Early memories of AAC(UK)
by Jacky Brown
At the end of 2 years in Kenya, an experience of life-threatening cold in the snows of Mt. Kenya, made me ask fellow members of the Mountain Club of Kenya how I could learn about safe travel in snow and on glaciers. They said "Join the Austrian Alpine Club and go on their Rock and Ice Course". So on returning to UK in Sep 1970 I set about finding out how to join.
I headed for an AAC London lecture to find out more, and was given a warm welcome and advised to wait until January to join as subs were for a calendar year. Even so I managed a couple of meets in 1970, and especially remember the Stair meet. Gill Evans ensured we were in correct dorms in the hut and supervised the mass cooking of Saturday dinner as well as leading the walks. Belinda Swift was there, enthusiastically telling us about the cottage in Wales which she had just bought. Ted Jackson and Bob Stewardson were there too and encouraged my enjoyment of an excellent cider in the cosy bar of Swinside Inn.
Stair was a luxurious hut compared with some I stayed in during those early years. The norm was to car share from London leaving after work and heading to the Lakes or Wales, taking 5 or 6 hours. I recall one hut where we had to climb a ladder to a big matratzenlager in the roof. I woke next morning to find a beard in my face which definitely wasn’t there the night before!
Ironically I couldn't afford to go on the Rock & Ice course but so enjoyed the UK meets and the London lectures that I became an enthusiastic member. In the 80s/90s we had a big meet every other year in the Alps aimed at getting many members together in one big hut and eventually I did get to the Alps. When at last I went on the course it was no longer taught by the legendary Peter Habeler about whom all my friends had raved.
The Alpine meet in 2000 was to climb Grossglockner. There were some training days based at Oberwalderhütte, then a transfer to Erherzog-Johann-Hütte at Adlersruhe. Some of us opted to climb the further 350m to the Glockner summit, whereas others opted to try for it next morning. It was as busy as Blackpool beach especially at Glocknerscharte! Next day was to be the 200th anniversary of the first climb of the Glockners and the President was due to climb it with army support. The soldiers had already put in a fixed rope and it felt like the whole country was trying to do the summit for the anniversary. The last rope to reach the top that day was our AAC(UK) rope - which turned out to be the closest ascent to the actual anniversary! Next morning heavy wet snow and deteriorating weather prevented others, and we all beat a hasty retreat down a Klettersteig amid a raging storm.
Großglockner Gipfelkreuz
I have one newsletter from 1973 which has some interesting facts.
President - Henry Crowther
Chairman - Hywel Lloyd
Membership subs: A £3.16, B £l.58, J 45p
Attendance at a London lecture 15p
Hut Fund donation 18,000 Schillings to Kaunergrat hut
Applications to join needed a Proposer. If you knew no-one, you could be a provisional member for 1 year with participation in all activities but no voting rights. 1973 AGM notes referred to "safety standards adopted by the Committee". Now what was that about safety at the 2017 AGM?!
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