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The Alpine Club of Canada

JOHN LAUCHLAN MEMORIAL AWARD

Promoting mountain experiences that challenge the human spirit
Presented by
2023 submission deadline is Jan 30, 2024.

The John Lauchlan Memorial Award is a cash and mentorship award designed to assist Canadian climbers.

The award exists to perpetuate the bold and adventurous spirit which John Lauchlan exemplified in his climbing exploits.

Specifically, the award strives to promote the development of Canadian climbers through the support of worthy expeditions and mountainous adventures.

You have the opportunity to have your trip supported financially simply by applying.

The JLA encourages climbers from all backgrounds and from any community in Canada to apply.

JOHN DOUGLAS LAUCHLAN, 1954 – 1982

John Lauchlan was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on September 12, 1954. The Lauchlan family settled in Calgary in 1966 after living in both Edmonton and Saskatoon.

John attended Henry Wise Wood High School where art and music were a big part of his life. In this time he discovered mountain climbing, a passion that would soon dominate all his activities. When he graduated from high school in 1972, “…the direction of his life was well established. It would be climbing first and all other things as they fit.”

In the 10 years after high school, John was to become the undisputed leader of the mountaineering community. His climbs became more bold, and he brought new meaning to the words possible and impossible. His intensity and commitment were incomparable to any Canadian climber before him.

John was a pioneer in setting new standards both nationally and internationally. In 1978, he made the first winter ascent of the 1300-metre North Face of Mt Kitchener in Jasper National Park with Jim Elzinga. One year later, John and three others made a 16-day alpine-style ascent of the highly prized and unclimbed 3000-metre southwest buttress of Mt Logan (5959 m), Canada’s highest mountain.

In the summer of 1980, with Dwayne Congdon, he represented Canada at the Rassemblement International, a bi-annual event held in Chamonix, France, that attracts two of the best climbers from each country. John and Dwayne succeeded in making the third ascent of the MacIntyre/Coulton Route on the Grande Jorasses, a route that had defeated many of Europe’s top alpinists. John went on to climb the North Face of Les Droites and to solo the Gabbaroux Couloir on Mt Blanc.

In Canada, ice climbing was one of John’s main interests, and he led the movement towards new routes and bolder styles. His list of first ascents includes Takakkaw Falls, Pilsner Pillar, Slipsteam and Nemesis (the first free ascent).

In spring 1980, John led a four-man expedition to Nepal to establish a very technical new route on the south face of Ganga Purna, a 7454-metre peak in the Annapurna area. This was a landmark ascent, and to this day, ranks as one of the most difficult climbs Canadians have done in the Himalayas.

Climbing was not just a sport for John, it was his way of living life to the fullest; it provided a sense of understanding and a coming to terms with himself. He was constantly testing himself, pushing a little harder on the fine edge that seperates success from failure. Each time he came closer to realizing his full potential.

John was not only a world-class climber, he was a leader and a pioneer of new ideas. He was instumental in what would evolve into today’s Mountain Equipment Coop, and he also helped develop Yamnuska Inc., now Canada’s largest mountain school.

John inspired everyone he met. He was a teacher, a climber and a leader of his generation. His death in an avalanche in the winter of 1982 left an incredible void in the Canadian climbing community. But in his lifetime he created a legend, and he gave every climber a fearless example of what they can become. This, perhaps, was his greatest gift of all.

This biography was compiled from a variety of sources including an obituary published in Explore Magazine in April, 1982.

JOHN DOUGLAS LAUCHLAN, 1954 – 1982

John Lauchlan was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on September 12, 1954. The Lauchlan family settled in Calgary in 1966 after living in both Edmonton and Saskatoon.

John attended Henry Wise Wood High School where art and music were a big part of his life. In this time he discovered mountain climbing, a passion that would soon dominate all his activities. When he graduated from high school in 1972, “…the direction of his life was well established. It would be climbing first and all other things as they fit.”

In the 10 years after high school, John was to become the undisputed leader of the mountaineering community. His climbs became more bold, and he brought new meaning to the words possible and impossible. His intensity and commitment were incomparable to any Canadian climber before him.

John was a pioneer in setting new standards both nationally and internationally. In 1978, he made the first winter ascent of the 1300-metre North Face of Mt Kitchener in Jasper National Park with Jim Elzinga. One year later, John and three others made a 16-day alpine-style ascent of the highly prized and unclimbed 3000-metre southwest buttress of Mt Logan (5959 m), Canada’s highest mountain.

In the summer of 1980, with Dwayne Congdon, he represented Canada at the Rassemblement International, a bi-annual event held in Chamonix, France, that attracts two of the best climbers from each country. John and Dwayne succeeded in making the third ascent of the MacIntyre/Coulton Route on the Grande Jorasses, a route that had defeated many of Europe’s top alpinists. John went on to climb the North Face of Les Droites and to solo the Gabbaroux Couloir on Mt Blanc.

