The Alpine Club

Founded in 1857, The Alpine Club was set up to support pioneering mountaineers of the time. Many of the founding Alpine Club’s members made notable first ascents of European Alpine peaks. The club provided an invaluable space for collaboration - to foster the recording and sharing of specialist mountaineering knowledge.

Since those early days, the club has attracted many leading British and global mountaineers, including Lucy Walker - the first female to ascend the Matterhorn in 1871, as well as Edmund Hilary and Tenzig Norgay (the first people to summit Everest in 1953). Today over 1,500 members are now part of the Alpine Club. While it has evolved over the years to meet the demands of modern-day mountaineering, at its heart, its aims remain the same as the early days. Those involved are each driven by a curiosity and drive for adventure, a need to explore more of the world’s mountains and to protect them for future generations.

At Montane, we share a similar passion to explore the world’s mountains - something that drew us and the Alpine Club together many years ago. In 2016, this relationship expanded with the launch of the Montane Alpine Club Climbing Fund (MACC Fund) - set up to give members the opportunity to explore mountainous regions of the world. Keep reading to find out more about the MACC Fund…

The Montane Alpine Club Climbing Fund (MACC Fund)

The MACC Fund offers cash rewards of up to a total of £10,000 every year for British climbers and mountaineers who wish to explore the world's mountainous regions. MACC expeditions are usually long and technical, requiring astonishing levels of expertise and endurance in secluded and inhospitable environments. These often involve attempting first ascents and/or new routes in remote areas or exploring little-known Alpine terrain.

The fund has supported a range of applicants over the years, from established teams of experienced alpinists attempting high-profile routes off the beaten track, as well as less well-established teams looking to launch their expedition careers. Usually split between eight recipients, the awards are offered bi-annually in March and November. Eligible expeditions must include at least one member of the Alpine Club. The number of Alpine Club members will influence the size of the grant offered.