The American Alpine Club E-News: October 2002

Dear AAC Member,

We are still enjoying the good feelings generated by the Club's Centennial Celebration that was held on September 28 in Golden. Members and guests from around the world helped us celebrate the AAC's 100th birthday party and made it an event to remember.

For those members who were unable to join us, it is still possible to share the good feelings of our centennial year. The Hall of Presidents exhibit remains on display in the Library, and the Library staff are collecting contributions for a centennial scrapbook. More on both of these in this issue of AAC E-News.

If have been waiting all summer for your membership copies of The American Alpine Journal and Accidents in North American Mountaineering to arrive, the wait is almost over. Domestic membership copies were mailed on the week starting October 14. International membership copies were mailed the week of October 21. Some members have reported receiving their copies already, but if you have not, rest assured it should arrive soon. Since delivery times vary across the country, you may not receive your copies until late November.

Wishing you happy climbing.

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:

AAC LIBRARY NAMED AFTER PAST PRESIDENT HENRY S. HALL, JR.

CENTENNIAL SCRAPBOOK SEEKS SUBMISSIONS

PIOLET SOCIETY FOUNDING MEMBERSHIP DEADLINE EXTENDED

ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR BOSTON IN LATE FEBRUARY

AMERICAN CLIMBERS LEADING THE WAY IN MOUNTAIN STEWARDSHIP

TYROL DECLARATION CODIFIES MOUNTAIN VALUES

CLIMBERS CAN GUIDE PLANNERS OF CAMP 4 EXPANSION PROJECT

NEWLY OPENED NEPALESE PEAKS POSE PROBLEMS FOR CLIMBERS

SWISS AIRLINE NAMES PLANES AFTER MOUNTAIN PEAKS

SECTION NEWS/COMING EVENTS

E-NEWS POLICIES

AAC LIBRARY NAMED AFTER PAST PRESIDENT HENRY S. HALL, JR.

At the recent Centennial Celebration, the AAC's Library name was changed to the Henry S. Hall, Jr. American Alpine Club Library to reflect the enormous contributions of Henry S. Hall, Jr., a past president and the Club's first honorary president.

A member of the Club since finishing his military service in World War I, Hall was the ringleader of several major fund drives, including that to finance the Mount Logan expedition of 1926 and that in 1948 to establish a permanent endowment for support of the clubhouse. First elected as a councilor in 1923, Hall served the American Alpine Club in one office or another for the next 50 years, including a 15-year stint as secretary beginning in 1932, a three-year term as president starting in 1950, and in 1974 as the Club's first honorary president. After his term as president, he stayed active in monetary matters, being the annual donor of last resort when the informal budgeting procedures of those years failed to achieve balance, and never failing to include a bi-weekly letter of advice to his successors.

Hall's support of expeditions, many of which were planned in his living room, was legendary, though he constantly strove for anonymity. His pursuit of members, both new and faltering, was continuous, frequently to the extent of personally paying dues for those who had fallen on hard times. He and his wife, née Lydia Storrow, were unfailingly gracious hosts to visiting climbers of all ages and nationalities who always found the welcome mat out at 154 Coolidge Hill in Cambridge.

CENTENNIAL SCRAPBOOK SEEKS SUBMISSIONS

The Library staff circulated a scrapbook at the Centennial Celebration for attendees to sign in and jot down thoughts about the auspicious occasion. The scrapbook will be kept in the Club archives for future reference.

If you were not able to make it to Golden for the Centennial Celebration or did not sign the scrapbook, please consider sending in a 3 x 5 card with your name, city and state, and a brief comment about the AAC, mountaineering in general, a favorite climb, a favorite climber or climbing partner, a favorite mountaineering book, or really whatever you feel would be appropriate to document your connection to the Club's centennial.

Cards should be returned to Librarian Fran Loft in care of the Henry S. Hall, Jr. American Alpine Club Library, 710 Tenth Street, Suite 15, Golden, Colorado 80401.

PIOLET SOCIETY FOUNDING MEMBERSHIP DEADLINE EXTENDED

AAC President Jim Frush recently extended the deadline to become a Piolet Society Founding Member and issued a challenge to have 100 Piolet Society members by our Annual Meeting, which will be held in late February in Boston.

The Piolet Society, a special group that recognizes those visionary and passionate Club members who have left a planned gift to the Club, currently has more than 40 members. Anyone leaving a planned gift to the AAC becomes a member of this prestigious group and is recognized (if they prefer to be) in a variety of ways, including with a handsome gold pin that tells your friends and colleagues of your dedication and commitment.

