|
Lectures & Events 2008
Northern lectures ,South-West lectures and special events are at the bottom of this page.
For details of meets in the UK and abroad click here.
LONDON LECTURES 2008
Tuesday 12th February - Lecture Meeting. 7.30pm. Mike Grocott
'Everest is our Laboratory - The Cauldwell Xtreme Everest Story'
Our member Mike Grocott, a Senior Lecturer at UCL and Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at Whittington Hospital, London, was the leader of the recently televised pre-monsoon expedition to Everest. The expedition, which comprised a team of doctors and nurses whose aim was to carry out extensive research at altitude designed to improve the treatment of intensive care patients, was accompanied by a BBC camera team. Mike, who was one of the team's summiteers, also provided arterial blood samples and carried out an exercise bike test at 8000m.
Tuesday 26th February - Informal Meeting. 7.30pm. Henry Day. Climbing and Kalashnikovs (part 2)
The 2007 Alpine Club Meet to the Georgian Caucasus. Unlike the 1998 meet, this time the guns were on our side, thanks to the AC Climbing Fund.
Tuesday 11th March - Lecture Meeting . 7.30pm. Carl Riley: "Huayhuash Peru 2007"
Carl Reilly will be talking on his Summer AC Climbing Fund sponsored expedition to the Huayhuash in Peru with three friends where they focused their attention on the eastern side of the 'southern spur' of the Huayhuash (Jaurau, Canicero and Huaraca). Three new routes were completed; the East ridge of Quisillo, the North Ridge of Huaraca, and the North-east Face of Huaraca, with other objectives being abandoned on account of poor conditions.
Wednesday 9th April - Special Lecture. 7pm at the RGS. Mick Fowler: "Firsts Ascents of the Matterhorns of Tibet" Further information
Tuesday 13th May - Lecture Meeting. 7.30pm. Olly Metherell: "The Super 7 Challenge"
In 2006, Oliver, along with Ian Parnell, climbed a new Grade VIII on the Sioux Wall of Ben Nevis. Earlier that year, he was part of a Scottish team that climbed a new direttissima up New Zealand's "Matterhorn". These two routes are part of a mission to pioneer a new route on every one of the seven continents. This lecture covers the whole adventure; from his bizarre action-packed temporary jobs such as road testing 200mph super-bikes to raiding bins with dirt-bagging climbing vagabonds in Chamonix. Combine this with his award winning photography and you have an evening of inspirational entertainment.
Tuesday 10th June - Lecture Meeting. 7.30pm. John Cleare: "
Perspective From High Places"
Member and well-known mountain photographer, John Cleare, will be describing some of the incidents which have taken place in forty years of climbing photography . This will be similar to his presentation given in Sheffield as the 2007 Paul Nunn Memorial Lecture
Tuesday
24th June. Informal Meeting. 7.30pm. Jim Milledge: "Forty something years of altitude medical research"
Jim Milledge will give us his talk on "his life and hard times" combining research into altitude acclimatization, acute mountain sickness and "club climbing" in the Himalayas mostly, but also in China, Africa, Bolivia, Switzerland and the UK. Since his first expedition, the "Silver Hut" in 1960-61 led by sir Edmund Hillary with Griff Pugh as the scientific leader, Jim has been on some 14 expeditions which have a research component.
Tuesday 8th July. Mike Soldner: 7.30pm. "Nanga Parbat 2007"
AC member, Mike Soldner is an up-and-coming young Alpinist from Germany, currently based in Bristol. Together with Carlos Bascou (AC) he was part of the successful Chilean expedition to Nanga Parbat in 2007.
The successful first Chilean ascent was big news (in Chile) last year and the documentary, to be broadcast nationally, will be available for us to see. For more background see the following links:
Expedition Website: http://www.nangaparbat.cl/
Expedition Blog: http://nangabase.blogspot.com/
Tuesday 9th September. George Band - Red Snows 50 Years on
George and Alan Blackshaw are the only survivors of the first group of foreign mountaineers (all from The Climbers' Club) allowed to penetrate the Iron Curtain in 1958 to climb in the Russian Caucasus. Their adventures were recorded in 'The Red Snows' by John Hunt and Christopher Brasher. They befriended Soviet mountaineers in Moscow and the mountains, and in the spectacular Bezingi area climbed Jangi-tau, Shkara and Dych-tau, the latter by a new route adjacent to the classic ascent by Mummery and Zurfluh in 1888.
Tuesday 23rd September. Colin Scott & David Tait - Makalu - A View From Both Sides
Sir Edmund Hillary described Makalu (8463m) as 'without doubt one of the hardest propositions of all'. The presentation will focus on the recent attempt on Makalu by two teams of climbers from the British Services: a team of 10 lead by Suadron Leader David Tait on the North side of the mountain (via the Makalu La) and the 6 man team (led by Squadron Leader Colin Scott) attempting a first British ascent of the South East Ridge (integral).
