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AAC Announces 2020 Cutting Edge Grant Winners

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The AAC is pleased to announce the 2020 Cutting Edge Grant recipients. The Cutting Edge Grant continues the Club’s 100-year tradition of supporting athletes in pursuit of world-class climbing and mountaineering objectives.

The Cutting Edge Grant seeks to fund individuals planning expeditions to remote areas featuring unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, difficult new routes, first free ascents, or similar world-class pursuits. Objectives featuring a low-impact style and leave-no-trace mentality are looked upon with favor. For the 2020 grant cycle, the AAC awarded $15,000 to three recipients.

Nick Aiello-Popeo will receive a grant to attempt a new route on the west face of Ganesh in Nepal. Aiello-Popeo and Justin Guarino are planning to make their ascent in lightweight alpine style. Aiello-Popeo added, “Ganesh shares its name with the Hindu holiday Ganesh Chaturthi which celebrates Ganesha, a deity with the head of an elephant. Of Ganesha’s many attributes, he is revered as the ‘remover of obstacles.’ There could be no better theme for an alpine-style expedition!”

Vitaliy Musiyenko will receive a grant to attempt unclimbed routes on both Melanphulan and Nuptse in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Musiyenko will attempt these ascents with Connor Chilcott, winner of the 2020 McNeill-Nott Award, and said, “Success will require top-notch fitness, abilities to climb difficult ice and rock, as well as knowledge on how to quickly and efficiently aid climb. It appears to be a perfect cutting edge challenge.”

And, lastly, Kurt Ross will receive a grant to attempt a new route on a 7,000m peak in the Eastern Karakoram. Ross and partners Jackson Marvell and Matt Cornell have committed to climbing in lightweight alpine style, adhering to Leave No Trace ethics throughout the trip. They are training for success in some of the most dramatic mountains in the world.


February, 2020, Golden, CO—The American Alpine Club (AAC) is pleased to announce this year’s Cutting Edge Grant recipients. The Cutting Edge Grant continues the Club’s 100-year tradition of supporting athletes in pursuit of world-class climbing and mountaineering objectives.

The Cutting Edge Grant seeks to fund individuals planning expeditions to remote areas featuring unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, difficult new routes, first free ascents, or similar world-class pursuits. Objectives featuring a low-impact style and leave-no-trace mentality are looked upon with favor. For the 2020 grant cycle, the AAC awarded $15,000 to three recipients.

Nick Aiello-Popeo will receive a grant to attempt a new route on the west face of Ganesh in Nepal. Aiello-Popeo and Justin Guarino are planning to make their ascent in lightweight alpine style. Aiello-Popeo added, “Ganesh shares its name with the Hindu holiday Ganesh Chaturthi which celebrates Ganesha, a deity with the head of an elephant. Of Ganesha’s many attributes, he is revered as the ‘remover of obstacles.’ There could be no better theme for an alpine-style expedition!”

Vitaliy Musiyenko will receive a grant to attempt unclimbed routes on both Melanphulan and Nuptse in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Musiyenko will attempt these ascents with Connor Chilcott, winner of the 2020 McNeill-Nott Award, and said, “Success will require top-notch fitness, abilities to climb difficult ice and rock, as well as knowledge on how to quickly and efficiently aid climb. It appears to be a perfect cutting edge challenge.”

And, lastly, Kurt Ross will receive a grant to attempt a new route on a 7,000m peak in the Eastern Karakoram. Ross and partners Jackson Marvell and Matt Cornell have committed to climbing in lightweight alpine style, adhering to Leave No Trace ethics throughout the trip. They are training for success in some of the most dramatic mountains in the world.

The Cutting Edge Grant is supported in part by Global Rescue, the world’s leading provider of integrated travel risk and evacuation memberships. CEG recipients are additionally awarded a one-year, full Global Rescue membership—an upgrade to the standard AAC rescue coverage. Upgraded benefits include: $500,000 of rescue evacuation; repatriation back to the US; deployed Global Rescue Personnel; and more—a service intended to help AAC members climb hard and return home safely.

The AAC has inspired and supported cutting-edge climbing achievements for over 100 years. Applications for the Cutting Edge Grant are accepted each year from October 1st through November 30th.

For more information, visit a​mericanalpineclub.org/cutting-edge-grant.
For more information on Global Rescue and their memberships, visit globalrescue.com.

Let's Climb! Red Rocks Trip, April 2020

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April 19 - 25, 2020
 Red Rock, NV

Too much time in the gym this winter? Craving sunny sandstone? Excited to meet new climbing partners?

Join the AAC’s Education Director, Ron Funderburke, AAC's trips organizer Carol Kotchek, and your fellow Club members in the legendary climbing area Red Rock, Nevada. If you've been looking for the best time to go, the right partners, or the motivation to put together the logistics here’s your opportunity!

We have rented a huge, deluxe, AirBNB, all you need to do is get yourself to Vegas with your personal gear and your psych! Please note the AirBNB is bunk-style so be prepared to share rooms.

Basecamp Includes:

  • Six nights lodging within 25-minute drive to Red Rock ParkBreakfast and lunch to-go options.

  • Daily single pitch climbing with Ron Funderburke, AMGA Certified Rock, Alpine Guide.

  • Opportunity to learn new skills and debate best practices.

  • Discount on local guide services with Jackson Hole Mountain Guides
    In past years this event has sold out. Not all AAC members wanting to attend have been included due to limited space.  This year we will have a short application to fill out. There are no pre-qualifications to attend this event. Our goal with the application process is to create a diverse group of climbers.

To receive an application please contact Carol Kotchek at [email protected] 
We will be letting applicants know by Feb 20 of their acceptance into the event. 

Let's Climb, Red Rock Trip Cost: $600
A $200 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of application acceptance. The remainder is due on or before Feb 29, 2020.

AAC CEO Highlighted in New Film

Photo: Chipsa House

Photo: Chipsa House

Our CEO Phil Powers summited K2 without oxygen and has a first ascent on Denali, but it was a simple climb on his lunch break that left him with the biggest challenge of his life following a miscommunication and a 70-foot fall. Watch the film below.

There is no single moment that defines your life. To be grateful, to live in the moment, to love everybody you can, try to give back... [an accident like Phil’s] definitely wakes you up.
— Sarah Pierce

2020 US Ice Climbing Team Applications - now open!

Image courtesy UIAA

Image courtesy UIAA

USA Ice Climbing Competition Team Selection

As the US Member Federation to the UIAA, the American Alpine Club is proud to once again open applications to all athletes seeking to join the 2020 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team.

Athlete participation in the World Cup and World Championship events will be determined by the AAC and the US team manager in the Fall of 2019. Up to 25 adults and 20 youth will be selected for the US team, and athletes will receive a status notification by September 15, 2019. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. MT, August 31, 2019.

Apply Online Now!

Application Requirements

Note: This year, both youth and adults will apply using the same application.

  • Must have or be able to obtain a US passport before Dec 2019.

  • Since we are working to develop a team, priority will be given to athletes who are competing in more than one World Cup event, and who plan to compete in future years.

  • Athletes must turn 16 or older before the date of chosen world cup event(s) to participate.

  • We encourage people who are experienced competitors in any form of climbing to apply.

  • Athletes interested in being part of the US team and competing in any of the Ice Climbing World Cup & World Championship events must complete the application by 11:59 p.m. MT, August 31, 2019.

Team Benefits & Expectations

  • Athletes will receive a team uniform that they will be required to wear during any international competitions between July 2019 and June 2020.

  • Athletes will be expected to make their own travel arrangements once notified.

  • Athletes (and parents when the athlete is a minor) will be required to sign and abide by a code of conduct set by the AAC and the team manager. Athletes who violate the code of conduct will be warned and may be removed from the team at the discretion of the AAC and the team manager.

  • The AAC and the team manager will work to provide monetary and product support through fundraising and grants. Athletes will be expected to support these initiatives as well. 

  • Athletes are expected to behave as part of a team, giving and receiving support to and from their team members.

  • Athletes will act as American Alpine Club and US ambassadors to the domestic and international climbing communities and are expected to obey the rules and regulations of the host country in which they are climbing.

Competition Selection Policies

  • Selection to the USA Ice Climbing team does not guarantee a spot at any competition.

