancy
Savickas at nj_savickas_28@hotmail.com .
March 21
Alaska
Joe Puryear, author of a new climbing guide to Alaska, will do a slideshow at
the BP Energy Center, 900 E. Benson, in Anchorage. Contact Harry Hunt at
hohunt@gci.net .
March 24-26
Nevada
The Red Rock Rendezvous offers clinics by world-class climbers Damien and Willie
Benegas, Roxanna Brock, Peter Croft, Jim Donini, Beth Rodden and many others,
plus sponsor demos, comps and seminars, Saturday-night party, pancake breakfast
and more. Info at http://www.mgear.com/RR06/.
March 24-26
Manitoba
The Alpine Club of Canada celebrates the centennial of its founding in Winnipeg
with climbing, a reception and gala dinner. Out-of-town guests may order their
tickets by contacting Josée Lavoie at joseelavoie9@hotmail.com or 204-789-3925
(daytime).
April 1
Illinois
Midwest Section annual dinner, with special guest Phil Powers speaking on climbs
in Alaska, Wyoming and Pakistan. Contact Section Leader Ben Kweton for more
details: ben_kweton@yahoo.com .
April 4
Alaska
Ralph Baldwin presents a show on climbing in the Rwenzori Range, including an
ascent of Mt. Stanley, at the BP Energy Center, 900 E. Benson, in Anchorage.
Contact Harry Hunt at hohunt@gci.net .
April 15-17
Colorado
Alpine ace and impresario Jonny Copp organizes the second annual Boulder
Adventure Film Festival and Dirt Days: movies, mountain-sports challenges,
environmental education and more. See www.boulderadventurefilm.com.
April 29
California
"Monumental," the award-winning documentary film about David Brower, will be
screened at 7:30 p.m. in Yosemite Valley's West Auditorium, preceded by a 6 p.m.
reception hosted by the Sierra Nevada section. See www.loteriafilms.org for more
about the film. Questions? Contact Sierra Nevada Section Chair Ellen Lapham at
elapham@aimhigh1.com .
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