The American Alpine Club E-News: August 2002

Dear AAC Member,

The AAC's Centennial Celebration is just around the corner. If you have not made your reservation at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel, please do so immediately. Our block of reduced-price rooms expires on Wednesday, August 28. Also, do not delay in registering for the Centennial Celebration itself. We expect a healthy crowd, so don't miss out if the event sells out. Complete details, including a link to a registration form, is available in this issue of E-News.

As we alluded to in the July E-News, membership copies of The American Alpine Journal and Accidents in North American Mountaineering will be available soon. Members fully paid as of August 1 will be sent the 2002 issues of both books after the Journal debuts at the Centennial Celebration. (Members who joined after August 1 will receive the 2003 AAJ and ANAM with their membership.) If you have moved recently or believe your mailing address may be inaccurate, please send us change of address information so that your copies will not be delayed. These books are NOT forwarded by the Postal Service. Send all contact information to Erin Byerly, our membership services coordinator, at mailto:ebyerly@americanalpineclub.org or call 303.384.0110 x10.

Several AAC sections have upcoming events that are listed in the Section Updates/Coming Events section. Don't miss out on the various activities in your area that are interesting, informative, and/or help give back to the climbing community.

Here's hoping that all your summer climbing adventures are safe and memorable.

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 Erin Byerly, our membership services coordinator, at mailto:ebyerly@americanalpineclub.org.

In this issue:

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION DRAWS NEAR

LAST CHANCE TO BE A PIOLET SOCIETY FOUNDING MEMBER

CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE HELPS CAMP 4 GROW

WETLANDS SURVEY UNDER WAY IN CAMP 4

UIAA EXPEDITION CLIMBING CAMP IN INDIA SEEKS PARTICIPANTS

INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL RESCUE SYMPOSIUM 2002

NATIONAL GEORGRAPHIC EXPEDITIONS COUNCIL GRANTS AVAILABLE

HIGH ASIA PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST ANNOUNCED

SECTION NEWS/COMING EVENTS

E-NEWS POLICIES

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION DRAWS NEAR

The AAC's 100th birthday party is just a few short weeks away. Come join the Centennial Celebration on Saturday, September 28 in Golden, Colorado. The celebration will feature an afternoon of short programs at the American Mountaineering Center, followed by dinner and a presentation by Tami Knight at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel.

The festivities kick off at 12:30 p.m. with a reception in the Club's internationally renowned library. Then, at 2 p.m., programs begin upstairs in the auditorium. The afternoon program includes the following speakers:

DEE MOLENAAR: MOUNTAIN ART FROM CHINA TO EUROPE TO AMERICA AND BEYOND. A look at Oriental and Alpine-American mountain art, including some of his own landscapes.

JAMES H. POWELL: THE UNCLIMBED PLACES. Descriptions of little-known mountain ranges in Tibet and Iran.

JOHN SPENCER: MOUNTAINS OUT OF THIS WORLD. A glimpse into other mountain ranges of the Solar System.

BETSY WHITE AND BARBARA EUSER: CLUB CONTROVERSIES. A discussion of the important controversies that occurred within the Club during its initial century.

At 5:30 p.m., we begin the reception at the nearby Sheraton Denver West Hotel, and at 7 p.m., we seat for dinner, which incorporates menu items from the very first AAC Annual Meeting dinner in 1903! Afterwards, Canadian humorist Tami Knight keeps the evening lively with "GOSH AND AREN'T WE SERIOUS: An ontological alpine presentation with sub-textual centennial analysis intended to amuse, but not provoke."

Complete information about the event, including lodging and ground transportation discounts, is posted on our website at http://www.americanalpineclub.org/Centennial.htm/. You can download a registration form at: http://www.americanalpineclub.org/CentennialRegForm.pdf/. Note that discounted hotel rates for the Centennial Celebration must be reserved by Wednesday, August 28.

LAST CHANCE TO BE A PIOLET SOCIETY FOUNDING MEMBER

The Centennial Celebration on September 28 marks your deadline for joining the AAC Piolet Society as a founding member!

The Piolet Society is a prestigious group of dedicated Club members who are leaving a planned gift to the AAC. If you are not already one of the 35 founding members, it is easy for you to join this exclusive group. Your planned gift to the AAC, no matter how large or small, allows you entrance into the Society, while providing crucial support for Club initiatives, leaving your own personal legacy, and helping preserve the climbing experience in perpetuity.