  • In the event that participants are only competing in either Speed or Difficulty (and not both) the AAC will select enough athletes to be able to field a team consisting of 8 men and 8 women for the Speed portion and 8 men and 8 women for the Difficulty portion.

  • If there are not enough available team members to fill the quota at a competition, non-team athletes may apply to compete and will be selected by the AAC and the team manager.

  • The USA can send up to 8 men and 8 women in each of Difficulty (Lead) and Speed to each World Cup event.

  • There are three age categories for youth competitors.  U16, U19, and U21. Age guidelines will be released by the UIAA.

Need a little more inspiration? Meet last year’s athletes!

Announcing: Our 2019 Live Your Dream Grant Winners

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We’re thrilled to congratulate the winners of our 2019 Live Your Dream Grant!

The Live Your Dream grant, powered by The North Face, is designed to help every-day adventurers take their abilities to the next level. It is about personal progression. It is about supporting each other; getting out there to push our individual limits; taking our skills to the next proving grounds, wherever that may be. The purpose of this grant is to support and promote unforgettable experiences for climbers—to dream big, to grow, and to inspire others.

We received a record number of applicants, making this year’s pool of Live Your Dream applications one of the most competitive yet, and we’ve made some hard choices to award a total of $55,700 to 122 recipients. This year’s winners include climbers looking to complete their first trad leads, climbers chasing cutting-edge first ascents, and everyone in between.

View the winners’ projects, then start dreaming up your own for next year! Applications will open again next February, 2020.

2019 Jones Grant & Live Like Liz Winners Announced

Photo courtesy Shawna Paoli.

Photo courtesy Shawna Paoli.

We're thrilled to announce the 2nd Annual Jones Snowboards BC Adventure Grant and Live Like Liz Award winners!

The 2019 BC Adventure Grant winner is Graeme Greenwood of Bozeman, MT. Graeme and a partner will attempt a unique traverse and peak descent in the Greater Yellowstone region. The 2019 Live Like Liz Grant winner is Mt. Baker local Shawna Paoli. Shawna and partners will attempt a splitboard powered circumnavigation of Mt Baker.

Huge thanks to all that applied! We were blown away by the quality of proposals. Inspired? Our Live Your Dream grant is still open.


Congrats to our 2019 McNeill-Nott Award Winners!

Rebecca Ross. Photo courtesy Rebecca Ross.

Rebecca Ross. Photo courtesy Rebecca Ross.

Lindsey Hamm. Photo by Dan Gambino.

Lindsey Hamm. Photo by Dan Gambino.


Congratulations to our 2019 McNeill-Nott awardees, Rebecca Ross and Lindsey Hamm! This grant, supported by Mountain Hardwear, honors Sue Nott and her partner Karen McNeill by funding amateur climbers exploring new routes or unclimbed peaks with small and lightweight teams.

Rebecca and her team plan to summit the three highest peaks in Mongolia, located specifically in the Mongol Altai Range, including Khuiten Peak (4,374m). the highest point in Mongolia. The Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, where these three peaks are accessed, is pristine with a variety of interesting flora and fauna. Rebecca chose these particular peaks because of its remoteness, untouched beauty, and strong cultural presence with the Mongolian Nomadic Eagle Hunters.

Lindsey and her team will travel to Zanskar, India in search of big wall style climbing and maybe some mixed climbing routes. Last year, weather prevented her from completing her full objective in the region, and she remains amped to explore and learn even more about the local, culture, community, and climbing opportunities.

Inspired? Find out more about our grants.


AAC Launches New Film—A Live Your Dream Grant Story

[This film contains expletives—viewer discretion is advised.] Far Away is a climbing area where Jenny Fischer and Kat Whipple attempted a first ascent on their Live Your Dream Grant trip to Liming, China. Far Away, a film by Samuel Crossley Media documenting Jenny and Kat’s journey, is out now! Produced in partnership with Ortovox and Deuter.

Watch the film and then go apply for a Live Your Dream grant, powered by The North Face:

2019 Cutting Edge Grant Recipients Announced

Chantel Astorga. Photo: AAC member Anne Gilbert Chase

Chantel Astorga. Photo: AAC member Anne Gilbert Chase

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the 2019 Cutting Edge Grant! The Cutting Edge Grant continues the Club’s 100 year tradition of supporting climbing athletes in pursuit of world-class climbing and mountaineering objectives. This year’s winners are Sam Hennessey, Chantel Astorga, and Chris Wright. Read about their objectives and then listen to the latest Cutting Edge podcast to hear Chris Wright and Graham Zimmerman talk about their wild new route, the tactics and gear required, and the two climbers' strong partnership, which will take them back to Pakistan this summer for a second attempt at one of the world's great unclimbed peaks.

The Cutting Edge Grant is supported in part by Global Rescue, the world’s leading provider of integrated travel risk and evacuation memberships. CEG recipients are additionally awarded a one-year, full Global Rescue Membership—an upgrade to the standard AAC rescue coverage. Upgraded benefits include: $500,000 of rescue evacuation; repatriation back to the US; deployed Global Rescue Personnel; and more—a service intended to help AAC members climb hard and return home safely.


January 29, 2019, Golden, CO—The American Alpine Club (AAC) is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the 2019 Cutting Edge Grant. The Cutting Edge Grant continues the Club’s 100 year tradition of supporting climbing athletes in pursuit of world-class climbing and mountaineering objectives.

The Cutting Edge Grant seeks to fund individuals planning expeditions to remote areas featuring unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, difficult new routes, first free ascents, or similar world-class pursuits. Objectives featuring a low-impact style and leave-no-trace mentality are looked upon with favor. For the 2019 grant cycle, the AAC awarded $20,000 to three recipients:

Sam Hennessey ($8,000) to attempt the North Face of Chamlang (7300m) in the Eastern Himalaya of Nepal. Rob Smith, Seth Timpano, Michael Gardner, and grant-winner Sam Hennessey will attempt the unclimbed North Face this coming Autumn, in alpine style. The north face is an impressive feature, rising nearly 2000m directly to the summit ridge. The face has received attention almost yearly for the last decade, with no teams making serious progress due to poor climbing conditions, bad weather, or both. Hennessey has climbed technical routes all over the world, from the Himalaya to Patagonia.  

Chantel Astorga ($6,000) to attempt Pumari Chhish South (7350m) in Pakistan's Hispar Karakoram. Astorga and Anne Gilbert Chase will attempt the unclimbed 2700m South Face in mixed climbing conditions and with an alpine style approach. In 2018, Astorga and Chase completed the first female ascent of Denali’s Slovak Direct (5.9X M6 W16+, 9,000’). They also completed the first ascent of the unclimbed SW face of Mount Nilkantha in India, with Jason Thompson. 

Chris Wright ($6,000) to attempt an unclimbed 7000m peak in the Eastern Karakoram Range, Pakistan. The grant will fund expedition expenses for Wright and Graham Zimmerman. They will be joined by Mark Richey and Steve Swenson in attempting the first ascent of the peak in alpine style. Wright, Zimmerman, and Swenson previously attempted the peak but were unsuccessful due to uncooperative weather. Wright describes it as, “A stunning, oft-tried, yet unclimbed granite monster in a seldom-visited valley in the heart of the Karakoram...it is undoubtedly one of the most compelling undone peaks of the greater ranges.” Wright has been climbing for 17 years, including 11 expeditions to technical routes in the greater ranges. He holds numerous first ascents in Alaska, India, Nepal, Norway, and more.

The Cutting Edge Grant is supported in part by Global Rescue, the world’s leading provider of integrated travel risk and evacuation memberships. CEG recipients are additionally awarded a one-year, full Global Rescue Membership—an upgrade to the standard AAC rescue coverage. Upgraded benefits include: $500,000 of rescue evacuation; repatriation back to the US; deployed Global Rescue Personnel; and more—a service intended to help AAC members climb hard and return home safely.

The AAC has inspired and supported cutting-edge climbing achievements for over 100 years.  Applications for the Cutting Edge Grant are accepted each year from October 1st through November 30th. 

2019 US Team Announced for the UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Comp

We’re thrilled to announced the 2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team. The team of 21 male and female athletes is set to compete in the upcoming UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Tour, and 18 will compete here in Denver, CO. February 23 – 24, 2019.


