When Jed Williamson called me in the winter of 2004 to suggest I consider serving as the AAC’s leader, I was completely unaware that the job was even open.
I had gone to several AAC dinners (and very much enjoyed the opportunity to meet and commune with historic climbers). However, my membership had lapsed many years before. For me the AAC had little relevance.
But with that call, something shifted. I believed that with real work the AAC could not only provide membership benefits and community, but also be a positive force in the larger world. So I embarked on what has been a most fulfilling journey.
I believed that with real work the AAC could not only provide membership benefits and community, but also be a positive force in the larger world.
Mark Richey was the president of the board and head of the search. I owe him and those on the committee great thanks to this day. Seven AAC presidents and associated board members have led the board since his tenure. I have learned from—and been challenged by—each of them.
From the very beginning, it was clear the AAC needed to grow and change. Not only were the 5,000 members largely white and male, they were virtually all traditional and alpine climbers. In that small list of members, there was extraordinary accomplishment and camaraderie. But climbing was changing—and the Club wasn’t celebrating that innovation and creative expression that was defining climbing’s evolution. (To be fair, I thought at the time that climbing was headed in the direction of deep specialization. I was proven wrong by the likes of Emily Harrington, Tommy Caldwell and so many less well known talents.)
Jim McCarthy had made some valiant efforts toward expanding the Club’s horizons when he presided over the board in the late 80s, but it was going to take a concerted effort to become an organization for all climbers. So we went to work.
It started with simple things like answering the phone. I had learned from working for others that I did not want to be a bottleneck; that if everything flowed through me as the CEO, change would be slow and not collaborative. I tried to bring interdependence to my leadership. We set goals that demanded the work of many—including volunteers. None of what we have accomplished is my doing—it is ours.
We have created an organization that cares about our planet—and stands up for it. We influence national policy and, through our chapters and volunteers, introduce thousands of people to climbing every year.
I could not be more pleased with what we have done together these last fifteen years. What we’ve accomplished sets the AAC up for harder pitches ahead. We have created an organization that cares about our planet—and stands up for it. We influence national policy and, through our chapters and volunteers, introduce thousands of people to climbing every year. I think today, however, about the climbers and future climbers we are not reaching.
Climbing has been and continues to be one of the most moving forces in my life. There are many barriers—systematic racism stands out to me—keeping people from finding their full expressions in life. I am confident we’ve built a platform—and I have left a staff in place—to meet the next phase of challenges.
I thank each and every member for being a part of remaking the AAC.
The Powers Effect: A Timeline
When Phil Powers became the Executive Director of the AAC in 2005, the Club looked inward to understand who it represented. It soon became apparent that the AAC’s constituency wanted it to be “a Club for all climbers.” This would be a significant transition from its previous focus on expedition climbing and alpinism.
In the decade and a half since his first day at the AAC, the Club has grown from around 5,000 members to over 25,000—and welcomed climbers of all disciplines, skill levels, and backgrounds. Here’s a look at some of the AAC’s most significant moments during his time here.
