AAC-PNW

You are cordially invited to join other climbers and AAC members for this annual meeting and benefit dinner for the Cascade Section. We'll be reviewing Club activities over the last year and enjoy a special presentation from legendary Yosemite climber Hans Florine. Enjoy a wonderful buffet dinner, connect with other members, meet new friends and help raise money for Club activities in the Pacific Northwest. TICKETS AT THE AAC STORE Saturday, March 12th 2016 Salty's at Alki 1936 Harbor Ave SW Seattle, WA 98126 Doors 5:30 pm Appetizers 6:00 pm Dinner 7:00 pm Evening Presentation 8:00 pm

No worries...maybe I'll just make one more comment about this. I guess one of the points I was trying to make is that I feel their efforts are in good faith with respect to climbers, however there is obviously a difference of opinion among climbers as to who would manage those areas best. And I brought up the other national parks as examples of how climbing can still exist under NP management. I guess for me, betrayal is a pretty strong word. I know this proposal has created some friction among climbers but I think I would only use it if they were advocating for the park to be sold to BP for fracking or something. I'm on the board of the WCC too, and we've talked about this issue more than once. Feedback from you guys is definitely heard, so thanks for bringing this up! - Eddie

Thought I'd just add my two cents here. A few years ago the AALPs folks asked a number of local climbing organizations to meet with them to discuss their plan and field the questions/objections that have been mentioned in this thread. I was there, in addition to Joe Sambataro (Access Fund), Matt Perkins (WCC), members of the Mountaineers board and staff including Katherine Hollis. It was a pretty crowded room already, and climbers speaking on behalf of the expansion plan included Roskelley and Jim Wickwire. Both of these guys hold a pretty special place in American climbing, so we're more than happy to listen to them. The AMGA has their own concerns and needs that the other orgs may not have a stake in, so they've had their own conversations with the AALPs. Ideas were shared, we (AAC/AF/WCC/Mountaineers) raised our concerns, shared our objections, found some common ground and all shook hands. Even within the same organization members can lean closer to conservation vs. recreation, but the common ground is that we want our beautiful places to remain beautiful, and also have access to these same areas. The inherent conflict will always be an endless source of discussion. In this case the question is: which agency would manage this climbing resource based on what our collective values are? To be fair, we all automatically think of Mt. Rainier permits and the North Cascades' belay station removal when the NPS is mentioned, but that agency spans the range of access from having only one road into Denali to a sea of bolted lines in Yosemite and Joshua Tree. But the crux is: what really are climbers' collective values? Roskelley and Wickwire are about as 'climber' as you can get, and also believe that NPS land has the most staying power of the land management agencies hence their support of this effort. Others obviously feel it's not worth the sacrifice of more limited access (and other issues). All different shades of gray I suppose. At the end of the day, we neither objected nor supported their plan. I wish it were as dramatic as was written here...it would make for great TV. Happy to discuss further too at the next Pub Club too Eddie Espinosa NW Regional Manager American Alpine Club

Saturday, May 31, 2015 Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood 6PM Purchase Tickets It's time to recap what an amazing year the OR Section of the American Alpine Club has had. And what better way to do that than with great people, delicious food, and prizes! Your ticket price includes a delicious dinner served by Timberline Lodge. This year's Annual Dinner celebration will feature a special panel showcasing the new Mt. Hood climbing guide. Plus there will be a silent auction and raffle to help support AAC initiatives and grants in Oregon. Join other members of the Oregon section at this great event at Timberline Lodge. Stay for the weekend, go skiing, or head down to the Smith Rock for some rock therapy. We'll see you there!

http://www.mountainschool.com/content/main/leavenworth-rockfest Leavenworth Rockfest 2015 Join us June 13th, 2015 for the sixteenth annual Rockfest Climbing Festival in Leavenworth, WA. Jump into the bouldering comp, take a clinic, or climb on your own and then come eat, camp, and party at Fromm's field Saturday night. The legendary John Sherman will provide an entertaining slideshow to wrap up the events on Saturday. Der Klettergarten Bouldering Comp: Grab your team of 3 and participate in the second annual bouldering comp presented by Leavenworth Mountain Sports. Icicle Canyon boasts some of the finest bouldering in North America and this year's event has teams of 3 battling for the highest combined score for climbs completed between 9 am and 4 pm. $50 per team includes competition entry for your entire team plus dinner and breakfast following the event. The first 10 teams to register each score $12 worth of free Friction Labs chalk!

