news blog

Alpine ClubCast 16 – 21st July at 19:30

An Evening with the American Alpine Club: Link Sar First Ascent

The Alpine ClubCasts head across the Atlantic for an evening with the AAC.  Graham Zimmerman, Mark Richey, and Steve Swenson (guest of honour at the Alpine Club dinner in 2017) join us to talk about their brilliant first ascent of Link Sar (7,041m) in the Eastern Karakoram in Pakistan, one of the last great Himalayan problems. 

Link Sar is situated in the Charakusa Valley and sits between the better known K6 and K7.  After Jon Griffith and Andy Houseman’s first ascent of the North West Face of Link Sar West in 2015, a route they named 'Fever Pitch’, and an attempt by Tom Ballard and Daniele Nardi on the North East face, the main peak was finally climbed by Steve Swenson, Graham Zimmerman, Chris Wright and Mark Richey in August 2019.  Steve Swenson, for whom this was the third attempt at the summit, wrote on Instagram after his 2017 attempt: 'It's a complex and dangerous mountain, and we didn't reach the top. But we made a significant effort to find a safe route that avoids the objective hazards. We plan to return so we can finish what we started.'  Join us on Tuesday to hear how they finally did just that.

As usual we will finish with a Q&A

Alpine ClubCast 15 – 14th July at 19:30

Perfect Storm: First ascents on the forgotten side of Mont Blanc

Simon Richardson and Micha Rinn describe recent first ascents of the Diamond Ridge on the Grandes Jorasses and Perfect Storm on Mont Blanc. 

The talk will start with renowned Italian climbing historian Luca Signorelli outlining significant historical events on the Italian side of the range, and finish with a Q&A.

Alpine ClubCast 14 – 7th July at 19:30

The Six Great North Faces Part 2 - hosted by AC

The Rucksack Club and Alpine Club, two of Britain’s oldest mountaineering clubs, combine to take you up the classic six great north faces of the Alps, with accounts from 6 different members. As ticklists go this is short, sweet and an easy one to remember, but containing formidable and historic routes, it's not such an easy one to complete and has become the ticklist for the serious alpinist. It's the Matterhorn, Eiger, Grandes Jorasses; the Petit Dru, Cima Grande di Laveredo, and Piz Badile.  Tonight in part 2, the Alpine Club hosts, as we visit the Petit Dru, Cima Grande di Laveredo, and Piz Badile, with speakers James Thacker, Dominic Oughton and Ian Bryant. 

As usual, we will finish with a Q&A

Alpine ClubCast 13 – 30th June at 19:30

Alpine Rock to Remember

Nick Simons, Nicholas Smith and Richard Ive

After the very popular Alpine ClubCast4, which looked at some of the classic alpine ridges, tonight three Alpine Club members talk about some of Switzerland's most compelling alpine rock routes.

Nick Simons takes us up the 400m shining slab of the Canton Vaud, the Miroir d'Argentine, and Nicholas Smith talks about two lesser known ridges close to Saas, the Cresta del Lago Maggiore and the Jegigrat.  Finally, Richard Ive talks about one of the longest, hardest and finest ridge climbs in the whole of the Alps - the West Ridge of the Salbitschijen.

Aimed at whetting appetites for a future trip, the talks will be followed by a Q&A session.