1981
- Phil becomes an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School
1984
- Phil successfully climbs Denali's West Rib route
1987
- Phil, along with Greg Collins, makes the first ascent of 5380-meter Lukpilla Brakk’s Western Edge
- Climbs Gasherbrum II as part of the first American Expedition to climb the mountain
1991
- Phil, along with Thomas Walter and Greg Collins, makes the first ascent of Denali’s Washburn Face
1993
- Phil summits K2 without bottled oxygen, climbs 5.13 in the same season
1998
- Phil becomes part-owner of Jackson Hole Mountain Guides
2005
- Phil Powers takes the helm at the American Alpine Club
2006
- AAC begins informal discussions with National Park Service management and other climbing community stakeholders on building a sustainable funding model for climbing within Denali National Park
- Land use permit for Snowbird Hut acquired
2007
- Longtime AAC annual publications American Alpine Journal and Accidents in North American Climbing are made available online
2008
- The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum opens
- John Gill becomes the first boulderer to receive the Underhill Award for Climbing Achievement—a nod to the evolving and multifaceted nature of the AAC’s identity
2010
- AAC hosts first-ever Sustainable Summits conference with the topic “Exit Strategies: Managing Human Waste in the Wild” at the American Mountaineering Center and in Rocky Mountain National Park
2011
- Cornerstone Grant created in partnership with REI to fund projects that improve, conserve, and protect local climbing resources across the country
- The Great Ranges Fellowship—a leadership giving program for donors wishing to further support the AAC work and mission—is introduced
- Phil survives a 70-foot fall in Clear Creek Canyon, just up the road from AAC Headquarters. He would later write up an analysis of the incident for the following year’s edition of Accidents
2012
- Membership hits 10,000
- First-ever Guidebook to Membership published
- Volunteer numbers up to 400 from 116 in 2011—this means 89% of AAC members now have staff representatives taking action in their region
- AAC buys and renovates the Hueco Rock Ranch
- Major improvements to the Henry S. Hall Jr. AAC Library include doubling the size of its collection and introducing the Guidebook Finder feature
- Live Your Dream Grant, founded on the belief that our definitions of exploration and our goals are unique to each of us, is launched
- AAC launches the national Craggin' Classic Series—championing community development, climber education, and crag conservation—with events hosted in New Hampshire, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Washington, and California
2013
- AAC awards more than $100,000 in grants for the first time ever, benefitting 72 expeditions and 17 conservation grants
- The Club breaks ground on the Shawangunks Gateway Campground
2014
- Membership hits 15,000
- AAC hosts second Sustainable Summits conference
- July marks AAC’s 33rd consecutive month in which net membership increased—a growth streak of nearly three years
- Annual contributions grow 13% over 2013
2015
- AAC expands its educational offerings to include a set of national standards like the Universal Belay Program
- Gunks Campground opens, operated in conjunction with the Mohonk Preserve
2016
- AAC works with the Access Fund to co-host the first Climb the Hill event, to unite climbing with activism and give climbers a stronger voice in Washington, D.C.
- Member Share network launches; 7,000 members opt in to find climbing partners, couches to surf, and ways to take advantage of their membership benefits
- Education team offers a record 100+ clinics nationwide
- Live Your Dream Grant awards a record-setting $70,000
- Sharp End podcast debuts
2017
- Craggin’ Classic events begin offering women-specific programming
- Member Composition Task Force developed to diversify representation among our membership
- Climbing Grief Fund created to evolve the climbing community’s conversation around grief and trauma and connect individuals to effective mental health professionals and resources
- Phil, along with his son Gus, Hans Florine, and Florine’s son Pierce, climb the Nose on El Cap
2018
- Membership hits 20,000
- AAC launches new grassroots public lands advocacy initiative known as “Hill to Crag” with the intention to take elected officials and their staff rock-climbing
- Phil makes equity and inclusion one of the short list of annual objectives that drive the AAC budget and plan
2019
- AAC hosts the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup Finals in Denver—the first event of its kind to be hosted in the United States
- In partnership with more than a dozen supporting organizations, AAC produces the first-ever State of Climbing Report: a comprehensive, quantitative look at the American climbing community and its impact
- In October, Powers announces his intention to depart the Club in Summer 2020
- The short film Family Powers, featuring Phil, his family, and his post-accident recovery, is released.
- Phil signs Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge
2020
- The American Alpine Club launches the Summit Register, an online zine highlighting important policy and advocacy issues facing climbers
- AAC marks three years of enrolling more women than men
- Phil Powers hands the reins over to incoming CEO Mitsu Iwasaki
The Powers Effect: Club Membership 2005-2020
The influence that Phil had on the American Alpine Club over the last 15 years cannot be overstated. It was under his guidance that the Club developed and expanded our portfolio of membership benefits—including rescue coverage. It was his leadership which led to the development and implementation of a national educational initiative to help make climbing safer. Phil wanted the AAC to have a presence in every climber's backyard and he led the push to build regional programs, vastly expand the Club's volunteer network, and bring community events like the Craggin' Classics to major markets coast-to-coast. Phil increased the organizations lodging network, preserving historic climbing landmarks in the process, such as the Hueco Rock Ranch outside Hueco Tanks, TX. While Phil has done all of this, and more, it is perhaps most noteworthy to credit him for the simple-yet-outstanding growth of the Club during his tenure.