Tuesday 14th October. James Edwards - Edwardian Adventures (Tales of Modern Alpinism)
Not a historical retrospective, as the title may suggest, but a journey into the climbing adventures of one James Edwards. James has been a keen new router up in Scotland over the last decade and has transferred these skills to tackle adventurous faces as far away as the Himalaya and Southern Alps of New Zealand. During the evening James will take us through some of his new routing trips and discuss the idea that you don’t have to be a superhero to have adventures.
Tuesday 28th October. Hywel Lloyd - High Adventure in Mongolia
This August, a team of ten AC members with 4 friends went to the Altai mountains at the western tip of Mongolia. The Altai are as large as the Alps and nearly as high. Having flown into the capital of Mongolia - Ulaan Bataar - we took a plane back west to Olgii and used jeep-like 4-wheel drive vans to go nearer to the Altai. Then we trekked – using camels to carry our equipment - for 6 days to see the country and meet fascinating local people. Base camp was established next to the Potamin glacier. From there we climbed Malchin 4037m which is on the Russian border with Mongolia. We put a camp on the glacier at 3660m and - despite 2 nights of ferocious storms - found a break in the weather and climbed Huiten - the highest of the Altai at 4356m. Huiten is on the border with China; so, at high altitude, we visited both China and Russia without any visas!
Tuesday 11th November. Ian Smith - Edward Whymper - The Making of a Mountaineer.
An AC Member and a professional librarian, Ian has been working on a biography of Edward Whymper for some while. Whymper kept a detailed diary for six years during his apprenticeship in Lambeth. Now fully published for the first time, Ian will look at what this document tells us about Whymper’s character, his background, his remarkable family and London during the 1850s. This first diary is the only record Whymper left of his life in London, but he kept detailed journals of all his travels. Ian will briefly look at what Whymper chose to record, and what he didn’t, at the important points in his life – the Matterhorn, Greenland, Ecuador - and consider the nature of his, often candid, diaries. Over his life Whymper’s diaries give a hitherto unrecognised picture of an often misunderstood character. The lecture will also promote the launch of “The apprenticeship of a mountaineer: Edward Whymper’s London diary 1855 – 1859,” edited by Ian Smith and published by the London Record Society.
Tuesday 25th November. Paul Knott - Exploring the Chinese Tien Shan
In August this year New Zealand member Paul Knott, together with Guy McKinnon and Bruce Normand, overcame China's Olympics paranoia and gained permission to climb in a virtually unknown part of the Tien Shan mountains. Here they found a wealth of unclimbed 6000m summits, seen until now only in low-resolution aerial shots on Google Earth. He will show slides of these imposing mountains, and talk about the surprises, successes and frustrations of their adventure.
Wednesday 10th December. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Both General and Informal meetings at the club house in Charlotte Road start at 7:30pm, with the bar opening from 6pm. The library is usually staffed by volunteers between 5pm and 7pm. |
Please contact the Administrator if you are interested in giving a lecture to the Alpine Club. |
Informal meetings provide a good opportunity for members to meet one another, and exchange news, views and information. New members and prospective members are particularly welcome. Prospective members are asked to contact the Administrator before attending. |
Alpine Club London lecture organisers are Derek Buckle, Henry Day and Oliver Sherman. |
NORTHERN LECTURES & EVENTS 2008
Wednesday 13 February - Climbing in the Chamonix Area: A Personal History - Malcolm Eldridge
Having climbed in Chamonix for over 40 years Malcolm has amassed enough good slides to illustrate the development of climbing in Chamonix, from the first ascent of Mt Blanc through the Golden Age in the mid 19th century, on to the ascents of big north faces in the 1930s and finally the modern Piola-style rock climbing of recent years. Climbs include the Brenva Spur, Route Major, the Walker Spur and Le Ticket.
Wednesday 12 March - Pakistan Rock - John Arran
Welcome to Crackistan. John & Anne Arran recently returned from the rock spire wonderland of Nangma Valley in Pakistan's Karakorum mountains, having completed two of the most continuously hard big-wall free climbs to be found anywhere in the high mountains.On the 4800m Denbor Brakk they spent seven days climbing capsule-style to free the 500m Czech route 'OBloody Mary¹ and on Zang Brakk, also 4800m, looking to find a free-climbable line up the South-East Pillar. An Austrian team had previously free-climbed to half height (at 7c/5.12d, now thought to be 7b+/5.12c) before running into blind seams. By opting for a variant line (and by climbing two pitches of E6/7, or 7c/5.12d) the British couple were able to continue their free ascent almost to the top of the 400m pillar.John describes rock climbing in Pakistan as "fundamentally the same climbing as you find in Cornwall, Llanberis or Stanage, but with everything on a grand scale". It¹s trad climbing on steroids.The commitment, length and sheer quality of the climbing adventure makes the UK feel a very long way away indeed, which of course it is. There are a few practical differences: last time we climbed at Stanage we weren¹t radioing our progress to basecamp each night; nor were we wondering whether we¹d have to retreat eight pitches later when the cracks all disappeared; we weren¹t even rationing our water to two litres a day including cooking. So maybe it isn¹t like Stanage after all.
