The American Alpine Club (AAC) is pleased to annouce the recipients of the 2018 Cutting Edge Grant. The Cutting Edge Grant continues the Club’s tradition supporting climbing athletes in pursuit of world-class climbing and mountaineering objectives.

The Cutting Edge Grant seeks to fund individuals planning expeditions to remote areas featuring unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, difficult new routes, first free ascents, or similar world-class pursuits. Objectives featuring a low-impact style and leave-no-trace mentality are looked upon with favor.

Alan and Tino will attempt the remote north face of Chiling II (6400m) in the Himal India. "With a difficult, mostly unsupported approach and hard climbing at altitude, this objective represents a step forward in Alan's climbing and [is] likely one of the harder north faces he and his team have ever attempted," reports the AAC. Rousseau's first visit to India culminated with the first ascent of Rungofarka via the peak's north ridge with Tino Villanueva this past autumn, which entailed 50 pitches of sustained technical climbing up to M6 WI4+.