For more information, contact AAC Development Director Chris Chesak at 303.384.0110 x19 or mailto:cchesak@americanalpineclub.org and learn how you can join the Piolet Society and leave a legacy as timeless as the mountains themselves.

CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE HELPS CAMP 4 GROW

Things have moved on considerably in Yosemite since 1998,when urgent presentations were made by climbers from around the world (including the 1st International Women's meet) to the National Park Service (NPS) to reconsider its plans that would have affected historic Camp 4. This summer AAC Vice-President Linda McMillan and Yosemite

Climbing veteran Tom Frost participated in an important planning session for the expansion and improvement of Camp 4.

"I am pleased to report the National Park Service has some very exciting ideas for Camp 4, which will double in size (from about 33 sites—up to six people per site—to about 65 sites total)," said McMillan following the planning session. "As part of the planning session, we helped the Camp 4 planning team enjoy some top-roping and a sleep-over at Camp 4, complete with portaledge. They seemed to really enjoy it all, and came away with greater knowledge and appreciation of the unique, dynamic, and historic spirit of Camp 4."

Because of the constructive approach taken by the AAC, the National Park Service knows how interested the UIAA's member associations are in the planning process in managing visitors to Yosemite. The NPS is now accepting comments and ideas from individuals and mountaineering associations.

"What is needed are constructive, useful comments and ideas," added McMillan. "Complaints that offer no solutions or ideas leave the NPS with no real direction."

The home page for the Yosemite National Park containing further information about the various new projects being planned in the park is: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planning/. Interested parties can submit comments directly to the Yosemite National Park Superintendent by fax at 209.379.1294, by email to mailto:yose_planning@nps.gov, or by mail to:

Yosemite National Park Superintendent
Attention: Park Planning Comments
P.O. Box 577
Yosemite, CA 95389.

(Please copy any submission to Linda McMillan by email at mailto:linda@alpineclub.org)

It is helpful if the subject line of the fax, email, or the address on posted letters includes the particular project being commented upon (i.e., Attn: Camp 4 Expansion, Parkwide Campground Study, East Yosemite Valley New Campsite construction, Curry Village Guest Cabins & Employee Housing, Yosemite Lodge Area Redevelopment Project, Indian Cultural Center, etc.)

WETLANDS SURVEY UNDER WAY IN CAMP 4

Visitors to Yosemite's Camp 4 this summer will notice white marking flags in the greater Yosemite Lodge area, which are being placed there as part of a wetland mapping program being conducted by the NPS. Wetlands are transitional areas between land and bodies of water, where water periodically floods to land or saturates the soil. About 35 percent of all endangered plants and animals in the US depend on wetlands for survival.

If you encounter flags in and around Camp 4, do not touch them. Take a moment to see if you can identify where the wetland is, as hinted by the flags. To learn more about wetlands and other natural ecosystems, contact the Yosemite rangers or look up the National Wetlands Inventory site on the web at http://www.nwi.fws.gov/.

UIAA EXPEDITION CLIMBING CAMP IN INDIA SEEKS PARTICIPANTS

The UIAA Expeditions Commission is promoting a month-long expedition climbing camp starting September 15 in the Arwa Valley and Western Kamet Glacier of India for aspiring expeditionary climbers as a way of celebrating the International Year of the Mountains. Apart from sharing experiences and rock and ice craft, climbers and instructors participating in the camp will get a unique opportunity to climb various faces of Mana Peak, Arwa Tower and Kalindi Peak. The three peaks vary in difficulty from moderate to extremely technical. Participants will be assigned peaks after evaluation during the training period.

Participants must be at least 20 years of age and have a minimum of basic alpine mountaineering experience. Participants must purchase airfare to New Delhi, provide all personal equipment, and be covered by evacuation insurance. The camp will provide food, tents, stoves, ground transportation from New Delhi, and other related expenses. Cost of the camp is $2,680 and must be paid by August 25. For more information, contact Col. N. Kumar of the UIAA Expeditions Commission by email at mailto:adventure@vsnl.com.

INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL RESCUE SYMPOSIUM 2002

The 2002 International Technical Rescue Symposium (ITRS) will be held November 1-3 at the Denver Marriott West Hotel in Denver. The goal of ITRS is to gather 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. The conference brings together a wide variety of people involved in rescue, including those in mountain rescue, military, law enforcement, land management, water rescue, outdoor recreation, fire service and rescue squads, along with equipment manufacturers and distributors.

The American Alpine Club, Mountain Rescue Association, Fire Rescue Magazine, National Association for Search and Rescue, Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians, and the National Cave Rescue Commission of the National Speleological Society all are ITRS sponsors. AAC members receive a sizeable discount on registration fees. In order to encourage the informal free flow of information involving all participants, enrollment has been limited to 150 persons. If necessary, a waiting list will be established. For more information, visit http://www.americanalpineclub.org/.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPEDITIONS COUNCIL GRANTS AVAILABLE

Do you have expedition plans that are bigger than your checkbook? The National Geographic Society's Expeditions Council has grant funding available for projects emphasizing exploration and adventure that are not necessarily scientific in nature, but that fuel knowledge and inspiration through firsthand observation and documentation. Council-supported projects must have the potential for a compelling written and visual record. Expeditions that further the Society's efforts to increase awareness about areas of environmental and cultural concern are encouraged.

Grants typically are awarded in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $35,000, with the funds to be used for such expenses as transportation, supplies, permits and other fees, and daily subsistence. Film and film processing for the expeditions is provided by the Society. Within two months of returning from the field, grantees are required to submit a trip report summarizing the major findings of the expedition. Applications are accepted throughout the year, though the Council requires that potential applicants submit project proposals for screening prior to making formal applications. For more information, visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/council/ or call 202.862.5200.

HIGH ASIA PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST ANNOUNCED

In recognition of the International Year of the Mountains, the Himalayan Research Bulletin is sponsoring a photography contest/exhibit to celebrate High Asia: the Himalaya-Hindukush-Karakoram-Pamir, Tibetan Plateau, and adjacent highlands. Please contribute your finest images.

Categories: People, Homelands, and Wildlands

Submission: Submit color or black and white slide duplicates, prints, or electronic images. Please limit submissions to one entry per category. Please do not submit original transparencies or negatives; entry images will not be returned. Entry prints should not be framed or mounted. Be sure to label each entry with the photographer's name, phone number, address, and email address (if any).

Mail slides or prints to:
The Himalayan Research Bulletin
Geography Department
Portland State University
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR 97207

Submit electronic images to: mailto:hrb@pdx.edu. (In the subject line please write: IYM photo entry.)

Closing Date: Entries must be received no later than September 30. Photographers will be notified by October 15 if their entries have been selected for exhibition. Final winners will be announced at the close of the exhibit in December.

For additional information visit: http://www.himalayan.pdx.edu/PhotoContestDetails.htm

SECTION NEWS/COMING EVENTS

Cascade Section Events

Cascade Section Chair Peter Ackroyd will hold a section meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 21 at the Enzian Inn in Leavenworth. All section members are invited. We want to hear your ideas about goals, organization structure, and activities for the section. We will be looking for volunteers and nominations to form a small team to run things and will vote to elect those persons. Food and drinks will be provided (sponsors welcome!) and there will be a chance to socialize and maybe even arrange some climbing for Sunday. (AAC members do climb!) Contact Peter before August 30 at 206.329.3447 or by email at mailto:pdack1@attbi.com.

Carlos Buhler will be the featured speaker at a Cascade Section reception and slide show on Friday, December 13 at the Tahoma Auditorium in the Mountaineers Club Building in Seattle. Join us before the show for an AAC member's reception. Carlos is one of the pre-eminent AAC members, and he gives a great slideshow. Members must reserve seats ahead of time so we can offer the remainder to the public to help pay for the evening. Sponsors are needed. Contact Peter Ackroyd at 206.329.3447 or mailto:pdack1@attbi.com for more information.

Central Rockies Section Trail Project

The Central Rockies Section will be organizing the second-annual "Lumpy Trails Day" on Saturday, October 12, at Lumpy Ridge, a popular granite crack-climbing area in Rocky Mountain National Park. Last year 20 volunteers constructed 800 vertical feet of trail on Sundance Buttress as part of the Access Fund's Adopt-A-Crag project. This year's project will concentrate on the descent trails off the popular "Left Book" and the difficult scrambling descent off the "Book." Volunteers should plan on an eight-hour day and should dress for fall weather conditions. Coffee, donuts and a box lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to Greg Sievers, Central Rockies Section chairman, by email at mailto:sievers57@aol.com or call 970.586.4075.

