A.A.C., New York Section. The highpoint of the year’s events for the New York Section was the annual dinner, with Gaston Rébuffat as principal speaker. A capacity gathering of 150 attended the black-tie affair at the Union Club on October 1, attracted by the first visit to the United States in 15 years of famed French climber and author Gaston Rébuffat. The event marked the first showing in this country of Gaston’s beautiful, prize-winning film, Les Horizons Gagnés (To Touch The Sky), narrated in English by the author.

New features of this year’s dinner were a special menu highlighted by salmon flown in from Alaska just for the occasion, courtesy of an anonymous benefactor; an art and photography exhibit featuring the works of local members Olaf Sööt, Louis Bergmann, and Anthony Horan; and various door prizes including a guided climb with Rébuffat himself, won by Garrett Bowden.

The dinner was held as a benefit for the Clubhouse Improvement Fund and netted a record $3300, which will be used to finance a number of much needed improvements to the facility.

Philip Erard, Chairman