Golden, CO, December 5, 2018—The American Alpine Club (AAC), America’s oldest non-profit organization for climbers, is thrilled to announced the 2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team. The team of 21 male and female athletes is set to compete in the upcoming UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Tour, and 18 will compete here in Denver, CO. February 23 – 24, 2019.

 The AAC led the application process and final selection of the 2019 USA Team. Criteria was based on national rankings from recent competitive ice climbing seasons and events, and a preference for athletes who compete in cross-disciplinary ice competition (e.g. athletes that compete in both the Difficulty (Lead) and Speed competitions). The AAC also provided “developmental” spots on the team for less experienced competition climbers who demonstrate exceptional talent and commitment to the sport. Equal team positions were available for men and women in the performance (6) and developmental (2) categories.

 The final 2019 USA Team consists of 21 adults and 10 youth members.Phil Powers, CEO at the AAC said “These athletes represent the cutting edge of one of the more wild versions of the climbing craft. I am astounded every time I witness their gymnastics and delicate skill all performed far off the ground with ice axes and crampons.”

The 2019 event is the first time the Ice Climbing World Tour has come to Denver, Colorado and the first time a World Cup Finals event has been held in the USA. The weekend event will be held in Denver’s Civic Center Park and is free to the public. The ice climbing competition will take place over two days with qualifying rounds on Sat, Feb 23, and semi-finals and overall finals on Sun, Feb 24. The event is expected to attract over 200 athletes from 21 countries around the world to compete for the overall World Cup in both Difficulty and Speed categories.

Competition ice climbing combines formidable over-hanging walls of ice with artful technique and sheer power. In the lead discipline, ice climbers require great technique, tactical mastery and nerves of steel to execute complex moves in seemingly improbable positions dozens of feet above the ground. The speed discipline is almost a vertical take on the 100m sprint in the sport of athletics. In 2014, competitive ice climbing debuted as an exhibition sport at the Sochi Winter Olympics and is hopeful for a full-scale Olympic debut in the near future.

 

2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team: 

Denver World Cup Finals:

Mens Lead:

Tyler Kempney

Thomas Gehrlein

Aaron Montgomery

Grant Kleeves

Kevin Lindlau

Wesley Fowler

Carter Stritch

Troy Anger

 

Womens Lead: 

Corey Buhay

Catalina Shirley

Claire Poppendeck

Mikayla Tougas

Angela Tomczik

Angela Limbach

Kendra Stritch

Mens Speed:

Tyler Kempney

Thomas Gehrlein

Kevin Lindlau

Wesley Fowler

Marcus Garcia

Jake Bourdow

Troy Anger

Carter Stritch

 

Womens Speed:

Corey Buhay

Catalina Shirley

Claire Poppendeck

Angela Tomczik

Angela Limbach

Kendra Stritch

Lindsay Hastings

2018/2019 International World Cup Events:

Mens Team: 

Tyler Kempney

Thomas Gehrlein

Kevin Lindlau

Carter Stritch

Troy Anger

Liam Foster

Cody Stevenson

Andrew Lamb

Marcus Garcia

Carter Stritch

 

Womens Team:

Angela Tomczik

Angela Limbach

Kendra Stritch

Lindsay Hastings

 

World Cup Youth Team:

Keenan Griscom

Calvin Daugherty

Kylie Cullen

Georgia Witchel

Aubrey Palmer

Maija Fox

MaKenzee Van Buren

Liam Foster

Cody Stevenson

Mikayla Tougas

Katie Seymour

Lindsay Levine

Christopher Atchison

Catalina Shirley

 

Support the USA Ice Climbing Team.

Read more about the 2019 USA World Cup Team here:

https://americanalpineclub.org/world-cup/2018/11/26/2019-usa-world-cup-ice-climbing-team

2019 Denver Ice Climbing World Cup Schedule:

Friday, Feb 22                     Opening Ceremony

Saturday, Feb 23                  8AM – 8PM // Lead Qualifiers, Speed Qualifiers

Sunday, Feb 24                    8AM – 5PM // Lead Semi-Finals, Lead Finals, Speed Finals, Closing Ceremony, After Party (hosted by the AAC)

2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team

The American Alpine Club is pleased to announce the 2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team! Click on a photo to learn more about an athlete and where they are competing this season.

WORLD CUP Mens Team

WORLD CUP Womens Team

Youth World Championship Team

  • Keenan Griscom

  • Calvin Daugherty

  • Kylie Cullen

  • Georgia Witchel

  • Catalina Shirley

  • Liam Foster

  • Cody Stevenson

  • Mikayla Tougas

  • Katie Seymour

  • Lindsay Levine

The 2019 USA ice climbing team can use your support! The USA Ice Climbing team has grown significantly this year with 21 Adults and 10 Youth competing. As a developing sport, there is not much monetary sponsorship available and athletes need to fund their own trip as well as purchase unique and expensive equipment to be able to train and compete.

Please consider supporting this amazing team!

$10,000 In Grants to Replace Aging Bolts

Photo: Craig Hoffman

Photo: Craig Hoffman

The American Alpine Club and Access Fund are excited to announce the 2018 Anchor Replacement Fund grant awards with funding going towards nine worthy anchor replacement projects across the country:

  • Rocky Pass/Gallatin Canyon, MT - Southwest Montana Climbers Coalition

  • Red River Gorge, KY - Red River Gorge Fixed Gear Initiative

  • Slab Camp, KY - Morehead Tourism Commission

  • Shawangunk Mountains, NY - Mohonk Preserve

  • Obed, TN - East Tennessee Climbers’ Coalition

  • Smith Rock, OR - High Desert Climbers Alliance

  • Boulder Canyon, CO - Boulder Climbing Community

  • Spearfish Canyon, SD - Black Hills Climbers Coalition

  • Ten Sleep Cayon, WY - Bighorn Climbers Coalition


Golden, CO, October 15, 2018—The Access Fund and American Alpine Club are pleased to announce the 2018 Anchor Replacement Fund grant awards. Now in its third year, the grant program launched to address the growing concerns of anchor failure and the access issues that could result from these incidents. This year, we are thrilled to announce funding for nine worthy anchor replacement projects across the country.

Rocky Pass/Gallatin Canyon, MT - Southwest Montana Climbers Coalition

Southwest Montana Climbers Coalition (SMCC) was awarded funding to replace plated 3/8” wedge anchors with 1/2” stainless steel sleeve and glue-in anchors using sustainable replacement techniques (hole re-use) to preserve the character of the routes and the rock. SMCC will engage local volunteers to expand their ability to tackle aging bolts at the gneiss and limestone crags in the region.

Red River Gorge, KY - Red River Gorge Fixed Gear Initiative

Red River Gorge Fixed Gear Initiative (RRGFGI) was awarded funding to replace rusting and aging hardware on the steep sandstone cliffs throughout the region with 1/2” stainless glue-in anchors. RRGFGI is planning to replace over 300 bad bolts in 2019 and is striving to keep bad bolts in the region to fewer than 50 at any given time. RRGFGI works to replace aging bolts throughout the Red River Gorge region.

Slab Camp, KY - Morehead Tourism Commission

Morehead Tourism Commission was awarded funding to tackle rebolting efforts at Slab Camp, a half-mile section of cliff line featuring approximately 60 routes that were originally bolted in the early 1990s with hardware store bolts and anchors. The routes include a mix of both sport and traditional, with all sport routes requiring new bolts and anchors and all traditional routes in need of new anchors. All bolts will be replaced with 1/2” stainless steel glue-ins. The Morehead Tourism Commission has enlisted the help of local climbers and rebolting experts from the Red River Gorge Fixed Gear Initiative to assist them with the effort through training and consultation on rebolting practices.

Shawangunk Mountains, NY - Mohonk Preserve

The Mohonk Preserve was awarded funding to replace eight tree and piton anchors in the Gunks with 1/2” stainless steel sleeve anchors. New bolted anchors placed below the cliff top will reduce climber impacts to the top of the cliff on routes like Gelsa in the Near Trapps. They will also replace aging piton anchors on popular routes like Son of Easy O in the Trapps.