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Purchase tickets here. Join the American Alpine Club's Cascade Section for the annual meeting featuring a keynote presentation by Steph Davis. Reconnect with old friends and meet new ones at this special evening of story telling, fabulous food and fundraising for the AAC's Cascade Section. Celebrate the successes of the Club over the last year, bid on great silent auction items and enjoy a great evening for climbers! 6PM Sunday, March 22nd Salty's on Alki Beach 1936 Harbor Ave SW Seattle, WA 98126

We're currently asking for submissions for the 2014 edition of Accidents in North American Mountaineering. Most of you know how valuable this book has been in providing case studies and compiling statistics for the nation's climbers. We can provide a little bit of help with the editing and analysis if you'd like. An example of the format you could use: http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/not-again-eldo-climber-raps-off-end-of-rope Thanks in advance, and happy to answer any questions here. Submissions can be sent to: eespinosa (at) americanalpineclub.org

The American Alpine Club and Mountain Hardwear present slideshows by Ueli Steck in Seattle and Portland. These shows are almost sold out, so get your tickets now! Seattle show: December 9th at Kane Hall, University of Washington Seattle Tickets Portland show: December 14th at the University of Portland Portland tickets

Join the American Alpine Club and C.A.M.P. for the annual Smith Rock Craggin' Classic at Smith Rock, Oregon on October 10th - 12th. We'll have a climbers' party at Redpoint Climbers Supply on Friday night with a slideshow by Alan Watts. Clinics and demos will be all day on Saturday, as well as the Crushfest Climbing Comp sponsored by CAMP USA. Win huge by climbing as many routes as possible. Grab a partner, and get your costume for this popular comp! Our friends at the Mazamas will be coordinating the stewardship day on Sunday - give some love back to the park...it's great for the soul Festival pass includes breakfast on Saturday morning (thanks SRCFC!), and the dinner and evening program featuring the REEL ROCK film tour on Saturday evening at the Terrebonne Depot. CAMP CRUSHFEST Registration: $50 per team Smith Rock Clinics: Full day clinics on Saturday (unless noted) - Beginning Aid Climbing - Performance Sport Climbing sponsored by Boreal - Rock Warrior's Way: Falling and Commitment - *Light & Fast Alpinism with Jesse Mattner from CAMP (2-day clinic Sat-Sun) - The Way of the Crack: Gear, Anchors and Leading with IFMGA guide Lyle Haugsven - "O Dubbin' Like You Were Born in One" with Rob Pizem (offwidth climbing) - Big Days for Lazy Climbers - climbing light for long routes – with Blake Herrington - Climber Self-Rescue with IFMGA guide Chris Simmons - Climbing Photography with Mikey Schaefer courtesy of Patagonia - *Wilderness First Aid with Longleaf Wilderness Medicine (two day certification course Mon-Tue 13th-14) (* two day clinics)

