July 2012 c.pdf - Alpine Club

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Alpine
Club
July 2012

AC Offi cers
President Mick Fowler
Vice-Presidents Jim Milledge
Simon Yates
Hon Sec John Town
Hon Treasurer Mike Pinney
Hon Ed of AJ SJ Goodwin
Hon Librarian DJ Lovatt
AC LibraryChairman HR Lloyd
Book sales DJ Lovatt
Librarian T Hudowski
AC Newsletter
No: 2 July 2012
Sponsors of the AC Climbing Fund
A s I write this introduction it would appear that summer has come at last. The temperature
is in the high 20s, I am being eaten alive by evening midges on the gritstone
crags and I am getting e-mails urging me to take a few days off work and head up to the
dry mountain crags of Scotland. Here’s hoping that it is indeed going to be a good summer.
Whatever the weather, with four Alpine Club meets taking place in the Alps between
July and September there will be plenty of opportunities for getting out there and enjoying
our traditional alpine playground. I must admit that my personal time juggling has meant that I have rather sacrifi ced the Alps for the
Greater Ranges over the last 20 years or so and it was something of a memory jogger for me to recently spend a week in Chamonix,
introduce my son to mountaineering and remind myself what a fantastic, easily accessible mountaineering range the Alps is.
Many of you will remember Mark Richey’s after dinner talk at Shap Wells last December and his memorable taster video of his
fi rst ascent of Saser Kangri II with Steve Swenson and Freddie Wilkinson. Mark joined the Club after the dinner and in April this
year his team was awarded a Piolet d’Or at the 2012 awards ceremony in Chamonix. Of late members have been notably successful
in this prestigious fi eld. Bruce Normand won an award in 2010 and Andy Houseman and Nick Bullock were also nominated
that year. In 2011 Bruce Normand, Malcolm Bass and Paul Figg were nominated, Bob Shepton was on one of the award winning
teams and Doug Scott won the career Piolet d’Or. There can be no doubt that current Club members are continuing our 150 year
long tradition of adventurous exploits and outstanding mountaineering achievements.
Successful high profi le events can only benefi t the Club and I am particularly pleased that the recent ‘Evening with the Alpine Club’
at the Keswick Mountain Festival was widely acknowledged to be a great success. Chris Bonington’s lecture was so well attended
that the theatre’s ‘extra capacity’ doors had to be opened. That was followed by a panel event chaired by Lindsay Griffi n with Chris
Bonington, Andy Houseman, Simon Yates and me fi elding questions from an audience of over 100 on subjects ranging from the
best way to start mountaineering to the benefi ts of being a member of the Alpine Club. The allocated hour whizzed by with plenty of
people still seeking to ask questions when the time was up and Lindsay had to call a halt. I then gave a talk on my latest trip to round
off what I felt was a fantastically successful evening and great showcase event for the Club. Aside from those who took part particular
thanks are due to Stuart Worsfold for coming up with the idea and Jo Campbell for taking the lead organising it.
Looking ahead a full line up is now in place for the ex-USSR symposium on 1st December. Andrey Kazakov from Russia will be
giving an overview, Pat Littlejohn will be talking on the Kokshaal Too, Simon Yates on the Tien Shan and Pamirs, Es Tressider on
Kyzyl Asker area, John Town on Kamchatka and I will be doing a session covering the Caucasus, Altai, Ala Archa and Aksu areas.
These ranges have become easier to access in recent years and with less altitude problems than Himalayan peaks they have been
getting increasingly popular. Most have top quality existing climbs and plenty of opportunity for exploration. Like last year the event is
being held at Shap Wells on the day of the annual dinner and judging by the amount of interest shown so far it is likely to be well attended.
Marko Prezelj from Slovenia, undeniably one of the world’s fi nest extreme Alpinists, will be joining us as guest speaker at the
dinner and so, all in all, it is shaping up to be a particularly fi ne and memorable day. I would recommend getting 1st December in your
diaries now and making sure you avoid disappointment by ordering symposium and dinner tickets as soon as they become available.
On the membership front the Club continues to attract a healthy infl ow of new blood with the number of members now 20% higher
than it was 18 months ago. That’s a fantastic increase and I am particularly pleased that many of those who have joined recently
have been young, enthusiastic and active - just the sort of people we need to ensure the Club’s healthy existence for many years to
come.
At the cutting edge this year we have members leading expeditions to world class objectives such as Rimo III’s South West
buttress, Talung’s North Pillar and Chamlang’s North Spur. I wish them, and all of you, a great summer and safe and successful climbs.
Mick Fowler, AC President
AC Photo Library
Hon Keeper of the Club's
Photographs A S Lawford
Photo Sales S J Hare
Administrator Iwonna Hudowski
The Alpine Club
55/56 Charlotte Road,
London EC2A 3QF
Tel: 020-7613-0755
www.alpine-club.org.uk
admin@alpine-club.org.uk
Area Notes
Editor ~ Paul Knott
The Alps - Lindsay Griffi n
Russia & Central Asia - Paul Knott
Greenland - Derek Fordham
Scottish Winter - Simon Richardson
Ethiopia - Pat Littlejohn
India - Harish Kapadia
Nepal - Dick Isherwood
China & Tibet - John Town
North America - Ade Miller
Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash
- Antonio Gomez Bohorquez
New Zealand - Mark Watson
Antarctica - Nick Lewis

London Venue
55/56 Charlotte Street,London
General and Informal Meetings
Lectures start at 7.30pm
Tuesday 9 October 2012. Simon Yates:
The Wild Within
Simon will be talking about his climbs over the last decade
covering his mountain wilderness trips to Tierra del
Fuego, the Wrangell St Elias ranges and Greenland. The
story is the subject of his latest book signed copies of
which will be available on the evening.
Tuesday 13 November 2012. Mick Conefrey:
Everest 1953
The Epic Story of the First Ascent:
Based on unpublished material from the expedition’s
archives, private letters and personal diaries, Mick
Conefrey, an author and award-winning documentary
fi lmmaker, has pieced together what he terms ‘the real
story’ of the fi rst ascent of Everest in his forthcoming
book of the same name. This promises to be a highly
entertaining evening during which signed copies of
Mick’s book will be available for purchase on the night.
Tuesday 27 November. Catherine Moorshead:
The K2 Man and his Molluscs - the
extraordinary life of Haversham Godwin-
Austen (1834-1923).
Using his hitherto unreleased private papers, Godwin-
Austen's life in exploration and natural history is described,
from his aristocratic origins in Surrey, to the fi rst
Kashmir Survey, the fi rst near-approach to K2 and the
breaking of the Asiatic altitude record three times, all
before the Matterhorn had been climbed. He went on to
explore Ladakh and Zanskar, then parts of Tibet, before
carrying out the fi rst explorations of Western Bhutan and,
among the Naga headhunters, the Burma-Assam border.
The speaker makes the case for Godwin-Austen being
the fi nest British explorer not generally known about.
AC Lectures Northern Venue
SW Venue
Upper Room at the Nova Scotia Hotel
Hotwells, Bristol BS1 6XJ
Lectures start at 7.30pm
The Outside Cafe,
Hathersage
Lectures start at 7.30pm
SW & N Lectures start again in the Autumn. First details in the AC Bulletin.
Alpine Ski Club.
Autumn Lecture and Buffet
Wed 10th October 2012. Buffet 6.30pm for 8.00pm.
Venue: The Alpine Club, 55 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3QF.
Tel: 020 7613 0755.
Speaker: Roger Upton
Roger received a grant from the Club’s Memorial Adventure
Fund for his recent trip to the Antarctic Peninsula for a ski
mountaineering trip in this part of the world. He will tell us
about the trip, the highs and lows and the bits in between!
Cost (includes buffet supper) £10 per ASC member.
non members £15
Please contact Ingram Lloyd
secretary@alpineskiclub.org.uk
by Monday 8th Oct if you wish to attend. See
www.alpineskiclub.org.uk
for more details
London July lecture
Tuesday 24 July 2012
Graham Hoyland
Last Hours on Everest
After making nine expeditions to Everest, Graham believes that
he has fi nally worked out what happened to George Mallory and
his companion Sandy Irvine when they disappeared on Everest
in 1924. The mystery, which has intrigued historians and the
general public alike, is the subject of his recently published book
Last Hours on Everest which will be available for sale on the
night.
Club Communications:
New Look Newsletter and AC Bulletin
You may notice (I hope so!) that the AC newsletter has You will notice a new feature in this issue - ‘The time of my
a subtle new look. I’ve been editing this rag for over 10 life....’ I would like this to become a regular feature with mem-
years now and I’ve been using Quark, the DTP (Desk Top bers writing about their most memorable/best alpine experi-
Publishing) programme of choice in the print world 10 years ances. Please contact me if you would like to contribute.
ago. I have felt that what was once a vibrant, bright publica- Over the years I have had very little feedback from members
tion that set a standard for other clubs (!) has over time be- about the Newsletter and, being a survivalist, I take that as a
come a little stale in its’ look despite the content getting better positive reaction! Is this the case? Actually I would like more
and more varied. With the help of the committee (they have contact from our members as it makes my job easier and
paid for it!) I have upgraded to Adobe InDesign CS5.5 which I much more interesting. With the development of the monthly
am assured is now what most graphic designers use and was email AC Bulletin by Scott Collier, which is designed to keep
thoroughly recommended by our printers Hi-Tec Print, With electronically connected members informed of Club activi-
this powerful software I am hoping to reboot the newsletter ties on a more real-time basis, there will be more room in
into a more modern looking publication that will complement the Newsletter for member’s activities, letters and thoughts.
the progress the AC is making in becoming a more modern Please let me have them and any ideas you may have for
club. (Letters to the Ed if you dispute this!) Not being a ‘natu- articles or even series. Don’t forget that extended works of
ral’ on computers I will no doubt take a couple of issues (!) to literature and longer articles on expeditions etc are really the
get fully up to speed with InDesign but I hope that it will help province of the AC Journal and its editor, Steve Goodwin.
to bring more variety to future issues.
The Newsletter is there to showcase member’s alpine ac-
I have noticed that some recent entries into the modern club tivities and act as a seasonal communicator for member’s
newsletter world are developing a sophisticated ‘magazine’ interests and opinions that reaches all members regardless of
persona. I intend to maintain a very club-focused ‘newsletter’ their online status.
approach as I believe that this publication should concentrate Thanks for reading this and please do respond as the News-
fi rmly on AC members activities and opinions and on comletter is about the heart of the AC – its’ members – and as you
municating AC committee actions and members views in our pay for it, I want to know what you want!
letter pages. Do you agree?
Dick Turnbull - Editor.

