Army Mountaineering Association
The British Army Mountaineering Association (AMA) is the governing body for climbing competitions and the representative body for mountaineering in the British Army. It is a member of the British Mountaineering Council[1] and is the largest climbing club in the United Kingdom.[2]
 | |
| Abbreviation | AMA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1957 |
| Type | Charitable Association |
| Headquarters | Joint Service Mountain Training Centre (Indefatigable), Llanfair PG, Anglesey, LL61 6NT. |
| Membership | circa 2,500 |
President | Lt Gen Ivan Hooper[3] |
| Website | http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/ |
History, Organisation and Status
The AMA was formed on 24th May 1957.[4][5] It has charitable status and its constitution states that it exists 'To promote military efficiency by encouraging mountaineering in the Army'. Membership is open to serving members of the British Army and the Army Reserve. Since its inception the AMA has been involved in delivering and supporting mountaineering activity for its members. The association is currently engaged in two major areas of activity which are: mountaineering and climbing competitions each of which is governed separately.
The business of the AMA is managed by an executive committee who are elected annually. Its current president is Lieutenant General Ivan Hooper[6]
Mountaineering
The AMA organizes mountaineering training and expeditions for its members and encourages them to organize their own expeditions. It makes grants from the AMA 'Memorial Fund' to help support individuals wishing to take part in significant mountaineering expeditions.[7] Since its inception the AMA has organized or provided significant support to a number of major expedition to the Greater Ranges including:
- 1959 – Malubitang East (First Ascent)[8][9][10][11]
- 1960 – Annapurna II (First Ascent) (Joint Service)[12]
- 1962 – Khunyang Chhish also known as Khinyang Chhish[13][14]
- 1967 Sukkertoppen East Greenland Expedition[15]
- 1968 - Army East Greenland Expedition[16]
- 1969 – Tirich Mir[17][18]
- 1969 - Joint Services North Peary Land Expeditions (Army led)[19]
- 1970 – Annapurna[20][21]
- 1972 – Axel Heiberg Island[22][23]
- 1972 - Joint Services Chilean Patagonia Expedition (Army led)[24]
- 1973 - Himachal Pradesh Expedition[25]
- 1974 – Lamjung Himal (See German Wiki page – de:Lamjung Himal for more info on Lamjung Himal)[26]
- 1975 – Nuptse (Joint British Army/Royal Nepalese Army expedition)[27][28]
- 1976 – Mount Everest – South Col (Joint British Army/Royal Nepalese Army expedition)[29][30]
- 1980 – Api[31]
- 1985 – Kirat Chuli (Joint British Army/Royal Nepalese Army expedition)[32]
- 1987 – Shishapangma (Xixabangma) (Joint AMA / Civilian expedition)[33]
- 1987 – Saser Kangri (First Ascent of Saser Kangri IV)[34]
- 1988 – Mount Everest – West Ridge[35]
- 1990 – Gyachung Kang[36]
- 1992 – Annapurna IV[37][38]
- 1992 – Mount Everest – West Ridge[35]
- 1994 – Mount Foraker – Archangel Ridge (Second Ascent)[39][40]
- 1996 – Gasherbrum I (Hidden Peak)[41][42]
- 2000 – Kangchenjunga (Joint Service – Royal Navy lead)[43]
- 2004 – Makalu(Joint Service – RAF Lead)[44]
- 2006 – Mount Everest – West Ridge[45]
- 2007 – Shishapangma[46]
- 2008 – Makalu (Joint Service – RAF Lead)[47]
- 2012 – Antarctica – Graham Land (Joint Service – Army Lead)[48][49]
- 2015 – Mount Everest – North Ridge (Received AMA Support)[50][51]
Climbing Competitions
The AMA organizes bouldering and indoor sport climbing competitions for the Army. The first Army level sport climbing competition was organised at Bristol by Colonel Paul John Edwards on 28th April 1995. The AMA continues to organise indoor climbing competitions and now competes annually against the Royal Navy and RAF, as well as contributing members to the Combined Services Sport Climbing team, which competes regularly against military sport climbers from other countries.[52][53]
Prominent AMA members
The following are current/former Presidents, Vice Presidents or Chairman of the AMA.[54]
- Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer KG, GCB, GCMG, KBE, DSO (President) (Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire))
- Brigadier John Hunt, Baron Hunt KG, CBE, DSO, PC (Vice President) (King's Royal Rifle Corps)