Rockfest 2014 and der Klettergarten Bouldering Comp June 28th-29th Fromm's Field, Leavenworth WA 12500 Wilson St. Click here for map Come join us in Leavenworth for the fifteenth annual Rockfest climbing festival. Festival participants can enjoy camping at Fromm's Field Saturday night after climbing during the day or taking one of the clinics led by guides from the Northwest Mountain School. Grab your team of 4 and participate in the First Annual der Klettergarten Bouldering Comp (presented by Leavenworth Mountain Sports). Icicle Canyon boasts some of the finest bouldering in North America; grab your friends and win some sweet prizes and more importantly, the bragging rights! GET TICKETS HERE $15 for AAC members $25 general public Guest Athlete: Petzl athlete Audrey Sniezek Professional rock climber, Audrey Sniezek has been climbing since 1992. Excelling in difficulty for both sport and bouldering, she has climbed up to 5.14b, bouldered up to V9 and been a US National team member for both ropes and bouldering competing at World Cup events in the US and abroad. She has climbed all over the world and has dabbled in alpine and mountaineering environments. She has been a climbing trainer, teaching clinics and doing personal instruction for gyms, events and individuals. Festival admission includes: - Camping Saturday night at Fromm's Field - BBQ dinner Saturday night sponsored by Black Diamond and Petzl - Audrey Sniezek Slideshow - one ticket for the world famous Rockfest Raffle - Sunday morning breakfast sponsored by Mountain Gear Half Day Clinics - Saturday June 28th Half Day Climbing Clinics are $35 and will be held all day at Barney's Rubble. Parking available at the Forestland Boulders lot behind the area at 5.6 miles down Icicle Cr. Rd. Beginning Climbing - a clinic for the new climber. If you are interested in breaking into the sport, learn about the gear needed, how to belay, and how "the rope gets up there". Then get on the rock and try it out yourself! Performance Bouldering Technique with Audrey Sniezek - Power is one area of rock climbing where Audrey has studied and trained extensively, and which she is excited to share her knowledge with others. Join her for some time on the rock and learn some of the technique that has gotten her up so many challenging climbs around the world. Efficient descent / managing multiple rappels - Getting to the top is only going halfway. Often times, getting down is the most dangerous part of climbing and depending on the climb, can require multiple rappels. Learn some basic techniques and strategies to manage descending safely and efficiently; these are skills all competent climbers should know. Gear anchors and multi-pitch belay stations - Speed is safety in the mountains and on rock climbs, and inefficient technique can be the difference between an uneventful climb or being benighted on a route. With the advent of new gear, technique has followed suit. Learn the basics of setting gear anchors and the latest in belay transition techniques from our friends at Black Diamond and Petzl. Climber First-Aid ($45) with Longleaf Wilderness Medicine - Each climber should be prepared to address medical emergencies that happen when at the crag or in the mountains. Injuries can happen quickly when missing your crash pad or clipping a ledge when falling on a rope. The Climbers First Aid workshop will cover assessment of musculoskeletal injuries that happen to climbers. After the workshop participants will leave with a set of skills that can be used to assist their partner or another party. Presented by the American Alpine Club and Leavenworth Mountain Sports. With much support from The Alta Group, Mountain Gear, Black Diamond, Northwest Mountain School, Second Ascent and the Leavenworth Mountain Association.

Friday, May 30th 7pm Seattle Bouldering Project presented by the American Alpine Club Steve House and Scott Johnston are in town to present their new book. This will be a different format from their show at Patagonia on Thursday evening and will be more of an interactive learning format. We'll keep the numbers down to 30 participants to give everyone a good chance to join the conversation. Training for the New Alpinism is a brilliant new text on training for the mountain environment. Combining modern research with established exercise protocol Scott and Steve bring their expertise and experience to Seattle in a special hands-on seminar. Scott Johnston, a talented climber in his own right, has competed at the World Cup level in nordic skiing and continues to coach elite level skiers in his hometown of Mazama. Steve House has been described as one of the best high altitude alpine climbers in history, a Piolet d’Or award winner and has established some of the hardest alpine climbs in the world. Proceeds from this event will go towards the American Alpine Club

2014 AAC Cascade Section Dinner Sunday, May 18, 2014 Salty's at Alki, Seattle, WA 6 PM It's time to recap what an amazing year the Cascade Section of the American Alpine Club has had. We had a great event last year at Salty's, so we're back again. This year's Annual Dinner celebration will feature our special guest speaker Blake Herrington, as well as one of our local, fellow club members. Plus there will be a silent auction and raffle to help support AAC initiatives and grants in Washington. We hope you can join us for this special evening. You can buy tickets here. Pictures from the 2013 event. Questions? cascade@americanalpineclub.org