It is easy for you to join the Piolet Society. Your own bequest (or other planned gift), 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.

To learn more about how you can provide for the Club's future while leaving a legacy as timeless as the mountains themselves, simply log onto http://www.americanalpineclub.org/members/piolet.shtml, or contact AAC Development Director Chris Chesak by email at mailto:cchesak@americanalpineclub.org.

ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR BOSTON IN LATE FEBRUARY

The AAC's 2003 Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 at the Westin Waltham-Boston Hotel. Special discounted lodging rates have been obtained for $99 per night (+ tax) for single or double-occupancy. Reservations must be made by calling 1-800-WESTIN-1 (937-8461) and identifying your reservation with the American Alpine Club Annual Meeting.

We are assembling speakers for the event and will mail complete registration information, including a registration form, along with the Winter 2003 issue of the American Alpine News. Once available, registration information also will be posted on the Club's website, http://www.americanalpineclub.org.

It has been about a decade since we last were in Boston, so be sure to plan ahead for what promises to be a great weekend of entertainment and camaraderie.

AMERICAN CLIMBERS LEADING THE WAY IN MOUNTAIN STEWARDSHIP

In conjunction with the UIAA General Assembly, the American Alpine Club hosted a highly successful a one-day Access and Conservation Symposium on October 4 in Flagstaff, Arizona. This collaborative event, in support of the UN's International Year of the Mountains, was designed to discuss how climbers can work together with land managers to protect mountain regions of the world. The AAC's success stories in these efforts were highlighted by a stellar panel of speakers from around the country including:

Ralph Tingey, National Park Service Associate Regional Director of Operations, Alaska Region (and a former chairman of AAC Alaska Section)

Stephen Martin, Superintendent, and Renny Jackson, Climbing Ranger (and AAC board member), from Grand Teton National Park

Glenn Hoagland, Executive Director, and Hank Alicandri, Director of Stewardship, from the Mohonk Preserve in the Shawangunks area of New York

David Mihalic, Superintendent; Steve Shackelton, Chief Ranger; Mark Fincher, Backcountry/Climbing Ranger; Lincoln Else, Climbing Ranger (and manager of the popular Camp 4 Coffee program in Yosemite); and Dave Bengston, Director, Yosemite Mountaineering School

Jim Jennings, Outdoor Recreation Planner and Scott Justham, Climbing Ranger, of the Bureau of Land Management's Bishop Field Office, in the Eastern Sierra Nevada

Each of these experts described the practical, innovative ways they have worked with the climbing community to balance responsible recreational access and sustainable development with protection of the mountain environment. Attendees from around the world heard the same strong message from each of the speakers-–the crucial importance of education and proactive communication as the most effective ways to protect both access and the environment.

At the end of the symposium, Douglas McGuire, the United Nations' head coordinator for the International Year of the Mountain, declared, "These examples of collaboration between climbing organizations and land managers are exactly the kind of 'grass roots' efforts that will drive success in mountain preservation."

TYROL DECLARATION CODIFIES MOUNTAIN VALUES

A five-year effort undertaken by the UIAA's Mountaineering Commission and refined during a weeklong meeting of top international climbers resulted in adoption of the "Tyrol Declaration on Best Practice in Mountain Sports" on September 8 in Innsbruck, Austria. Chris Bonington presented the document to the "Future of Mountain Sport" congress that was organized by the German and Austrian Alpine Clubs.

The Tyrol Declaration (called "The Mountain Code" in an earlier draft) tries to "put into words the many elusive ideals that have been the moral heart of the sport of mountaineering," according to Eliza Moran, the AAC's representative and vice-president of the Mountaineering Commission. The Tyrol Declaration contains 10 maxims: individual responsibility; team spirit; climbing and mountaineering community; visiting foreign countries; responsibilities of mountain guides and other leaders; emergencies, dying and death; access and conservation; style; first ascents; and sponsorship, advertising and public relations.

The Tyrol Declaration can be viewed in English at the following website: http://www.mountainfuture.at/english/index.htm. Comments about the document can be posted on the website or sent to Eliza Moran by email at mailto:oulala007@aol.com.

CLIMBERS CAN GUIDE PLANNERS OF CAMP 4 EXPANSION PROJECT

Although the current official commenting period for the Camp 4 Expansion Project ended October 26, the National Park Service planners have encouraged climbers from around the world to keep submitting their constructive comments and thoughts about what Camp 4 is and should be in the future.

