About

Keep up to date

Members receive our newsletter and event notifications based on their preferences.

Not a member? Sign up for our mailing list to see what the club is like; hopefully you'll join us!

Vancouver Section – About Us

The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) was founded in 1906 as Canada’s national mountaineering club. It consists of 25 sections and a network of huts across the country, in addition to the National Office and Clubhouse in Canmore, Alberta.

The Vancouver Section currently has over 1,000 members who share a great enthusiasm for the outdoors. Every year many hundreds of people share in experiences together on club trips. The activities our members organize range from family hikes and easy day trips to more strenuous mountaineering, rock climbing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing and  ice climbing outings. The club organizes a few ski and climbing camps throughout the year, as well as a comprehensive variety of workshops and courses. In addition to local events, we offer reasonably priced trips, courses and camps across Canada and often internationally too.

Volunteering is an integral part of our community and while we know you’ll learn lots by surrounding yourself with those more experienced, we hope that the friends you’ll make here will inspire you to volunteer to host trips yourself.  Please pay it forward and volunteer.

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” ~Winston Churchill

 

How to Get Involved

The best way to get involved is by becoming a member. Membership gives access to many benefits such as:

Not yet a member but curious about joining? Come say hi at one of the socials or trips which are open to guests.

National Club

Check out the Alpine Club of Canada National Website for information about the National Huts and activities such as camps and guided courses.  When you join the club you will get monthly email updates from the National Club too.

 

Endowment Fund

The Executive of the Alpine Club of Canada – Vancouver Section administers the ACC-Vancouver Section Endowment Fund. Grants are made annually to worthy projects typically in the range of $500 to $2,500.

Mandate and Funding Guidelines

The mandate of the Endowment Fund is to enhance the constitutional objectives of the Alpine Club of Canada and the activities of the Vancouver Section. Accordingly, the focus of the Endowment Fund is on:

  1. Special projects that support the activities of the Alpine Club of Canada, such as equipment purchases, huts development, promotional efforts, safety and educational initiatives, publications, special expeditions or camps;
  2. Conservation work that maintains or enhances mountain and climbing environments, such as campaigning for access rights, upgrading trails, improving signage, and installing environmentally appropriate waste disposal systems in mountain huts;
  3. Wilderness preservation in recognition of the fact that wilderness is a rapidly diminishing resource of great intrinsic value and that we must act quickly to protect these areas and the wildlife that inhabit them.

What projects are supported?

All projects that meet the mandate and funding guidelines are considered, however priority is given to projects initiated or jointly sponsored by the Alpine Club. Priority is given to projects in British Columbia, but worthy projects in other locations are also considered.

How to apply?

Download an application form and information package. Applications should be returned by mail to the Treasurer of the Vancouver Section. You may also contact the Executive for further guidance. See Contact Us

Applications are reviewed by the Executive, annually in February or as needed and are assessed in light of the following selection criteria:

  1. Relevance to Alpine Club of Canada goals and objectives.
  2. Applicant’s ability to successfully carry out the project.
  3. Creativity and innovation.
  4. Positive impact upon Canadian wilderness and/or mountaineering.
Permanent Legacy

The ACC-Vancouver Section Endowment Fund provides a permanent legacy with lasting benefit for the Vancouver Section and its members. The Section extends its gratitude to all donors to the Fund.

Special thanks go to our donors:

Mr. Charles McGowan
Ms. Mary Fallis
Mr. Mills Winram

Library and Archives

The ACC Vancouver Section Library Collection was established through the generous donations of several members; Eric and Emmie Brooks, James Crookall, Dudley and Monica Godfrey, Scipio Merler, Paddy Sherman, Gertrude Smith and Valerie Walker.

The collection has many historic titles including works by Conrad Kain, Don Munday, Chic Scott, Paddy Sherman, Frank Smythe, A.O. Wheeler and Edward Whymper. Read about expeditions to the Canadian Rockies, Himalayas and South America in the annual journals of the Alpine Club of Canada, the American Alpine Club and The Alpine Club UK.

The Vancouver Section Library is interested in receiving your donations of climbing and mountaineering related books and publications. 

The ACC Vancouver Section Archives are housed by the North Vancouver Archives (https://monova.ca/) where they are available for public viewing.

The Vancouver Section is interested in receiving additional materials on the history of climbing and mountaineering with The Alpine Club of Canada and the Vancouver Section. 

Donations to the Vancouver Section Library and Archives can be made through the Section Executive or by contacting Paul Geddes at 604-925-6191, email [email protected] or Liz Scremin at 604-921-2651, email [email protected]