2007 AGM - special guest Jim Donini

ACC Toronto Section Annual General Meeting

(and climbers’ pub night, non-members welcome)

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
6:00pm — Cash bar (pub meals available)
7:00pm — Annual General Meeting
8:00pm — Jim Donini slide show – Four Decades of First Ascents
9:00pm — Finger food, compliments of the club

Location: Pilot Tavern, 2nd fl. Stealth Lounge
22 Cumberland St., Yorkville, Toronto
(North side between Yonge and Bay)
(map)

Jim Donini

Setting new free-climbing standards in Yosemite Valley in the early seventies, Jim Donini’s career has continued by pioneering hard alpine climbing in Patagonia, Alaska, Karakoram Himalaya, China, Peru, Venezuela and Antarctica. A former Exum guide and a founder of American Mountain Guides Association, in 1999 Jim was awarded the prestigious Underhill Award by the American Alpine Club for outstanding mountaineering achievement. Jim is currently serving a three-year term as President of the American Alpine Club.

Notable cutting edge first ascents include Torre Egger (1976), Latok I (1978), and in Alaska The Diamond Arête, Mt. Hunter (1985), Cobra Pillar, Mt. Barille (1988), South Face, Mt. Bradley (1994) and “Shaken not Stirred”, an ice couloir on the Moose’s T(1999).

Jim continues to pursue hard alpine climbing. In 2005 he climbed the Diamond Arête on Mt. Kenya, which, due to global warming, has morphed itself into a modern (M7, WI 5+) climb. Last year, with partner Tom Engelbach, Jim nearly finished a new route on the North side of Fitzroy. They climbed 2300 ft., sans bolts or pitons, of stunning corner/crack systems up to 5.11+ in difficulty. They hope to go back this season to finish the route.

Jim’s show is a compendium of four decades of first ascents in some of the World’s finest alpine arenas.