Story by Sierra McGivney and photos by Jim Aikman and Sam Masters
At this year's AAC Gala, the energy for advocacy was unprecedented. You could feel it in the room, the energy to transform the conditions for the send. At the AAC, we know there are a mess of things impacting the send, not just the weather! Bigger picture—climate change, equitable climbing access and inclusive community, the conservation of public lands, ever evolving climbing management plans, and education for climbers—are all impacting our climbing. At the AAC, we're fighting to transform those conditions in order to protect the heart of climbing—the people and places who make climbing so special. At this year's Gala, the climbing community turned out in force to support and celebrate this transformation.
Climbers near and far came together to celebrate the boldness that is crucial for our climbing endeavors and advocacy. We were joined by Former Vice President Al Gore, the Full Circle Everest Team, and a room full of AAC members, industry leaders, and climbing stars.
Together we laughed, cried, and celebrated this incredible community.
To start off the weekend, climbers celebrated with beers and cheers at the Send' N Social. An event filled with games, raffles prizes, and climbing, of course!
On Saturday, we created space for leaders in climbing to share their insights. Taylor Luneau, the AAC's former Policy Director, ran the "Why do Climbers Make Good Activists?" panel. We were honored to host Kareemah Batts, Roshni Brahmbhatt, Lyndon Cudlitz, Ady Wright, and Tommy Caldwell, who together discussed racism, ableism, and transphobia in the outdoors, as well as the individual fight against climate change.
One moment that stuck out to Luneau was when Lyndon Cudlitz, an LGBTQ+ Trainer and Consultant, looked up and down the panel and said:
“This is what the climbing community looks like right here.”
“The representation of experiences, cultures, identity, and work within the advocacy world were far ranging, but the common thread of climbing is what brought us all together. That universal language/experience—climbing—is what all panels agreed has the ability to break down barriers and motivate people to stand up to support their communities and cherished landscapes,” said Luneau.
At the Gala itself, the Full Circle Everest Team and former Vice President Al Gore spoke about our changing climate—and we don't just mean the planet. They have both made massive contributions to transforming the outdoor community and have shined a light on the subtle conditions with that shape our access to nature and the future of climbing.
Former Vice President Al Gore is a founding partner and chairman of Generation Investment Management, and the founder and chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit devoted to solving the climate crisis. He is also a senior partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and a member of Apple Inc.’s board of directors.
"I have a lot of experience being the opening act, but never in my life have I been so honored as to be the opening act for the Full Circle Everest Team," said Al Gore.
Al Gore spoke on the impending climate crisis: "For the climbing community, you all know better than I do that mountain glaciers are becoming less stable and are thinning and disappearing, making what were already dangerous climbs even more challenging and unpredictable."
"The long-term impact is much more consequential as many areas of the world become literally uninhabitable by human beings."
"If we get to true net zero, the temperature will stop going up worldwide in as little to 3-5 years. And even more amazing than that, science proves it; if we stay at true net zero, 50% of all of the man-made CO2 that we put up there will fall out of the atmosphere into the ocean and vegetation in as little as 25 to 30 years. You talk about carbon removal; that's the way to do it."
Gore's comments further infused the room with the energy to take steps towards change—the resounding theme of the night.
The 2023 awards were given out, honoring accomplishments in climbing and those who gave back to the community. Live on stage we announced the winners of our two brand new awards: Climb of the Year and Community Changemaker. The Climb of the Year award went to the Full Circle Everest team, and the Changemaker award went to the Adaptive Climbing Group.
We let the climbing community vote for who should win these new two awards. Giving YOU the opportunity to highlight work that is changing the conditions of the send. These folks' work in the community was recognized and celebrated.
The Full Circle Everest Team won for pushing the limits of climbing. The Climb of the Year Award is meant to celebrate the most meaningful climb accomplished in the last year, whether its meaningful due to a cutting edge grade, or the most epic story. The depth of meaning in the Full Circle ascent was obvious, and the public voted as such!
In 2022, Full Circle Everest, lead by Phil Henderson, made history as the first all-Black team to attempt to summit the highest mountain on earth. With the majority of their team summiting, they nearly doubled the number of Black climbers who have summited the highest mountain in the world. Now, Full Circle Everest is evolving into Full Circle Expeditions, with the mission to globalize connecting to nature and facilitate entry into outdoor recreation and the outdoor industry for all people, but especially people of color.
“You never know who you will inspire,” said The Full Circle Everest Team.
The Adaptive Climbing Group won the Changemaker Award for all of their hard work in making a difference in shaping an inclusive future for our climbing community.
"Her story was a powerful example of how much courage is required for some climbers, particularly climbers of color, to even get to the crag or the mountains in the first place," said Pete Ward, interim CEO of the AAC.
One award winner captured the energy and psych for the night well. "Quit your job and go climbing," said 99-year-old Jan Conn, the Honorary Membership award winner.
This is what the climbing community looks like.
The Annual Benefit Gala was able to raise over $435k! These funds will protect our public lands, advocate for climbing access, fight climate change, educate climbers, and create an inclusive climbing community. Thank you so much for to everyone who donated, volunteered, or bought a ticket. You made all of this possible. We are so humbled by this incredible support of the climbing community.
“I love that the wide-open joy that we all experience climbing can be replicated and shared across generations and all intersections of our community. The AAC Gala is a unique and beautiful moment for the climbing community every year and the people who join us are always my favorite part,” said Ward.
Be an Advocate for Change
We hope to see you all at the 2024 Annual Benefit Gala! Save the date for April 27, 2024, in Los Angeles, California.