- Sir Chris Bonington CVO, CBE, DL (Honorary Vice President) (Royal Tank Regiment)
- Lieutenant Colonel Tony Streather OBE (Honorary President) (Gloucestershire Regiment)
UIAGM Mountain Guides: The following AMA members have become members of the British Association of Mountain Guides
- Major Mac McKay (Royal Army Physical Training Corps)[55]
- Captain Stuart McDonald (Royal Engineers) (Everest Summiteer).[56][57]
- Warrant Officer Class 1 Paul Chiddle (Royal Army Physical Training Corps)[58]
- Captain Tania Noakes (Royal Signals)[59]
Other notable AMA Members:
- Lieutenant Colonel Charles Wylie OBE (Ghurkas) – Organising Secretary to the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition.[60]
- Lieutenant Colonel J. O. M. Roberts MVO, MBE, MC (Ghurkas) – First Ascents of Annapurna II – 1960, Mera Peak – 20 May 1953 and Putha Hiunchuli – 11 Nov 1952.[61][62]
- Colonel Henry Day (Royal Engineers) – 2nd Ascent (and first British Ascent) of Annapurna, 20 May 1970.[63]
- Lieutenant Colonel Jon W A Fleming OBE Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) - Deputy leader of Greenland expeditions 1967 & 1968, Leader of Tirich Mir Expedition 1969, Leader of Himachal Pradesh Expedition 1973 & Leader of Nuptse Expedition 1975, Organising Secretary Everest Expedition 1976, Co-author Soldiers on Everest.
- Major Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw Bt, RHF - Member RN Expedition to Greenland 1966, Leader Army East Greenland 1968, Member Joint Services Elephant Island Expedition 1970/71, Leader Joint Services Chilean Patagonia Expedition 1972/73, Member Nuptse Expedition 1975, member Everest Expedition 1976, Leader Army Api Expedition 1980.
- Major Bronco Lane MM, BEM (Special Air Service) – Ascent of Everest, 16 May 1976[64]
- John Stokes (mountaineer) (Brummy Stokes), MBE, BEM (Special Air Service) – Ascent of Everest, 16 May 1976 with Bronco Lane[65]
- Major Mike Smith (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) – UK veteran sport climbing champion 2009[66]
References
- ^ https://www.thebmc.co.uk/find-a-club | accessed 16 Apr 2016
- ^ http://www.ukclimbing.com/listings/info.php?id=130 | accessed 6 May 2016
- ^ "Transparency data: Joint Forces Command senior, as of September 2015". Ministry of Defence.\Accessed 24 Oct 2016
- ^ http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/media/Mountain%20Moments.pdf# | Page 6 | Accessed 27 March 2016
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1960_files/AJ%201960%20214-219%20Mills%20AMA.pdf | accessed 11 Apr 2016
- ^ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/army-hosts-the-european-military-climbing-championships | Accessed 16 Apr 2016
- ^ http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/media/2007-Summer.pdf |page 24 | accessed 27 march 2016
- ^ http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/media/Mountain%20Moments.pdf# | Page 11 | Accessed 27 March 2016
- ^ http://footlesscrow.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/army-dreamer-portrait-of-tony-streather.html | Accessed 26 Mar 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 41. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1960_files/AJ%201960%2037-47%20Streather%20Karakoram.pdf | accessed 6 May 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 46. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/24/14/khinyang-chhish-1962/# | Accessed 31 March 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 49. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ Alpine Journal 1968 Sukkertoppen Wedding Cate: the Army Mountaineering Expedition, 1967 https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1968.html
- ^ Alpine Journal Notes Army East Greenland Expedition 1968 http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1969_files/AJ%201969%20276-287%20Notes%20Greenland.pdf
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1971_files/AJ%201971%2088-98%20Day%20Annapurna.pdf# | Accessed 26 March 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 62. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ Alpine Journal 1970, Notes - Greenland https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1970.html