In Canada, ice climbing was one of John’s main interests, and he led the movement towards new routes and bolder styles. His list of first ascents includes Takakkaw Falls, Pilsner Pillar, Slipsteam and Nemesis (the first free ascent).

In spring 1980, John led a four-man expedition to Nepal to establish a very technical new route on the south face of Ganga Purna, a 7454-metre peak in the Annapurna area. This was a landmark ascent, and to this day, ranks as one of the most difficult climbs Canadians have done in the Himalayas.

Climbing was not just a sport for John, it was his way of living life to the fullest; it provided a sense of understanding and a coming to terms with himself. He was constantly testing himself, pushing a little harder on the fine edge that seperates success from failure. Each time he came closer to realizing his full potential.

John was not only a world-class climber, he was a leader and a pioneer of new ideas. He was instumental in what would evolve into today’s Mountain Equipment Coop, and he also helped develop Yamnuska Inc., now Canada’s largest mountain school.

John inspired everyone he met. He was a teacher, a climber and a leader of his generation. His death in an avalanche in the winter of 1982 left an incredible void in the Canadian climbing community. But in his lifetime he created a legend, and he gave every climber a fearless example of what they can become. This, perhaps, was his greatest gift of all.

This biography was compiled from a variety of sources including an obituary published in Explore Magazine in April, 1982.

The 2023 Submission Deadline is January 30th, 2024 and successful applicants will be notified afterwards. Please send applications and inquiries to jla@alpineclubofcanada.ca.

Award amounts are based on funding, and the budget requirements of each particular trip.

MISSION STATEMENT AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The John Lauchlan award was instituted to support and perpetuate the bold and adventurous spirit which characterized John Lauchlan and his mountain exploits.

This award is made in support of climbing projects based on the following criteria:

  • COVID AND RESPECT IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: All 2022 proposals must abide by federal, provincial and local health laws/recommendations for expeditions in Canada. All expedition members must be must show proof of vaccination before receiving their grant. Communities and individuals in foreign countries can not be put at Covid-19 risk due to the expedition. Applications should include how they are going to address this

  • CANADIAN: All team members must be Canadian or permanent residents of Canada.

  • INNOVATIVE: Trips which break new ground in their objective, location, style or approach. Trips may be exploratory in nature or they may be task specific (e.g. a specific summit).

  • BOLD: Trips which show evidence of a high level of commitment and vision that is not only challenging to the abilities and experience of the members, but which has international significance.

  • EXPLORATORY: Preference will be given to trips that investigate areas where little is known about the location, or to trips that visit more common areas in an uncommon way.

  • ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE: trips which strive to minimize their environmental and cultural impact.

  • LIGHTWEIGHT AND SELF CONTAINED: trips which are based on self-reliance rather then dependence on outside support or large scale tactics such as sieging.

  • NON-COMMERCIAL: trips must be independently run (e.g. no adventure tour companies) and not for profit.

EACH APPLICATION SHOULD INCLUDE:
  • Name of applicant along with address, phone number and e-mail address.

  • Name of all team members.

  • A description of the experience level of each team member. Please state why you are qualified to fulfill your stated objective(s). You should include, as a minimum, a listing of the three most significant mountain achievements made by each person.

  • A description of the proposed objective. Please enclose a photo or digital image with the proposed route drawn in.

  • A brief summary of the significance of the proposed trip and explain how it satisfies John Lauchlan Award criteria outlined above.

  • A budget of the proposed project.

  • Other sponsors. Please provide details of any other financial support, grants or awards received or applied for.

  • Attach any additional supporting material as you see fit.

RESPONSIBILITY OF AWARD WINNERS:
  • They must acknowledge the JLA and its sponsors whenever possible.

  • They must write an article on their expedition for the Canadian Alpine Journal.

  • They must submit a complete report of the expedition to the John Lauchlan Memorial Award committee.

  • They must submit six photos from the trip to be used by the JLA/sponsors of the award at their discretion.

Please use this sample application as a standard.

SPONSORS

The John Lauchlan Memorial Award has been funding deserving Canadian mountaineering expeditions since 1997. On average the annual amount awarded is $10,000.00 per year. Funding for this award comes from two sources.

  1. The interest generated by the capital in an endowment fund administered by the Alpine Club of Canada. This endowment fund was set up by John’s family in 1994.
  2. The bulk of the money that is awarded comes from annual donations from the award sponsors.
Summit Sponsor
Basecamp Sponsor
Individual Sponsors

Tony & Gillean Daffern | Don Milliken | Jim Elzinga | Barry Blanchard | Mike Lauchlan | Gary Jennings

The John Lauchlan Award is extremely grateful for the generous one time donation it from the National Mountain Centre as it wrapped up its operation.

Fund Administrator