23rd June - 7th July Mount Elbrus on ski
Attempt on Mount Elbrus (5600m) around Easter usually turn into a long crampon plod up bullet-proof ice instead of a fi ne ski
although some excellent touring in the main Caucasus range often compensates. At the end of June ski conditions on Elbrus
should be perfect for ski descent from the top on good spring snow. 12 days should be adequate to acclimatise suffi ciently to
make the ascent of Elbrus, particularly if members have done some alpine touring earlier in the season.
Co-ordinator Jonathan Bamber Tel 07990 818093 Further Details
AC Meets 2012
July - France - Ailefroide - Joint meet with CAF Marseille
Members of the CAF Marseille are expecting to be in residence on the campsite at Ailefroide for the month of July and are keen
to meet and climb with AC members. Co-ordinator required.
7th to 21st July - Gressoney-la-Trinite, Italy - Joint meet with ABMSAC.
Situated at 1627 metres in the beautiful Lys Valley at the foot of Monte Rosa and the Lyskamm, Gressoney is ideally situated for
alpine climbing and mountain walking, with several uplift facilities. Accommodation has been booked in the 3* Hotel Dufour at a
cost of €52 pppn half board for twin rooms, all with private facilities.
A fact sheet and further information can be obtained from the meet leader Pamela Harris-Andrews tel: 0131 667 1529
14th July to 4th August – Switzerland – Innertkirchen. Joint meet with ABMSAC, CC, FRCC & Wayfarers
Centrally sited for Oberland and the Engelhorner to the west, Susten Pass & Salbitschijen to the east, and Grimsel Pass,
Handegg & Oberland to the south. Guide Books: Alpine Club-Bernese Oberland Selected Climbs, Schweiz-Plaisir-West, Schweiz-Plaisir-Ost.
Co-ordinator: Mike Pinney 01935 428131 Mikegpinney@aol.com
16th- 30th August - Italy - Monte Viso Note change of dates
Building on links established with the CAI Saluzzo section in 2011, the plan is to book around 12 places at the Giacoletti hut.
With multi pitch rock routes 5 minutes from the door, superb scrambling on 3000m peaks close by and the option to walk the
Giro circuit of Monte Viso as well as the chance to climb that alpine giant itself, this is an opportunity to explore a less frequented
area of the Alps. Flights to Turin then rail & road links to the Po valley
Co-ordinator: Adele Long (see email address on Alpinet) 0117 3771992. Details
There are 3 places left on the Monte Viso meet from 19-31 August (details on AC website). This meet offers walking,
rock climbing and alpine routes in a lovely part of Italy, near to the Ecrin, France. If you are interested please contact
Adele Long using ALPINET http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/alpinet/
1st September Sept be - 15th September S temb - Dolomites Dol it Meet M t - Camping Ca in Miravalle, Mi ll Campitello, C pitell Val di Fassa. Fa
This gives reasonable access to the Rosengarten area which we have not explored much in previous years as well the climbing
in the familiar Sella and Pordoi passes and on the Marmolada. While the Dolomites is obviously appealing to rock climbers and
via ferrata enthusiasts there is also excellent high level walking and mountain biking on offer.
Co-ordinator: Jeff Harris (see email address on Alpinet)
2nd - 16th September Cornish Rock The Count House, Bosigran
Joint meet with the Climbers' Club. CC Co-ordinator: Ruth Chambers 01768 88488
8th September - 14th October - AC Open Expedition to the Kagbhusandi Valley, India
Note changes to dates and location.
The team plan to explore the unclimbed mountains surrounding the Kagbhusandi valley with a major focus on Barmal, which at
5879m is the highest mountain bordering the valley. If conditions allow it may be possible to make what is believed would be the
second (and fi rst British) ascent of Oti-ka-danda (5782m) via a new route from the west. There are numerous rock summits and
pinnacles encircling the valley that should provide ample opportunities for a team of our size to spread out and explore widely.
EXPEDITION FULL
October - Lundy to be confi rmed
Co-ordinator: Tony Westcott (see email address on Alpinet)
expedition full
26th - 28th October Reunion Meet George Starkey Hut, Patterdale.
A chance for all those who have participated in AC meets in 2012 to get together & and share their experiences.
Co-ordinator: to be announced
1st December - AGM & Dinner - Shap Wells Hotel, Cumbria
Also Symposium on ‘Mountains of the former Soviet Union’
What meets would you like the Club to be running?
If you have any ideas about where and when you would like meets or what kind of meet you would like to see or run contact:
Derek Buckle (acting Meets Sec) derek@bucklefamily.com

AC Letters
Help an Ecrins Hut
Many of you may know the Refuge de l'Aigle,
which is now seeking funding to complete it
renovation.
If you would like to contribute, please send a
cheque payable to the Alpine Club to the Offi ce,
with an appropriate note, and we will make sure
the money gets to CAF in Briançon.
John Town, Honorary Secretary
Refuge d’Aigle, Ecrins 3,440m
Mont Collon Hotel
150 th Anniversary
This famous hotel, owned and run by the Anzevui
family, has been a welcome retreat for AC members
from its early days and is now celebrating
its 150 th anniversary. The hotel opened in 1862 to
accommodate the infl ux of climbers and tourists to
the area and made members of the fl edgling AC
very welcome.
There will be an Exhibition from the 7 th July covering
the 150 year history of the hotel and the original
Visitors book will be on display. This will be a
great event and would make a wonderful centrepiece
to any members summer alpine season.
info@hotelmontcollon.ch tel: 0041272831191
Camptocamp online guidebook update
As part of the Alpine Club and Camptocamp.org
joint project to produce an online guidebook in
English for the Alps, I have been translating the route
descriptions for a selection of climbs in the Mont Blanc
region. These selected routes, together with the link to
the route description, can be found on a small website
http://funalps.com
The quality of these route descriptions will be limited
in a number of ways; e.g. shortcomings in the original
French version, limits in my translating skills and typing
errors.
I hope as many members as possible will contribute to
improving the quality of the descriptions. Camptocamp
is a "wiki" type site so anybody can register and make
improvements. Alternatively you can send them directly
to me. If you have any photos in, jpg form, suitable for
showing the line of a route, this would be most helpful.
If you have a favourite route that you would like to proof
read, every bit of help goes towards achieving the (one
of) fundamental aim of the AC, the dissemination of
information.
N.B. Only the ‘Fun Fives’ and ‘Happy Alpine’ have been
translated so far, I
hope to fi nish the
other list before
next winter.
Gus Morton
Grandes Jorasses by E T Compton
For Sale
Full set of
Mountain
magazine
No’s 1 - 145
£300 ono
contact
Barbara James
01248364688
offers before 31st Aug, please
barbarajameslunt@btinternet.com
Sold in aid of the National Eczema Society

