Peter MacKeith Climbing Grant
The "Peter MacKeith Memorial Endowment Fund for Climbing" was established in 1981 by the family of Peter MacKeith, late president of the Alaska Alpine Club, in honor of Peter's love for climbing and of his climbing achievements in Alaska, Afghanistan, Greenland, and Iceland. The Alaska Alpine Club (AAC) was given the responsibility of distributing the earnings from the endowment for the purpose of supporting worthwhile mountaineering ventures by AAC members in Alaska or elsewhere in the world.
Applications for 2026 are OPEN.
Please fill out this form an follow the instructions below to apply.
Peter Mackeith Grant Awardees
2025 MAckeith grant - Stikine ice Field
Hazel Probst, Torin Hooge, Simeon Ramirez, Leo Nordman
2024 Mackeith Grant - Mt. Bona
Hazel Probst, Torin Hooge, Simeon Ramirez, Leo Nordman
2022 Mackeith Grant - MT. HAYES NORTH RIDGE
Sean Marble, Ben Smith, Keane Richards, and Curtis Henry
2021 Mackeith Grant Presentation - Denali’s Cassin Ridge
Jonathan Koenig and Ethan Berkeland
Application Process
Grant funding
Five percent of the fund is available for grants each year. The fund is not allowed to drop below $10,000.
Requirements for submitting a Proposal
1. All recipients must have been Alaska Alpine Club members for at least one year before receiving the grant. Expedition members who are not members of the Alaska Alpine Club are not eligible.
2. Recipients must have contributed to the club through the Ski Mountaineering Clinic, as a club officer, hut repairs, etc.
3. The proposal must contain the following information:
Names, emails, addresses, and resumes of climbing experience for each expedition member, including those who are not members of the Alaska Alpine Club and do not receive a grant.
A description of the climbing objective, including a topo map of the area (a good black and white copy is sufficient).
A description of how the party plans to carry out the climb and the approximate dates of the climb.
A budget for the expedition explaining how the climbing grant will be used.
Explanation of financial need.
A description of what the applicants have done and will do for the Alaska Alpine Club.
Signed liability release forms for all party members requesting money.
4. Fill out this form and email proposals to alaska.alpine.club@gmail.com with subject line "Last Name Peter MacKeith Grant Application" by March 31st.
Rules and Limitations
Expeditions are not limited to Alaska or to the United States.
Expeditions are not limited to first ascents or climbs of unusual difficulty, although the merits of the proposed climb are important considerations in the review process.
The financial needs of the expedition's climbers will be given high priority.
Officers of the club are eligible for the grants (but if applying, can't be involved in the selection and approval process).
The Alaska Alpine Club does not assume any liability for the expedition.
The total amount awarded per year is limited to the fund earnings from the prior year.
The grant may be awarded to one or several expeditions.
The Club may choose to distribute only part of or none of the earnings of the endowment during any given year, depending on the merits of the proposals.
Awardees must bring the Alaska Alpine Club flag on the trip
Awardees must give a presentation for the club after the trip has been completed, regardless of success.
Review process
The proposals will be reviewed and ranked according to merit by three independent reviewers. The names of the applicants will not be disclosed to the reviewers. None of the reviewers can be applicants.
An award committee consisting of at least three elected officers will combine the ranks of all three reviewers into an overall ranking. Grants will be awarded to the highest-ranking proposals until funds for that year are exhausted.
In case of ties, a coin toss will be used to decide the outcome.
The committee reserves the right to disqualify applicants if no financial need can be shown.
Grants will be awarded during the month of April.
Responsibilities of Recipients
Any portion of the grant money that is not used for the climbing objective described in the proposal has to be returned to the Alaska Alpine Club.
Recipients are required to contribute, or to have contributed, something to the Alaska Alpine Club. Examples include:
Put on one of the Alaska Alpine Club's monthly slide shows.
Submit an article for publication in Descent and/or the AAC web page.
Assist in the teaching of the AAC climbing class.
Organize a hut repair trip or a climbing wall clean-up.
Serve as a club officer.
Photo by AAC Member Erica Lamb, Mt Prindle