Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Hood River News Feature Article

Check out team member Lisa Rust and the PWCC, featured this week in the Hood River News!
http://www.hoodrivernews.com/KFBC%20stories/50_feature_1.htm

Lisa Rust--climber, guide, mother, wife, teacher--at home in the snow.

Monday, June 18, 2007

The Rest of the List

Several people have been requesting to see the 'rest' of the list of gear we are requesting to be donated for the Pakistani Women's Climbing Camp, so here it is.

We'll premise this list with a little bit of information. The format of the camp is that 100 women start, with basic camping instruction and a two day hike on the dry Pasu glacier. After 5 days the group will be paired down to 40 or so of those who are having fun and feeling good. They will move on to a week of mountaineering training on the Pasu glacier and in Khunjerab Pass, near the border with China. The course will conclude with an attempt of 19,000+ foot Kushaikh peak. That explains why we are only asking for 30-50 of many things even though we are serving 100 women.

Also, you will notice it is not a complete packing list: the Alpine Club of Pakistan is securing a lot of donations in-country and from other sources. The enclosed list is specific areas of the gear list we have been requested to help with. Most of it we can take new or used. Receipts can be provided for tax deductions.

So, here is the list:


Our apologies if it is hard to read: please contact us to receive a normal, readable version of it. See the next post down for addresses to send donations. Remember, all donations must be received by July 10.

Thank you for your help!

Monday, June 11, 2007

Send us yer boots!

Climbers, ex-climbers, guiding companies, climbing shops, boot and crampon manufacturers:
"Send us your boots!"
Help us give hopeful Pakistani climbing students a leg up by sending small to medium sized new or kindly used mountaineering boots and crampons.
Preference is size 5-9 women's (up to size 7 men's or 35-40 euro size) lightweight double plastic mountaineering boots (though we are not being picky). Also, small light weight mountaineering crampons (walking or 12 point).
Dig into your gear closet--or your girlfriend's /wife's /daughter's /grandmother's gear closet; buy out your local consignment store; beg the back-up stash from your local guide service and send them to:

Sallie Dean Shatz
Sallie Dean Shatz Photography
0068 Blue Sage Lane
Snowmass, CO 81654

OR

Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School
c/o Janet Bergman
2760 Main Street
North Conway, NH 03860

The Alpine Club of Pakistan will help cover extra shipping costs incurred in getting them to Pakistan. After the camp your donated boots will live a long life being worn for multiple other education programs.

Help us give these women warm toes and a good time!

Tax-deduction receipts for your donation can be provided; just let us know that you would like it. Contact Janet with questions. All donations must be received by July 10.

Thank you!!!

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Our Programme Patron

Nilofar Bakhtiar, our PWCC Programme Patron in Pakistan, is also Pakistan's Minister of Tourism. She has promoted all aspects of this program from the beginning, including acting as chief guest at a recent girls rock climbing contest. Bakhtiar was recently criticized for hugging her paragliding instructor after a successful jump (the purpose of which was to raise money for Pakistan's earthquake-ravaged areas). Events since then may have led to her recent resignation as Ministry of Tourism, which means also losing her as our Programme Patron.
"Nazir Sabir expressed his strong support for the Minister and requested the Prime Minister and the President of Pakistan not to accept her resignation, and instead persuade her to continue as the Minister," says Lt. Col. Manzoor Hussain, Programme Coordinator. "As far as we are concerned we are continuing with [the Pakistani Women's Climbing Camp] as per programme. Fortunately we have the support of the Ministry bureaucracy in implementing our projects."
We are extremely sad to hear of this, and thank Ms. Bakhtiar for all of her contributions, regardless of the outcome.
In other news, more than 200 women have requested to be nominated for the program! We working with Col. Hussain in considering ways to accept more women to accomodate the overwhelming response. Additional funding support would allow last minute additions of American guides to make up for the added participants.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

New Incentives for PWCC Donors

Funding and gear are still needed for the camp. Two new incentivies have been introduced to encourage support:

  1. The American Alpine Club pledged this week to match up to $2,500 in donations toward the Pakistani Women's Climbing Camp, as a show of support for the project and to encourage further donations. Starting on May 26, every dollar donated to the Pakistani Women's Climbing Camp through the AAC will be matched by a special challenge fund, up to a total of $2,500. (Click here to donate at the AAC site and don't forget to type 'Pakistani Women’s Climbing Camp' in the 'Comments' section so that the donation is earmarked correctly).
  2. In addition, the team is offering token gift incentives. Donors of $100 or more will receive a Pakistani cashmere shawl as a token of thanks from the team. Donors of $250 or more will receive a more elaborate embroidered shawl. Finally, donors of $500 or more will receive a high quality 8x10 print by Sallie Dean Shatz from the trip with the edition of the print limited to the donors.
Please take a moment to support this imporant project!