Obed, TN - East Tennessee Climbers’ Coalition

East Tennessee Climbers’ Coalition (ETCC) was awarded funding to support their goal of rebolting the entire Obed in 5 years. ETCC is tackling replacement of approximately 4,000 aging bolts, which are all approaching 30 years of age, throughout the popular northeast Tennessee climbing area. ETCC has already undertaken this massive challenge, enlisting the help of volunteers and replacing 730 bolts with 1/2” stainless steel anchors this year alone.

Smith Rock, OR - High Desert Climbers Alliance

High Desert Climbers Alliance (HDCA) was awarded funding to replace aging hardware at Smith Rock State Park in central Oregon. HDCA will engage local volunteer bolt replacers to replace aging plated hardware that has been in the rock for over 40 years with long last 1/2” stainless steel hardware.

Boulder Canyon, CO - Boulder Climbing Community

Boulder Climbing Community (BCC) was awarded funding for rebolting efforts in Boulder Canyon and other Front Range climbing areas. The BCC will purchase 100 1/2” stainless steel sleeve bolts and hangers, as well as 40 anchor set-ups. Their annual rebolting events will take place at North Table Mountain, Boulder Canyon, and Clear Creek Canyon.

Spearfish Canyon, SD - Black Hills Climbers Coalition

The Black Hills Climbers Coalition (BHCC) was awarded funding to replace aging anchors at popular crags throughout Spearfish Canyon. The BHCC is tackling replacement of 300+ routes, which were equipped 25 years ago with plated and mixed metals. The BHCC will replace these aging anchors using high quality stainless steel glue-ins to meet the highest standards for fixed anchors at limestone sport climbing areas.

Ten Sleep Cayon, WY - Bighorn Climbers Coalition

The Bighorn Climbers Coalition (BCC) was awarded funding to address aging anchors in Ten Sleep Canyon. The BCC will focus on replacing wedge bolts, cold shuts, and worn lower-off anchors throughout the canyon. These will be replaced with 1/2” stainless steel bolts and high quality ring anchors and lower-off hooks specifically manufactured for climbing.

Climbing & Splitboarding Adventure Grant Updates

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We’re excited to announce the following climbing and adventure grants are now open for applications, meaning we’re awarding over $40,000 to climbers and backcountry snowboarders in the next few months!

  • CUTTING EDGE GRANT
    The Cutting Edge Grant seeks to fund advanced and capable climbers planning expeditions to remote areas featuring unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, difficult new routes, first free ascents, or similar world-class pursuits. Awards will typically fall in the $5,000 to $15,000 range, however award amounts will vary based on project and budget. Open through November 30th—learn more & apply.

  • JONES ADVENTURE GRANTS
    The Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant & the Jones Live Like Liz Award support splitboarding expeditions with strong exploratory and adventure components. The project objective may focus on a single descent/summit or a tour/traverse of a region. Each grant recipient will receive a $1,500 cash award plus a Jones splitboard, skins and backcountry touring backpack. 

    The Jones Live Like Liz Award is open only to our female riders, while the Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant is open to all AAC members. Open through November 30th—learn more & apply.

  • COPP-DASH INSPIRE AWARD
    EXTENDED DEADLINE! Established in the memory of Jonny Copp and Micah Dash, the Copp-Dash Inspire Award provides $20,000 in climbing grants to assist small teams tackling difficult climbs in the great mountains of the world and multimedia instruction to help them to share their ascents through a blend of storytelling elements. Open through November 30th—learn more & apply.

    Not a fit for these grants? The Live Your Dream Grant and others will open for applications this winter and spring, so stay tuned.


2019 World Cup Youth Team Applications Open

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Athletes interested in the Ice Climbing Youth World Championship February 28 - March 2 in Oulu, Finland, must complete the google form application by 11:59PM MST on October 4, 2018.  

 The American Alpine Club will make their selections and athletes will be notified by October 18.

 The USA can send 6 men and 6 women in each of 3 age categories. Athletes must turn 12 (or older) in 2019 to participate.

Photo by M. Garcia, USA Youth Ice Team. 


AAC is Accepting 2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Team Applications

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As a Member Federation to the UIAA, the American Alpine Club is responsible for selecting the 2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team. 

Athletes interested in competing in any of the Ice Climbing World Cup & World Championship events must complete the google form application by 11:59pm MST on September 25, 2018.  

The American Alpine Club will make their selections and athletes will be notified by October 5.

2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Team Selection

As a Member Federation to the UIAA, the American Alpine Club is responsible for selecting the 2019 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team. 

Athletes interested in competing in any of the Ice Climbing World Cup & World Championship events must complete the google form application by 11:59pm MST on September 25, 2018.  

The American Alpine Club will make their selections and athletes will be notified by October 5.

USA World Cup Team Selection:

  • The USA can send up to 8 men and 8 women in each of Difficulty (Lead) and Speed to each World Cup event, including the Denver World Cup in 2019.  For World Championship events the quota is 3 men and 3 women.
     

  • As the future of Ice Climbing competition is headed toward combined difficulty and speed events, priority will be given to athletes who compete in both.
     

  • Since we are working to develop a team, priority will be given to athletes who are competing in more than one World Cup event, and who plan to compete in future years.
     

  • Athletes must turn 16 or older before the end of 2019 (born 2003 or later).
     

  • We encourage people who are experienced competitors in any form of climbing to apply.


6 spots per gender will be selected based on the following performance criteria:

  1. National ranking from the 2018 season (top 2 spots are guaranteed participation)

  2. Highest rankings in each of the categories (Difficulty and Speed) from the 2016, 2017 and 2018 World Cup seasons

  3. Ranking in previous non-World Cup competitions (e.g. Ouray, Bozeman, Michigan Ice Festivals)

  4. Number of World Cup competitions you are applying to compete in during the 2019 season

  5. Competition experience in any form of climbing

2 Development spots per gender will be selected based on the following criteria:

  1. Historical competition participation

  2. Number of competitions you are applying to compete in during the 2019 season

  3. Current training plan

  4. Competition experience in any form of climbing

  5. National ranking from the 2018 season

  • In the event that participants are only competing in either Speed or Difficulty (and not both) the AAC will select enough athletes to be able to field a team consisting of 8 men and 8 women for the Speed portion and 8 men and 8 women for the Difficulty portion.
     

  • In the event that there are not 6 performance or 2 developmental applicants that are qualified to participate at the international level, the allocation numbers will be adjusted.

2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in Denver

February 22-24, 2019
Civic Center Park, Denver

The American Alpine Club is hosting the USA World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in Denver. This event is free and open to the public to attend and watch over 120 athletes from over 20 countries compete in Lead and Speed competitions. 

At-A-Glance
Friday, February 22: Athlete Registration, Opening Ceremony, Dinner
Saturday, February 23: Speed Climbing Qualifying & Semi-Finals, Lead Qualifying
Sunday, February 24: Speed Finals, Lead Finals, Award Ceremony, Ticketed VIP Party

Athletes interested in competing in this, or any World Cup competition must fill out an application by September 25 by midnight MST.

Information and the application can be found here.

2019 World Cup Schedule

January 11-13 South Korea
January 18-20 China
January 24-26 Switzerland
February 1-3 Italy
February 8-10 France
February 22-24 USA

AAC to Host 2019 UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Competition in Denver, CO

The AAC is pleased to announce that UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing is coming to Denver, Colorado February 23–24, 2019. The new North American tour stop will serve as the 2018 / 2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in which over 200 athletes from 26 countries around the world will compete for the overall World Cup in both Lead and Speed categories.

The 2019 event is the first time the Ice Climbing World Tour has come to Denver, Colorado. The weekend event will be held in Denver’s Civic Center Park and will be free to the public. The ice climbing competition will take place over two days with qualifying rounds on Sat, Feb 23, and semi-finals and overall finals on Sun, Feb 24.


Golden, CO, June 26, 2018—The American Alpine Club (AAC), America’s oldest and largest non-profit organization for climbers, is pleased to announce that UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing is coming to Denver, Colorado February 23–24, 2019. The new North American tour stop will serve as the 2018 / 2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in which over 200 athletes from 26 countries around the world will compete for the overall World Cup in both Lead and Speed categories.

The 2019 event is the first time the Ice Climbing World Tour has come to Denver, Colorado. The weekend event will be held in Denver’s Civic Center Park and will be free to the public. The ice climbing competition will take place over two days with qualifying rounds on Sat, Feb 23, and semi-finals and overall finals on Sun, Feb 24.

