A.A.C., Central Rockies Section

Publication Year: 2001.

AAC, Central Rockies Section. The Central Rockies Section was a sponsor of the Ouray Ice Festival 2000, held on January 14-16. We donated $300 to the Ice Park for their annual efforts of ice farming, safety, and maintenance. The crowd seemed as large as last year with more corporate support and vendors showing their wares. The conditions were a balmy 40 degrees, and the ice was running, wet, and plastic. It made for an enjoyable outing for those not into arctic conditions. Most of the natural ice in the surrounding hills was unavailable or unsafe. The CRS wishes to be progressive and in touch with many local events and hopes that these types of outings will encourage members to attend and help out.

The Section held its annual banquet/fundraiser on April 29 in Boulder at the Angel Pines Country Club. Ninety people attended and received party favors, participated in both a live and silent auction, and enjoyed a great Corey Rich slide program hosted by Miles Smart. The affair displayed a portion of the AAJ Photographic Collection, large color glossies from last year’s Journal. The evening slide program, entitled “The Tortoise and The Hare,” captured the ascent of El Capitan by two different teams: Chris McNamara and Miles Smart as The Hare and Bob Porter and Martin Avidan as The Tortoise. The show is a creative and entertaining exploration of modern big-wall climbing in Yosemite. With stunning photos by Corey Rich, audio from National Public Radio contributor Jason Paur, and narration by Tom Frost, it puts you on the wall with the team. Whether setting a record ascent of just over seven hours on the Zodiac or enjoying (and suffering) four days of the normal pace on the Nose, anybody who has spent time climbing a wall can appreciate the stories that take place in “The Tortoise and the Hare.” The evening was supported by many gear and climber organizations as well as other generous contributors. The event raised over $2,000 to support the Section in its funding of climber activities and events.

On July 7-9, the Section attended its first International Climber Festival in Lander, WY. The weekend event was busy, fun, and hectic. The AAC had one of about 18 booths that were set up for the vendor program Friday. Sales of our canvas AAC shirts and fleece vests were slow, probably owing to the 90-degree heat. On Saturday morning, Mountain Hardware hosted the free breakfast at Wild Iris crags. The main event was short films from the Mountain Film Festival, which captivated the 500-plus audience at the high school auditorium. On Sunday morning, after the Trango pancake breakfast, Greg Sievers, the CRS chair, moderated a “climber issues forum.” The panel included government agencies: the U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Fish and Game, and Bureau of Land Management; and climbers Jim McCarthy, a Past AAC President, and Rick Thompson from the Access Fund. The festival was a great success, in part due to the City of Lander’s support. Our Section looks forward to attending next year.

Greg Sievers, Section Chair