The American Alpine Club E-News: April 2003

Dear AAC Member,

Spring is in the air and people are gearing up for the warm weather climbing season. This issue of AAC E-News includes a wealth of information about climbing issues, Club activities, climbing-related events, and how you can win a signed Brad Washburn photograph.

Are you researching a climbing objective, but can't come to the AAC Library in person to view the materials? No problem. Thanks to a long-term investment by the AAC, you now can search for climbing information in the AAC Library collection via the web from the comfort of your own home or office. Be sure to read about this new service in our lead article below.

Rules, regulations and fees for climbing on public lands are changing rapidly. Read about the new Mount Rainier climbing fee, and backcountry management planning efforts that are under development at Denali, Glacier Bay and Wrangell-St. Elias National Parks.

Lastly, don't forget that spring raptor nesting season is under way. The Access Fund has a complete list of seasonal raptor closures across the country posted on their website at www.accessfund.org/access/access_restrictions.html. Be sure to check whether your favorite cliff is temporarily closed so that we can help these amazing birds thrive.

These are a few of the issues you can learn about in this issue of AAC E-News. Read it and enjoy!

Regards,

Lloyd Athearn
Managing Editor
mailto:lathearn@americanalpineclub.org

To change your e-mail address or subscribe to the E-News, go to the AAC website (http://www.americanalpineclub.org/) and click on "E-News," then "Join List" for instructions. To change your mailing address or other membership information in our database, please contact Jennifer Podolak, our membership services coordinator, at mailto:jpodolak@americanalpineclub.org.

In this issue:

AAC LIBRARY CATALOG GOES ON-LINE

WIN A SIGNED BRAD WASHBURN PHOTOGRAPH

MOUNT RAINIER INCREASES CLIMBING FEE TO $30 PER YEAR

ALASKA PARKS DEVELOP BACKCOUNTRY MANAGEMENT PLANS

PAKISTAN WAIVES AND REDUCES PEAK FEES

EVEREST SUMMITEERS MAY GET FREE LIFETIME VISAS

MOUNTAIN FESTIVALS SCHEDULED FOR TELLURIDE, JACKSON HOLE

AAC SPONSORS INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL RESCUE SYMPOSIUM

GREG MORTENSON'S EFFORTS PROFILED IN PARADE MAGAZINE

UIAA JOURNAL NOW PUBLISHED ON-LINE

BANFF MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION SEEKS SUBMISSIONS

LAND SNAILS POSE LATEST ROCK CLIMBING THREAT

YOSEMITE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

COMING EVENTS

E-NEWS POLICIES

AAC LIBRARY CATALOG GOES ON-LINE

Researching the more than 18,000 items in the Henry S. Hall, Jr. American Alpine Club Library's holdings no longer requires a visit to the American Mountaineering Center in Golden thanks to a multi-year effort to catalog the collection and post the electronic card catalog on the Internet. The complete catalog of Library items is now available on-line at http://americanalpineclub.library.net.

Members can search the Library catalog from home, request specific items, then have them appear later in their mail box. This service is a tremendous benefit to Club members, especially those who live outside the Denver metro area. For additional information, contact the Library staff at mailto:library@americanalpineclub.org or call 303.384.0112.

WIN A SIGNED BRAD WASHBURN PHOTOGRAPH

Win a priceless signed copy of Brad Washburn’s historic "Climbers on the East Face of the Doldenhorn" image and help your climbing friends at the same time, by referring them to the Club. Every time you refer a friend to join the AAC as a new member, you are entered to win this professionally framed, classic image. (Renewals of current memberships are not eligible for this contest.)

Help your friends get rescue insurance, critical publications, discounts on climbing gear, and so much more by joining as a new member, all while giving you a free shot at winning a priceless treasure. Each referral gets you a chance to win; the more referrals, the better your chances!

Be sure to have your new member friends note on their applications that you referred them to the Club. We will let you know if you are the winner on September 30.

Only current Club members can win. Applications MUST list the current member who referred the new member. The AAC will insure the print during shipping and ship to any location in the US.

