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 MemberAs a prolific artist and mountaineer, Gabriel Loppé (1825-1913) was the first painter to have depicted what the French call la haute montagne. He was the founder of the peintre-alpiniste school of painting. Through climbing friendships with our founding members, Leslie Stephen and Alfred Wills, Loppé was made an honorary member of the Alpine Club in 1864 where he would exhibit his paintings from 1873 to 1910. Loppé was in the prime of his life when mountaineering and painting -en plein air- were becoming popular activities. William Mitchell, an art dealer, climber and AC member has written the first book in English about Loppé which will be available at his talk.