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The American Alpine Club (AAC) is psyched to announce the recipients of the first annual Cornerstone Crag Conservation Grant. This year, $25,000 will go toward multiple local projects: human waste management systems, road and parking improvements, trail work, signage, camping improvements, and more. Full details on Inclined, the AAC Blog.. This inaugural year’s awardees: • The Southeast Climbers’ Coalition—Boat Rock Waste Management Solution. Southwest of Atlanta, GA. Awarded $7,500 toward the construction of a vault toilet near this popular climbing area. The SCC continues to fundraise for this project. • Smith Rock Group—Smith Rock Spring Thing 2012. Smith Rock State Park, near Bend, OR. Awarded $4,155 for trail work projects to stabilize trails and minimize erosion during the upcoming Spring Thing Event. The Smith Rock Group needs more support in order to complete their anchor replacement goals. • Arkansas Climbers’ Coalition—Sam’s Throne Camping Area. North of Little Rock, AR in Ozark National Forest. Awarded $3,750 to complete camping area and expand education signage aimed at reducing climber impacts. ACC still needs funding from local climbers to complete this project. • Friends of Muir Valley—Muir Valley Parking Improvements & Expansion. Muir Valley Nature and Climbing Preserve, Red River Gorge, KY. Awarded $2,500 for improvements to parking lots designed to minimize climber impacts. Also received Access Fund Grant. • Climbing Resource Access Group VT—Bolton Quarry Driveway Restoration. Southeast of Burlington, VT. Awarded $2,000 for an access road in need of rebuilding after significant flooding. The New England AAC Section continues to fundraise to complete this project. • Boulder Climbing Community—Boulder-Area Stewardship. General area surrounding Boulder, CO, including Eldorado Canyon, the Flatirons, and Boulder Canyon. Awarded $1,975 to support human waste solutions, signage, educational efforts, and more. • Carolina Climbers’ Coalition—Rumbling Bald Mapping. Rumbling Bald Chimney near Chimney Rock, NC. Awarded $1,800 for GIS mapping project to support future use-planning. AAC has funded project in its entirety. • Las Vegas Climbers’ Liaison Council—Red Rock Waste Bag Project. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (BLM), near Las Vegas, NV. Awarded $1,320. AAC is funding entire human-waste pack-out project, hoping to derive substantial data on efficacy and BLM involvement in project.

Every year, the British Mountaineering Council hosts an International Meet, a weeklong gathering of climbers from around the world. The American Alpine Club will send two lucky members to this year’s Winter Meet, located in Scotland’s Cairngorms. Interested? There's a pile of ice there. Full details and application instructions can be found on our blog. http://inclined.americanalpineclub.org/2011/09/represent-the-aac-on-a-climbing-trip-to-scotland/

Date: June 24, 25 and 26, 2011 Location: Mazama Now in its 11th year, Rockfest is a celebration of outdoor climbing in the Pacific Northwest. Bring the whole family and join the American Alpine Club (AAC) for clinics, slideshows, camping*, BBQ and community in the scenic Mazama/Winthrop valley. Event registration of $10 for AAC members/$20 for non-AAC members includes: • Three nights of camping (Fri-Sun night) at Goat Wall View. • Breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning. • Saturday night climber’s BBQ and slideshow with Sonnie Trotter and Will Stanhope. • Gear raffle and auction to raise funds for the Washington Climber’s Coalition. • Saturday features 2 sessions of clinics for the newer climber. Each session is an additional $15/person. • Sunday morning volunteer service project. When you register please note which clinics you would like to attend in the notes. For additional information or to sign-up: http://chapters.americanalpineclub.org/northwest/2011/05/05/63/ *Rooms are available at the site for an additional charge, please inquire.

If anyone was looking for some potential free money: The American Alpine Club grants program provides resources for climbers and explorers to attempt new challenges, establish humanitarian programs, protect alpine environments, conduct scientific research, and push the envelope of human accomplishment in mountain and polar environments. The AAC awards over $50,000 annually, although the size and number of awards vary from year to year. Many grants and awards have application deadlines in the coming weeks. Both the Copp-Dash Inspire Award and the Lara-Karena Bitenieks Kellogg Memorial Conservation Grant have application deadlines of March 31. The Mountain Fellowship Grant—an award targeted at younger climbers beginning their careers—has an application deadline of April 1. The Zach Martin Breaking Barriers Grant—a dual-purpose humanitarian and climbing grant—has an application deadline of April 15. Details on these programs can be found on the AAC website. http://www.americanalpineclub.org/grants

Hey PNW Climbers, While many of you won't make it down to West Virginia any time soon, those of you that have the opportunity, there's some awesome news from us here at The American Alpine Club: We just closed a deal for 40 acres of land within walking distance of climbing at the New River Gorge! On the horizon is a campground, modeled after the AAC’s Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch. More details here: http://inclined.americanalpineclub.org/2010/12/nrg/

Hi All, My name is Luke, I'm the Content and Marketing Manager at the American Alpine Club. I posted the following information because the majority of the money that we spend on our programs goes back to the community in one way or another. In this specific instance, most of the money ($50k a year) that we award in grants goes to younger or non-professional climbers, rather than the paid athletes. Just wanted to give you all a heads up. Thanks, Luke AAC Grants Deadlines Approaching Soon The American Alpine Club awards more than $50,000 every year for projects ranging from worldwide exploration to local conservation. The application deadline for two of the AAC’s more prominent grants, the Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award and McNeill-Nott Award, is January 1, 2011. Deadlines for other AAC grants are quickly approaching. Some AAC grants specifically target climbers under the age of 25, fund research in alpine areas, and promote conservation projects in mountain regions throughout the world. Althea Rogers, Mountain Fellowship and McNeil-Nott grant recipient, has praised the AAC and what its grants offer: “I do not know of any other organization which so directly encourages its members to explore and challenge themselves.” “There's no doubt that the grants have enabled some of the best American alpine climbs in modern history,” said Kelly Cordes, Senior Editor of The American Alpine Journal. He added that such a feat was “especially impressive, considering that only one of the grants is specifically targeted to those attempting cutting-edge climbs.” The AAC would like to support your trip, no matter its focus: trad climbing, big-wall rock climbing, alpinism, conservation, or scientific research. For application resources, deadlines, and further information about AAC grants, visit americanalpineclub.org/grants. About The American Alpine Club The American Alpine Club provides knowledge and inspiration, conservation and advocacy, and logistical support for the climbing community. The Club publishes the world’s most sought after annual climbing publication, the American Alpine Journal, cares for the world’s leading mountaineering library and offers annual climbing, conservation, and research grants to budding adventurers. Learn about additional programs and become a member at americanalpineclub.org. Join the AAC’s online community at facebook.com/americanalpineclub.

Greetings fellow climbers, The American Alpine Club has been providing knowledge, inspiration, conservation and advocacy, and logistical support for the climbing community for over 100 years. If you'd like to join our team and help us unite climbers to advance the climbing way of life, please check out our newest job postings. http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pt/jobs Have a great one.