May 2nd, 2014 6PM Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood Oregon It's time to recap what an amazing year the OR Section of the American Alpine Club has had. And what better way to do that than with great people, delicious food, and prizes!? This year's Annual Dinner celebration will feature Scott Johnston (co-author of "Training for the New Alpinism" with Steve House), as well as one of our local, fellow club members. Plus there will be a silent auction and raffle. Tickets for this event are: $40 for members $45 for non-members Proceeds from this event will help sustain the AAC's efforts in stewardship, climber support and events in Oregon. Purchase tickets at the: American Alpine Club online store

http://rememberchadkellogg.tumblr.com/chadkelloggmemorialgrantfund A fund has been established in Chad’s honor with the American Alpine Club. We would appreciate donations to the Chad Kellogg Memorial Grant in honor of Chad’s commitment to inspiring future generations of climbers. This will be an endowment fund and will provide annual grants in perpetuity to climbers like Chad to support their endeavors. Please contribute your tax deductible donation in one of the following ways: - To donate to the fund by credit card click here https://americanalpineclub.org/donate/contribution - Check the box for “One-Time Donation” - Click “Select a fund” and select the Chad Kellogg Memorial Grant. - To donate by check please send to the following address. Please be sure to write “Chad Kellogg Memorial Grant” on the check: The American Alpine Club 710 10th St. Suite 100 Golden, CO 80401

Woop woop! See ya there John.

GORE-TEX is launching a great new fabric this season, and we're helping them throw the coming out party! A bunch of manufacturers will be there to show you what they can do with the fabric that keeps us dry in the rain, and comfortable while climbing, skiing, biking and running. GORE has been a great supporter of the American Alpine Club over the years, so let's fill the room with our crew and show our numbers! AAC Ambassadors Graham Zimmerman and Ben Kunz are gonna show us what they've been up to over the last year and The Struggles will be turning the amps up to 11. Georgetown Brewery is hooking us up with the refreshments, and you can have a chance to win a Gore-Tex jacket that night. We did this two years ago - come join us again Pro Peek Registration Get your tickets here (you must be registered) Thursday, November 14th GORE-TEX Pro and AAC Peek Event 7:00 - 10:00 PM Cafe Kakao 415 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 This event is FREE!

Good post Sol. It was a very productive meeting and their interest in working with the climbing community is indeed genuine. The user impact in the Leavenworth area has greatly accelerated over the last ten years and keeping this place beautiful is going to take a team effort. You can also feel good about these rangers being real-deal climbers - Eddie

The Bellingham show is shaping up to be pretty great! Hope you guys can make it. On the Road Trailer http://vimeo.com/72224056 WHO: 5Point Films & The American Alpine Club WHAT: Recreation Festival & Adventure Film Screening WHERE: Depot Market Square WHEN: Thursday, August 29th @ 5pm WHY: To celebrate the community while getting inspired to go out and create adventure! SPECIAL GUEST: Fitz Cahall from Duct Tape then Beer and the Dirtbag Diaries FOOD & BEVERAGE: Kulshan Brewing Co – Kombucha Town – Goat Mountain Pizza - WAFL Stop – Ohhh Dearys INFORMATION FOR ATTENDEES: *BOYLC (Bring your own lawn chair – or blanket!) For seating in front of the 20ft inflatable movie screen *Event is RAIN OR SHINE *Tickets: $10/adult, $5/student with ID, FREE/ kids 12 & under *Tickets available at: Village Books in Fairhaven, Kulshan Brewery, Backcountry Essentials and online. You're encouraged to run, walk, skip, bus or bike your way over UNLESS you have a van-life vehicle that you’d like to show off in our VIP VAN LIFE PARKING ZONE EVENT OUTLINE: 5pm – 8pm: Community hang-out • Food & Beverages • Music • Raffle & Silent Auction • Games & Activities with your favorite local businesses & nonprofits! Backcountry Essentials - Whatcom Events - American Alpine Institute - Vital Climbing Gym - WWS Boardshop - Klicks Running & Walking - Mt. Baker Mountain Guides - The HUB Community Bike Shop - Surfrider/Snowrider Foundation - SheJUMPS - everybodyBIKE - Sierra Club - Wild Whatcom - Bellingham Mountaineers Dark – 10:30pm: 5Point Film Program A series of adventure stories that highlight the human spirit with commentary from Fitz Cahall SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR MEDIA SPONSORS: Mt. Baker Experience - KISM Classic Rock - Adventures NW Magazine Check out more at 5pointfilm.org Tickets on sale now!

