LINKS

This page will be continuously added to. Suggestions are welcomed.

• Mountain History

Viaticalpes – A database of historical images of the Alps, created by the University of Lausanne. Part of a larger project based at the Sorbonne about the history of travel literature.

To the Mountains of the Moon – An online exhibit about the history of African exploration and cartography.

Rocky Mountain Repeat Photography Project & Mountain Legacy – Repeat photography based on historical topographic surveys to trace landscape change over time.

Bill Buxton’s Mountaineering History Resources –  Extensive bibliographies and some commentary. Focused on Himalayas and Central Asian mountains, but some European and North American content as well.

National Library of Scotland Mountaineering and Exploration Collections – Extensive bibliographies on mountaineering and exploration history.

The Bentley Bentham Collection – Online archive dedicated to the famed British Mountaineer. Thousands of scanned photographs and documents related to his Himalayan and European expeditions, as well as his personal life.

The Mountain Library – A catalogue of book reviews, lists, and other commentary on books about mountaineering, mountain ecology, culture, etc.

The MountainWorld Blog – A blog dedicated to mountaineering’s past present and future by Jake Norton, a professional climber, writer, and photographer.

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• Cultural Institutions

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff, Alberta – Also house an extensive archive which includes the Alpine Club of Canada library.

Mountain Culture @ The Banff Centre – Host of the annual Banff International Mountain Book & Film Festival. North American seat of the Mountain Forum Network.

Whistler Museum – Local history museum in the world-famous ski resort.

Messner Mountain Museum – A network of five museums in the Alps, founded by renowned mountaineer Reinhold Messner, and dedicated to exploring the encounter between humankind and mountain.

American Mountaineering Museum – Golden, Colorado. Founded 2008.

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• Mountaineering

Alpine Club of Canada – Formed in 1906. Most active in the Rockies, with 19 regional sections across the country. Publishes the Canadian Alpine Journal annually.

British Columbia Mountaineering Club – Formed in 1907, most active in the Coast Mountains.

Mount Everest: The British Story – is a database with loads of useful information relating to the British on Mount Everest. It contains a detailed record of the history and expeditions, from 1921 up to the present day, a gallery of photos and news of any British expeditions climbing Everest.

Mountain Club of Kenya – Organization promoting interest in Mountains in Kenya and in East Africa through mountain recreation, mountain conservation and safe practices in mountaineering.

Mountain Club of South Africa – Offers climbing, mountaineering and hiking opportunities to its members and is involved in mountain search and rescue, training, conservation of mountain areas, procurement of access for mountaineering, and competition climbing.

Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) – Established in November 1973, NMA is a non-governmental and nonprofit organization and it is the only national alpine club of Nepal. This association is working as a prime institution for mountain tourism promotion and mountain environment protection in the country.

Peakware World Relief Maps – It is the web’s premier mountain and mountaineering resource where we can explore the mountain ranges of the world, and network with other rock climbers, mountaineers, hikers, and backpackers, who share our love for the mountains.

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Skiing & Snowboarding

Biglines.com – Snowriding Community

jeremyjones.net – See Earth’s burliest mountains through the eyes of Earth’s burliest snowboarder.

Doglotion.com – Whistler-based freesking web magazine, contains the occasional joke.

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Mountain Studies -General

Mountain Research and Development – An international, peer-reviewed open access journal founded in 1981 and published by the International Mountain Society (IMS).

Mountain Research Initiative – A  multidisciplinary scientific organization that addresses global change issues in mountain regions around the world.

Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) – Based at the University of Colorado, it strives for excellence in research, education, and outreach related to Earth System Science and Global Change in high-latitude, alpine, and other environments.

Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment – Actively studies and catalogues biodiversity in the mountains of the world, providing input to policy makers and stakeholders for the conservation and sustainable land use.

Man and the Biosphere Programme – Mountain Ecosystems – A UNESCO Programme that develops the basis within the natural and the social sciences, for the sustainable use and conservation of biological diversity and for the improvement of the relationship between people and their environment globally.

International Geographical Union Commission on Diversity in Mountain Systems – Founded as a study group, aimed at documenting changes occurring in mountain landscapes and land use through detailed investigation of natural degradation or restoration, positive or negative development of bio and ethno-diversity and changes in land use.

Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN) – A global programme aimed at understanding the problem of plant invasions into mountain areas.

Mountain Research Group (MRG) – The Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers established Mountain Research Group to bring together the ‘mountain community’. It collects details of mountain based research, field-trips, publications, dissertations and courses.

Mountain Research Station – Mountain Research Station is an interdisciplinary facility of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research providingresearch and educational opportunities for scientists, students, and the general public.

World Mountain People Association (WMPA) – The WMPA was created at the first World Mountain Forum in 2000 to promote exchange and cooperation between mountain territories and to make mountain voices heard at the national and international level.

Mountain Voices – This website presents interviews with over 300 people who live in mountain and highland regions round the world. Their testimonies offer a personal perspective on change and development.