"We are proud to support our U.S. ice climbing athletes and bring this impressive event to downtown Denver," said American Alpine Club CEO, Phil Powers. "Competitive ice climbing is one of the most exciting things I've ever watched; the stamina, skill, and seeming impossibility of it all makes for an outstanding spectator experience. They’re up there doing crazy moves, wielding sharp tools and they hang on forever.”

Competition ice climbing combines formidable over-hanging walls of ice with artful technique and sheer power. In the lead discipline, ice climbers require great technique, tactical mastery and nerves of steel to ascend seemingly improbable icy pillars dozens of feet above the ground. The speed discipline is most closely akin to all out vertical sprint using ice axes and crampons. In 2014, competitive ice climbed debuted as an exhibition sport at the Sochi Winter Olympics. The sport is currently being considered for full-scale Olympic inclusion in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing .

Luis Benitez, Director of the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry and event partner, also commented, “Ice climbing has a strong presence in the culture of outdoor recreation in Colorado. From our world class ice park in Ouray, to our iconic routes in Vail and Rocky Mountain National Park, this is a sport whose time has come. We are thrilled to welcome the World Cup event to Denver in February to highlight just how special ice climbing is and share that feeling with the rest of the country watching!”

The 2019 Denver World Cup Ice Climbing Competition is being hosted by the Golden, CO based American Alpine Club in partnership with the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation and tour organizer), the Civic Center Conservancy, Denver Sports Commission, Visit Denver, Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry, and the Denver Office of Special Events.

“We’re thrilled to help host this exciting international event in Denver’s historic Civic Center Park and expose this amazing sport to a larger population than ever in North America,” said Scott Robson, Executive Director of the non-profit Civic Center Conservancy, “Civic Center Park is the heart of Denver and has hosted iconic events for over a century. Hosting the 2019 World Cup Ice Climbing finale in such an urban setting will not only make this competition accessible to multitudes of new fans, but will also be visually stunning to watch.”

US athletes who wish to compete at the 2019 Denver World Cup will be able to earn entry at qualifying competitions. 

For additional information, including how to become a sponsor, please contact: Vickie Hormuth at [email protected] or visit: americanalpineclub.org/uiaa-federation/ 

Denver Ice Climbing World Cup Schedule:

Friday, Feb 22               
Athlete Registration

Saturday, Feb 23           
Lead Qualifiers, Speed Qualifiers

Sunday, Feb 24                
Lead Semi-Finals, Lead Finals, Speed Finals, Closing Ceremony, After Party (hosted by the American Alpine Club)

2018 Live Your Dream Grant Recipients Announced

LYD18.jpg

The AAC and The North Face are proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 Live Your Dream grantIn total, $72,150 was awarded to 158 individuals from across the nation, making 2018 the most successful year in the history of the Live Your Dream grant program. Roughly one out of every three applicants received an award.
 
The climbing grant for climbers, by climbers, the Live Your Dream grant seeks to fund every-day adventurers looking take their abilities to the next level. Be it transitioning out of the gym or establishing a first ascent in the greater ranges, the purpose of this grant is to support and promote unforgettable experiences for mountain adventurers—to dream big, to grow, and to inspire others.

The 2019 Live Your Dream grant cycle will open for applications on February 1, 2019.


2018 Live Your Dream Recipients 

The American Alpine Club and The North Face are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Live Your Dream grant. In total, $72,150 was awarded to 158 recipients.

NORTHEAST REGION

The Northeast Regional Selection Committee was chaired by Howard Sebold. Committee members included Tom Lannamann, Mikhail Martin, Martin Torresquintero, and TNF athlete Anna Pfaff. 

Joshua Alcorn: New York, New York
$400 to attempt a fast and light Styggedalstind/Skagastølstind traverse in the Jotunheimen mountains, Norway.

Neil Berenholz: Nyack, New York
$200 for a 4 day trip to climb The Diagonal and other routes on Wallface, Adirondack high peaks.

Ethan Berman: Cambridge, Massachusetts
$800 to climb new lines in alpine style on Cerro Arkhata (5650 m), Cerro Mururata (5871 m) and Peak 5402 in the Cordillera Real Sur, Bolivia.

William Braasch Jr: Norwich, Vermont
$300 to establish a new, free, alpine style route on Tathagata Tower, Cirque of the Unclimbables and a secondary objective of a three-day ridge traverse within the Cirque.

Abigail Connell: Mystic, Connecticut
$250 to train to be a 5.12 climber by the end of 2018 and travel to El Potrero Chico, Mexico and climb Time Wave Zero (TWZ), IV/V 5.12a.

Corey Day: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$400 to climb 5.10-5.12 offwidth cracks and learn inverted crack climbing technique in Vedauwoo, WY.

Anthony DellaValle: Tonawanda, New York
$200 for a "Big Walls of the Northeast" trip - a 10 day trip to New Hampshire and the Adirondacks to complete Moby Grape (NH), Whitney-Gilman Ridge (NH), The Diagonal (NY), and Gamesmanship (NY).

Alissa Doherty: Somerville, Massachusetts
$250 to make first ascents in a range of serious, unnamed, unclimbed, peaks in a little known corner of the Alaska Range in south-central Alaska.

Rachel Drattler: Maplewood, New Jersey
$250 to climb the Southeast face of the Lotus Flower Tower, Cirque of the Unclimbables and potentially climb other peaks and towers in the region.
 
Arthur Eng: Bear, Delaware
$250 to attempt the second ascent of the South Ridge of Mount Russell, Denali National Park.

John Gassel: Somerville, Massachusetts
$250 to make first ascents in a range of serious, unnamed, unclimbed, peaks in a little-known corner of the Alaska Range in south-central Alaska.

Garrett Gibbons: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$400 to climb 5.10-5.12 offwidth cracks and learn inverted crack climbing technique in Vedauwoo, WY.

Gretchen Grebe: Scarborough, Maine
$250 to climb the Northeast Face on Pingora and East Ridge of Wolf's Head, Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range.

James Gurian: Wayne, Pennsylvania
$400 for a two month trip out west to train and attempt the East Shoulder of South Howser Tower, Bugaboos and a traverse of the Cirque of the Towers in the Wind River Range. 

Robert Johnson: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$500 for a week-long Yosemite trip to climb his first multi-day wall route: the South Face of Washington Column, as well as the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral Rock.

Emmett Lyman: Somerville, Massachusetts
$250 to make first ascents in a range of serious, unnamed, unclimbed, peaks in a little-known corner of the Alaska Range in south-central Alaska.

*A fourth member of this party was also awarded $250 for this objective.

John Martin: Princeton, New Jersey
$500 to climb Mount Shuksan via the Price Glacier route.

Evgenia Moiseeva: Boston, Massachusetts
$300 for a 5 day variation of the Monta Rosa Peaks traverse. 

Michael Nawrot: Cambridge, Massachusetts
$450 to spend an extended time on glaciers in the Southern Alps in the Aoraki/Mount Cook region and climb alpine routes in the area. 

Kira Ratcliffe: Middlebury, Vermont
$450 for a two-week trip to the Bugaboo Provincial Park in British Columbia to climb classic alpine trad routes and splitter cracks including the Beckey-Chouinard Route and Sunshine Crack. 

Michael Reid: Windham, Maine
$250 to develop mountaineering skills in a two-day technical summit attempt on Mt. Hood via the West Crater Rim and continue to evolve diabetes self-management for climber's with type one diabetes.

Valerie Rogotzke: New Haven, Connecticut
$800 for a single-day, solo run of the 56-mile Circuito Cóndores in central Chile.

Tyler Rohr: Cambridge, Massachusetts
$500 to attempt the first free ascent of Pico Cao Grande, a 455-meter volcanic tower on the island of Sao Tome, via the 15-pitch route Nubivagant (Wandering in the Clouds).

Bernard Rusnock: Hackettstown, New Jersey
$400 to climb the Matterhorn from the Italian side and traverse the summit and descend via the Hornli Ridge into Switzerland.

Stormy Saint-Val: Cambridge, Massachusetts
$450 for a rock gym pass to improve climbing skill and train to participate in Color The Crag climbing festival.

