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AAC's 2025 Impact Report

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  • American Alpine ClubA

    At the AAC, we believe in the power of climbing to change lives. We are driven by the potential to support our members deeply, to use the AAC’s expertise and legacy to deliver resources that climbers can lean on, and that’s why we are so proud of this Impact Report. Each grant recipient we inspired, each lodging guest we launched into adventure, each climber who has learned how to climb a little more safely through our publications—this is what drives our work.
    How does it all break down?
    Here’s how we’ve met the needs of the AAC community this year.
    Donate today and support the AAC’s work. Just like putting in the work on your climbing project, or that long hike to an obscure alpine adventure, we all know that it takes dedication to progress in climbing. It is the dedication of donors and supporters like you that helps the AAC progress in our work—so thank you!

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    AAC's 2025 Impact Report — American Alpine Club

    At the AAC, we believe in the power of climbing to change lives. We are driven by the potential to support our members deeply, to use the AAC’s expertise and legacy to deliver resources that climbers can lean on, and that’s why we are so proud of this Impact Report. Each grant recipient we inspired,

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    American Alpine Club (americanalpineclub.org)

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  • American Alpine ClubA

    The Prescription—Short Fall to Ground

    General News climbing
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    American Alpine ClubA
    It’s March, and climbers all over North America are getting ready for some spring cragging. It’s time to inspect your rack…and rope. When it comes to the latter, there’s an old adage that says: Ropes don’t break—they cut. This maxim provides some comfort, as how often do sharp objects truly come into contact with your rope? Before you draw any conclusions, however, check out this accident from May 2024, which appeared in the 2025 edition of Accidents in North American Climbing. On May 11, 2024, Tom Neary and his younger brother Paul were checking out a new boulder. On top, they tied their 9.5mm dynamic rope to a tree. This created two rope lengths, with both ends reaching the ground. This configuration allowed them to rappel simultaneously, with each of them cleaning moss and dirt from the 20+-foot-high boulder. The first 10 to 12 feet of the rock were overhanging. At the lip, the angle dramatically kicked back. The juncture of the overhang and slab was a straight and horizontal edge whose exterior angle was around 60 degrees.   While on rappel and cleaning below the lip, Paul slid sideways. The brand-new rope, tensioned under body weight, was pulled across the edge. It was cleanly severed. The younger Neary fell four feet, landing on flat rocks below the boulder. Fortunately, he suffered only minor injuries. It’s never a good idea to run a rope, especially a dynamic rope, over an acute edge. While these climbers felt that the lip was not extremely sharp, they did not account for the motion of the sliding rope. On occasion, a climber might fall or lower over a sharp edge, but the force is not often concentrated on the isolated radius of a loaded rope. In this case, the side-to-side motion acted like a saw blade.  There have been several fatalities when a tensioned rope, often with a climber jumaring on one end, was severed over an edge. By way of experiment, one can saw through a tensioned rope across the edge of a brick (a mere 90-degree angle) in less than a minute.  Just like runnering, avoiding a cut rope takes a keen eye and the ability to predict where nylon might contact an edge or rough spot. When in doubt, use a rope sheath/rope protector or improvise with a T-shirt, jacket, or pack. Athletic tape can be used, if needed, to hold the edge guard in place. (Source: Tom Neary and the Editors.) Pete and Jason are back to explain the consequences of a rope running unprotected over an edge, and provide some tips on how to avoid injuring your rope and yourself. *This is a recreation of the accident. No climbers were harmed in the making of this video, only one rope. Credits: Pete Takeda, Editor of Accidents in North American Climbing; IFMGA/AMGA Guide Jason Antin; Producers: Shane Johnson and Sierra McGivney; Videographer: Foster Denney; Editor: Sierra McGivney; Location: Tunnel 1 Boulders, Clear Creek Canyon, Golden, CO In the recent edition of the AAC’s Guidebook, Pete Takeda sits down to give us the details of the intricate work behind Accidents in North American Climbing. The interview walks us through the process of making the book, the history of the publication, and the challenges facing this impactful publication. “I’ve been a reader of ANAC since I started climbing. I never imagined I’d become the editor but here I am, five years into the job and working with a great team at the AAC,” says Pete. Read the interview in Guidebook XVII. https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2026/3/18/the-prescriptionshort-fall-to-ground
  • American Alpine ClubA