The 5Point Film Festival has been a wildly successful event in Carbondale, and we’re now bringing it to a town near you. 5Point Film On the Road brings together some of the most important and inspiring films of this generation in a celebration of the human spirit. These movies aren’t just about climbing the steepest line, or skiing the sickest couloir…they’re much, much more! Last year's festival premiered one of my favorite movies ever: 35 (If you haven't seen this, spend the few minutes to watch it!) Check out the trailer from last year: http://vimeo.com/64689361 Gather with other adventurers at one of these places: August 29, 2013 Bellingham, WA Depot Market Square http://5pointfilm.org/events/bellingham September 4, 2013 Bozeman, MT The Emerson Theater (on the lawn) http://5pointfilm.org/events/bozeman September 12th, 2013 Boise, ID Grove Plaza http://5pointfilm.org/events/boise September 19th, 2013 Bend, OR GoodLife Brewery http://5pointfilm.org/events/bend

Lindsey and Arundhati posted today that their husbands report an ascent to the NW summit. Lindsey writes: "A huge congrats to my husband, Ben Kunz, and his partners and our friends, Tim Halder and Joe Sambataro, for completing the 2nd ascent of the McNerthney Pillar route (ED 1/2, 5.10 mixed) on Mt. Waddington! ‪#‎OutdoorResearch‬ ‪#‎AAC‬ This route first completed by the McNerthney brothers, Pat and Dan McNerthney, back in July 24th of 1986 climbs a 700m rock pillar and continues on to the main summit at 13,185ft. Despite the appeal of this beautiful rock tower, it had yet to see a repeat ascent. This dream has been in the works for our boys for over a year and has finally come to fruition. Thanks to the American Alpine Club for your support (https://www.americanalpineclub.org/p/2013-live-your-dream-award-winners-announced), in addition to all the support from Outdoor Research ‪#‎OutdoorReserach‬, Cascade Designs ‪#‎CascadeDesigns‬, and Feathered Friends ‪#‎FeatheredFriends‬. The boys bivvied near the summit and are making their descent today, so help me send good vibes their way and stay tuned!"

There's nothing quite like having a bunch of your friends in one spot, meeting new ones over a bbq, then watching a great slideshow under the stars on an organic farm. Thanks everyone for coming out to Rockfest in beautiful Leavenworth - we'll be back next year! Much thanks to Northwest Mountain School and LEAVENWORTH MOUNTAIN SPORTS for their logistical support, Mountain Gear, Petzl and Black Diamond Equipment Ltd for their continued support and the rest of our sponsors who so generously donated to the raffle and auction to help the AAC continue our work supporting climbers in the Pacific Northwest. And special high fives to Cat, Dana and John for adding their wonderful personalities to the event! Stay tuned for the event pictures.

Hey Climbers - we're trying to get a head count for the BBQ. If you're planning on making it please register online so we can get an accurate one. Thanks! http://rockfest2013.brownpapertickets.com/

The AAC / WCC is tracking this. It's still hard to determine from the language if this will be a year round closure beginning in 2014, and when I called the Weyerhauser number this morning I was thrown into the loop of endless pre-recorded messages. We're working on getting a contact within the company to provide the answer. Is the no trespassing sign posted different from the one that's always there? Is it a new one?

It's not uncommon for our rescue insurance to be used (it would be great if there were never an occasion to use it), but it's rare when we get to see the good news that comes out of it. Here's a recent example of a member in CA getting reimbursed for some out of pocket expenses. Thought I'd share this so folks knew this kind of thing existed as a benefit to membership. http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2145574/Thank-you-American-Alpine-Club