MOUNT RAINIER INCREASES CLIMBING FEE TO $30 PER YEAR

Effective May 1, the cost to climb Mount Rainier is going up to $30 from the $15 level that has been in place since the 1995 climbing season. However, in contrast to the former fee, which was for one summit attempt, the new fee allows multiple attempts for a full calendar year and replaces the former $25 annual pass.

The AAC's cost analysis indicated that inflation and increased climber numbers only justify an increase up to $25 per climber. We argued that it was discriminatory to charge climbers for registration processing services that are provided free of charge to backpackers. Similarly, non-fee-paying hikers utilize some of the facilities at Camp Muir that are paid for solely by climbers. Unfortunately, the Park did not agree with our position on this issue.

Information about the Mount Rainier climbing regulations and fee can be found at http://www.nps.gov/mora/climb/climb.htm.

ALASKA PARKS DEVELOP BACKCOUNTRY MANAGEMENT PLANS

Four National Parks in Alaska with significant wilderness destinations are in the process of developing backcountry/wilderness climbing management plans over the next year. The AAC is actively following these plans and is advocating for reasonable climbing access and protection of the climbing experience from other conflicting uses.

Denali National Park and Preserve recently released its draft Backcountry Management Plan, which is posted at http://www.nps.gov/dena/home/planning/plans/bcplan/bcbrief.html. The AAC's Alaska Policy Committee is reviewing the plan and will comment before the May 30 deadline. However, based on a cursory review of the plan, the AAC is pleased with most of the climbing-specific provisions. Many of the recommendations we made during the scoping phase are included in the draft plan. The potentially most serious threats to climbing come from other uses that detract from the climbing experience—in particular, scenic flights, glacier landings, and snowmachine use. Climbers interested in how this key climbing destination is managed should send comments to mailto:dena_public_comments@nps.gov or mail them to:

Superintendent
Denali National Park and Preserve
P.O. Box 9
Denali Park, AK 99755

Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay and Wrangell-St. Elias National Parks are in various stages of scoping for their backcountry management plans. The Club filed comments in early April about how Gates of the Arctic should be managed, a Park that contains the Arrigetch Peaks, Mount Igikpak, and other remote climbing destinations. Preliminary comments regarding how Glacier Bay should be managed are due in July, while Wrangell-St. Elias will not face a comment deadline until February 2004. The AAC is actively monitoring these plans so that management policies do not threaten these remote climbing areas, which possess great potential for new alpine route development in some of the world's most extensive mountain ranges.

PAKISTAN WAIVES AND REDUCES PEAK FEES

Several sources in Pakistan report that the government has waived peak fees through the end of 2004 for mountains up to 6500 meters and has halved the peak fee for mountains higher than 6500 meters. All peaks under 6500 meters will be considered trekking peaks, which require no peak fee. The only exceptions are peaks located in restricted areas, which require a $50 per person trekking fee.

The discounted royalty fee is designed to spur increased mountain tourism, which fell dramatically in the wake of the September 2001 terrorist attacks and the ensuring war in Afghanistan. The discounted fees also celebrate the 50th anniversaries of the first ascents of Nanga Parbat and K2.

EVEREST SUMMITEERS MAY GET FREE LIFETIME VISAS

If the satisfaction of climbing to the highest point in the world were not compensation enough, successful Everest climbers may soon enjoy an additional perk: free lifetime visas to Nepal. The anticipated decision would affect the more than 1,000 climbers who have summited Everest since May 1953.

In addition, the almost 500 people participating in golden jubilee events in Nepal have been issued free, one-time visas for the celebrations. Among the biggest events planned as part of the jubilee is the "Gathering of the Everest Summiteers" in Kathmandu on May 28-29, which will feature Sir Edmund Hillary, Junko Tabei and others.