AC ‘People in profi le’
AC Communications team
Newsletter / Alpine Journal / Bulletin
New Look
Dick Turnbull – Newsletter Editor
Dick is probably best known to many AC
members as the ‘court’ photographer
chronicling the AC’s antics at the annual
dinner. He became known in the 1970’s
as a ‘purveyor of fi ne climbing equipment’
to the UK climbing community fi rstly from
the London based Alpine Sports and over
the last 25 years from his own business,
Outside, based in the Hope Valley in
the Peak District. He has been an AC
committee member and was V-P from
2004. He has been the AC Newsletter
Editor for the last 10 years and is
responsible for the transition from the
old 4-6 page B/W typed newsletter to the
current 20 page colour offering.
Originally he joined the ACG back in the
late 1970’s for a brief spell and became
a full AC member in 1994. His fi rst alpine
trip was in 1973 to the Oztal Alps with an
ascent of the SW fl ank of the Eiger on the
way home. That kindled his passion for
big routes that could be done in short-ish
holidays and led him to the Alps, America
and Norway with one longer attempt on
the east buttress of Meru in the Gangotri
in 1985 – his team got higher than any
other party until it was successfully
climbed in 2005. The advent of children
in 1980 led him into winter alpine trips as
the summer was now reserved for family
holidays! From 1980 to 2007 he spent two
weeks nearly every winter in Chamonix
making early British winter ascents of
many of the great classic alpine routes
(N face of the Droites, Eiger, Matterhorn,
Grandes Jorasses (Walker Spur and 95%
of the Croz Spur!) Dru, Pic Sans Nom,
Charmoz and many others including 3
abortive attempts on the 1st Dick on top of Stetind in N Norway Steve at the south face of Cho Oyu,Nepal
Steve Goodwin - Journal Editor
It’s now nine years since Steve succumbed
to the arm-twisting of the late
Alan Blackshaw, then AC president,
and agreed to take on editorship of
the Alpine Journal. Almost a decade
then to refl ect on the words on William
Coolidge who wielded the blue pencil
from 1880 to 1889: ‘The privileges of
the editor are few and the annoyances
many.’
Just as accountants quickly get drafted
in to being club treasurers, so the admission
of being a ‘journalist’ by trade
makes one a soft touch for editing or
publicity – even though the real life job
may not have bestowed those particular
skills. Steve’s speciality was politics
– 25 years as a staff correspondent for
The Times and then The Independent
– which on the face of it is less than
ideal training for editing a mountaineering
journal.
In fact exchanging the Westminster
village for the tight little village of the
climbing community proved almost
seamless in having to deal with club
politics – both internal and in relation
to outside bodies (surely not the BMC!)
– with interminable committee meetings
and certain infl ated egos. All rather
familiar!
Steve’s route to the mountains was
serendipitous: an 11-month lock-out
on The Times opened the door to rock
climbing – fi rst on Raven Crag,
Langdale – three years working in
Vienna introduced him to the Alps, and
a dream assignment for The Independ-
British winter
ascent of the Cassin route on the Badile,)
at a time when winter alpine climbing was
a rare pastime for UK climbers.
ent to Everest was the start of a love
affair with Nepal and the Himalaya.
Producing the AJ is a team effort. Key
players during Steve’s early years as
editor were Johanna Merz as production
editor and Peter Hodgkiss at Ernest
Press as joint publisher. Since Peter’s
death Steve has added the ‘publisher’
role and the AJ appears solely under
the Alpine Club logo. Bernard Newman,
former editor of Mountain and Climber
More recently Dick has added sailing magazines, has taken on the vital
to his climbing activities. He has sailed design and production role, and Paul
to Spitzbergen, the Baltic and the Faroe Knott continues his valuable work for all
islands and has made 2 trips cruising mountaineers by collating and editing
and climbing in the Lofoten Islands and the informative Area Notes section of
Northern Norway.
climbs around the world.
New Look
Scott training for the Arctic on Scafell
Scott Collier – Bulletin Editor
Scott has recently taken over as editor
of the Alpine Bulletin, the revamped
AC monthly email newsletter. He is an
aspirant AC member, having started
climbing seven years ago as an undergraduate
with the OUMC. As a
climber he has always possessed more
enthusiasm than talent, and he has
now spent several summers in Europe
endeavouring to get to grips with Alpine
mountaineering: particular highlights include
not only excellent days out on the
the Aiguille d’Argentière, the Nadelhorn
and the Zinal Rothorn, but also getting
caught in a thunderstorm on top the
Aiguille de l’Index.
Originally from the far west of Cornwall,
Scott now lives in Surrey, where
he tries to compensate for the lack of
nearby rock with weekend trips to the
Peak or Lakes and summer evenings
on Southern Sandstone. When not
climbing, he is an obsessive orienteer
and occasional fellrunner, enjoys
reading accounts of the early history
of polar exploration, and is gradually
completing a PhD in the historical
linguistics of Greek.
LONDON BUNKROOM
Bookings: should be made with
the Club Administrator by
e-mail or phone -
0207 613 0755.
The offi ce is normally manned
on Tuesdays and Thursdays (although
not every week), and bookings
need to be made in advance
so that arrangements may be
made to obtain keys and instructions.
There is no charge for the
bunkroom however an advance
deposit of twenty pounds is required.
Keys must be returned
within fi ve working days of use.
Regular users may apply for a set
to retain for their own use.

The President’s
Welsh Dinner
mazing place, North Wales!” That was President Fowler’s
“Averdict as photos were exchanged a couple of day’s after the
AC meet at Capel Curig at the beginning of March. And who could
disagree? A few days beforehand it looked like being a fairly downbeat
affair – poor weather forecast, not many signed up – but it turned into a
gem.
Billed as the President’s Welsh Dinner Meet, with a hog roast at the
Bryn Tyrch Inn followed by a slide show by Pat Littlejohn, it had the ingredients
of a good do. However members seemed slow to commit and
a suspicion grew that somehow word of the event wasn’t getting out too
clearly – the AC has plenty of members in striking distance of Snowdonia
but perhaps not all stay plugged in to the club’s various avenues of
communication.
Thankfully by Saturday evening the grapevine had been busy and
about 30 people gathered to do justice to the roasted hog and then natter
the night away. Pat actually did show real slides; it was nostalgia with
a message, a brief tour of the changing face of the western Alps. Slides shot three decades or
less ago showed climbers on snow and ice faces that are now bare in summer.
There was nothing bare about Tryfan next morning. Four of us staying at Helyg, the CC
hut – Jo Campbell, Stuart Worsfi eld, Jamie Goodhart and I – looked out at the sleet and
mumbled about heading off home after breakfast. Something stirred though and instead we
opted for a trot up Tryfan’s north ridge before hitting the road. It occupied us joyously for most
of the day. Sleet turned to snow and soon the sun came out, with just the occasional squall
of graupel. Blocks, chimneys, terraces, the whole ridge was plastered in fresh snow while the
passing storm left the air crystal clear.
Meanwhile, and unbeknownst, our president, Mick Fowler, with Pat Littlejohn, Steve Sustad
and girlfriend Rachel were enjoying the same sun but without the snow at Rhoscolyn on
Anglesey – Pat’s suggestion.
Sea-level traversing
there included
a Tyrolean traverse
that earned Mick’s
customary summation
as “interesting”.
As the man said: “an
amazing place.”
Stephen Goodwin
Portland
Lulworth
Swanage
Now France comes to the
UK. Rockfax’s latest ‘magnus opus’
features the UK’s south coast answer to those
brilliant bolt routes of la Belle France. Sun,
superb white limestone set above ‘la Manche’
- all that’s missing is wine...and the ‘je ne sais
quoi!’
Mark Glaister and Pete Oxley’s extensive volume
is the latest in a series of Rockfax guides to the
area and fully does it justice.

