Summer 2007 - The Alpine Club of Canada

John Lauchlan Award and ACC team up
BY LARRY STANIER
The John Lauchlan Award
committee, which consists of
Grant Statham, Barry Blanchard,
James Blench, Brian Webster and
Larry Stanier, is pleased to announce
a partnership with the Alpine Club of
Canada. Th e Club has agreed to take over
management of the award’s fi nances.
Th e goal of the John Lauchlan
Award is to promote the development
of Canadian mountaineers at an
international level through the support
of worthy expeditions and mountainous
adventures, which makes the ACC
ACC grants awarded in 2007
Th e Alpine Club of Canada is pleased to award over $9000 in grants this year to a
number of worthy mountain-related projects.
Jen Higgins Memorial Award
● Sarah Hart, Jacqueline Hudson and Luisa Giles have been awarded $6000 for
their project: Ikhatta Karna – Th ree Women on Karakoram Granite. Th is project
proposes a fi rst ascent of the North Ridge of the unclimbed Peak 5700 metres,
which the team has dubbed ‘Hidden Tower.’ Located in the rock peaks lining the
Choktoi Glacier region of the Panmah Mustagh Range of Pakistan’s Karakoram,
this exciting ridge of well-featured granite rises a spectacular 1200 metres from the
valley fl oor. Th is all-women’s climbing team will use a light and fast alpine rock
style approach. Ikhatta karna refers to the Urdu phrase for unity, togetherness, or
team.
Environment Fund
● Th e ACC’s Facilities Trail Committee has been awarded $586 for environmental
protection and access maintenance for Abbot Pass Hut.
● David Lavallee, Don Van Hout, Becky Bristow and Danielle Droitsch have
been awarded $900 for their project Blue Gold, Black Gold: An Athabasca River
Odyssey. In the form of a documentary fi lm, this project aims to give Albertans
an appreciation of the precious water resources they have, and of the need for
preservation of these resources.
● Th e Nordic Cross-Country Ski Club was awarded $400 for restoration and
maintenance of the High Rim Trail, which runs from Kalamalka Lake Provincial
Park to Mission Creek in BC, and is used by hikers, bikers, equestrians and
backpackers.
● Vanessa Kavanagh was awarded $625 for her project that focuses on predicting
the eff ects of climate change on rare serpentine barren plant species within Gros
Morne National Park in Newfoundland.
● Th e Climbers’ Access Society of Alberta was awarded $500 for their project to
conduct fi eld research on bull trout habitat to support improved climber access to
the Ghost River area and to help fund construction of a bridge over a stream bed
known to be trout habitat.
Karl Nagy Award
● Jen Olson was selected as the Karl Nagy Scholarship recipient for 2006. Jen
will attend a week of this year’s ACC General Mountaineering Camp, working
alongside guides fully certifi ed by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.
Already familiar with ACC National Camps, Jen has worked on several including,
most recently, the Marmot Women’s Ski Camp. Already an Assistant Ski, Rock
and Alpine Guide, Jen is working toward her ACMG full Mountain Guide
certifi cation.
Th e annual deadline for grant applications is January 31. For further information and
application forms, visit www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca/funds
is an obvious choice as a partner.
Th is partnership will allow the award
committee to provide tax receipts to its
sponsors and to access funds from Th e
Calgary Foundation.
Th e JLA is supported fi nancially by
Mountain Equipment Coop, Arc’Teryx,
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures, explore
magazine, Integral Designs, Tony and
Gillean Daff ern and Lake O’Hara Lodge.
Nancy Hansen will join the selection
committee as an ACC representative.
Th e 2006 award winners, Jen Olson and
Lilla Molnar, are off to Bulbulimotin,
in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains in
September, 2007 with $5300 of the JLA’s
funding.
Do you have a fantastic trip planned?
Get your applications in by Sept. 1. Th e
2007 award will provide approximately
$6000 toward one expedition.
To learn more, visit the JLA website
at www.johnlauchlanaward.com
Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2007 31