1857 – 2007
The mountaineering yearbook, including feature articles, expedition reports,
book reviews, obituaries, arts, history and science.
Richly illustrated, the Alpine Journal is the world’s principal mountaineering
yearbook and essential reading for all who love the mountains, particularly
those who climb and explore in the Greater Ranges and the Alps.
This 2007 edition marks the 150th anniversary of the world famous club.
One hundred and fifty years ago, the Alpine Club was born. It was the first
mountaineering club in the world and as this 112th volume of the Alpine
Journal amply demonstrates, it is still going strong.
AC members have been climbing across the globe – Simon Yates and Andy Parkin
in Tierra del Fuego, Phil Wickens leading an AC expedition in the Pamirs,
Malcolm Bass rounding off the club’s extended courtship of Haizi Shan in
Sichuan, Paul Knott, making the first ascent of South Walsh, highest unclimbed
peak in North America. All these stories are told, plus among others, Ian
Parnell’s eight-day ascent of Kedar Dome’s east face, and a year in the life
of vagabond climber Nick Bullock.
The AC’s 150th anniversary is also an occasion for some critical reflection.
Doug Scott and Ed Douglas weigh in on ethics and money, Peter Gillman looks at
scandals that have soured climbing, and award-winning author Robert Macfarlane
considers our ambivalent response to ‹the wild›.
Ken Wilson, controversialist sans pareil, provides a talking point with a
table of the stand-out climbs on the highest peaks and as a glorious reminder
of 150 years of British mountaineering’s finest moments, we feature the words
and images of Gordon Stainforth’s acclaimed ‹The Crux› exhibition.
A record of notable climbs, region-by-region, over the past year + Reviews +
Paintings and cartoons by Andy Parkin + 150 photographs, nearly all in colour,
and maps.