Got a great idea for an expedition, but need to raise funds to make it happen? Well there’s still time to make an application for a grant from the Chris Walker Memorial Trust. Each year, the Chris Walker Memorial Trust awards a £1000 grant to help fund expeditions for climbers to the Greater Ranges, in memory of accomplished mountaineer Christopher Walker who was killed by an avalanche in 2010.
Walker, who lost his life during a descent from Scotland’s Buachaille Etive Mor, dreamt of becoming a British Mountain Guide and was an active member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors. The fund was set up in his honour to assist climbers who share the same passion for the mountains. Andy Houseman and Nick Bullock were lucky enough to be the first climbers awarded the grant, which was set up in 2010, and will be heading to Nepal’s Hongu Valley in October to pioneer a new route on Chamlang’s North Face (7319m). The men will head to the spur on the east of the summit, following a 2000m vertical rock climb.
Applications for the grant are welcomed by all aspiring climbers wanting to discover Asia’s Greater Ranges, either to establish new routes, venture to unexplored peaks or to experiment on rarely attempted lines. The CWMT also provides and funds avalanche awareness courses each winter to continue the progression and training of mountain guides and instructors. Working alongside the trust, the British Alpine Ski School (BASS) also give away an annual placement on their ‘Ski Performance Course for Mountaineers’.
RELATED LINKS
www.chriswalkertrust.co.uk