The free visas, much like reduced or eliminated peak fees in Pakistan, are degiend to boost tourism to Nepal, which suffered significant declines as a result of Maoist violence over the last few years. "Everest climbers can become real promoters of Nepal in their world," said Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

MOUNTAIN FESTIVALS SCHEDULED FOR TELLURIDE, JACKSON HOLE

American climbers and mountain lovers have double the number of domestic mountain festivals with which to quench their appetites this summer. While long-established Mountainfilm in Telluride celebrates its 25th anniversary over the Memorial Day weekend, newcomer Vista 360° throws its initial bash in June in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Mountainfilm will present approximately 70 films on six screens in Telluride and adjacent Mountain Village from early morning through midnight on May 23 to 26. Symposia, slide shows and seminars involving some of the world's most accomplished scientists, explorers, adventurers and activitsts will round out the festivities. For more information about the many events planned or to purchase festival passes (which start at $150), visit http://www.mountainfilm.org or call 970.728.4123.

Vista 360° focuses much of its initial offering on Kyrgyzstan, including slide shows of big wall climbs by Pat Littlejohn and Pavel Shabalin, a book reading by Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden, and displays of Kyrgyz fork art and an authentic, hand-crafted Kyrgyz yurt. Project Bandaloop provides its first live audience performance in a wilderness setting and H. Michael Walls stars as mountain legend Willi Unsoeld in "Willi: An Evening of Wildness and Spirit," a live theatrical presentation. For more information about the event program and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.vista360.org or call 307.734.8956.

AAC SPONSORS INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL RESCUE SYMPOSIUM

The AAC once again is a co-sponsor of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2003, which will be held from October 31 through November 2 at the Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown hotel. The event annually brings together persons from across the spectrum of rescue disciplines to share news and views on advances in equipment and techniques, technical problems and issues of mutual concern.

To make the event more interactive among participants, registration is limited to 170 persons. Registration fees are $225 for members of the sponsoring organizations and $260 for non-members. Complete registration information and an application form is available at http://www.nasar.org/images/itrs2003.pdf.

GREG MORTENSON'S EFFORTS PROFILED IN PARADE MAGAZINE

AAC member Greg Mortenson and his efforts to build schools in the Karakoram were recently profiled in a Parade Magazine cover story that appeared on April 6 in 330 Sunday newspapers across the country.

In a story entitled "He Fights Terror with Books," Parade discusses the important work the Central Asia Institute is doing to build schools in Pakistan and to educate the growing population one student at a time—especially among girls who are excluded from the fundamentalist-operated madrasas. As Mortenson remarked, "Educating girls is a long-term solution to the war on poverty, and that will have a big impact on the war on terrorism."

Speaking of big impacts, Parade's circulation of 36 million and a readership of 78 million resulted in thousands of letters, emails and phone calls to the CAI, not to mention a surge in donations. "It renewed my confidence in the American people," Mortenson said about the letters and emails from people of all races, religions and political affiliations, "to know that our strength lies not in our commonality, but diversity." If you missed the article, visit http://www.parade.com to obtain a copy.

UIAA JOURNAL NOW PUBLISHED ON-LINE

The UIAA's Journal, "World Mountaineering and Climbing," will no longer appear as a print magazine for cost reasons, but it will be available on-line via the UIAA's website at http://journal.uiaa.ch. The publication carries news of UIAA events, as well as activities sponsored by member federations throughout the world. The current issue, for example, covers the recent Flagstaff general assembly of the UIAA, the AAC-organized Access and Conservation Symposium, and the Tyrol Declaration governing climber conduct in the mountains.

The UIAA also recently announced that Peter Farkas of the Hungarian Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Association has been tapped as the new editor. He replaces Ernst Hasse of Germany, who edited the journal for several years.

BANFF MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION SEEKS SUBMISSIONS

Aspiring mountain photographers and long-established pros will fight over C$8,000 in cash and prizes in the eighth annual Banff Mountain Photography Competition. Entries must be received by May 30, and must be either 35mm slides or prints between 8"x10" and 11"x14" in size. Complete contest rules and entry forms are available on the Banff Centre's website at http://www.banffmountainfestivals.ca/festivals/photo.

