The Alpine club, Shoreditch, London
Image credit: Haus of Hiatus
A treasure trove of incredible artworks depicting famous mountains, the Alpine Club, founded in London on December 22, 1857, holds the distinction of being the world's first mountaineering club.
Since its inception, the club has been dedicated to supporting mountaineers who venture into the Alps and the Greater Ranges across the globe.
While the club organises meetings and lectures in the UK, its primary focus has always leaned towards mountaineering abroad. Its reputation is more aligned with exploratory mountaineering rather than purely technical climbing. Over the years, the club has produced comprehensive guidebooks covering popular Alpine mountaineering regions and maintains extensive libraries and archives for research and historical preservation.
Annual accounts of its members' activities are published in the Alpine Journal, the oldest mountaineering journal globally, reflecting the club's ongoing commitment to documenting and sharing mountaineering experiences. It actively encourages and sponsors mountaineering expeditions, with a particular emphasis on engaging younger climbers.
The Alpine Club's history is rich, tracing back to its founding by a group of British mountaineers who were instrumental in shaping alpine mountaineering during the Golden Age of Alpinism. Notably, the club played a key role in developing early mountaineering gear, including the iconic Alpine Club Rope.
Over time, the club evolved from a London-based Gentlemen's club to a more inclusive organisation, opening its doors to women in 1975. Today, it stands as Britain's senior mountaineering club, boasting a diverse membership and clear membership criteria.
The Alpine Club remains deeply engaged in mountaineering activities, literature, and science, embodying its mission to facilitate mountain exploration, promote climbing ethics, and serve as a platform for international collaboration in the mountaineering community.
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