New York Section Annual Dinner

AAC member Jim Wickwire, one of the most accomplished American mountaineers of the last quarter century, will be the featured speaker at the New York Section's 23rd Annual Black Tie Dinner. Wickwire was one of the first two Americans to summit K2 in 1978 by a new and dangerous route using no porters or oxygen. He barely survived an unplanned bivouac near the summit. Invitations will be mailed to all New York Section members in late September. If you do not receive an invitation by October 15 or if you are a member of another section who wishes to receive an invitation, please contact Section Chairman Phil Erard by email at mailto:philiperard@hotmail.com or call 212.763.0379.

New York Section Fall Outing

The New York Section is hosting its traditional Annual Outing on September 28-29 at the Ausable Club, St. Hubert's, New York, near the Keene Valley, which should coincide with peak foliage season. Activities include hiking in the High Peaks, climbing—both guided and independent—canoeing on the Upper and Lower Ausable Lakes, golf and tennis. AAC members from the New England Section also are invited to attend. In order to receive an invitation and registration materials, please email Section Chairman Phil Erard at mailto:philiperard@hotmail.com or call 212.763.0379.

Sierra Nevada Section Outing

The Sierra Nevada Section will hold a section event and climb at Lover's Leap on September 21-22. Contact Brock Wagstaff at mailto:brock@wagstafflinsteadt.com for more information.

South Central Section Elections

Current South Central Section Chairman Andy Jones is stepping down due to other commitments, so the call is going out for new section officers, including Section Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. The positions take as much effort as you can spare, and include hosting an annual section meeting, promoting the AAC within the section, and acting as a conduit for information between the national club and local section members. The section encompasses the following states: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. If you are interested in being considered for one of these positions, contact Andy Jones by email at mailto:TCFTexas@aol.com or call 512.453.2025.

Southeast Section Website/Events

Southeast Section Chair Jeff Botz announces the launch of a section website at http://www.smokymountainsection.org/. The site is in its infancy, but provides updates on scheduled section activities. For more information, contact Jeff at either mailto:jeff@smokymountainsection.org or mailto:botzie5@aol.com.

Other Events

The UIAA Expeditions Commission will meet on September 24-25 at the Grand Teton Climbers' Ranch near Moose, Wyoming. AAC members in the Jackson Hole area will have a chance to meet the delegates, who represent the Himalayan area (Pakistan, India, Nepal and China), as well as European countries. For more information, contact Betsy White, the AAC's representative on the Commission, by email at zabetwhite@hotmail.com.

The UIAA Youth Commission will meet on September 27-29 at the American Alpine Club Bunkhouse at Tuthilltown in Gardiner, New York. For more information, contact Ralph Erenzo at mailto:ralph@tuthilltown.com.

The Mountain Studies Institute will hold "A Mountain Summit: Communities, Culture, Conservation" on September 25-28 at the Durango Mountain Resort in Durango, Colorado. The Institute's inaugural conference celebrating the International Year of the Mountains and the Institute's founding will feature two days of general and concurrent sessions covering local history, public lands management, earth sciences, avalanche forecasting, mountain recreation, mountain community economies, heritage tourism, and local land conservation efforts. For field trip information, a full agenda and to register, visit http://www.mountainstudies.org/conference/.

In commemoration of the International Year of the Mountains and the International Year of Eco-tourism, the Himalayan Resources Institute, in collaboration with several other Nepalese organizations, will host the International Conference on Himalayan Biodiversity on December 10-13 in Kathmandu, Nepal. With a conference theme of "conserving Himalayan biodiversity for human welfare," the major issues to be discussed include: Himalayan flora and fauna, biodiversity conservation, indigenous knowledge on biodiversity conservation, trade-related property rights, and eco-tourism. To register for the conference or to submit a working paper, visit http://www.hirinepal.com/him_biodiversity.html/.

For other events, please check the Upcoming Events page on the AAC's website: http://www.americanalpineclub.org/special_programs/Events.htm.

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.