LAND SNAILS POSE LATEST ROCK CLIMBING THREAT

A recent study published in Conservation Biology Magazine reports that land snails may suffer in cliff environments that are used for rock climbing. The study looked at a 35-kilometer section of the Niagara Escarpment near Milton, Ontario, a series of publicly and privately owned limestone cliffs in southern Canada, and compared the density and diversity of land snail populations in areas with significant climbing use and those that were unclimbed.

Their study's findings indicated that shell density was more than five times greater at the unclimbed areas than at the areas with climbing, and that species richness and diversity also were significantly lower at areas where climbing occurred. The authors speculated that using cracks for hand and footholds caused erosion and compaction of soils and organic matter which doubles as snail habitat.

How significant this one study is remains to be seen. But impacts on snail populations may join the list of sensitive plants and animals that must be considered when managing climbing on public lands. Read more about the study in Science News at http://www.sciencenews.org/20030412/fob4.asp.

YOSEMITE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The AAC again will be coordinating a variety of Volunteers in Parks projects in Yosemite National Park from May through November (or whenever the weather begins to turn nasty.) Projects include park maintenance, trail work, and facility construction or removal. In return for your labor, volunteers get free entry to the Park and free camping. If you are interested in participating, contact George Gluck at mailto:george@alpineclub.org.

COMING EVENTS

Blue Ridge Section – National Geographic Everest Lectures

Historian Audrey Salkeld will present "Because It's There: The History of Climbing Everest" at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 5 at National Geographic's Gilbert H. Grosvenor Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, May 28, also at 7:30 p.m., Dr. Ken Kamler will speak about "Surviving Everest," in which he relates his experiences as a physician accompanying climbing expeditions. Kamler was on Everest in 1996 when the disaster hit.

Tickets are $13 for Society members and $16 for non-members. More information can be found on the National Geographic website at http://www.nationalgeographic.org/lectures/2003spring/everest.html.

Sierra Nevada Section – Camp 4 Event

Plans are in the works to celebrate the listing of Camp 4 on the National Register of Historic Places with a section event on Saturday, May 17 in Yosemite. For more information, contact Linda McMillan at mailto:Linda@alpineclub.org.

Northern Rockies Section – Castleton Tower Roundtable

Dave Erley of the Utah Open Lands will facilitate a planning roundtable from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 29 at the Salt Lake City Downtown Library regarding how lands they are purchasing at the base of Castleton Tower should be managed. The fundraising effort has only $85,000 to go before the parcel can be purchased, but work has already begun planning how these lands should be managed to facilitate climbing access, camping, and other uses. The AAC contributed $1,600 and has helped to raise attention for this worthy cause. We also participated in a similar roundtable meeting held earlier this month in Boulder. For more information, contact Dave Erley at mailto:dderley@earthlink.net.

Central Rockies Section – Bear Lake Road Closure

The road from Sprague Lake to Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park will be closed to private vehicles from June 1 through October 31 for construction. A shuttle bus will operate every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., but climbers wanting to get an earlier start should use the three-mile trail that leads from Sprague Lake to Bear Lake. Alternately, bivy and camping permits are available from the Park's backcountry office for those who want to stay overnight prior to climbing, though some restrictions apply.

Southwest Section – Glen Dawson/Everest 50th Anniversary Dinner

The AAC Southwest Section has scheduled a dinner for June 4 in Pasadena honoring both long-time member Glen Dawson and the 50th Anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest. Dawson, a prolific first ascentionist of the 1930s in the Sierra Nevada (with Jules Eichorn, Norman Clyde and others), will be celebrating his 91st birthday. In addition, Everest climber and guide Kurt Wedburg will present a show highlighting his own experiences summiting the world's highest mountain. Tickets for the event cost $21.00 per person, which includes dinner and the show. For more information, contact Section Chair Mike Brown at mailto:climmb@tns.net or call 760.743.2928.

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.

The E-News focuses on timely and important news of interest to members worldwide.

Send comments, suggestions or news items to mailto:lathearn@americanalpineclub.org