What is particularly useful for the planners is hearing about how climbers relate to Camp 4 "spiritually" and physically—-what the overall feeling or experience is or should be—-and why certain aspects of Camp 4 are particularly important to climbers. Suggestions for how to make the registration and camping experience more "user friendly" are also valuable.

Comments may be sent to the park by fax at 209.379.1294, by email at mailto:yose_planning@nps.gov, or by standard mail at: Yosemite National Park Superintendent, PO Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389.

On a side note, at an Open House in Yosemite Valley on Wednesday, October 23, the National Park Service displayed a new low-emission, low-noise, fuel-efficient shuttle bus that is being considered to replace the existing fleet of 1986 diesel buses that service Yosemite Valley. These are hybrid electric busses that use a tiny diesel motor onboard to recharge the propulsion batteries periodically during operation. They are impressively quiet and smooth.

NEWLY OPENED NEPALESE PEAKS POSE PROBLEMS FOR CLIMBERS

Last December the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism opened up 103 peaks to climbers as part of an effort to boost tourism in the country, which had decreased dramatically due to internal strife between the government and Maoist rebels. While climbers have sought out the new mountaineering challenges, they have not been greeted warmly by all locals.

On September 20, Helly Hansen Mountain Adventure Award recipients David Morton and Jeff Lamoureaux were fired upon by two men, one of whom was wearing a Chinese military uniform, as they made their way to base camp while attempting to climb Nangpa Gossum, the highest of the newly opened peaks. After hiding behind rocks for four hours, the duo fled to Namche Bazar where they contacted Nepalese police, who escorted them back to retrieve their gear. The Chinese government disavowed any knowledge of the incident.

More recently, British alpinist Stevie Haston and his party of 11 mountaineers were seized at gunpoint by heavily armed men believed to be Maoist rebels while en route to 22,146-foot Ramtang Chang. The gunmen demanded a ransom reported to be between $4,000 to $8,000. The rebels allowed Haston's party to establish a camp higher up on the peak, but the group doubled back and sought out a remote village where they used a satellite phone to call for help. Reportedly, the group was being shuttled to safety via a private helicopter.

In addition to these two incidents, rebels intercepted several Makalu expeditions this spring and demanded financial payments to keep their camera equipment.

Cascade Section Chair Peter Ackroyd responded in our July E-News issue that, "If you take time to find out where the main conflicts are occurring you can have a safe and very enjoyable experience. If you choose to go through areas where the Maoists are known to have strongholds (like the areas the Makalu expeditions went through), then you take that risk!"

SWISS AIRLINE NAMES PLANES AFTER MOUNTAIN PEAKS

In an International Year of the Mountains first, Swiss, the new international airline formed following the bankruptcy of Swissair, named all the aircraft in its fleet after mountains located in its home country of Switzerland.

The aircraft of the Swiss long-haul fleet received the names of mountains whose summits are higher than 4000 meters—-peaks like the Dufourspitze, the Dom, the Lyskamm and the Weisshorn. The first of the new Airbus A340-300s currently on order will be give the name "Matterhorn" upon delivery in summer 2003.

The Swiss short-haul fleet also is named after Swiss mountains, though these are either the highest or the best-known summit in each of Switzerland's 26 cantons.

The complete list of named planes can be found at http://www.swiss.com/index/sw-oc-fl-mountain-names.htm.

Editor's Note: No word yet as to whether climbers will obtain frequent flier points for having climbed the peak after which their plane is named or will get an automatic first class upgrade for having done a first ascent.

SECTION NEWS/COMING EVENTS

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 on Saturday, November 9 in Manhattan. Wickwire will recap an illustrious career marked by the first Americans ascent of K2 in 1978, by a new and dangerous route, as well as many other noteworthy climbs. He also inspired a Broadway play, an HBO documentary, a 60 Minutes interview, and numerous feature articles.

An old tradition at this event is the introduction of the current crop of new members and the presentation of their membership pins. In addition, there will be two short field reports by Section members: one on climbing in Australia, and the other regarding an expedition currently in progress to the South Pole. A special exhibition of images from the American Alpine Journal Photo Collection will be on display.

For further ticket information or to have an invitation faxed to you, please email Section Chairman Phil Erard at mailto:philiperard@hotmail.com or call 212.763.0379. Out-of-towners are especially welcome.