Jacky Sawyer: New York, New York
$350 to advance climbing ability to the next level and build the skill and confidence to lead climb by spending two weeks on a self-designed climbing retreat with experienced climbers in Owens River Gorge and Bishop, California.

Tyler Simon: Stewartsville, New Jersey
$200, to climb the Matterhorn from the Italian side and traverse the summit and descend via the Hornli Ridge into Switzerland.

Michael Swartz: Somerville, Massachusetts
$500 to attempt the first free ascent of Pico Cao Grande, a 455-meter volcanic tower on the island of Sao Tome, via the 15-pitch route Nubivagant (Wandering in the Clouds).

Suzanna Zak: New Haven, Connecticut
$250 to train for high alpine climbing as an all female team, culminating in climbing the Northeast Face of Pingora and the East Ridge of Wolf’s Head, Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range.

SOUTHEAST REGION:

The Southeast Regional Selection Committee was chaired by Danny McCracken. Committee members included Dave Giacomin, Garrett Gossett, Tim Fry, Christopher Massey, and Michelle Xue. 

Marcela Brock: Powder Springs, Georgia
$700 to climb Alpamayo via the French Direct route and Quitaraju via the North Face Direct route over the course of 2-3 weeks.
 
Jeffrey Buckley: Damascus, Virginia
$600 for a winter ascent of the Dientes de Navarino in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Weather permitting, and with some ambitious climbing, a full traverse will be attempted.
 
Samuel Chaneles: Miami Beach, Florida
$400 to take a team of 3 on a summit attempt of Aconcagua, the highest summit in South America.
 
Tatiana Faramarzi: Washington, DC
$500 to climb the Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton buttress,
 
Michelle Farler: Eads, Tennessee
$350 for the dream of sleeping under the desert sky and to learn to jam with all the traddies with hopes of climbing the ever perfect Supercrack.
 
John Gannon: Fairfax, Virginia
$400 to summit the Grand Teton via the Full Exum route unguided with a group of veterans in early September (6th-10th).
 
Austin Goff: Winston Salem, North Carolina
$400 to put up new alpine routes in the Chill Lakes area of Cloud Peak Wilderness, Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming. There are no currently documented routes in the area.
 
Alice Hafer: Las Vegas, Florida  
$650 to send the hardest and longest big wall climb that she has ever attempted in in Tsaranoro, Madagascar.
 
Gage Holbert: Knoxville, Tennessee
$400 for the goal of climbing The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite in an estimated 4 to 5 days.
 
Matthew Ireland: Louisville, Kentucky
$400 to attempt the Cirque of the Towers Traverse located in the Wind River Range.
 
Jessica Linton: Falls Church, Virginia
$500 to establish several rock climbing routes on La Dame du Mali, aka Mount Loura, in the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea.
 
Jesse McNeill: Chevy Chase, Maryland
$350 to put up a Deep-Water Solo first ascent onsight in the Railay or Tonsai areas of Thailand.
 
Nathan Olsson: Bethesda, Maryland
$300 to climb multiple Grade IV lines in the South and North Basins on Mt. Katahdin, ME.
 
Nina Riggio: Atlanta, Georgia  
$650 for her goal to climb in the Arrigetch peaks of the Brooks Range, AK, then float 135 miles of the Alatna River to the nearest town of Allakaket.
 
Austin Schmitz: Brevard, North Carolina
$350 to climb Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne Meadows with his mom.
 
Alex Vanotti: Durham, North Carolina
$350 to successfully climb the Nose on El Capitan.
 
Riley West: Arden, North Carolina
$300 to complete a traverse of the Clark Range in Yosemite National Park.
 
Benjamin Wu: Asheville, North Carolina
$400 to free, in a day, the Beckey-Chouinard route of the South Howser Tower in the Bugaboos.

CENTRAL REGION:

The Central Regional Selection Committee was chaired by James Schroeder. Committee members included Ryan Gajewski, Adam Mitchell, and Ryan Maitland. 

Benjamin Bamberger: Urbana, Illinois
$600 to climb Tetnuldi Peak in the Svaneti Region of Georgia as part of his research into the history of Georgian mountaineering.

Eric Barnard: Winona, Minnesota
$400 to make a clean ascent of Mescalito on Yosemite’s El Capitan.

James Den Uyl: Holland, Michigan
$300 for a trip to Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park to climb the CMC Route on Mount Moran and the Upper Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton.

Todd Dohogne: Wildwood, Missouri
$600 to climb Denali’s West Buttress route as a member of an unguided team of three.
 
Dalan Faulkner: Rowlett, Texas
$400 to enchain three 5.12’s on the three largest peaks (Longs Peak, Chiefs Head, and Mt. Alice) in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park during a 24-hour push.

Anel Guel: Grand Rapids, Michigan
$600 to climb Mount Pisco in the Peruvian Cordillera Blanca.
 
Alexander Hansen: Minneapolis, Minnesota
$400 to climb challenging routes on Mt. Rainier (Liberty Ridge), Dragontail Peak (Triple Couloirs), and Forbidden Peak (West Ridge or Northwest Face) over a seventeen-day period.

Karen Henson: San Antonio, Texas
$400 to travel to Wyoming and attempt to summit the Grand Teton via its Owen-Spalding or Upper Exum route.

Max Kahn: Madison, Wisconsin
$600 to make the first ascent of Paungda Danda in Nepal’s Annapurna Region without the use of fixed gear.
 
Riley McDonald: Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
$500 to climb the West Ridge of Bugguya (Mt. Hunter) along with several additional routes in the Alaska Range.
  
Carolyn Rosas: Austin, Texas
$300 for a trip to Joe’s Valley, UT to improve Carolyn’s bouldering skills on classic problems in the area.

Elizabeth Sahagun: Lafayette, Indiana
$400 to climb Mt. Rainier’s Disappointment Cleaver and do the Ptarmigan Traverse in the North Cascades.

Kalli Schumacher: Chanhassen, Minnesota
$400 for a two-month alpine rock climbing and mountaineering trip to Sawtooths, Cascades, Bugaboos, and Wind River Range.

Leah Shamblin: Rapid City, South Dakota
$400 to travel to the Shawangunks in New York and learn the art of traditional climbing why exploring her cultural heritage as a Lenape Indian.
 
Jeffery Simpson: Saint Louis, Missouri
$400 to integrate the Evolution Traverse into a thru-hike of the Sierra High Route in California.
 
Sean Vallefuoco: Austin, Texas
$300 to make a one-day ascent of Logical Progression on El Gigante in Basaseachi Falls National Park in Chihuahua, Mexico.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION: 

The Rocky Mountain Regional Selection Committee was chaired by Mitch Dorsk. Committee members included Byron Harvison, Steve Taylor, Dillon Parker, and TNF athletes Cedar Wright and Savannah Cummins. 

Nicole Allen: Golden, Colorado
$685 to Pequeno Alpamayo (AD, 17,618'), Cabeza de condor (AD+, 18,700'), Illimani (21,122') in Bolivia. 

Aaron Conley: Arvada Colorado
$250 to attempt the Liberty Ridge on Mt. Rainier. 

Mike Coyle: Durango, Colorado
$1,000 to climb the Southwest Ridge of Ama Dablam, located in Nepal’s Khumbu Valley. 

Nodin de Saillan: Boulder, Colorado
$500 for a trip to Chamonix to attempt climbs that can be accessed from the Aiguille de Midi lift, which include the "Petite Aiguille Verte," the "Super Couloir," and the "Cosmiques Arete."

Derek DeBruin: Ogden, Utah
$1,000 to attempt the Emperor Face of Mt Robson via Infinite Patience (VI M5 WI5).

Michael Drake: Boulder, Colorado
$350 to return to climb The Nose on El Capitan after an accident on the same route five years ago.

Eliza Earle: Boulder, Colorado
$1,000 to climb Torre Principal by "Ruta Normal" 5.10, Aguja Frey by "Sifuentes Weber" 5.9, and Aguja M2 by "Del Diedro" 5.9 in Frey, Argentina. 

Zebediah Engberg: Mount Pleasant, Utah
$800 to establish a new route on the unclimbed southeast face of Tathagata Tower in the Cirque of the Unclimbables in the Nahanni National Park, Canada. 