A Personal Ice Fest
Few can complain about the he weather
in the Alps so far this year,especially the cold, clear spell pell that
dominated the fi rst two months.
The joint AC/CC ice-climbing ng meet
in Cogne in January started arted my
season so my head was well and
truly in gear by the time that at I went
to Argentière-la-Bessée with th Stuart
Worsfold and Paul Padman dman
in February for a combination ion of
ice climbing and ski-touring. ng. As
it was the start of the season on for
the others we eased into the
ice with a 200m ascent of CasCascade des Eysserenne (III, 3+)
in Freissinieres, a pleasant sant
climb taking four long pitches, es,
which we had to ourselves.
We next climbed the fabubulous Clara, another 200m, ,
three-star classic cascade de
near Les Orres and graded
at II, 5 at the time. Stuart
had previously climbed
Clara along with its
neighbour, Nadia, with
Dick Turnbull and Mike
Mortimer the previous
year, but this year it
was particularly steep teep
and impressive. Again gain we e had the
cascade to ourselves lves while whi hile
Nadia, another
classic, was attracting
much
greater attention.
We were
less fortunate on
Les Formes du
Chaos at Ceillac
(300m, II, 4) which,
as a fi ve-star, easily
accessible route,
always attracts the e
crowds. Despite te
starting early we e
were the second d
team on the falls and
took the steeper leftefthand side to avoid void
the earlier party. Soon on
there were ropes eveverywhere but we still
seemed to have a clear lear
run as numerous other
parties concentrated ed on
the easier lines. At t the
plateau though the competition
ceased and dnobody appeared to want ant to
try the convoluted ice spiral that constituted
the penultimate pitch – that is until
we entered the intriguing formation from
which the cascade
Climbers on Formes du Chaos
presumably presumably gets
its name. Being fi rst through this
narrow pitch (only wide enough for
one party at a time) gave us the choice
line for the steep fi nale, although Stuart
did have to compete with a Belgian
pair who chose to climb
Paul Padman, Cascade des Eysserenne
the th spiral before he could second the
pitch pi and suc-cessfully entwined their
ropes ro with ours! Still it was a great
route ro and understandably attracts the
hoardes. ho
A visit to Fournel Fou later one day gave
Paul a cha chance to lead the impres-
sive Cas Cascade du Bois (30m, I, 3+)
which is unrelentingly
steep despite its grade.
Two days later we were
back ba in Fournel to climb
Grand Gr Bleu, a 100m icefall
graded gr III, 4+. This cascade
is a little two-pitch gem that
we again climbed in splen-
did isolation, probably on
account acco of the greater effort
required requ to get there. But per-
haps the greatest adventure,
in the
true sense of the word,
was the Cascade de Clap-
house Gauche (160m, III, 3+) in
the Va Vallée d’Ailefroide. Follow-
ing great grea debate as to whether
we should sho approach on foot or
on skis
we eventually accessed
the cascade casc on foot (mea culpa).
Fortunately, Fortunat at least one party had
been to to the th cascade previously, al-
beit some days back, but even so
we post-holed post-ho alarmingly once off
the beaten valley track behind the
summer camp c site. Stuart repeat-
edly reminded remin us of his earlier view
that we would have
been bet better off on skis.
While debateable de on
the way in, there was
no conte contest on the way
out as we w missed the
main path p and fl oun-
dered
in unconsoli-
dated
snow until we
got ba back to the ham-
let of Ailefroide. A An-
yway yway, the approach
notw notwithstanding,
the cascade was
in excellent exc condi-
tion and more than
wort worthy of the effort
required requ to get
to
it. Moreover,
this time not only
did
we have the
cascade ca to our-
se selves, but the
whole wh valley as
fa far as we could
discern! di
Looking back
we sampled sam some of
the more interesting cascades cas in the
vicinity and only on one occasion,
when we went further afi eld simply
to fi nd a vestigial icefall, did we fail to
climb our intended cascade.
Derek Buckle

Mountaineering by the Seaside.
This was a sport climbing
holiday with a
difference, namely the Calanques!
With only three
members attending our
gracious hosts (Francoise
Duprat, CAF Marseille
President and her husband
Jacques) invited us
to their home in Marseille.
Barring the necessity for a
hair raising journey across
the city each morning a
great arrangement. We
were spoilt outrageously
with fantastic food and
wine and we may have
to look beyond deep fried
haggis when we host a
Scottish meet in 2013.
Remi, the key organiser, was disappointed
in our desire to only go single
pitch cragging on our fi rst afternoon
and after several days sampling 100m
cliff after cliff we understood why. Local
knowledge made a huge difference
and we found ourselves not visiting
any of the crags in the selective English
guide. There is an excellent new
6c max guide with over a 1000 routes
to go at, the grades are generous and
the ambiance at the crags terrifi c. The
scope for HS to E1climbing is enormous.
coming soon
The highlight for me was a day with
local legend Bernard Vaucher who
showed us one of his routes in the Val
Vierge. A strong mistral prevented us
climbing the classic Candaille route
but lower down next to the sea the
breeze gave perfect climbing conditions
for a Scot. We also climbed the
remarkable steep juggy sandstone at
Cape Canaille in the company of the
fi rst ascentionist of La Demande and
his 81 year old partner.
Alasdair Buchanan - on AC active
duty in S France in April 2012.
Baou Rouge
Alps to Antarctica
- an exhibition of recent paintings
by artist and AC associate
Rowan Huntley.
will be on display at Charlotte
Road in October, Rowan's work
will feature mountains and
glaciers from the Jungfrau,
Eiger and Piz Bernina to
Mt Nordenskjold in South
Georgia and the beautiful
Antarctic Peninsular.
Exhibition opens on Tuesday
9th October and runs until
Christmas. For further information
see the AC website or
www.rowanhuntley.
co.uk

Ecrins Summer Alpine Meet
16th July - 6th August 2011
eld jointly with the the Climbers’ Climbers’ Club, Club, ABMSAC, FRCC Most of the routes in walking distance of the campsite
&
H and, for the fi rst time, the Wayfarers’, the meet was well documented in the local Escalades autour d’Ailefroide
based at the Ailefroide camp site. Turn out continues to are generously bolted and quick drying. Thus, even with
be good with over 60 attendees for some or the entire three a limited weather window, it was possible to grab 200m
week meet.
routes with perhaps a wet abseil, although I do not remem-
On the second day of the meet, an inch of rain fell on the ber too many complaints about wet descents.
campsite, represented by a foot of new snow. Conditions Starting from Ailefroide with an overnight hut stay routes
included Ailefroide E
Su Summit, Pelvoux, the
Ba Barre des Ecrins/Dome
de
Neige, Pic du Glacier
D’ D’Arsine and a high clas-
si sic rock ridge- the Aiguille
de
Sialouze, S. ridge
tr traverse, descending
fr from the summit by the
E.
face. The Sebastien
Co Constant’s 2010 Snow
an and Mixed climbs did not
pr prove as useful as hoped
an and a number of copies
of
John Brailsford’s 2002
AC Ecrins guide were
so sold.
Some were fortunate
in
their choice of day for
th the Barre des Ecrins and
we were able to traverse the
could co only get
better? be Perhaps
because be of the
weather we or perhaps
because be this is the
fi rst time the meet
had ha coincided with
Tour To de France, a
surprising su number
be of members
developed de a keen
interest in in the race
and an on the fi rst
Wednesday We could
be seen heading
down do the valley
taking ta up position
on the sun kissed
slope sl opposite the
Whymper Wh statue to
witness wi a carnival
procession pr of the
sponsors sp fl oats
followed fo by the
race ra itself. For the
spectators, sp it was
a very relaxed
atmosphere.
at
Ailefroide has
something for everybody. High passes to cross for views &
to build up acclimatization; single & multi pitch rock climbs
down in the Durance valley or within walking distance
and in view of the campsite, routes involving a hut night;
together with more tradition mixed Alpine routes.
mountain. The north
couloir was in very
good condition. This
was balanced by the
start of the NE ridge
which was initially
hard ice then snow
covered rock and the
climbers were very
relieved to get established
on the ridge
proper.
Elsewhere in the
massif one team
climbed the N ridge
of Sirac (unfortunately not now matching the pedigree of its
fi rst ascent by Lloyd & Longland in 1932)
Just to the East of the Ecrins is an attractive isolated peak
Monte Viso from where it is reputed one can see most of
the 4000m peaks of the Alps. “We had a choice of routes,
the route of fi rst ascent and a harder Arete East. On the
way up to the hut we met a couple of French guys who
were returning from having ascended the rock ridge. However
whilst we were at the hut there was low cloud & we
could not see the start of the rock ridge. We thus decided
to ascend the route of fi rst ascent meeting a couple of local
Italians on their way up to celebrate 150 yrs since the fi rst
ascent-an enjoyable day.” A number of the team will be attending
Adele’s August meet & hope to fi nd the Arete East
and perhaps get views from the summit! In the meantime
there is the Innertkerchen meet, also with something for
everybody!
Mike Pinney