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• Mountain Studies – North America

John Scurlock Mountain Aerial Photography – Huge collection of high-resolution aerial photographs of the Cascade Range in Washington, the Coast and Columbia Mountains of British Columbia, and the Canadian Rockies.

Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia– An impressive database of detailed co-ordinates, photographs, and trip reports for all of Canada’s mountain ranges. Paid membership required for full functionality.

Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center – A research centre of the United States Geological Service

Western Mountain Initiative – A team of US government scientists studying the responses of Western mountain ecosystems to climate change.

Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) – The Mountain Studies Institute is an independent not-for-profit mountain research and education center established in 2002 in Silverton, Colorado.

Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) – RMRS is an organization of dedicated people advancing science and supporting natural resource management through research and development.

State of the Rockies Project – Building upon 130 years of service to the region, the Rockies Project conducts state-of-the-art research helping Rockies residents clearly see our communities, our environment and our economy so we can better shape our future.

Wild Rockies Field Institute – WRFI offers courses on how to think critically about environmental and social issues; connect with the landscape; and consider their relationship to both natural and human communities.

MountainNature.com –  Taking the challenge out of identifying the plants, animals, birds and landforms of the Rockies.

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• Mountain Studies – Asia
  

Chinese Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE) – A state-run, academic institution focusing on hazard mitigation, environmental regeneration, and agroecology.

University of Central Asia – “The mission of UCA is to promote the socio-economic development of Central Asia’s mountain societies, while at the same time helping the diverse peoples of the region to preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions and heritages as assets for the future.”

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• Mountain Environment

World Commission on Protected Areas – The Mountains Theme Programme – Its goal is to support IUCN to play a strong role in the Mountain Agenda follow up on Chapter 13, to develop a support and exchange network of protected area managers, researchers and other professionals dealing with mountain protected areas.

International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) – CIPRA, founded in 1952, works for sustainable development in the Alps.

ALPARC – Alpine Network of Protected Areas – “A blanket organization created under the guise of the Alpine Convention which overseas all large protected areas in the European Alps.”

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• Mountain Development

The Mountain Partnership – A voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to improving the lives of mountain people and protecting mountain environments around the world.

The Mountain Forum – A global network of individuals and organizations concerned with the well being of mountain people, their environments and cultures.

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) – It’s mission is to develop and provide integrated and innovative solutions, in cooperation with regional and international partners, which foster action and change for overcoming mountain peoples economic, social and physical vulnerability.

Mountain Agenda – Mountain Agenda is an informal group of people, drawn from the academic and development cooperation communities worldwide, who have a professional interest in sustainable mountain development.

Mountain Fund – The Mountain Fund organizes grassroots non-profit and non-governmental organizations from a diversity of disciplines, to support and coordinate these organizations’ efforts to eliminate poverty, its causes and symptoms, in developing mountain communities around the world.

Mountain Institute (TMI) – An international non-profit organization dedicated to conservation, community development, and cultural preservation in the Andes, Appalachian, Himalayan, and other mountain ranges of the world.

Mountain Resource Centre – An effective and reputable centre in sustainable development of mountains with mission towards education, research, and conservation of fragile mountain ecosystems.

Mountain-Portal – The Mountain-Portal is a non-profit operation devoted to raising public awareness of the need to make the development of mountain peoples and their environments sustainable in a threatened future.

Rwenzori Development Foundation – Works to help improve the lives of people living in Uganda, focusing on education and conservation.

United Nations University (UNU) and Sustainable Mountain Development – Contributes to improved understanding of the status of different mountain Mountainous areas are frequently considered as ‘water towers’ for fresh water resources, and areas suffering from loss of indigenous culture and traditions.

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• Snow and Ice
  

Canadian Avalanche Centre – Canada’s national public avalanche safety organization. Current snow forecasts, educational resources, training courses, and much more.

Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies – Colorado-based center for “the interdisciplinary investigation of the snow system’s behavior and role in human/environment relationships by offering resources – people, information, and facilities – for field-based research and education.”

Glaciers Online – Swiss-produced educational website about the world’s glaciers.

The NSIDC’s Historical Glacier Photograph Collection – A searchable collection of glacier photographs, mostly taken in the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Greenland.

World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) – It collects standardised observations on changes in mass, volume, area and length of glaciers with time as well as statistical information on the distribution of perennial surface ice in space.

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• Other Resources

Mountain High – Mountain High was founded in November 2003 with a goal to encourage, inspire and motivate as many people as possible to step out of their comfort zone, take charge of their health and well being, connect with different cultures and discover their true potential by connecting with nature through adventure travel and team building activities.

Chessler Books – Online bookstore specializing in mountaineering, rock climbing and exploration. An extensive catalog of  new, used, rare, vintage, maps, guidebooks, etc.

• Bibliographies

“The Development of the Glacial Theory, 1800-1870” by Dr. Keith Montgomery.  Includes several GoogleBooks and other on-line book links.