THE AAC E-NEWS APRIL 2006

[Dechristo]

Dear Members,

 

I am extremely pleased to announce that we have finalized our decision to name

our much anticipated museum for Bradford Washburn. Brad is both a long-time,

venerated member of our Club and a deeply respected figure in the museum world.

Activity in recent weeks marks the beginning of museum planning and fundraising

in earnest. The museum will open in December, 2007.

 

Our new committee chairs are hard at work. Read below for news of the recent,

successful conservation summit led by new conservation chair and board member

Ellen Lapham of the Sierra Nevada Section. I understand that the Grand Teton

Climber's Ranch committee will be gathering during work week (June 1-5) at the

Ranch to review the mission of that committee. The section chairs are gathering

with their leader, Charlotte Fox, here in Golden on May 19 to share ideas work

with the staff to improve coordination and our ability to support them in their

work.

 

You may have heard that legal action has been brought against the club by

Canadian Byron Smith over the details of his record in the Himalayan Database.

The following statement has been approved by our legal team on this issue:

 

"The American Alpine Club is America's leading organization for climbers. The

Club's library and published works are repositories of information, by a

diversity of authors, meant to benefit climbers and historians. The Himalayan

Database, published in 2004, is the repository for information about climbs in

the Nepal Himalaya since 1905. The database records Byron Smith as successful in

his attempt on Mount Everest in 2000. The database also records disputes, made

by other climbers, to Mr. Smith's ascent."

 

Finally I report the bittersweet news that Lloyd Athearn will be leaving his

role as deputy director for a wonderful opportunity with the Colorado

Conservation Trust. Lloyd has served the Club with diligence and grace for

almost a decade. His contributions-most notable in the policy, conservation and

publication arenas-are lasting. I know I speak for many when I say that his

work, his perspective and his institutional memory will be missed. His last day

will be May 24.

 

Please join us on May 20, 6:30 p.m., at the AAC offices in Golden for a fun

little party to meet the board and bid Lloyd farewell.

 

Happy climbing,

Phil Powers

ppowers@americanalpineclub.org

 

 

MUSEUM TO BE NAMED FOR BRADFORD WASHBURN

 

Over lunch at the Washburn home near Boston, Mark Richey, former president of

the AAC, and his wife, Teresa, informed Bradford and Barbara Washburn that the

American Mountaineering Museum will be named for Mr. Washburn. The Bradford

Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, a joint venture of the AAC and the

Colorado Mountain Club, will open in Golden, Colorado, in the winter of 2008.

The museum, an affiliate site of the National Geographic Society, will detail

the history of mountaineering and the role that Americans have played in it, as

well as current achievements and issues facing climbers.

 

"It is a terrific honor to have the museum named after me, and I'm very grateful

to all the people who brought that about," said Washburn. "The AAC is doing a

superb job representing the interests of mountain climbers, and everyone who

cares about mountains should be a member and support the club!"

 

Washburn, 95, a pioneering mountain photographer and cartographer, is an

honorary member of the AAC and was for many years the director of the

prestigious Boston Museum of Science. Washburn's scale model of Mt. Everest,

which measures 14 feet square, will be a centerpiece of the new museum. The

Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is being designed by Quatrefoil

Associates and Andrews & Anderson Architects, and will occupy 3,000 square feet

in the American Mountaineering Center. Past President Mark Richey chairs the

Museum Fundraising Committee with Honorary Chair Bob Bates.

 

FOUR SPITZER GRANTS ANNOUNCED

 

Four teams of climbers have won the AAC's Lyman Spitzer Climbing Grants for

cutting-edge climbing. The expeditions will split $12,000 in cash and $10,000

worth of equipment donated by Cascade Designs, makers of MSR, SealLine and

Therm-a-Rest.

 

* Mike Schaefer, Micah Dash and Eric Decaria will make an alpine-style attempt

on the direct east face of Uli Biaho in Pakistan, after pioneering a 2,000-foot

wall just to reach the base of their main objective.