M
ike's personal meet diary...
Ecrins July-August 2011
An inch of rain on the campsite represented by a foot of new
snow the day after we arrived was not a good start. It was the fi rst
time I had been in the Alps with Tour de France going close by. That day,
a sunny Wednesday the race went from Gap to Briancon then over into
Italy with the route closed to traffi c from early in the morning so we parked
in Argentiere a couple of hours before the bikes were due to pass then
walked up the route to get a good vantage point. A very relaxed atmosphere
with the bikes preceded by a carnival procession of the sponsors
fl oats. It had been the start of the improved weather su ch that by the following
day the new snow had cleared from Col Galibier and the tour was
able to keep to schedule.
Although I did some rock climbing with a forthcoming trip to Nepal I
wished to focus on Alpine routes. The one route on a mountain called
Sirac in the SW part of the massif ended up as a
17hr day hut to hut, then after a late dinner spent a
second night at the hut as it was too late to descend
to the valley.
The hut was full so we ended up with mattresses
on the dining room tables. However none of those
staying that night were planning to climb Sirac so
we were not disturbed at an early hour! We had
found quite a lot of loose rock on the ridge & the
descent was not obvious then got delayed further
by a short hail storm.
I had climbed the Barre des Ecrins in the mid
80’s. However for a number of reasons, I was attracted
by a traverse of the mountain starting up
the north couloir-an attractive line, the highest in
the region & most representative of the climbing
we would experience on Kyajo Ri. The north couloir
was in very good condition. This was balanced by the start
of the NE ridge which was initially hard ice then snow covered
rock and I was very relieved to get established on the ridge
proper. For photos see:- http://www.abmsac.org.uk/phecrin11.
html We lost a lot of time on the start of the NE ridge such
that we had another 17hr day getting back to the car just as it
became dark.
Mike Pinney
Photos far L to R: Barre des Ecrins at sunrise (TW),
Barre des Ecrins, Aiguille-de-Sialouze (TW), Top of
N Couloir (Andrew Moore) NE ridge above, (crocodile on
track leading to Breche Lory), Looking back at Sirac and
Mel Michon on N Ridge of Sirac.
After nearly a decade
without a dedicated Peak
Limestone Rockfax, its
back! No longer just part
of ‘the North,’ the famous
slippery Peak horrors
are given their own
bible once again. Now
including many bolted
quarries
(not all, thank God!)
2381 routes for £24.95
Wow! 1.04p a route!
£24.95

The time of my life......
Brenva face
1974
For Chris Radcliffe his 1974 alpine season was memorable for summiting Mont Blanc twice within
seven days. He and Pete Holden climbed Route Major as their fi rst route of the season and then the
Bonatti/Gobbi route on the East face of the Eckpfeiler Buttress, an early British ascent.
Route Major, TD inf.
Peter Holden
and I had
teamed te up again,
having ha had a successful
ce 1973 season
so including the
Gervasutti Ge Pillar and
the th Central Pillar of
Frênay. Fr My holiday
was wa limited to a
maximum ma of three
weeks, we so there
was wa an incentive to
get ge onto routes at
the th fi rst opportunity.
An initial attempt
on the NE Spur of
Les Le Droites failed
in poor conditions,
but bu on August 25th
we we set off for the
Trident Tr Hut on the
Col Co de la Fourche,
despite de a storm
overnight ov and low
cloud cl in the mountains,
on the basis of a good forecast
for the following day. The clag
made route fi nding on the glacier a
bit tricky and it was windy and cold
on the Col, but we reached the hut
where two parties had sat out the
previous night’s storm.
Chris on ice
- 1974 style!
At midnight it was clear, but there
was a strong wind. We felt doubtful
about the conditions, but a party
from the Torino hut was just in front
of us heading for the Old Brenva so we were happy to follow
in their footsteps. From Col Moore we were on our own
as we made a rising traverse across various runnels trying
to sort out the location of the Red Sentinel after which we
would have the potentially dangerous crossing of the Great
Couloir. Before we got there we heard the sound of an avalanche
and then realized we were in the line of fi re. I got my
axe in securely and used my sack to try and protect myself.
The avalanche continued for some minutes; one ice block
caught my arm painfully and Pete got a blow to the head. It
was a tense few moments. Later we found it had squashed a
billy-can in my sack and broken a mug in Pete’s sack, as well
as damaging his camera.
It was getting light as we approached the Great Couloir and
found this quite straightforward to cross. We never saw any
avalanches come down here although the hanging glacier
that had avalanched on us earlier continued to avalanche
through the day. Once across the couloir we paused for a
bite to eat and then pressed on up, generally moving together.
We soon reached the fi rst ice arête. We took a poor line
on the buttress above this and we had a couple of diffi cult
pitches to get back on line to reach the second ice arête.
This is quite long and we started pitching the climb as we
began to tire. The third ice arête follows quickly, quite steep
and icy but eases off and easy rock leads to the fourth and
longest ice arête which we pitched at the top where it be-
came hard blue ice. A short chimney leads to a shelf below
the crux section of the route. So far we hadn’t felt too badly
affected by the altitude and we seemed to be making reasonable
time on the route.
We chose to climb the most direct route up the fi nal buttress
and removed our crampons to climb a steep chimney with a
chockstone that is graded V inf. This was icy and involved a
bit of friggery to get
up it. Another couple
of pitches led to
the fi nal serac barrier.
So far the climb
had been magnifi -
cent – great views,
no-one else on the
route, a superb line
on a perfect cloudless
day. However,
we were now tired and unsurprisingly as this was our fi rst
time at altitude we were feeling the effects of getting close
to 4000 m. Climbing the serac barrier was problematic. After
wasting time checking alternatives, Pete led up a steep arête
feature on hard blue Brenva ice, emerging through a unique
hole in the ice. We had taken 3 hours to climb the fi nal
buttress and serac barrier, so our overall progress was now
rather slow.
Easy slopes remained to reach the summit, but these were
desperate. Often sinking into soft snow and with the sun
beating down on us, lethargy and altitude combined to make
us very slow. It seemed interminable. Eventually we reached
Col Major where a NW wind made us feel a bit better but it
was still an effort to get to the summit which we reached at
3pm after14 hours on the route.
Chris on Route Major
New feature
Chris, Ron Lake and Pete Holden
in the Trident Hut
East Face of the Eckpfeiler
Buttress (Bonatti/Gobbi), ED sup.
The 1967 AC guidebook, which we were using, described
this route as “one of the fi nest and hardest climbs on
Mt. Blanc. A very serious expedition with diffi cult climbing on
all kinds of terrain and some danger from stone fall”. Hence
this seemed an adventurous objective for ambitious alpinists.
Pete had already attempted the route with Ron Lake in 1970
when they had made a diffi cult retreat in stormy conditions,
so he was keen to make another attempt.
The Eckpfeiler (Grande Pilier d’Angle) is a huge rock buttress
defi ning the left side of the Brenva Face. The route
follows a line of chimneys diagonally across the lower part
of the buttress and then traverses onto the icy North Face
which is climbed onto the NE arête leading to the top of the
buttress. The climb then follows the classic Peuterey Ridge