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1971_files/AJ%201971%2088-98%20Day%20Annapurna.pdf# | accessed 26 March 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 102. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ Pushing the Limits: The Story of Canadian Mountaineering Published by Rocky Mountain Books, Calgary, Canada. Year 2000 ISBN 0-921102-59-3 page 300
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 109. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ The Geographical Journal Vol. 140, No. 2 (Jun., 1974), pp. 262-268 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1797083?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
- ^ Alpine Journal 1974 The Army Mountaineering Association Himachal Praedesh Expedition 1973 https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1974.html
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 114. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1976_files/AJ%201976%20107-116%20Fleming%20Nuptse.pdf#%7C Accessed 26 Mar 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 121. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/35/9/everest-1976/# | Accessed 26 March 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 124. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1981_files/AJ%201981%20167-171%20Agnew%20Api.pdf | Accessed 27 Mar 2016
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1987_files/AJ%201987%20238-243%20MEF%20Notes.pdf# |Page 241| Accessed 27 Mar 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 188. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 195. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ a b http://www.jagged-globe.co.uk/news/item.php?id=656 | Accessed 26 Mar 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 213. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/media/1994-Winter.pdf# | Accessed 27 Mar 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 223. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 243. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1994_files/AJ%201994%20274-276%20North%20America.pdf | accessed 16 Apr 2016
- ^ http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/media/Mountain%20Moments.pdf# | Accessed 26 March 2016
- ^ Lane, Bronco (2000). Military Mountaineering, page 254. hayloft. ISBN 0-9523282-1-6.
- ^ http://www.bluedome.co.uk/Kangchenjunga2000/seniorteam.html#%7C Accessed 26 March 2016
- ^ http://www.rafactive.co.uk/e23/e23makalu.html | accessed 26 mar 2016
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- ^ https://www.thebmc.co.uk/award-for-makalu-expedition | Accessed 26 Mar 2016
- ^ https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20120330224410/http:/[permanent dead link]/www.bsae2012.co.uk/ | Accessed 26 Mar 2016
- ^ http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/media/AMASummer2012.pdf | page 6 | Accessed 27 Mar 2016
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/armyeverest15/ | Accessed 26 Mar 2016
- ^ http://news.sky.com/story/1215853/british-army-team-ready-to-scale-everest
- ^ http://armysportcontrolboard.org/sport_contacts.html \ accessed 16 Apr 2015
- ^ http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/media/1995-Autumn.pdf |page8 | Accessed 26 mar 2016
- ^ http://www.armymountaineer.org.uk/media/Mountain%20Moments.pdf#
- ^ BMG. "mac mackay / Guides K-M / Members / British Mountain Guides".
- ^ BMG. "Stuart Macdonald / Guides K-M / Members / British Mountain Guides".
- ^ http://www.everest1953.co.uk/stuart-macdonald
- ^ BMG. "Paul Chiddle / Guides A-C / Members / British Mountain Guides".
- ^ BMG. "Tania Noakes / Guides N-Q / Members / British Mountain Guides".
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/gurkha-obituaries/1558607/Lieutenant-Colonel-Charles-Wylie.html | accessed 23 Apr 2016
- ^ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-lt-col-james-roberts-1296352.html | accessed 16 April 2016
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1998_files/AJ%201998%20332-359%20In%20Memoriam.pdf | Accessed 16 Apr 2016
- ^ http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1971_files/AJ%201971%2088-98%20Day%20Annapurna.pdf
- ^ http://www.everest1953.co.uk/michael-bronco-lane%7Caccessed 16 May 2016
- ^ http://www.everest1953.co.uk/michael-bronco-lane%7Caccessed 16 May 2016
- ^ "BMC BLCC juniors and veterans results 2009".
External links
- Army Mountaineering Association – Official site