When Phil Powers took the helm at the American Alpine Club in 2005, the organization had been barely able to stay afloat—bobbing around 5,000 members nationwide. Today the Club stands at 25,000 members strong and growing.
That represents a growth of 400%.
Not too bad, Mr. Powers.
Love from the Board of Directors
Jennifer Bruursema
It was late afternoon at a restaurant in San Francisco, and I was pretty nervous walking over to my board of directors interview from my day job. I wished I could stroll in with some outward signal that I was a “real climber”—perhaps some chalk fingerprints on my pants, flip-flops on my feet, and my trusty tank top broadcasting my love for the Mobil Mart in Lee Vining. Instead, I was walking in with butterflies in my gut, a crisp, collared shirt on my back and a big old lump in my throat.
It’s hard to prepare for meeting someone like Phil Powers—someone who has led ascents of routes on Denali, Gasherbrum II, and K2, and who has spent over a decade nurturing, guiding and leading a mosaic of alpinists, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts to a 25,000-member-strong organization. And then here I was, with summits of only Mt. Shasta and Mt. Whitney in one pocket, and 20 years of gym, trad, sport, bouldering, and ice climbing forays in my other one.
And yet somehow, the minute I sat down, I realized that Phil’s humility and self-deprecating humor were probably some of his most important traits and accomplishments. It would have been easy for him to brag, or to perhaps challenge me on my climbing pedigree. But none of that was on the agenda. We spoke of my work at the Bay Area Climbers Coalition as their stewardship director, my participation in all the local AAC Sierra Nevada chapter events, and my Access Fund volunteering. He learned where I like to climb, what I like to climb, why I like to climb. He made me feel confident, but also aware that there is much to aspire to in the world of AAC and alpinism at large.
Now, I am in the third year of my first term with the AAC Board as the chair of its Membership Committee. Phil’s wisdom, check-ins, and patient listening have always been there to lead me in the right direction. I hope I do get to tie in with Phil in the years to come, but these last three have been a terrific experience, and I can’t thank him enough for supporting me with this opportunity. Good luck, Phil—you will be missed!
Cody Smith
Phil and I drove from Denver to Utah on AAC business in April 2010. Our main objective was to get a sense of the camping situation in Indian Creek. Our destination the first night was Castle Valley, where we had an offer of dinner and bunk space from Jack and Pat Tackle.
As we crossed the border into Utah, Phil suggested a detour. We left I-70 and found our way alongside the Colorado River for what turned out to be 20 miles of fantastic scenery. Phil has a knack for illuminating the better aspects of a situation—the detour cost us a little bit of time, but he wanted me to see the river up close. Phil loves scenic beauty and tries to open up those vistas for others.
We got to the Tackle yurt and had a great meal with Jack and Pat, got caught up on AAC matters (Jack was the Club Treasurer at the time), and told some climbing stories. Most of those stories were Jack's or Phil's—those two have a lot of material between them. Phil appreciates the value of history and storytelling within the climbing community.
The next day, we had time to get on the rock, so Phil and I went to Castleton Tower. We chose the North Chimney route, which was pretty tame for Phil but right at the edge of my limits at that time. Phil was incredibly patient: I eventually got past the crux, but we didn't have time to finish the route. It was, nonetheless, a successful outing. One of the great things about climbing is that each of us can define our own challenge; Phil is a big believer in that. Of course, the AAC supports and recognizes exceptional skill and accomplishment, but the broader view is that virtually everyone can have a great experience in the mountains.
The following day, we met up with some Access Fund and Friends of Indian Creek colleagues who joined us on our tour of Indian Creek. We were all becoming more aware of and concerned about camping pressure in the canyon. These pressures build up over decades, and Phil has been instrumental in helping the Club and its partners think into the future and take steps to preserve and enable the climbing community's ability to enjoy and protect our favorite places.
This brief trip to Utah provided a snapshot of several of the traits that have made Phil valuable as a friend and as a leader: he’s always on the lookout for a scenic detour, respectful and appreciative of climbing's history and folklore, generous in compromising his climbing agenda in order to give someone else a chance at theirs, and far-sighted in trying to get ahead of the challenges coming our way.
Phil, you've been great for the club. Thank you—I know you will continue to be an important voice on topics that matter to climbers.