The Alpine Club, the world’s first mountaineering club, was founded in 1857.  For over 150 years, members have been at the leading edge of worldwide mountaineering development and exploration. 

With membership, experienced and aspiring alpinists benefit from a varied meets programme, regional lectures with notable guest speakers, reduced rates at many alpine huts, opportunity to apply for grants to support expeditions, significant discounts at many UK retailers, extensive networking contacts, access to the AC Library and maps - and more! 

Becoming a Member
 

'Going Up to Balliol' Exhibition

AC member, Honorary Keeper of Artefacts and former Club Librarian Nigel Buckley has organised an exhibition at Balliol College, Oxford, looking at the college’s connections to mountaineering.

The exhibition features mountaineers including Arnold Lunn, Charles Evans, Tom Bourdillon and Stephen Venables and makes use of a number of items from the Club's collections, including Bourdillon’s Everest diary and down suit.

The exhibition, which is being held at the Balliol Historic Collections Centre is open to visitors at the following times:

  • Sunday 21 April, 11.00am—4.00pm
  • Thursday 25 April, 3.00pm—7.00pm
  • Friday 3 May, 11.00am—4.00pm
  • Wednesday 8 May, 3.00pm—7.00pm
  • Monday 13 May, 11.00am—4.00pm
  • Sunday 26 May, 11.00am—4.00pm
  • Wednesday 29 May, 3.00pm—7.00pm
  • Thursday 6 June, 11.00am—4.00pm
  • Saturday 8 June, 11.00am—4.00pm
  • Monday 10 June, 11.00am—4.00pm

There will be three evening lectures running alongside the exhibition:

  • From 7PM on 25 April, Tim Expley will present ‘Mountaineering to Alpinism: A Steep Learning Curve’. 
  • Balliol alum James Ogilvie will discuss ‘Getting High: Climbing the Seven Summits’ from 7PM on 8 May and
  • At 7PM on 29 May, Mick Conefrey will give a talk on the 1953 Everest Expedition.

The exhibition can also be viewed by appointment. Further details are available at the Balliol College website.