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! 

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The Club was saddened to learn of the death of long-standing AC member Tony Smythe. Tony had been a member of the Club since joining the ACG in the 1960s. As well as being the son of noted Himalayan mountainner Frank Smythe, Tony was an accomplished climber in his own right and also a successful author, penning 'My Father Frank' and the iconic 'Rock Climbers in Action in Snowdonia' with fellow AC member John Cleare.

Tony died in Kendal on 24 February. His funeral will take place at 11am on Monday 18th March, at Beetham Hall Crematorium,  Beetham, Milnthorpe LA7 7BQ. All are welcome. If planning to come please contact Simon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

Tributes  

#1 Mark Edward Hallam 2024-10-07 04:58
I recently enjoyed reading Tony's fantastic book about his Father, Frank, of early Everest fame - one of the finest pieces of mountaineering history I have ever read. It is one that I will enjoy re-reading. However, Tony's own story is also worthy of a book and I am sorry to find no evidence of him having written about his own life especially in the light of sad news about his passing. I await reading his obituary, in next AJ (2024) with much interest. Through a mutual friend, Dave Challis, also deceased, as well as having met Tony on 3 occasions I have been aware first hand of his impressive mountaineering record in UK, Alps, Andes and Himalayas - and latterly as a paraglider flier! As a school boy in 1970's I was inspired attending a slide show by Tony, about an expedition to Mulkila 6507m highest summit in Lahaul-Spiti part of the Indian Himalaya. 10 years later Tony generously showed me same slides again, at his home in Oxfordshire, when I became interested in same mountain - and was put in touch with him, by Dave, who knew him well, having climbed a number of unclimbed summits with him in Bolivian Andes in 1966. My 3rd encounter was quite by chance, when I bumped into Tony on a cable car, when we were both paragliding in the Chamonix Valley in the early 1990's. RIP Tony and belated condolences to your family. Mark Hallam, Langholm, Southern Scotland.

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