The Alpine Club, the world’s first mountaineering club, was founded in 1857.  For over 150 years, members have been at the leading edge of worldwide mountaineering development and exploration. 

With membership, experienced and aspiring alpinists benefit from a varied meets programme, regional lectures with notable guest speakers, reduced rates at many alpine huts, opportunity to apply for grants to support expeditions, significant discounts at many UK retailers, extensive networking contacts, access to the AC Library and maps - and more! 

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We are saddened to learn of the death on 17 September of Richard Sykes, who had been a member for 50 years.

Tributes  

#2 Mike Esten 2021-09-28 09:38
I first met Richard in March 1970 whilst ski-mountaineering in the Pennine Alps and I climbed on foot and on skis with him in the Alps on many occasions thereafter.
He was a member of the Manchester Expedition attempting the first ascent of Masherbrum in 1957 together with Walmsley, Whillans et al, and from which Bob Downes sadly did not return. In 1972 he was a member of the British Alpine Ski Traverse led by Alan Blackshaw from Kaprun, Austria to near Gap, France requiring some 6 weeks of endurance.
Richard was a man of integrity and reliability. In discussion once about risky situations in climbing, I remember another AC member saying to me words to the effect that, had he ever to be in a tricky situation in the mountains, there was no-one that he would prefer to be with than Richard Sykes.
I feel it an honour to have been proposed by Richard for AC membership.
Mike Esten
#1 Robin Quine 2021-09-26 16:37
I climbed with Richard in the Alps and Britain over a period of more than fifty years. We skied together on many occasions including the Haute Route twice. Dick was a fine rock climber and climbed the Old Man of Hoy several times with Mike Banks so Mike could claim being the oldest person to do it. I last saw him at his Bristol residential home about a year ago, working on his memoirs.

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