Alaska Section Monthly Slide Shows

Section Chair Danny Kost announces that the Alaska Section again will host monthly programs throughout the winter season on the second Tuesday of each month. Mark the dates on your calendar and plan ahead.

Brian Okonek, a long-time Denali climber and guide, will kick off the series on Tuesday, November 12 with a slide show about the Alaska Range. The December 10 show will feature a slide show and talk by Charlie Sassara and Siri Moss on their recent rock climbing trip to Sardinia, as well as last year's trip to the Dolomites. Both shows will be held in Anchorage at a location to be announced.

For more information, contact Section Chair Danny Kost at mailto:dkost@alaska.net or by phone at 907.562.2297.

Central Rockies Section – Goran Kropp Benefit

A benefit showing of Goran Kropp's award-winning film "I Made It: Goran Kropp's Incredible Solo Journey to the Top of the World" will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 14 at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder. The special showing will benefit the Goran Kropp Bishwa Darshan Primary School in Nepal, which Kropp founded in 1996.

For those who cannot attend, donations may be sent to: Goran Kropp Nepal Fund, c/o Helly Hansen, 3326 160th Ave SE, Suite 200, Bellevue, Washington 98008-5463. Checks should be made payable to "Kropp & Aventyr".

Kropp, who died in late September while climbing near Vantage, Washington, was an enthusiastic member and supporter of the AAC, who in the fall of 2001 did numerous slide shows across the country that benefited the Club.

New England Section Holiday Party

The New England Section of the AAC and the Appalachian Mountain Club will host a joint holiday party on Friday, December 6, at the Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland, Massachusetts. The "casually sophisticated" event starts at 7 p.m. with a reception, and the dinner will be served at 8 p.m. A DJ will keep the event moving until 11 p.m.

All Boston-area climbers, spouses, kids and friends are invited to attend. The cost is $15 for adults and $7 for children. Complete details, including a registration form, is available at http://www.atkinsopht.com/mtn/aacnesct.htm. You must register before Saturday, November 30.

For further information about this event or other upcoming New England Section events, contact Section Chair Bill Atkinson by email at mailto:watkinson@compuserve.com or by phone at 781.899.7388.

Cascade Section Carlos Buhler Slide Show

The American Alpine Club's Cascade Section will present a slide show by Carlos Buhler at 7:30 p.m., on Friday, December 13, in the Tahoma Auditorium of the Mountaineers Clubhouse, 300 Third Ave. W., Seattle. Buhler, one of the top American climbers today, has a staggering list of accomplishments, including multiple first ascents in the Himalayas, South America, and Alaska. On October 2, he was one of two Americans (both AAC members) to complete the first ascent of 22,821-foot Sepu Kangri in Tibet's remote Nyenchen Tanglha range.

An AAC members-only reception will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Pinnacle Room, with food and drink provided. A $5 suggested donation at the door enters you in the raffle. Please register by Monday, November 18 to reserve your place. Be sure to state whether you will be coming to the reception and, if so, how many will attend. Mountaineers members (non AAC) may purchase tickets after November 18 for $8 from the Mountaineers bookstore or at the door (if space is available). There will be no book signing at this event.

For further information, contact Section Chair Peter Ackroyd by phone at 206.329.3447 or by email at mailto:pdack1@attbi.com.

Blue Ridge Section Monthly Meetings/Annual Meeting

The Blue Ridge Section is holding monthly section meetings and slide shows on the third Monday of each month (unless otherwise notified due to conflicts with holidays) at the Rhodeside Grill, located at 1836 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington, Virginia. Dinner and drinks start at 6:30 p.m. upstairs, and the slide shows start at 8 p.m. AAC members get happy hour prices on draft beer all evening!

Be sure to mark December 16 on your calendar for the BRS Annual Meeting, also at the Rhodeside Grill.

For more information about either event, contact Section Chair Jeanette Helfrich by email at mailto:jeanettehelfrich@comcast.net or by phone at 301.434.1964.

Central Rockies Section – Dan Mazur Slide Show

The Colorado Mountain Club's Tech Section will present a slide show by AAC member Dan Mazur at the American Mountaineering Center's auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 23. Mazur's slide show will feature some of his recent Himalayan climbing expeditions, including Everest, K2, and new routes on lesser-known peaks in Tibet, China and Pakistan. A reception will follow at the climbing wall. Tickets are $8 and will be available in November from the Colorado Mountain Club offices. For more information, contact Susan Trapp by phone at 303.278.1801.

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.