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Harlin Route Receives First Winter Ascent

Harlin Route Receives First Winter Ascent

Between January 12 and January 16 2022, Léo Billon, Sébastien Ratel and Benjamin Védrines made the first winter ascent of the Harlin Route on the north face of the Eiger. All three are members of the Chamonix GMHM and the military organisation confirmed the ascent via a post on its Facebook and Instagram pages in which it was indicated that the team had climbed in alpine style, with four bivouacs indicated on the route.

Further details are available at Climber.co.uk.

                                                               

 

 

 

2021 Piolets d'Or Nominees Announced

The recipients of the 2021 Piolets d'Or, honouring routes achieved in 2020 have been announced. Due to the pandemic, it was obviously a difficult year for exploratory mountaineering and the judges have sought to reflect this in the ascents they have chosen to award.

'Running in the Shadows' on Mount Robson's Emperor Face and 'Revers Gagnant' on Sani Pakkush are both to receive mountaineering's highest accolade, while Silvia Vidal has also been recognised for her impressive resumé of solo big wall first ascents.

'Running in the Shadows' was climbed by Alpine Club member Uisdean Hawthorn and American Ethan Berman. Although at a lower altitude than routes typically awarded by the committee, it was felt that given the special circumstances of the pandemic and the impeccable alpine-style in which the route was achieved, that it was very much worthy of recognition. You can hear Uisdean discuss the route in the Alpine ClubCast 'Bagpipes and Blagging' which we broadcast in January of this year.

At a more familiar height for the Piolet d'Or, 'Revers Gagnant' was climbed by the French team of Pierrick Fine and Symon Welfringer after they were forced to relocate their planned autumn expedition from Nepal to the Karakoram. Their new line tackled the mountain via its south face and southwest ridge to achieve the second ascent of this summit.

Greater detail on the routes and recipients can be found via the Piolets d'Or website.   

 

 

Thanksgiving for Rick Allen

A service of thanksgiving will be held for Rick Allen on the 28th August in Aberdeen. All are welcome to attend and the service can be joined digitally here.
 
Those with memories or photographs of Rick that they would like to share are encouraged to do so using the details provided with the invitation below.
  

Alpine Club Launches ‘Women Rise Up’ to Mark 150th Anniversary of Groundbreaking Year in Female Mountaineering

      

The Alpine Club has opened applications for attendees to join a trip to Zermatt, Switzerland to travel and climb in the footsteps of Lucy Walker and Meta Brevoort who, in 1871, made the first female ascents of a number of iconic European peaks, including the Matterhorn, Weisshorn and the Dent Blanche.