The Club has recently been informed of the death of Ian Clarke, who passed away on 24 March 2024. Ian was a long-standing member of the Alpine Club, having joined in 1975 as an Aspirant Member and graduated to Full membership in 1982.
Our thoughts are with Ian's friends and family at this time.
Associate AC member Fi Bunn has had her work, 'The Matterhorn Fire', commended as a finalist in the John Muir Trust's Creative Freedom Exhibition. The exhibition, which runs from 18 March - 25 May 2024 at the Trust's Pitlochry Wild Space Visitor Centre, features works in a range of media, including paintings, comic books, photography, movement art, and VR. The included works were selected from over 600 entrants related to the Trust’s belief that society thrives when wild places are given the freedom to repair themselves.
'The Matterhorn Fire' by Fi Bunn
Writing on her website, Fi commented: "In the winter, the Matterhorn presents the well known image of snow and ice on a stunning, iconic peak popular with skiers. In summer, the mountains are now scored with grey as the ice retreats. The glacial tracks are disappearing at 25 metres per year. This is almost unnoticed in a single year, but over the past 2 years Swiss glaciers have reduced by 10%."
For those who can't make the exhibition in person, The Trust have provided a digital gallery of the selected works.
AC member and Mount Everest Foundation Chair Rebecca Stephens, the first British woman to summit Mount Everest, presents a new five-part series for BBC Radio 4 which examines how the mountain is managed a decade on from the 2014 earthquake disaster which claimed the lives of sixteen Sherpa workers.
Speaking with commercial operators, mountaineers, including Sir Chris Bonington, and a number of Nepalis who work on or study the mountain, Rebecca deftly investigates what has and hasn't changed since that tragic day in 2014 and looks forward to how the continuing demand for guided summits looks set to shape the future of Everest and of Nepal.
'The Everest Obsession' premiered on BBC Radio 4 in April 2024 and is available to listen to on-demand via the BBC Sounds App.
AC member Polly Townsend has been awarded second prize in The 2024 Derwent Art Prize for her work 'Ice, Antarctica'. Her work, composed in charcoal, ink and watercolour, was among five awarded pieces selected from over 6,000 entries.
Townsend's Prize-Winning Work - 'Ice, Antarctica'
The work was inspired by Polly's residency in Antarctica in January 2023 and was commended by the selectors both for its "technical perfection and mastery" and "its silent yet commanding presence [which] prompts reflection on the fragile beauty of the Antarctic landscape juxtaposed against the stark reality of its melting ice cap."
The Derwent Art Prize, established in 2012 by art materials manufacturer Derwent, offers prize money and exposure to "the very best artworks made in pencil". In 2024, the five awardees received a total of £13,000 in prize money and art supplies.
An exhibition showcasing the 68 shortlisted works, including Polly's, is free to visit at gallery@oxo from 11AM-6PM from 4-13 April and from 11AM-2PM on the closing day, Sunday 14 April 2024.
We have received the sad news that John Colton died on 27 March. An accomplished artist and mountaineer, John had been a member since 2013 and last year mounted an exhibition at Charlotte Road, playfully titled ‘Over the Hill’, of scenes sketched during his most active years in the Alps and recreated in watercolour during 2022.
During the UK COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, John was one of the speakers at our ClubCast on Artists of the Alpine Club. You can watch a recording of the event below.
John’s funeral will be on Friday 19 April at 09:45 at Park Wood Crematorium (Elland) and a celebration of his life at Old Rishworthiens RUFC (Copley).
The UIAA (The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) has launched a new podcast for 2024. 'Mountain Voices', produced and presented by AC member Tarquin Cooper, provides a platform for experts from the UIAA and renowned figures from the world of mountaineering to discuss important contemporary topics.
In the third episode of the current series, Tarquin is joined by Korean climber and anthropologist Young Hoon Oh and AC members Ed Douglas and Victor Saunders to discuss the development of Everest over the past 100 years and the current challenges facing the management of the mountain.
You can listen to the episode here or by subscribing to Mountain Voices via your podcast app of choice.
The club has learned of the death on 26 February of Christopher Marshall. He joined the club in his sixties and was a member for thirty years.
The Club has recently learned of the death of AC member and Scottish mountaineering stalwart Robin Campbell. Robin's contributions to mountaineering are too numerous to list, but he has been a loyal servant of both the SMC and AC, carrying out often unsung work to ensure the preservation of mountain heritage. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.
There will be a private funeral for Robin near his home in Fintry, Stirlingshire. A celebration of his life will take place at a later date. Further information will follow when known.
The Club was saddened to learn of the death of long-standing AC member Tony Smythe. Tony had been a member of the Club since joining the ACG in the 1960s. As well as being the son of noted Himalayan mountainner Frank Smythe, Tony was an accomplished climber in his own right and also a successful author, penning 'My Father Frank' and the iconic 'Rock Climbers in Action in Snowdonia' with fellow AC member John Cleare.
Tony died in Kendal on 24 February. His funeral will take place at 11am on Monday 18th March, at Beetham Hall Crematorium, Beetham, Milnthorpe LA7 7BQ. All are welcome. If planning to come please contact Simon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We have recently learned that ACG member Gareth Shellard sadly died on 29 January as the result of a climbing accident. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family at this difficult time.
The Club was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Bernard Newman. Bernard had been an AC member since 2012 and was a former editor of the Alpine Journal.
There will be a get together in memory of Bernard at The Grouse Inn in Keighley from 12:30 - 17:00 on 18 March.
The club has received news that Mike Mortimer has died following an accident at Murla.
More details will follow.
We are saddened to announce the death last August of Bill Crawshaw, a member since 1960
Members will be saddened to learn that Denise Evans died on 25 November, peacefully with her family. Denise was President of the Alpine Club in 1986, the only female President in the Club’s history.
We have received the sad news that Dave Parsons died on 16 November. He was elected to the club in 1980.
We have recently learned of the death on 8 September of Jonathan Lee. He had been a member of the club since 1988
The club has received the sad news that Audrey Salkeld died on 11 October. Audrey had been a member since 1978 and was made an Honorary Member in 2022 in recognition of her enormous contribution to mountaineering journalism, literature and film.
We are sad to announce the death on 30 September of David Baldock, a member for almost 50 years who contributed a great deal to the club.
We are saddened to learn of the death on 17 May 2023 of Professor Sir Brian Smith, a member since 1982.
We are saddened to announce the death on 26 June of Johanna Merz. She joined the club in 1986 and was Editor of the Alpine Journal from 1992 to 1998