 

* Josh Wharton and Kelly Cordes will tackle the 5,000-foot north ridge of

Pakistan's Shingu Charpa, a stunning line that has seen several attempts in

recent years.

 

* Mike and Andy Libecki will explore and climb in remote valleys of

Uzbekistan, where photos of the unclimbed granite walls and pyramids caused

Libecki to exclaim, "God must have created this part of the planet just for

obsessed climbers.

 

* Will Mayo and Canadian Maxime Turgeon will attempt an unclimbed line on the

south face of Mt. Foraker in Alaska.

To get more information or to apply for the annual Spitzer grants, visit

http://www.americanalpineclub.org/knowledge/grants.asp.

 

BREAKING BARRIERS GRANT FUNDS PERUVIAN EXPEDITION

 

The 2006 Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Award is going to Adam French to support

a climb and humanitarian objectives in Peru. French and his team will attempt

the second ascent of the East Ridge of 20,976-foot Huantsan in the southern

Cordillera Blanca. The team's humanitarian mission is titled "Water Is Life."

French and team will install effective composting toilets in Huascaran National

Park, where they will immediately improve water quality, not only in the park

but also in the streams and rivers below the park. The Breaking Barriers Award

was established in honor of Zack Martin, a young climber who tragically killed

in a car accident in 2002. The grant aims to further Martin's vision of making a

positive impact on the communities that climbers frequent. For more info on the

program, visit http://www.americanalpineclub.org/knowledge/grants.asp.

 

CONSERVATION SUMMIT

 

As was reported in earlier issues of this e-news, the board asked that

interested members of the club convene to discuss our conservation mission. It

was thought that the current mission-"...the conservation and preservation of

the mountain environment..."-was too broad.

 

Our goal is to write a more focused mission statement for the conservation

committee. The first step was the Conservation Summit held here in Golden on

April 21, the day before Earth Day, 2006.

 

In attendance were seventeen members of the club including the new chair of the

conservation committee, Ellen Lapham of the Sierra Nevada Section.

 

We were mindful that the club does work or has committees that initiate activity

in several, often closely related arenas: conservation, public and governmental

policy, research and sections. We limited our discussion narrowly to

conservation.

 

Process

Ellen will be working to further populate the committee and develop the thinking

around a mission statement. She will deliver a progress report to the board at

the May 20 meeting here in Golden.

 

LIBRARY ARCHIVES PHOTO COLLECTIONS

 

The AAC's Henry S. Hall Jr. Library has completed work, funded by a grant from

the National Endowment for the Humanities, to assess and preserve its photo

collections. The project identified dozens of discrete Collections-Bradford

Washburn, Howard Palmer, Hassler Whitney and Allan Carpé are all represented, as

are photographers Ansel Adams, Vittorio Sella and Elizabeth Cowles. In addition,

more than 3,000 historical images of mountain regions were organized and housed

in archival containers. An

inventory of the portrait collection is complete, with others to follow.

 

The project was managed by Library Director Bridget Burke and Museum Collections

Coordinator Kath Pyke, with enormous contributions from volunteers Pat Wallace

and Bill Jackson. The next step is to secure funds to digitize these

collections. The new AAC website, slated to premier in May, will feature some

samples.

 

DIRECT BECKEY UPDATE

 

Fred Beckey departed for China on April 26th where he and a small team will

attempt to climb an unclimbed peak which Fred has had his eye on for many years.

This expedition will be filmed and included in a feature length documentary

about Fred's extraordinary life. Thank you to all of the American Alpine Club

members who have supported the initial phase of the documentary film on the life

of Fred Beckey.

 

Tax-deductible donations will continue to be collected through the AAC towards

the total production costs of this film project, please visit:

www.americanalpineclub.org and click on "Make a Donation" to contribute to the

project. Thank you for your continued support in documenting the life of one of

the world's true great mountaineers.

 

RANGER MIKE'S RAINIER BLOG

 

Mike Gauthier, the Mt. Rainier National Park supervisory climbing ranger and

guidebook author, has launched an informative blog covering his office-the

highest peak in the Pacific Northwest. Gauthier packs his web pages with the

latest route conditions, accident and trip reports, permit info, and updates

from the National Park Service, plus lots of great photos. Check it out at

http://mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com.

