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!
Becoming a MemberSymposia
Below is a list of Alpine Club Symposia.
Organised by members of The Alpine Club, events focus on the mountains of a particular area, or on a specific aspect of mountaineering. Each symposium runs for a whole day and is typically held at a weekend in the Lake District, North Wales or the Peak District. During the day experts on the subject, including top mountaineers from around the world, give a series of illustrated presentations, creating an event that is both informative and inspiring. Take a look at the impressive list of speakers at recent and forthcoming symposia to see why these events are so popular. The symposia are usually open to members at a discount, as well as non-members.
Symposia are particularly useful for anyone planning an expedition or looking for new places to visit. Many expeditions have started in the bar after a symposium; but be warned: these events can be dangerously inspirational!
Events Calendar
Andrew Pollard and Charles Clarke
Tonight Dr Charles Clarke - Kishtwar '65, Kanjiroba '69, Everest SW Face '75 & NE Ridge '82 - introduces Andrew Pollard, Professor of Paediatric Infection & Immunity at Oxford, whom he met as a medical student at St Bartholomew's Hospital in the 1980s.
Andy went on to climb on Jaonli in '88, Chamlang in '91 and Everest in '94, doing high altitude medical research, while developing interests in childhood infections and their prevention. Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford for 20 years, Andy has worked on vaccines in Nepal and Bangladesh. He led the not-for-profit Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine trials in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. This vaccine is now used here and is being distributed widely by COVAX, for global equitable access in millions of doses. Andy will describe how the Oxford vaccine was developed, and with luck indicate how we'll be able to return to the mountains this summer.
As usual the evening will finish with a Q&A.