to the summit of
Mont Mo Blanc.
We had descended
sc from
our ou Route
Major Ma climb on
July Ju 27th and
we relaxed
in Chamonix,
enjoying en good
weather we as we
recovered re from
dehydration de and
an overambitious
starter st route.
Two Tw days later,
on July 29th, we
felt fe ready for our
main ma objective
and an set off again
for fo the Trident
Hut Hu a bit unsure
whether wh the
good go weather
The Eckpfeiler
would wo continue.
This Th time we
found fo it quite
an easy approach from the Midi and got there in 2 ½ hours,
although we were surprised to fi nd the hut really full and we
barely secured a bunk for ourselves. Some early risers got
up at 10pm so we didn’t get much sleep despite being one of
the last to leave the hut at 2 am.
We soon reached Col Moore, then an occasionally tricky
descent onto the Brenva glacier and across to the foot of
the Eckpfeiler Buttress. We were a bit early and climbed
up towards Col Peuterey, approaching the route from the
left over loose rock and at 5am we were at the foot of the
route. A couple of pitches brought us below the chimneys
that form the basis of the fi rst part of the route. They looked
really hard in the early morning gloom. However Pete knew
of a variation from his fi rst attempt on the route so we moved
right to the foot of a steep crack where he and Ron had sack
hauled. Pete tried to lead with his sack on, but had to take
it off to climb an overhang. I found it very strenuous to climb
with my sack and push his up ahead of me as well. Two
more mo pitches brought us
back ba on the chimney line
and an we continued up,
alternating al leads. The
climbing cl was strenuous
and an on steep rock, often
very ve loose and as one
pitch pi followed another,
none no was hugely enjoyable.
ab Finally we reached
a a ledge below the Joli
Diedre Di where Pete and
Ron Ro had bivvied in1970.
Pete Pe then led an excellent
le 130ft pitch on sound
Pete on Bonatti/Gobbi rock ro with his sack on – a
very ve strenuous proposition.
tion Two easier pitches
brought us to a stance below the massive mas red wall that dominates
the top of the buttress.
We were now at the top of the chimney section and felt we
were making reasonable time. We had a brief rest as we
changed into crampons before beginning the traverse over 3
pitches that led onto the North Face. I then set off on a
long pitch up 60 degree ice leading to a rognon where I got
a marginal belay and Pete continued diagonally up towards
an icy couloir. After more mixed climbing the couloir became
very steep and Pete used a peg to make a tension move to
cross the couloir, followed by another tricky move using a
loose peg to get to a stance. This was really awkward to follow,
particularly when the second peg came out in my hand
forcing me to make the moves anyway. After another tricky
pitch, at last we reached the NE arête above the major diffi
culties.
The weather had remained
fair during the day; although
a watery sunrise and cirrus
had heralded increasing
cloud which had suggested
the weather was going to
break. Soon it began snowing
heavily and after 4 or 5
pitches up the NE arête we
opted to bivouac at about
6pm.
It did not develop into
a violent storm and we
had a damp but reasonable
night. We got going at
about 6:30am and the cloud
lifted a bit so we could see Chris on Bonatti/Gobbi
Chris in the ice couloir on Bonatti/Gobbi
down to the Brenva glacier. glacier There were fi ve pitches to reach
the top of the Eckpfeiler Buttress and as we started along
the Peuterey ridge the cloud clamped right down again. We
spent quite a time on the fi rst section which was iced up and
by the time we reached the fi nal gendarme before the ice
ridge we had been going for three hours.
In dense cloud, climbing the ice ridge became rather monotonous
as we had no views. As it was quite steep and
icy we pitched the climb, although some steps made by a
party ahead made life a bit easier for us. Higher up the ridge
became more snowy and straightforward, but it just seemed
endless. However we were moving well and we caught up
the party ahead, recognizing three Germans that we had
seen at the Trident – they had made an ascent of the ridge
from Col Peuterey. We followed them to Col Major and then
pushed on ahead towards the summit. I was amazed how
different I felt from just fi ve days earlier when we struggled
to the summit after climbing Route Major. Despite being in
cloud I now felt fi t and confi dent as we reached the summit
at 3:15pm. We descended to the Vallot hut and spent the
night there before returning to the social milieu in Chamonix.
These two routes, climbed within the week, had provided
us with an intense and memorable experience.
I still had a few days of holiday left and after a few days
rest while the weather was mediocre, we were back
on the hill again climbing the American Direct on the
Aiguille Dru. This was another good route, but there
were quite a number of other climbers around and it
didn’t match the sense of isolation and commitment that
we had felt during our ascents of Route Major and the
Bonatti/Gobbi.
Chris Radcliffe

Library Special
What did happen in 1858? Most members know
that the Alpine Club was founded in December
1857. Not a lot of people know that the Alpine Club
started its Library in the next year, 1858. Members and
friends began to send books, accounts of climbs, diaries,
paintings and – because this was soon after the birth of
photography – photos to the Club’s fi rst headquarters in
St Martin’s Place, off Trafalgar Square. The fi rst Library
catalogue with 600 entries appeared in 1880. To fi nd
more space and to create a reading room, in 1895 the
Club moved to Savile Row where it resided for 35 years.
Later the Club moved to South Audley Street and then
Charlotte Road.
The Club’s Library collections contain early books
describing the “discovery” by British tourists of Chamonix,
then a small village in France that was situated
below the highest Alpine mountain, Mont Blanc. We
have narratives of the early ascents including those of
members: Charles Fellows and William Hawes in 1827,
the 18th ascent; John Auldjo on the
19th ascent; Albert Smith on the 40th
ascent in 1851. Over the years members
continued to build the Library’s
collections. Example are memorabilia
of many Alpine ascents including that of
the Matterhorn. “Whymper’s Scrambles
with a Camera”, recently published,
illustrates Whymper’s personal lantern
show of glass plates, 97 in all, with a
commentary by Peter Berg, for some
years our Hon Archivist. The Club also
has a splendid collection of paintings,
many illustrated in the “The Artists of
the Alpine Club”, compiled by Peter Mallalieu. Later, we
have photos of the early attempts on Everest and of the
successful ascent in 1953, announced on Queen Elizabeth’s
Coronation Day.
So, was the event in 1858 important? Simply, “Yes”.
The Alpine Club Library now holds over 130,000 items
ranging from books to paintings, diaries to letters,
photographs to artefacts and the Himalayan Index with
details of ascents of 8,000 peaks. This is an amazing
national heritage, collected, cared for, and curated by
the hard work of many members over 150 years. It is of
international renown as can be seen by the entries in our
visitors book. The books and archives are catalogued
(around 65,000 entries, all accessible on our Club
website, www.alpine-club.org.uk).
We have realistic conservation and storage methods,
developed in conjunction with specialists from the British
Museum. Currently, the Library team are working hard to
put in place a digital image catalogue of our thousands of
photographs and colour slides.
The faith and efforts of previous and current Alpine Club
members has created a Library and Collection of national
and international importance; a source of inspiration to
mountaineers now and into the furture.
Hywel Lloyd, Chairman of the Alpine Club
Library Council
Illustrations of items in the Alpine Club’s collections:
From top L: ‘A dangerous part of the Glacier’, by our member John
Auldjo, Edward Whymper, our member, taken in June 1864 age 25, The
Ascent of the Matterhorn; ‘Arrival at the Summit’; on 14 July, 1865.
Lithograph, drawn by Gustave Doré, Members of the 1921 Everest
Expedition, including Mallory (sitting; far left), First Ascent of the
South-west Face of Everest, 1975. Doug Scott on the summit
photographed by Dougal Haston, Sunrise on the Grandes Jorasses seen
from the summit of Mont Blanc’, Gabriel Loppé (1869).
Whymper’s tent
Local Exhibition Plans
The Library organised the
“Treasures of the Alpine Club”
ex exhibition in London in 2007, attended by
many members for the 150 years
celebrations. We now plan to bring an
updated up compact version of that exhibition
to locations around Britain, fi rstly in the Peak
District/Sheffi eld area. Is there a member
living in that part who can help us check
venues and then assist in this project.
The AC Library seeks to appoint volunteers
Photo Sales Manager: To negotiate by email, fees for limited
reproduction rights of AC historic photographs. Ideal for someone with an
interest in mountain photos.
Hon Treasurer: To organise budgets and payments; to work with our
auditors to prepare annual accounts. The Treasurer will be appointed a
Library Trustee and our Finance Director.
If one of these could be you, please contact Hywel Lloyd who will be pleased to
welcome you and arrange a further briefi ng.

AC Library
‘Exceptional Services’
The AC Library Trustees created an ‘Exceptional Services’ award – for
volunteer services well in excess of normal over many years. Firstly awarded
to George Band who wrote “Summit” and chaired the Library for 10 years and
presented the “Treasures of the Alpine Club” exhibition at Christies, London in
2007. Three further awards have been made.(see below)
(L)The Award
being
presented by
the President to
Anna Lawford
who led the establishment
of
the ACL Photo
Library, setting
up methods
to conserve,
catalogue &
gain reproduction
fees over
10 years.
(R) Richard
Coatsworth
with his Award.
Richard served
as Hon
Treasurer of the
AC Library for
over 10 years
and was a
Trustee for many
years. All this in
addition to his
expert fi nancial
work for the
Club.
Awards
(L) Michael Westmacott at home with his wife, Sally, on
being presented with his award, for twenty-fi ve years
service including as Chairman and Curator of the
Himalayan Index.
Meet the Photo Library team
responsible for the conservation
of the collection of glass plates,
bromide prints and colour slides
– over 40,000 in all - and the
scanning & digitising processes.
From the left: John Cleare, Peter
Rowland, the newly appointed
Hon Keeper of the Club’s
Photographs, Anna Lawford,
Hywel Lloyd, and Harry Melville.
Sue Hare and Martin Hewson
could not be present.