Jennifer Fischer: Boulder, Colorado
$1,000 to establish multiple trad first ascents in Li Ming, China over the course of a three-week trip as an all-female first ascent team. 

Evan Gabrielsen: US Air Force Academy, Colorado
$200 to climb Mt. Robson’s Kain FAce (IV AI3), the North Face of Mt. Bryce (IV 5.7 AI4), and the North Ridge of Mt. Columbia (V 5.7 AI3). 

Kimberly Gagnon: Denver, Colorado
$365 to become well-versed in multi-pitch technique and process by leading Theater of Shadows at the City of Rocks, Idaho. 

Garrett Gregor: Boulder, Colorado
$200 for a trip to Fontainebleau to climb his first 8B+ and earn international routesetting credentials. 

Pitt Grewe: Sandy, Utah
$500 to establish new routes on the granite spires of Ship Island Lake in the Frank Church Wilderness of Idaho. 

Jane Jackson: Kelly, Wyoming
$300 to spend ten days climbing on Mt. Hooker in the Wind River range in Wyoming with Dana Larkin, with objectives including Gambling in the Winds (5.12) and Jaded Lady (5.12-).

Grant Kleeves: Ridgway, Colorado
$800 to devote himself to climbing Cerro Torre in El Chalten, Argentina. 

Dan Klim: Durango, Colorado
$450 for a month-long ski/splitboard mountaineering project in South America, with objectives including Antuco, Sierra Velluda, Volcan Lanin, Lonqimay, Puyeche, and Volcan Calbuco. 

Seth Luedtke: Severance, Colorado
$500 for an alpine-style ascent of the Cassin Ridge on Denali. 

Nathan Mankovich: Fort Collins, Colorado
$250 to attempt to free Father Time on Middle Cathedral.

Hannah Marshall: Ridgway, Colorado
$500 to explore ski mountaineering objectives near the Pika Glacier in Alaska.

Katherine Nelson: Colorado Springs, Colorado
$500 to climb the Beckey-Chouinard route in the Bugaboo Provincial Park in British Columbia. 

Bogdan Petre: Boulder, Colorado
$1,000 to climb Chopicalqui in the Cordillera Blanca via the east face direct (6354m, TD) and descend via the southwest ridge. 

Peter Stone: Jackson, Wyoming
$450 for a month-long ski/splitboard mountaineering project in South America, with objectives including Antuco, Sierra Velluda, Volcan Lanin, Lonqimay, Puyeche, and Volcan Calbuco. 

Dory Trimble: Salt Lake City, Utah
$200 to attempt to free four classic multi-pitch routes in El Potrero Chico: Snot Girlz (7 pitches, 10c), Estrellita (12 pitches, 10d), Space Boyz (11 pitches, 10d), and Treasure of the Sierra Madre (7 pitches, 10c) with Lila Leatherman.

Emilia Wint: Salt Lake City, Utah
$200 to climb The Nose on El Capitan with an all-woman team. 
 

WESTERN REGION

The Western Regional Selection Committee was chaired by Tony Yeary. Committee members included Laurie Berliner, Paul Hendricks, and TNF athletes Dave Allfrey and Peter Croft. 

Louie Allen: Bishop, California
$1,000 to climb Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Cayambe, and potentially Antisana via the standard glacier and snow routes in Ecuador. 

May Benson-Martin: Berkeley, California
$1,000 to climb the southeast face of the Lotus Flower Tower (V 5.10+ or 5.9 A1) in the Cirque of the Unclimbables in Canada’s Nahanni National Park. 

Trevor Bowman: Flagstaff, Arizona
$1,000 to establish a new route up the east face of the Innominate (12,761’) in Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains. 

Benjamin Cumbie: Napa, California
$250 to attempt Val Kilmer (5.11+) on the Angel Wings in the High Sierras with Sean Robison. 

Giselle Fernandez: Oxnard, California
$800 for a ten-day trip to the Cordillera Carabaya to attempt new routes on Chilpariti and Screwdriver, two of the most difficult summits in the range. 

Remington Franklin: Tucson, Arizona
$1,000 to make the first free ascent of Nubivagant, a 15-pitch, 455m route graded 5.13d/A0 up Pico Cão Grande in São Tomé and Príncipe. 

Ash Gambhir: San Diego, California
$500 to climb Mt. Rainier via the Liberty Ridge with Ross Leone. 

Andrew Hall: Santa Barbara, California
$300 to attempt the northeast face of He-Devil, the tallest mountain in the Seven Devil’s Range in Idaho. 

Travis Heidepriem: San Francisco, California
$1,000 to attempt the Porter Route (VI 5.9 A4) on the Northwest Face of Mt. Asgard on Baffin Island. 

Alexandra Hill: Davis, California
$1,000 to climb the Exum Ridge in Grand Teton National Park with Tatiana Faramarzi, as well as summiting the Middle Teton via the North Ridge and Symmetry Spire via the Southwest Ridge. 

Ethan Higgins: Prescott, Arizona
$400 for a trip to the Bugaboos in BC to improve efficiency on long alpine objectives, including climbing the Northeast Ridge on Bugaboo Spire and the Snow Patch route on Snow Patch Spire. 

Kevin Kent: Flagstaff, Arizona
$1,000 to make a first ascent on either Peak Slesova or Peak 1000 Years of Russian Christianity in the Karavshin area of Kyrgyzstan.

Crystal Lie: Hermosa Beach, California
$400 to project the 5.13a lines - “L’Escamaria” in Siurana and “Tequila Sunrise” in Chulilla in an effort to break into the 5.13 sport grade. 

Astra Lincoln: Mammoth Lakes, California
$1,000 for a human-powered climbing tour through Alaska, the Yukon, and British Columbia, including roughly 3,000 miles of cycling and over 100,000 feet of vertical gain. 

Josef Maier: San Luis Obispo, California
$250 to free climb Freerider on El Capitan, preceded by a series of climbs in Yosemite, the Northern Sierra, and the Needles to prepare and train.

Marcus McCoy: Nevada City, California
$250 to complete four multi-pitch trad climbs on the Watchtower, a subpeak of Tower Peak, in the northern boundary of Yosemite National Park and Hoover Wilderness. 

Dane Mulligan: Rancho Mission Viejo, California
$800 to summit Denali via the West Buttress as part of a recovery from a broken back and in partnership with a friend climbing the Seven Summits.

Peter Nelson: Santa Cruz, California
$350 to train for Astroman (11c, Yosemite) by climbing a series of increasingly challenging crack and multi-pitch routes, including Catchy Corner, Book of Job, Moratorium, Voyager, and the Rostrum.

William Nicewonger: San Diego, California
$500 to attempt a single-day free ascent of Time Wave Zero (5.12a, 2,300’) in El Potrero Chico with Justin Wallace.

Jason Ogasian: South Lake Tahoe, California
$800 to climb the West Buttress of Denali. 

Leslie Pace: Quincy, California
$300 to become a competent and confident alpine adventurer through summiting all the 14,000’ peaks in California. 

Emily Reinsel: Flagstaff, Arizona
$500 to establish a new route up the east face of the Innominate (12,761’) in Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains. 

Caitlin Roake: Stanford, California
$300 to run the 72-mile High Sierra Trail and attempt to set an all-female Fastest Known Time.

Will Starks: Truckee, California
$250 to attempt an onsight of Positive Affect (19 pitches, 5.12b) on Arco Iris in Cochamo, Chile, as well as alpine objectives in El Chalten, Argentina. 

Cathy Tseng: South San Francisco, California
$350 to complete four multi-pitch trad climbs on the Watchtower, a subpeak of Tower Peak, in the northern boundary of Yosemite National Park and Hoover Wilderness. 

Nicholas Willhite: San Diego, California
$350 to backpack and climb six 14,000’ peaks in California, including Mt. Langley, Mt. Muir, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Russell, Mt. Tyndall, and Mt. Williamson. 

Hyo Jung (Nicole) Yu: Los Angeles, California
$1,000 to climb the Cassin Route on the Northeast Face of Piz Badile in Switzerland (800m, 22 pitches, 6a). 

NORTHWESTERN REGION:

The Northwestern Regional Selection Committee was chaired by Erin Schneider. Committee members included Andrew Puhl, Jeremy Bowler, and Ally Imbody. 

