BMC AT 70
P Geoffrey Winthrop Young (seated centre-left) beneath Snowdon at Pen y Pass, North Wales, alongside a young team of gentleman climbers, including George Mallory.
Mountain vision L
ondon, 1944. Weary after fi ve years at war, many could think of little else but the terrible cost on the nation.
Yet, even as doodlebug bombs were being aimed at Manchester, a few visionaries already had their eye on what would happen when the dust eventually settled; one such man was alpinist Geoffrey Winthrop Young. Alpine Club president Winthrop Young had an unquenchable thirst for heights. Born in 1876, he’d spent his formative years scrambling around the roofs of Cambridge – effectively inventing parkour over a century ago, and publishing The Roof-Climber’s Guide to Trinity. Then he’d moved on to tackle alpine fi rst ascents, including new routes on Mont Blanc, the Weisshorn and the Taschhorn. Even losing a leg on the Italian-Austrian front in the First World War couldn’t stop him. Within weeks, he’d written his friend George Mallory, exclaiming: “I shall have the immense stimulus of a new start, with every little inch of progress a joy instead of a commonplace.” And it was no idle boast: thanks to a prosthetic
Summit: third time lucky?
limb, he would go on to climb the Matterhorn. Sensing the end of the confl ict, and foreseeing that the pre-war boom of enthusiasm for the hills would be resumed by a new generation, armed with new materials, innovative equipment and fresh enthusiasm, he’d been building momentum for a British Mountaineering Council. His idea was one body to represent and speak on behalf of all climbers and mountaineers in Britain, “regardless of race, religion or political party”. On 2 December 1944, his vision fi nally became his legacy, as the inaugural meeting of the BMC was held in London, with 25 founder clubs as members. Today, Geoffrey Winthrop Young wouldn’t recognise the
modern BMC: the organisation has developed and adapted throughout the decades into a body which now represents the voice of over 75,000 members and 270 affi liated clubs. A body now uniquely placed in being both a representative body for sport and an outdoor environmental campaigning body, with access and conservation at the heart of our work. He probably wouldn’t recognise the modern outdoor world either – redpointing, GPS, competitions, apps, deep-water soloing, bolts. But one thing has remained unchanged since his day: the spirit of British climbing, walking and mountaineering remains just as adventurous and independent as it was 70 years ago.
HELP US CELEBRATE OUR 70 YEARS
We’re marking our 70th anniversary through a series of outdoor festivals including the Portland Festival and AGM weekend (page 64), the Bristol Climbing Festival and a Stanage Festival. We’ll also be stepping up our campaign work, in particular our Open Wales campaign, and aiming for 70,000 fans on Facebook.
Mountaineering 1947-1971
“A problem child since the aim was to inform rather than amuse, but not run at a loss.” – sighed fi rst editor Tony Smyth.
Mountain Life 1972-1976
“A bid to join the cut-throat world of commercial publishing.” After a fi nancial hiccup, Chris Brasher, assisted by photo-ace John Cleare, saved it, but despite their best efforts it was merged with Climber in 1976.
22 | 70TH ANNIVERSARY | FOR BRITISH CLIMBING AND WALKING SINCE 1944 Summit 1996-?
Third-time lucky? After a 20-year hiatus, BMC boss Roger Payne and editor Andy Macnae started Summit. Now this spring issue of Summit reaches 65,000 people, making it the largest circulation outdoor magazine in the UK.
PHOTO: ALPINE CLUB LIBRARY.
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