AC ANNUAL DINNER – 1 DECEMBER 2012
The Club's annual dinner will be held on Saturday 1 December 2012 at the
Shap Wells Hotel , Cumbria (CA10 3QU).
Further details are to be announced but essentially they are similar to last year.
The dinner will be preceded by the AGM, and prior to that by the
Former USSR Symposium, both being held at the Shap Wells earlier the same day.
Former USSR Symposium
THE OFFICIAL BOOK
OF
THE HIMALAYAN
TRUST
Everest
1953
� e Epic Story of
the
First Ascent
By Mick Conefrey
PUBLISHED TO COINCIDE WITH THE 60TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASCENT – CONTAINS
PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL
Resolving controversies that have persisted for 60
years – the true story behind one of Britain’s greatest
mountaineering triumphs.
Everest 1953 begins with the intrigues and backstairs
manoeuvring which led to the the sacking of the expedition’s
� rst leader – Eric Shipton, the legendary
mountaineer – and climaxes with the unexpected and
bitter arguments over who actually got to the top � rst.
To address the crucial question of whether Tenzing
or Hillary actually reached the top � rst, Conefrey had
sole use of previously unseen materials, including:
Unpublished material from the expedition's archives
and the National Archives, diaries of several expedition
members and their private letters Signi� cant new
research in Nepal Interviews with participants and
family members
Mick Conefrey is an author and award-winning
documentary � lmmaker. His book, the Adventurer’s
Handbook, is currently in development with Universal
Pictures. In 2002 he made � e Race for Everest for
the BBC. His other books include A Teacup in a Storm
and How to Climb Mont Blanc in a Skirt.
Hardback £20.00
Special AC O� er
AC members can pre-order from
www.oneworld-publications.com
and receive 20% o� using the discount code
ALPINE
Club Communication Update
AC Newsletter/AC Bulletin
� e printed AC Newsletter comes out 3 times a year
-Febuary, July and November - and will continue to
feature such items as the President’s Address, lecture and
meets details, members activities, expedition reports, meets
reports, book reveiews/adverts, membership details, Archive
and Library news etc.
Contact Dick Turnbull dickt@bullhorn.plus.com
As many members will now know the Club has recently
asked Scott Collier to update and develop the electronic emails
that have been circulating irregularly for some time among ‘online’
members. � is now monthly online publication is known
as the ‘AC Bulletin’and is designed to be regular, topical
and keep members up-to-date about Club lectures, meets,
activities and breaking news etc between the three issues of the
printed Newsletter.
Contact Scott Collier sjcollier@gmail.com
The Haute Route from Chamonix - Zermatt
A Special Event
Art exhibition, lectures and
alpine walk
Presented by Brian
Farquharson, International
Mountain Guide
and Janet Johnson Alpine
Artist
FRIDAY NIGHT AUGUST 17TH
Talk on difference between old and new Haute Routes
SATURDAY-SUNDAY AUGUST 18-19TH
Walk up to the Vignettes or Bertol Hut from Grand Hôtel & Kurhaus
Haute Route - an inspiration, talk by Janet Johnson
Photos and Haute Route movie, showing old and new hardwear
www.swissmountainguide.ch
June 16 to September 16 2012 - Art exhibition of Original Watercolours and Oil
Paintings inspired by the Walking and Skiing Haute Route by Janet Johnson
www.janetjohnsonart.co.uk
Friday, Saturday, Sunday August 17th,18 th, 19th
Grand Hôtel & Kurhaus CH-1986 Arolla
Free of charge to Hotel guests
+41 (0)27 283 7000 hotel-kurhaus@arolla.com

Don’t you just hate committees? When I retired from my
job as senior administrator at Loughborough University
I vowed I’d never write another set of minutes again. Hours
spent in stuffy rooms going round in circles when you could be
out on the hill. What went wrong ? – I don’t even get paid for it
now. One of the inherent problems is that it’s very diffi cult to
record discussions if you’re deeply involved in them yourself.
The May meeting therefore went past in something of a blur.
This could be because we chose to discuss a few major
items at greater length, the fi rst of which was the survey of
members, planned to take place in the early part of the summer.
We tried to ensure a suitable balance in the coverage
of different areas of club activity and to avoid concentrating
overmuch on one or two controversial issues of great interest
to a small number of members, while skimping coverage
of strategic issues which generate less heat but of greater
signifi cance to the majority. There was also the impossible
task of devising background text to assist in answering the
questions which does not push the respondent in one direction
or the other. Last and not least, there were arguments
about how responsible it might be to include options which
some members wish to see posed but which the Committee
might believe disastrous or impossible to implement. Is there
an assumption by the respondent that each of the choices
posed are reasonable or at least achievable ? Captain Mick’s
powers of command were severely tested as the storm raged
and the timetable sank without trace. Hopefully someone will
think we got it right.
Next was the Symposium in December on the moun-
Committee News
tains of the former USSR USSR. Getting a lively array of speakers tto
cover the most interesting areas and pacing things appropriately
are essential, but easier said than done.
The system for allocating Climbing Fund grants is also
changing, becoming more fl exible and also providing a means
to relax the rules to allow the funding of ‘exceptional’ expeditions.
The pros and cons of each of the changes needed careful
discussion.
Much of the rest of the agenda could wait until June, but it
was good to note that the applications backlog had been eliminated,
due in particular to the sterling efforts of Tracey Quine
and Richard Nadin.
I have no desire at this point to descend into the murky and
political world of the archives, where hidden agendas lurk to
ambush you on every side, but I did want to comment on the
question in the letter in the last edition lamenting the ‘succession’
of ‘London-based volunteer offi cers’. Of the seven
current offi cers, two of us live in the Nottingham area, four
others in Penrith, the Hope Valley, Oxford and Yeovil respectively,
with a token Londoner (Sorry Jim !) if you count leafy
Chorleywood. Pretty diverse geographically, unless seen from
Scotland or Wales. On the other hand, not a woman amongst
the offi cers since Francoise stepped down. Which reminds
me - anyone fancy a spot of minute writing ? Lots of fun, honest,
wherever you live.
John Town, Hon. Secretary
AC Alpine Guide Books
AC Guide books
from ONLY
£7.00 each
for AC members
-£10 for twin edition
Dolomites Guide
-£20 for Valais East
all prices inc P&P
Contact Iwonna for
details.
(please buy through HQ
as the Club loses least
that way!)

Membership
he BMC have
Trecently run
a Alpine lecture
tour Newcastle,
Manchester,Birm
ingham,Southa
mpton,London,a
nd Bristol. Aimed
mainly at the novice,
the technical
side was handled
by Tim Neil (who
is a guide to my
right in picture)
and the scary
aspirations by Nick Bullock to my left. And I was there too
promoting the AC. We gave away some guide books for the
each night’s raffl ewhich was sponsored by Berghaus. Audiences
averaged around 100 in number and there was plenty
of interest in the AC.
The club was at the Keswick Mountain Festival in May
where, as well as a stand in the event village, we had a
whole evening with Alpine club members in the Rawnsley
Center. Chris Bonington gave a lecture followed by a panel
consisting of Simon Yates , Mick Fowler, Chris Bonington
and the young-gun Andy Houseman who answered
questions from the audience hosted by the ‘font-of-allknowledge’,
Lindsay Griffi n. The evening was topped off
by a lecture given by Mick. Chris attracted well over three
hundred people with the panel drawing in hundred and fi fty
and a similair number for Mick. Im sure the club would like to
extend our thanks to all the members who came along and
helped over the weekend.
We will also be holding a stand at the Cliffhanger show
which is an event in Sheffi eld 7/8 July so if any members
who have published mountaineering books or have mountain
related buisness would like to get their product on the
AC stand please get in touch with me. More to the point, any
New Members: April 2012
Doug Ross-Thriepland Asp Proposer: Tracey Quine
Nathan Drinkwater Asp Proposer: Tracey Quine
Matthew Guy Asp Proposer: Tracey Quine
Doug Spence Asp Proposer: Jerry Lovatt
Jack Wooding Asp Proposer: David Jakulis
Ronan Kernan Asp Proposer: Allister Walker
Hannes Granberg Asp Proposer: John Town
Nicholas Berry Asp Proposer:Richard Nadin
Jakob Pfaudler Full Proposer: Martin Scott
Zachary Poulton Full Proposer: Tracey Quine
Stuart Inchley Full Proposer: David Jakulis
Anderson Partridge Full Proposer: Martin Gillie
Simon Frost Full Proposer: John Town
David Anderson Full Proposer: John Town
Matthew Smith Full Proposer:Richard Nadin
Malcolm Scott Full Proposer:Richard Nadin
Bradley Morrell Full Proposer:Richard Nadin
Jocelin Winthrop-Young, born 25th Oct 1919, passed
away on Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Southern
Germany near Lake Constance where he had been living
since 1963. He was the son of a former President of the
Alpine Club, Geoffrey Winthrop-Young, grandson to William
Cecil Slingsby (who climbed mainly in Norway,) and
author of several books on mountain climbing.
member who wishes to help out at any event, please get in
touch.
The club now has Technical t-shirts at £15, Buffs at £10
availble via me or the offi ce. The Club have the AC logo set
up with our printers so we can print and/or embroider the
logo on a variety of products. If members have any thoughts
on clothing they would like to have with the AC logo (e.g.
fl eeces) it can be arranged but there is a lower limit on number
of items. Let me have your ideas.
Growth. On everyone’s lips recently! The AC is expanding
at such a rate we have trouble processing all the
applicants and getting the membership cards etc out in
good time so appologies to new members who have been
patiently waiting. Moves are well underway to get the admin
side fl owing smoothly by our effi cent Hon Sec John Town.
We have had 71 applications since the AGM and that will
have increased by the time you read this. So ask all members
to look at all their climbing friends and encourage them
to join!
Stuart Worsfold (the scared looking one in the middle! top L)
Alex Reid and Charles Denby take a well earned rest from selling
when the top brass turn up! (Notice it’s beers for the bosses only!!)
New members: May 2012
Joanne Smith Asp Proposer: Mick Fowler
Thomas Wright Asp Proposer: Mick Fowler
Eleri Dawson Asp Proposer: Mick Fowler
Clay Conlon Asp Proposer: Mick Fowler
Bethan Gudgeon Asp Proposer: Mick Fowler
Douglas Hull Asp Proposer: Mick Fowler
Thomas Hunt Asp Proposer: John Town
Michael Fordham Asp Proposer: Mick Fowler
Gregory Annandale Asp Proposer: Mick Fowler
Amanda Beddows Asp Proposer: Stuart Worsfold
Eddie Gapper Asp Proposer: John Town
Michael Bates Asp Proposer: Richard Nadin
David Horwood Full Proposer: Tracey Quine
Catherine O'Dowd Full Proposer: Sandy Allan
David Searle Full Proposer: J. Clapham
Mark Hallam Full Proposer: Mick Fowler
Recommended for Approval
Harrison Lee Full Proposer: Richard Nadin
Brian Clarke Full Proposer: Richard Nadin
Oliver Sanders Full Proposer: Dave Rudkin
Harry Bloxham Asp Proposer: Richard Nadin
John Proctor Asp Proposer: Richard Nadin
Charles Denby Asp Proposer: John Town
Jenna Robinson Asp Proposer: Julie-Ann Clyma
Hugh Robinson Asp Proposer: Julie-Ann Clyma
Nicholas Townsend Assoc Proposer: Richard Nadin
Thomas Riley Assoc Proposer: John Town