Wednesday 15th October. Julian Freeman-Attwood - The Mountains of the Southern Ocean.
Southern Oceans veteran Julian Freeman-Attwood describes his voyages and climbs around Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic Islands and the Antarctic continent, with the Whitbread sailor Skip Novak on his 55ft cutter Pelagic. Freeman-Attwood sails up fjords in Tierra del Fuego with Doug Scott to make the first ascent of an unnamed peak, battles a thousand miles through Force 10 storms to Antarctica to explore and climb in Graham Land, joins an expedition to Cape Renard Tower at the northern entrance of the straits of Lemaire and journeys around and across South Georgia
Wednesday 12th November. Hywel Lloyd - High Adventure in Mongolia
This August, a team of ten AC members and four friends travelled to the Altai mountains in western Mongolia. The Altai are as large as the Alps and nearly as high. Having flown into the capital of Mongolia - Ulaan Bataar - they took a plane west to Olgii and took 4WD vehicles to approach the Altai. Then they trekked with camels for six days to see the country and meet local people. Base camp was established next to the Potamin glacier and from there they climbed Malchin 4037m which is on the Russian border with Mongolia. Putting a camp on the glacier at 3660m and after two nights of ferocious storms, the team were reward by a break in the weather to climb Khuiten, the highest of the Altai at 4356m. Khuiten is on the border with China; so, at high altitude, they visited both China and Russia without visas. But no telling.
Wednesday 12th November. Hywel Lloyd - High Adventure in Mongolia
This August, a team of ten AC members and four friends travelled to the Altai mountains in western Mongolia. The Altai are as large as the Alps and nearly as high. Having flown into the capital of Mongolia – Ulaan Bataar – they took a plane west to Olgii and took 4WD vehicles to approach the Altai. Then they trekked with camels for six days to see the country and meet local people. Base camp was established next to the Potamin glacier and from there they climbed Malchin 4037m which is on the Russian border with Mongolia. Putting a camp on the glacier at 3660m and after two nights of ferocious storms, the team were reward by a break in the weather to climb Khuiten, the highest of the Altai at 4356m. Khuiten is on the border with China; so, at high altitude, they visited both China and Russia without visas. But no telling.
Wednesday 10th December. Martin Wragg - Climbing in North America
Martin will talk about climbing experiences in the USA and Canada during numerous visits over the last 30 years. The climbs will include popular routes and other less well known ranging across Colorado, Utah, California, Wyoming and Western Canada and will focus on outcrops and short mountain routes.
REGULAR NORTHERN LECTURE VENUE: 'Outside Cafe', Hathersage, Derbyshire on Wednesdays at 7.30pm
Anyone who has an interesting trip they are prepared to lecture on is invited to contact Edward Douglas |
SOUTH-WEST LECTURES & EVENTS - 2008
Tuesday 4 March - Mick Fowler: 'The Matterhorns of Tibet' -
Some of the most exciting unclimbed mountaineering challenges in the world lie in the Alps of Tibet. A Chinese interest is awakening. Now is the time to be racing for Alpine Style first ascents of these spectacular objectives. This lecture covers four expeditions since 2002 - to Siguniang, Grosvenor, Kajaqiao and Manamcho.
Saturday 11 October - South West Region Annual Dinner
Battleborough Grange Country Hotel & Restaurant, Brent Knoll, Somerset
Speaker: The Alpine Club President - Paul Braithwaithe.
Cost: £22 (3 courses). 7.30pm for dinner at 8.00pm. 60 places available.
Tuesday 18th November - Dave Wynne-Jones: 'Climbing in the Alps of Tibet'
An account of exploratory climbing & trekking in the Yangmolong massif, north-east of Batang in Western Sichuan, sharing something of the lives of local people.
VENUE: Upper Room of the Nova Scotia, Cumberland Basin, Hotwells, Bristol, BS1 6XJ
The Nova Scotia Hotel is a well-know Bristol landmark, situated at the western end of the Floating Harbour, with ample local parking and good beer. Lectures start at 7.30pm.
Alpine Club SW Regional organisers are Colin Knowles, Tony Westcott and Craig Cook |
OUT OF LONDON MEETS AND EVENTS
Special Events Summer 2008
Thursday, 17th July - Everest evening, 21.00 - Majestic, Chamonix. Free entrance
George Band, Doug Scott, Maurice Herzog and Jean Afanassieff will be speaking in Chamonix at a conference on Everest, partly as a homage to Edmund Hillary. This will also be an opportunity to promote the Club's initiative "Spirit of Mountaineering" which aims to commend mountain rescues where the rescuers abandon their objective in order to help others.
Friday, 18th July - Summer party, Chamonix bringing together AC members and others from a variety of horizons.
If you are planning to be in Chamonix at these dates, come and support George and Doug at the conference and let me know of your presence so we can send you joining instructions to the party! Francoise Call
———————————
Back to Home Page
|