Grant Alert: The American Alpine Club Wants to Fund Your Next Adventure

The American Alpine Club (AAC) is excited to announce that they are now accepting application for six grants: the TINCUP Partner in Adventure Grant, the Cutting Edge Grant, the Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant, the McNeill-Nott Award, the Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grant, and the Rocky Talkie Search and Rescue Award.

AAC climbing and adventure grants have a storied legacy, contributing to significant American ascents across the greater ranges throughout the past 120 years. Today, the AAC strives to support all climbers, from beginners to experts of all ages and all climbing disciplines to pursue their climbing passion. 

• The TINCUP Partner in Adventure Grant, created in collaboration with TINCUP Mountain Whiskey, funds educational opportunities from local guide services for you and a friend to take your pursuit to the next level. Open to duos of all experience levels, the grant will award partners up to $1,000 for the educational opportunity of their choice.
• The AAC has inspired and supported cutting-edge climbing achievements for over 100 years. From funding the first ascent of Mt. Logan in 1925 and the exploration of the Karakoram in 1938 to the 2006 first ascent of Nanga Parbat’s Rupal Face, and the countless expeditions in between, the AAC has stood to encourage climbers to push their physical and mental limits, supported their pursuits, and celebrated their accomplishments. The Cutting Edge Grant continues this tradition, aiming to fund exceptional climbing athletes to pursue world-class climbing and mountaineering objectives. Cutting Edge Grant Awards intend to contribute more significantly towards total expedition costs. Awards will typically fall in the $5,000 to $15,000 range; however, award amounts will vary based on project and budget.
• The Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant and Live Like Liz Award aim to support multi-day splitboarding expeditions with strong exploratory and adventure components. The project objective may focus on a single descent/summit or a tour/traverse of a region. Recipients will receive $1,500 plus a Jones splitboard, skins, and backpack.
• With the untimely death of Sue Nott and her partner Karen McNeill on Mt. Foraker in 2006, The AAC partnered with Mountain Hardwear to establish the McNeill-Nott Award in their memory. This award seeks to preserve the spirit of these two talented and courageous climbers by giving grants to amateur female climbers exploring new routes or unclimbed peaks with small and lightweight teams. Two or three grants totaling $5,000 will be awarded annually to amateur teams that best meet the criteria for pursuing an exploratory objective. The award focuses on projects that have strong exploratory and adventurous mountaineering objectives.
• Started in 1966, Mountaineering Fellowship Grants have long encouraged American climbers ages 25 and younger to go into remote areas and seek out climbs more complex than they might ordinarily be able to do. Unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, and difficult new routes are looked upon with favor. Grants vary by project but typically range between $300 and $800 and help cover travel, gear, or other expenses needed to achieve your objective.
• The Rocky Talkie Search and Rescue Award recognizes search and rescue teams for their invaluable service. Awards will be distributed to four groups. Each winner will be determined based on the applicant’s description of a particularly notable or heroic 2021 rescue operation which illustrates the team’s skill level, passion, and dedication.

The application window for all six grant offerings opened on October 1, 2021. The TINCUP Partner in Adventure Grant application closes on November 8, 2021. The Cutting Edge Grant, Mountaineering Fellowship Grant, the McNeill-Nott Award, and the Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant applications will close on November 30, 2021. Finally, the Rocky Talkie Search and Rescue Award applications will close on January 31, 2022.

Please head to americanalpineclub.org/climbing-grants to apply and learn more about specific application criteria for each grant.

About the American Alpine Club

The American Alpine Club has a storied legacy of funding climbing, conservation, and research projects in North America and around the world. AAC grants have been responsible for encouraging thousands of climbers to dream big and push their limits; for pioneering hundreds of cutting-edge new routes of remote and major peaks around the world; for improving infrastructure at climbing areas across the country; and funding scientific research expeditions that have contributed valuable information to our understanding of the world’s mountain ecosystems. The AAC gives more than $150,000 annually to projects that support the betterment of the climbing community and environment. Learn more and join the Club at: americanalpineclub.org.

Contact:

Eddie Espinosa, Community Programs Director

eespinosa@americanalpineclub.org

Shane Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer

sjohnson@americanalpineclub.org

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