One of the 2012 Live Your Dream Grant recipients Brian Threlkeld and Paul Clifford in the Cirque de Towers, Wind River Range, WY. Their objective in Wyoming was “to develop a more efficient, light and fast style of alpine climbing in order to prepare ourselves for larger and more complex climbs in the future.”
We’re psyched to announce the American Alpine Club Northeast as the beneficiary of this year’s Ice Fest silent auction. We will be fund raising for the LIVE YOUR DREAM Grant again! The MWV Ice Fest is partnering with the American Alpine Club to support northeastern climbers through the LIVE YOUR DREAM Grant. Here at the Ice Fest we’re always brainstorming how to keep inspiring the Northeast climbing community! We love that the AAC Northeast shares the same goals. And, this ain’t your typical only-for-the-elite grant program either… This is a grant for all of us—for New Englanders and New Yorkers who want to live their climbing dreams, whatever they may be.
About the AAC Northeast LIVE YOUR DREAM Grant, supported by the Mt. Washington Valley Ice Festival: This is a new, locally administered grant for climbers residing in New England and New York. The purpose of the LIVE YOUR DREAM Grant is to fund individuals or small teams in pursuit of their personal climbing dreams. The emphasis of the grant is on projects that have significant positive impact on grantees’ progressions as climbers Examples of types of projects we might fund include (but are not limited to):
- a Northeast climber’s first trip to Yosemite to climb a big wall travel for a boulderer or sport climber to visit an area outside of the Northeast and attempt an iconic problem/route
- a Northeast ice climber who wants to expand their experience in the Canadian Rockies or elsewhere
- a rock climber who wants to learn winter mountaineering skills in New Hampshire, the Cascades, or Alaska
The LIVE YOUR DREAM Grant is supported by the American Alpine Club and local fundraising efforts and is administered by a panel of New England and New York climbers, chaired by AAC Northeast Regional Coordinator Sarah Garlick. Want to learn more about the grant recipients from last year? Check it out here: Northeast Region Live Your Dream Grant Winners
Again, the Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest can’t express how excited we are to support AAC with this great cause. This opportunity to support local climbers in reaching their goals is truly inspiring. We encourage all levels of winter climbers to dream big, apply, and get after it. We can’t wait to report on the trips that were awarded and hear from the climbers themselves at the 2013 MWV Ice Fest . Stay Tuned! We will post announcements about the grant and silent auction here on our blog and on the American Alpine Club website.
While we’re on the subject, have you joined the American Alpine Club? In addition to loads of fantastic member benefits, the AAC is an important and active supporter of the New England climbing community. Just in the past few months, a crew of AAC volunteers rallied to clean graffiti off the top of Cathedral Ledge and the AAC Cornerstone Conservation grant helped CRAG-VT rebuild access to Bolton Quarry after flood damage.