 

AAC TO HELP WITH PYRAMID PEAK TRAILWORK

 

The Central Rockies Section of the AAC is seeking six hearty volunteers for

high-altitude trail and restoration work on 14,018-foot Pyramid Peak in

Colorado's Elk Mountains. The project runs Friday afternoon through Sunday

afternoon, August 25-27. The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative will provide food,

water, instruction, safety equipment, and tools for the project; volunteers

provide their own backpacking and camping gear. Each AAC volunteer will get a

club T-shirt and embroidered zip shirt. Contact Del Rae Heiser at 303-996-2755

for more info or to volunteer.

 

REVISIT VINSON ON 40TH ANNIVERSARY

 

The 40th anniversary of the first ascent of Vinson Massif, the highest peak in

Antarctica, is December 18, and Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions is organizing

a special trip to celebrate. The 16,050-foot peak was pioneered by an American

Alpine Club-sponsored team led by Nick Clinch. Antarctic Logistics (owner of

Adventure Network International) has invited several veterans of that expedition

to revisit the mountain, and is extending a discount of about 15 percent on its

normal fee for a Vinson expedition to all AAC members. Proposed dates for the

AAC trip are December 19-29, 2006. For details, visit:

http://www.adventurenetwork.com/display.asp?navid=1&id=51

 

INFO SOUGHT FOR TORRES DEL PAINE GUIDEBOOK

 

Steve Schneider is gathering information for a guidebook to the striking rock

formations of the Torres del Paine area of Chile. If you have new-route

information or access to info about undocumented climbs, contact Schneider at

blondeshipoopi@yahoo.com .

 

YOSEMITE CLIMBING RANGER MOVING ON

 

Lincoln Else, seasonal climbing ranger in Yosemite National Park for the past

five summers, will not be returning to full-time work in the park this year.

Whether it was serving up free Sunday morning coffee in Camp 4 (sponsored by the

AAC) or working on dangerous big-wall rescues, Else earned the respect of

climbers for his ability to walk the talk at the same time he gently but firmly

enforced Yosemite's wilderness rules. He will spend this spring and early summer

training the new climbing ranger, Jesse McGahey (also a highly experienced and

well-liked climber), and doing other work in the park. "After that, I've got a

handful of writing/photo/film projects I'd like to finally tackle, as well as a

handful of unfinished climbing goals to deal with," he said in an email. "I

haven't written off Yosemite (or the NPS) entirely; I just need to take a break

and explore some other things."

 

SKIING THE COLORADO 14'ERS IN A SINGLE SEASON

 

Fans of ski mountaineering and Colorado's high peaks should check out Chris

Davenport's Ski the Fourteeners website. Davenport, an extreme skier from Aspen,

is attempting to ski from the summit of all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks

in a single season. Only one person, Lou Dawson, author of the AAC historical

guide to North American ski mountaineering, Wild Snow, has skied all of these

peaks from their summits, and he needed more than a decade to do it. As of April

26, Davenport had skied 28 of the 54 peaks and had made some wild first descents

and rare repeats. The website is packed with photos and compelling trip reports;

check it out at www.skithe14ers.com.

 

YOUTH CLIMBING CAMP IN ROMANIA

 

The Romanian Mountain Club invites climbers age 17 to 25 to a week-long

international camp at Bicaz Gorges National Park in the Carpathian Mountains,

August 5-12. More than 200 routes up to 15 pitches long ascend these limestone

walls. Room, board, local transportation, and all events cost only 200 euros.

Contact Constantin Lacatusu, office@mountain.ro or 011-40-744-913-941.

 

SAVE THE DATE FOR WILDERNESS RISK CONFERENCE

 

High-altitude research pioneer Dr. Charles Houston will be the keynote speaker

at the 13th annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference in Killington, Vermont,

October 27-29. The conference will feature more than 40 presentations and

workshops on training, risk management and other issues facing outdoor educators

and adventure professionals. More information and registration forms at

http://www.nols.edu/wrmc/index.shtml.

