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NewsNet news - January 25, 2007

Final new route request for the American Alpine Journal 2007

Request for memories of Brad Washburn

Greetings! We hope that the New Year brings big mountain plans for 2007. And we hope that you will remember one more time the climbs of 2006. The American Alpine Journal needs to hear from you and your new-route climbing friends!

If you have already sent us your report, I hope you received a prompt thank you for your kindness. If you did not get a thank you note, please tell us immediately—we don’t want to lose your mail! Contributors of photographs will receive a copy of the AAJ 2007 this summer. And we hope all contributors can view the AAJ Online this spring.

Please consider forwarding this letter to your friends who have climbed a big new mountain route in 2006. The best way for us to find all the world’s new routes is with the help of people like you who know what is really happening in the mountain world.

We also want to ask if you have any memories of being inspired to climb a new route in Alaska or elsewhere after seeing one of Brad Washburn’s famous black-and-white photographs? As you probably know, Brad Washburn died on January 10, at age 96. His photographs of the Alaska Range have inspired many climbers around the world. We want to hear from people who climbed a new route after studying a Brad Washburn photograph, or after corresponding with Mr. Washburn. If you had such an experience, please send us a few sentences or paragraphs—we will try to publish your souvenir in the American Alpine Journal or the AAJ Online.

If you climbed a new mountain or big-wall route in 2006 and you have not told us, PLEASE write back as soon as possible! We want the AAJ 2007 to be as complete as possible, and we can only accomplish this with your help!

You are probably familiar with the American Alpine Journal, but here is a quick reminder: The AAJ tries to be the world’s “journal of record” for documenting significant new climbs. We seek reports on all NEW long routes worldwide. We typically define “long” as a full day or more on the climb itself. We sometimes report a repeat ascent if it was on a highly significant peak or route that has not been climbed in many years; if there have been major changes in conditions on the mountain; if the style is new (example: first free ascent); if the ascent was exceptionally fast; if it was the first winter ascent (but only of major routes); or if the report supplies vital information for future climbers. We do not publish reports on first “national” ascents (for example, the first American or Italian or Japanese ascent). We also don’t cover first women’s ascents, handicapped climbs, or other special recognitions. Sometimes, however, we break our own “rules.”

Our complete guidelines are at: www.americanalpineclub.org/pages/page/47

Please forward this email to all of your new-routing friends!
Thank you,
John Harlin, Kelly Cordes, Lindsay Griffin, and Dougald MacDonald