    The Prescription—Free Solo Fall

    General News climbing
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    American Alpine ClubA
    Besides being prime time in the high country, summer is a high-traffic season for alpine rock and long moderate climbs. This time of year, climbers of all levels venture unroped onto “easy” terrain. Every year, we also see a handful of free solo accidents. These are almost always fatal and usually take place on well-trafficked moderate routes. A disturbing pattern emerged last year when several fatalities occurred on adjacent formations in the same area. Recently, the Flatirons above Boulder, Colorado, saw three fatalities, two within two days in mid-December. On December 16, 2024 the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office received a report that 42-year-old Keith Hayes did not return home that evening. Around 9 p.m., friends of Keith found his body near the top of Second Flatiron after he presumably fell while unroped from Freezeway (5.7). Friends of Hayes report that there was no sign of snow or ice on the route and that there was no sign of broken rock contributing to the fall. The day after, December 17, a 27-year-old male was reported missing after not returning home in the evening from a Flatirons climb. The Boulder Emergency Squad found the body of the missing male the next day on the Standard East Face route (5.4) on the Third Flatiron; he was presumed to have fallen unroped. Rocky Mountain Rescue Group recovered the body after an eight-plus-hour operation. “Scrambling” blurs the line between third-class (easy unroped climbing) and fifth-class technical climbing. While the grade of the actual climbing is often anywhere between 5.0 and 5.6, the terrain is climbed unroped and is usually accompanied by consequential fall potential. A search of the Accidents archive reveals 33 accidents in the Flatirons described and analyzed by the editors (including 11 deaths) since the 1950s. Many of these were the result of unroped climbing. The editor of Accidents in North American Climbing, Pete Takeda, walks us through why free soloing or scrambling accidents are so prevalent in this area. Pete Takeda, Editor of Accidents in North American Climbing; Producers: Shane Johnson and Sierra McGivney; Videographer: Foster Denney; Editor: Sierra McGivney; Location: Flatirons, Boulder, Colorado. Freezeway is a steep, alternate finish to gain the summit of the Second Flatiron after completing one of several low-angle east face routes. Keith Hayes was very experienced and had climbed this route without a rope many times before his fall. The Standard East Face of the Third Flatiron is one of the most popular beginner climbs in the U.S. and is frequently climbed unroped. The accidents shocked the local community, and the timing and proximity of both fatalities gained national attention. These tragedies serve as a reminder of the inherent risks of free solo climbing. Experience and fitness do not guarantee survival, and familiarity can degrade attentiveness. (Source: Friends of Keith Hayes and Bill Kinter.) https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2025/8/12/the-prescription
  • climber-magazineC

    Lara Neumeier gets first female ascent of Psychogramm (Trad 8b+)

    General News climbing
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    climber-magazineC
    German climber Lara Neumeier, has made the fourth repeat – the first female ascent - of the trad-route Psychogramm at Bürser Platte, in the Vorarlberg region of Austria. https://www.climber.co.uk/news/lara-neumeier-gets-first-female-ascent-of-psychogramm-trad-8b/
  • GrippedG

    New Mixed Routes in U.S., Canada and Europe

    General News climbing
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    157 Views
    GrippedG
    Climbers have been busy establishing new test-piece mixed climbs in popular winter climbing mountain ranges The post New Mixed Routes in U.S., Canada and Europe appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/new-mixed-routes-in-u-s-canada-and-europe/
  • GrippedG

    Dean Potter’s Crazy Yosemite V10 Highball

    General News climbing
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    GrippedG
    King Air is one of America's most iconic tall boulders, watch the first ascent below The post Dean Potter’s Crazy Yosemite V10 Highball appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/profiles/dean-potters-crazy-yosemite-v10-highball/
  • IFSCI

    Making Speed Climbing history 🇰🇼 🇹🇭 | Seoul 2024

    Videos climbing ifsc
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    IFSCI
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4qxV3wZBWs
  • GrippedG

    Climber Did a Backflip on Summit of Everest

    General News climbing
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    GrippedG
    A look back at what's gone down on the world's highest mountain in 2024 - as a team of three prepare to ski from the summit The post Climber Did a Backflip on Summit of Everest appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/climber-did-a-backflip-on-summit-of-everest/
  • climbingC

    Can Climbing Outrun Its Own Elitism with Inclusive Gym Pricing?

    General News climbing
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    climbingC
    Indoor climbing has gotten so expensive that the American Alpine Club officially considers it an "access issue." Is there anything we can do to stop climbing from becoming an elites-only pursuit like skiing or golf? https://www.climbing.com/places/climbing-gyms-are-too-expensive/