News

London Book Launch at the AC: The Remarkable Life of George Ingle Finch - 19 January

The Maverick Mountaineer: The Remarkable Life of George Ingle Finch: Climber, Scientist, Inventor.  

Book Launch at the AC Clubhouse in London. AC members are invited to the launch of the new biography of George Ingle Finch by Robert Wainwright.

At: The Alpine Club, 55 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3QF.

On Tuesday 19th January 2016, 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Francis Russell, George’s grandson, will open the evening and the author, Robert Wainwright, will give a short talk at 7pm about George Finch.  There will also be on display a few of George’s artefacts, including his Everest chair, and some photographs. 

In the spring of 1901 a teenager stood on top of a hill, gazed out in wonderment at the Australian landscape and decided he wanted to be a mountaineer. Two decades later, the same man stood in a blizzard beneath the summit of Mount Everest, within sight of his goal to be the first to stand on the roof of the world. George Finch, a boy from the bush, was at the highest point ever reached by a human being and only his decision to save the life of his stricken companion stopped him from trying for the summit. 

George Finch was a rebel of the first order, a man who dared to challenge the British establishment who disliked his independence, background, long hair and lack of an Oxbridge education. Despite this, he not only became one of the world’s greatest alpinists, earning the respect of George Mallory, but pioneered the use of the artificial oxygen that enabled Everest to finally be conquered thrity years after his own attempt. A renowned scientst, a World War I hero and a Fellow of the Royal Society, involved in the development of some of the twentieth century’s most important inventions.

In a fond and fascinating tribute to George Finch (1888-1970), acclaimed biographer Robert Wainwright restores George Finch to his rightful place in history with his remarkable tribute to one of the twentieth century’s most eccentric anti-heroes. 

Join the author and members of George’s family on the 19th January to celebrate the life and times of George Ingle Finch.

 

 

 
 

 
 

Ken Wilson awarded at Kendal Mountain Festival

 
Congratulations to Ken Wilson for winning Lifetime Award for Contribution to Mountain Literature

The Boardman Tasker Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Ken Wilson, a long time influencer of outdoor media and global climbing and mountaineering politics, at the Kendal Mountain Festival, photo by Doug Scott.

Ken Wilson is a leading figure in the global climbing media, editor of Mountain magazine (1969-1978), and publisher and author of many acclaimed outdoor books, including the Hard Rock series and The Games Climbers Play. In 1978, Ken established the Diadem publishing house with Ken Vickers and later went on to found Bâton Wicks.

Meets: Moroccan Anti Atlas - October 2015

Approaching the Multiple Pillars of Pleasure

October 2015 saw the first Alpine Club meet in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas. The group was based at the Kasbah Tizourgane. Climbing took place in the region north of Jebel el Kest near Ida Ougnidif and in the Afantinzar and Samazar Valleys.  This is a stupendous area, with huge potential for adventurous climbing and numerous well documented climbs on a variety of crags.

Ed Douglas Awarded Best Mountaineering Article Oct 2015

 
Congratulations to Ed Douglas for winning Best Mountaineering Article at Banff.

Ed Douglas receiving the Mountain Article Award from Professor Stephen Slemon at the 2015 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, photo by Rita Taylor, the Banff Centre, Canada.

Read more .....

 

Expedition: Aug 2015 Katkar Nala - supported by Climbing Fund


The aim of our expedition was to complete first ascents of peaks at around 5,900m in the Greater Himalaya, in the Zanskar / Ladakh region of northern India. We also sought to plan and carry out everything independently; to pursue Alpine style /  mixed snow and rock routes; and to summit some of the remaining unclimbed Zanskar peaks.

 

AC President, Lindsay Griffin, writes to Nepal's Ministry of Tourism

23rd September 2015


To the Ministry of Tourism, Nepal


It has come to the attention of the Alpine Club that there is a proposal for foreign trekkers in Nepal to be required to hire at least a guide or a porter. We acknowledge the role played by local guides in bringing a deeper experience to the trek. However, we also recognise there needs to be freedom of choice, and would like the Ministry to be aware that there are a number of British trekkers who do not employ guides or porters when visiting mountain areas. We believe that if they are required to employ a guide or porter, many of these people will decide not to visit Nepal, and instead go elsewhere to trek, or for their mountaineering.


Independent trekkers bring considerable extra income to the local communities, and with Nepal currently trying to re-build its market following devastating earthquake damage, the timing of this proposal seems inappropriate. We believe that if trekkers of any nationality are able to come to Nepal without the explicit need to hire guides or porters, there will be an appreciably greater number visiting the country, and with this greater economic benefit.

Yours Faithfully
Lindsay Griffin, President of the Alpine Club.

Expedition: Sep 2015 Muzkol Tajikistan - supported by Climbing Fund

 

In 1940, a Soviet military officer visited the Muzkol range’s AkBaikal valley, gazed up at the five peaks of the ridgeline and declared “the passage of this route would have done credit to any master mountaineer”. In the intervening years just one expedition had attempted any of the peaks and so our team of five set out to try and prove ourselves as master mountaineers. 

Terence Goodfellow

Glyn Hughes writes: I am sorry to have to tell members of the death of our member Terence Goodfellow. Terence had been an AC member since 1962, introduced to the Club by his father Basil Goodfellow, an AC Hon Secretary, who also started Terence on his alpine career.
Terence was a President of the Cambridge University Mountaineering Club, and while at university was member of an expedition to Baffin Island.
In 1968 he was a member of a team who climbed Miangul Sar in Swat Kohistan. We believed this to be a first ascent, but later discovered we had been pipped to the post by an Austrian party who climbed it from the opposite side. At least ours was a new route.
Terence was a regular attender at AC lectures until quite recently when his mobility became restricted.