Iowa Mountaineers. The Iowa Mountaineers celebrated their 50th anniversary with a very active schedule in 1990. Membership remained steady at about 1,200 members. Over 2,660 people participated in the club’s various courses, summer mountaineering camps and foreign mountaineering trips.

At Devils Lake State Park, Wisconsin, the club taught 700+ members cross-country skiing in January and February; over 1,400 people basic rock climbing skills on 20 weekends in the spring, summer and fall; while 85 completed one of the eight one-week rock climbing courses. Finally, it instructed 240 members in its fall hiking course. The club bought 40 acres of land near Devils Lake State Park and is raising funds to build a state-of-the-art climbing and training facility.

In March 57 members joined the club’s Grand Canyon Hiking Adventure. In June 35 members participated in the annual Devils Tower, Wyoming, climbing trip, with 82 ascents made on seven different routes. In August Jim Ebert led a group of 36 to Banff National Park in Alberta for a two-week mountaineering camp. Twelve peaks were climbed including Mounts Assiniboine, Andromeda and Athabaska. Perfect weather was enjoyed throughout the entire encampment.

John and Jim Ebert led a group of 52 in July to the European Alps, where perfect weather prevailed. Seventeen peaks were ascended in five countries. These included the Matterhorn and Zinal Rothom in Switzerland; Mont Blanc in France; the Gross Glockner in Austria; and in Italy the Kleine Zinne, Grosse Zinne, Marmolada, Campanile Basso and Dritte Turm of the Sellatürme in the Dolomites. Climbing leaders included Jock Glidden, Hans Steyskai and Robert Wilson from the U.S. plus six Austrians.

In May 140 members from 20 states helped celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary at the Annual Banquet in Iowa City, Iowa. John and Ede Ebert were presented with a 22" × 34" carved wooden plaque for the club’s appreciation to them for founding the Iowa Mountaineers and being its guiding light all these years.

Jim Ebert, Vice-President