Jeff Aslan: Bellingham, Washington
$700 to climb in the San Carlos de Bariloche and Cochamo regions in Patagonia with his wife Annie. 

Robert Bechaud: McCall, Idaho
$410 to explore climbing potentia in several relatively unknown climbing areas in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. 

Nate Bender: Missoula, Montana
$400 to attempt to set the fastest known time for summiting the 27 peaks in Montana taller than 12,000’, a route encompassing roughly 85 miles and 42,000’ of elevation gain.

Erin Burk: Bend, Oregon
$400 to climb the NNW Ridge of Parabola (III, 5.7) and the South Arete of Xanadu (IV, 5.8) in the Arrigetch Peaks of the Brooks Range, Alaska, then float 135 miles of the Alatna River to the town of Allakaket. 

Samuel Carter: Spokane Valley, Washington
$600 to attempt “Exocet” on Cerro Standhardt or “The Ragni Route” on Cerro Torre in Patagonia. 

Alana Chapko: Seattle, Washington
$300 to climb the Kain Face of Mt. Robson in British Columbia. 

Lindsay Chutas: Spokane, Washington
$300 to climb the Moses Tooth in Alaska via the Ham and Eggs and Shaken Not Stirred Routes.

Zach Clanton: Anchorage, Alaska
$400 to attempt the first ascent of the Radelet Arete on Radelet Peak in Canada’s Yukon Territory. 

Auri Clark: Juneau, Alaska
$400 for an all-female expedition to complete first ascents of two unnamed and unclimbed peaks in the Stikine Icefield. 

Ian Dodds: Bozeman, Montana
$500 to attempt the east face of Fitzroy, a first free ascent of the west/northwest face of Piergiorgio, and/or the first ascent of the east buttress of Marconi Sur in El Chalten, Argentina. 

Brandon DuBois: Renton, Washington
$500 to summit Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and potentially Antisana in Ecuador. 

Patrick Duffy: Cosmopolis, Washington
$200 to climb Mt. Rainier via the Liberty Ridge route.

Sam Eurich: Ketchum, Idaho
$500 for a 400-mile, 5-week packrafting traverse of the Brooks Range in Alaska, with numerous climbing objectives in the Arrigetch Region.

Bradley Feddersen: Seattle, Washington
$400 to summit the tallest point of El Altar - El Obispo, a rarely-accessed ice route on a remote peak in Ecuador. 

Brian Fedigan: Boise, Idaho
$300 to attempt the Grand Traverse in Grand Teton National Park in under three days.

Matias Francis: Bainbridge Island, Washington
$300 to attempt the North Couloir on Mini Moonflower, the SW Ridge on Mt. Francis, and the West Face of Kahiltna Queen in Alaska. 

Ryan Griffiths: Bozeman, Montana
$400 to attempt the second ascent of Happy Trio, Mt Asperity (ED- 5.10a WI3, 950m) and ascents of other routes in the Waddington Range of British Columbia. 

James Gustafson: Homer, Alaska
$300 to establish a new route up the east ridge of Radelet Peak in the Yukon Territories. 

Matthew Jeffries: Spokane, Washington
$300 to climb the Moses Tooth in Alaska via the Ham and Eggs and Shaken Not Stirred Routes.

Seth Kane: Bozeman, Montana
$400 to attempt alpine routes of the D to TD+ grade range in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru to increase experience on large-scale, technical alpine terrain.

Patrick Kao: Seattle, Washington
$300 to climb the South Face of Mt. Waddington in Western British Columbia.

Lila Leatherman: Corvallis, Oregon
$300 to attempt to free four classic multi-pitch routes in El Potrero Chico: Snot Girlz (7 pitches, 10c), Estrellita (12 pitches, 10d), Space Boyz (11 pitches, 10d), and Treasure of the Sierra Madre (7 pitches, 10c) with Dory Trimble. 

Rachel McCaffrey: Seattle Washington
$300 for a week of alpine climbing in the Bugaboos, with objectives including the Northeast Ridge of Bugaboo Spire, Southwest Ridge of Snowpatch Spire, West Ridge of Pigeon Spire, Beckey-Chouinard Route on South Howser Tower, South Ridge of Bugaboo Spire.

Robin Pendery: Enumclaw, Washington
$300 to climb the Southwest Ridge of Peak 11,300 (Grade V, 5.8 M4) in the Ruth Gorge of Alaska.

Nicholas Puma: North Pole, Alaska
$300 to summit Mt. Bona (16,421’) of the St. Elias Mountains in eastern Alasia via the Glacier Climb route. 

Benjamin Rogers: Sandpoint, Idaho
$200 to summit Mt. Hood in Oregon. 

Jonathan Skeen: Portland, Oregon
$600 to climb the North Face of Mt. Kenya while documenting endangered plants and wildlife as well as receding equatorial glaciers.

Tyler Smallwood: Edmonds, Washington
$300 to attempt the Evolution Traverse in the Eastern Sierras of California. 

Robin Smith: Seattle, Washington
$490 for three days of instruction from She Moves Mountains, a female-led guiding company in Oregon, to become a competent sport climber and leader and to share her knowledge with other women. 

Ivy Spiegel Ostrom: Leavenworth, Washington
$300 for a two-week trip to the Bugaboo Provincial Park in British Columbia to climb classic alpine trad routes and splitter cracks including the Beckey-Chouinard Route and Sunshine Crack. 

Nick Sweeney: Spokane, Washington
$500 to attempt Urus Este (5420m), Ishinca (5530m), and Tocllaraju (6032m) in the Ishinca Valley of the Cordillera Blanca. 

Becky Switzer: Bozeman, Montana
$300 to free Logical Progression (28 pitches, 5.13-) on El Gigante in northern Mexico. 

Abraham Traven: Boise, Idaho
$300 to develop a new crag or multi-pitch route near the city of Shigu in Yunnan, China. 

SKI/SNOWBOARD MOUNTAINEERING SPECIFIC: 

The Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering Selection Committee was chaired by Mike Marolt. Committee members included Drew Seessel, Charlotte Fox, and TNF athlete Mark Synnott. 

Jason Burleson: Burtonsville, Maryland
$200 to ski Villarrica Volcano in Chile and complete a rope-solo ascent of Sinestro Total (5.10+, 8 pitches) on Torre Principal. 

David Cahill: North Ferrisburgh, Vermont
$200 to climb and ski Mt. Rainier with Nick Williams, Kurt Weiss, and James Turrito. 

Brett Carroll: Salt Lake City, Utah
$500 to attempt to climb and ski the East Ridge on Mt. Logan. 

Nolan Hurd: Golden, Colorado
$500 to climb and ski Artesonraju in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, with secondary objectives including climbing and skiing Huascarán Sur or Pisco Oeste, and climb Alpamayo. 

Jamie “Coby” Jacobus: Rye, New Hampshire
$500 for a ski-mountaineering trip to Chamonix with the goal of skiing steep coulouirs, including the Passerelle Coulouir, Glacier Rond, Cosmiques Couloir, or others, and to ski the Classic Haute Route. 

Katie McCaffrey: Auke Bay, Alaska
$800 for an all-female ski and snowboard mountaineering project attempting two first ascents of unnamed and unclimbed peaks on the Stikine Icefield in southeast Alaska. 

Trevor Summerfield: Reno, Nevada
$200 to climb the Hotlum Glacier Route on the northeast side of Mt. Shasta, and ski the more eastern aspect of Shasta down the Wintun Glacier. 

Eduardo van Rhede van der Kloot: Old Greenwich, Connecticut
$500 to climb and ski a new line in the Niut Range in British Columbia. 

Arthur Whitehead: Golden, Colorado
$500 to climb and ski Artesonraju in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, with secondary objectives including climbing and skiing Huascarán Sur or Pisco Oeste, and climb Alpamayo. 

Keatan Williams: Bozeman, Montana
$100 for a single-day ascent of the Liberty Ridge route on Mt. Rainier with a ski descent of the Emmons Glacier. 

North American Ice Climbing Championships Next Weekend

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The 2018 North American Ice Climbing Championships will take place March 16-17 in Fenton, Michigan. The Championships are open to all athletes with experience in ice climbing or drytooling.  Previous competition experience is not required. Spectator entrance is free.

Interested in joining the fun? Learn the details.