 

SKI MOUNTAINEERING AMERICA'S CUP

 

The first America's Cup of ski mountaineering sent racers up and down Jackson

Hole resort in late March. Pete Swenson of Boulder, Colorado, finished the

6,100-vertical-foot climb and 4,000-foot descent in just over two hours for the

men's victory, less than three minutes ahead of second-place Cary Smith of

Jackson Hole. The women's race was even closer, as Jeannie Wall of Bozeman,

Utah, out-fought Monique Merrill of Breckenridge, Colorado, to win by less than

two minutes. The uphill section of the course climbed up the famed Corbett's

Couloir at Jackson Hole, finishing on a vertical ladder that breached the

cornice. The Mountain Hardwear Life-Link/Dynafit Ski Mountaineering America's

Cup was the seventh and final race in the 2006 Randonee Rally series, which

spanned North America.

 

MEMBERS HEADED TO BMC MEET IN WALES

 

David Lew and Chris Weidner will represent the AAC at the British Mountaineering

Council's International Summer Rock Climbing Meet in North Wales, May 7-14. Lew,

25, is a meteorological engineer and owner/guide of The Outdoor Company in Oak

Ridge, Tennessee. Weidner, 31, is a climbing guide and personal trainer from

Colorado who has done a number of first ascents in the Bugaboos. Watch for a

report from the BMC meet in June.

 

SAVE THE DATE FOR 2007 MOUNTAIN FEST

 

The 2007 AAC Mountain Fest and annual meeting will be March 30-April 1 in Bend,

Oregon, close to the superb rock climbs of Smith Rock and the backcountry skiing

and climbing in the Cascades. Reserve a room at the Riverhouse hotel and request

an AAC rate as low as $72 a night: 1-800-547-3928.

 

COMING EVENTS

 

May 5

Colorado

The Colorado Fourteneers Initiative hosts its annual Fiesta for the Peaks

fund-raiser at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden. Feature

presentation by Eric Alexander, silent auction, food, drink and live music. Info

or tickets: 303-996-2757.

May 6

West Virginia

Cinco de Mayo Festival at Seneca Rocks, featuring the "Salsa Showdown," at the

Gendarme climbing store. Info: www.seneca-rocks.com/website/article.asp?id=441.

May 11

Colorado

AAC Spring Bash at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, featuring a

slideshow by Corey Rich with photos from his new book My Favorite Places, plus

music, food, and self-rescue clinics. RSVP to 303-384-0110, ext. 11.

May 12-14

Oregon

HERA Ovarian Cancer Climb for Life will hold a fund-raising climbing festival

over Mother's Day weekend at Smith Rock. Info and registration at

www.climb4lifesmith.kintera.org.

May 20

Colorado

AAC Board of Directors meeting at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden.

All are welcome at the meeting (8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and informal social hour

immediately afterward.

May 26-29

Colorado

The 28th annual Mountain Film festival in Telluride. Info: www.mountainfilm.org.

May 31-June 4

Colorado

The Teva Mountain Games at Vail features climbing, kayaking, trail running and

many other competitions, clinics and events. www.tevamountaingames.com.

July 5-9

Wyoming

13th annual International Climbers Festival in Lander: slideshows, clinics,

parties and climbing. www.climbersfestival.org.

 

E-NEWS POLICIES

 

In order to protect the interests of our subscribers, we have established the

following E-News policies.

The AAC office in Golden is the only source of outgoing messages to subscribers;

recipients cannot respond to or initiate messages to the list. The AAC will not

sell member e-mail addresses to anyone for any purpose and will have no

commercial advertising of any kind in E-News.

 

Send comments, suggestions or news items to dougald5@comcast.net .

 

If you know an AAC member who isn't receiving the E-News, it's probably because

the AAC does not have his or her email address. New addresses or address changes

should be sent to getinfo@americanalpineclub.org .