Archive Update
The Alpine Club Collections
ost AC members have a good idea
Mof what we have in our collections,
but possibly not such a good understanding
of who uses them, and what
they are used for. The uses are many
and varied, but most will fall into one of
the following categories:
Active climbers researching for
future trips will usually start with expedition
reports, largely but not entirely
from MEF supported expeditions, and
also the maps, guidebooks and extensive
runs of journals which are held
in the Library. Our professional librarians
have always been able to guide
researchers in the right direction, but
having a real climber with experience
in many mountain areas in the position
(Tadeusz) has been a real boost to the
help and advice that we can offer.
Families researching their climbing
ancestors can fi nd information in the
Alpine Register, the Alpine Journal,
and other material held in the archive.
It is very rewarding to help these
people fi ll in details of the lives of their
relatives, often (but not always) being
able to surprise them with the extent of
the material that we have. An interesting
recent case has been the Crace
diary.
Some years ago we acquired the
diary of W.C. Crace, who was lost on
a reconnaissance of Nanga Parba
in 1950. At the time we were unable
to contact his family, who remained
unaware of the diaries existence until
the AC archive index went on-line. Two
Crace family members, working quite
independently, located the diary using
the A2A link at the National Archive,
and have since been able to visit us
and see it. The grateful family generously
funded restoration and digitisation
of the diary. They have digital
copies, but the original remains in our
possession. Unfortunately we have
to disappoint some enquirers whose
ancestors made extravagant claims
about their distinguished careers in the
AC, often allegedly including high offi
ce, and explain that they were never
even members (our membership records
are comprehensive), and probably
better story tellers than climbers.
Signifi cant numbers of our visitors
are students working on a thesis for
a higher degree, and more senior
academics with specifi c related fi elds
of study, usually leading to publications
in the academic press. Topics
for research are many and varied, but
popular perennial subjects include
Mallory and Irvine, and lady mountaineers,
for which the Ladies Alpine Club
archive is a valuable source. We are
also now seeing signifi cant numbers of
fi rst-degree students, who are required
to produce an original dissertation as
part of their course work.
The fl ow of books on mountaineering
- What are they for?
history seems never ending, and the
Alpine Club collections are a regular
source for the authors, amateur or
professional. Almost every English
language book on this subject includes
images from the AC photo library, and
an acknowledgement of the AC collections
as a source. The sale of images
from the Photo Library is an important
source of income for the ACL, helping
fund work on conservation and scanning.
Finally, a recent phenomenon has
been a string of 150th anniversaries
of fi rst alpine ascents. Many of these
have been celebrated by their local
communities, and we have been able
to help by providing copies of accounts
of these fi rst ascents from diaries in
the archive and from the Alpine Journal.
Examples include the Bietschorn
(2009), Grande Casse (2010), Gouter
route on Mont Blanc (2011), and
Monte Viso (2011). The communities
involved have shown their gratitude
by offering hospitality to our members
during their celebrations.
The current Visitors Book in the
Library includes the addresses of visitors
from throughout the UK, and from
no less than 18 overseas countries. In
2012 so far we have welcomed visitors
from Italy, Switzerland, USA, Canada,
France and Ireland. Most of the
overseas visitors, and indeed many of
those from the UK, will also be visiting
one or more other London institutions
such as the British Library, the RGS,
and the National Archive.
Glynn Hughes
German and English
New Swiss Topo Guide from Zermatt to Grimsel
Price: £39.95
Club Appointments
The Club is looking for a member with
professional fi nancial experience to take up
the post of
Chair of the
Finance Committee.
This is a key appointment within the
Club's management structure with the
responsibility of working closely with the
Treasurer to assure the fi nancial health of
the Club and to ensure that it has necessary
mechanisms in place. The Committee
meets several times a year.
Also required:
Chair of the Climbing, Events
and Membership Benefi ts
Sub-Committee
The Club wishes to appoint to this position,
which bears responsibility on the AC
Committee for co-ordinating and supporting
the team of volunteers who organise a
wide variety of events and other member
benefi ts. These are wide-ranging and
include meets, lectures, symposia, publications,
and expedition grants. This is a
vital role and the individual will need to be
enthusiastic, well organised and capable
of empathising with and motivating other
members of the team.
If you have an interest in the
posts or can suggest someone
who may be interested, please
contact me and I can arrange
for further briefi ng.
John Town, Hon Sec.
An AC anchorite speaks....
‘That Chris
Radcliffe on
page 12!
His memory
must have
gone. Now, how
I remember it...’
ZZZZZZ!

Don’t forget your own
‘Member’s Area’ in the
AC website!
If you still have not done so, do register for Alpinet at
http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/alpinet/index.php
you can look up the latest addresses of
members and change your own
details, sign on to circulation lists etc.
ALSO - send in your email address to ensure you
get kept up to date with our regular
AC Email Bulletins.
Send it to admin@alpine-club.org.uk
and Iwonna will include you on the list.
John Town, AC Hon Sec.
Second Hand Books Sales:
From time to time the Library offers a list of surplus books that are for
sale to members. To save costs and delay, we will now do this by e-mail.
If you cannot receive e-mail, then please give the AC Library a note of
your name and current address and we will post any new lists to you.
Availability of World Maps
The Alpine Club has access to a variety of detailed world maps that
are available to Members to help plan their
expeditions to the wider ranges. Typically we have numerous
Russian 1:50,000 to 1:200,000 maps available in
electronic format that can be emailed free to interested parties on
request. Please provide either the map reference
number or the specifi c location and possibly name of the mountain(s)
of interest. The following regions are available:
Himalaya, Karakorum; Hindu Kush; China - Tibet; China - Central;
China - Xinjiang; Pamirs; Fann Mountains; Tien Shan; Altai; Sayan;
Kamchatka; Iran; Caucasus; Turkey; Morocco;
Ethiopia and South America.
Available in paper format are a number of 1:50,000 maps
of the Indian Himalaya.
These are only available for use in the AC Library but may be copied.
Requests for electronic maps should be made to climbing.fund@
alpine-club.org.uk and to our Librarian, Tadeusz, at
library@alpine-club.org.uk for information concerning the
collection of hard copy maps.
AC Services
AC Climbing Fund
sponsored by First Ascent
The AC Climbing Fund supports private expeditions, provided that all participants are AC Members.
Your future private expedition could be on this list! Details and an application form can be found on the AC web site at
www.alpine-club.org.uk.
The awarding committee plans to review applications twice yearly, in March and September,
Grants for
AC members
although there is no specifi c deadline for their receipt. At least three months in advance is advisable. It should be
noted that successful recipients will be ineligible for consideration for additional awards for a period of three years.
Don’t forget to visit the AC website:
AC T-Shirt
The latest AC T-shirt, now in a
‘technical’ fabric i.e wicking, fast drying
etc! This is proper modern clothing
that all discerning AC members should
be wearing! Available only in Charcoal.
Sizes S,M,L (unisex) and Ladies S,M.
Availble through the offi ce or
Stuart Worsfold
sawtreesurgeons@hotmail.co.uk
Price £15