copp-dash inspire awardJonny Copp and Micah Dash were two of America’s leading alpine climbers, adventuring to the farthest corners of the world in search of first ascents in the purest of style. It was on just such a mission in May 2009, in western China’s Sichuan province, that Jonny and Micah, along with filmmaker Wade Johnson, were killed in an avalanche. With Jonny and Micah’s deaths we lost two of the great alpinists, characters and storytellers the North American climbing world has recently known. Jonny and Micah believed the summit meant something, but style was everything. They pursued climbing in the same manner they lived—with vigor and passion, and with a strong desire to share their adventures with the rest of the climbing world through photographs, videos and slideshows. The Copp-Dash Inspire Award has been formed, therefore, to support climbers who choose to follow a similar path, both in life and in the mountains.

The Copp-Dash Inspire Award is sponsored by Black Diamond Equipment, La Sportiva, Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia and the Jonny Copp Foundation.  “We are excited that four cornerstone outdoor brands have come together to keep the spirit of Jonny, Micah, and Wade alive,” says Laura Fryer, La Sportiva’s Marketing Manager. “This November, we plan to highlight the 2010 Inspire Award winners at the Adventure Film Festival and showcase the creative work that comes out of these expeditions which inspire us all. As more climbers become familiar with this grant, we are confident that the Copp-Dash Inspire Award will continue to be a tradition for years to come.”

The Facts:

  • The Copp-Dash Inspire award will provide a pool of $20,000 in grants to North American climbers for expeditions every year.
  • The fund’s goal is to assist climbers before, during, and after expeditions with financial grants and multimedia instruction to help empower them to share their current and future adventures with a wider audience.
  • The Copp-Dash Inspire Award is sponsored by Patagonia, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Mountain Hardwear, and The Jonny Copp Foundation, with in-kind support from Adventure Film Festival, Alpinist Magazine, American Alpine Club, and Sender Films.
  • Applications for the award will be accepted from January 1st to February 28th each year and the Copp-Dash Inspire Award winners will be announced by March 30th.

To apply, please download the application below and email completed applications to the AAC :

Click on link below to download

Copp-Dash Inspire Award Application

Grants Manager
Attn: Copp-Dash Inspire Award
Email to: grants@americanalpineclub.org
Phone: 303-384-0110 ext.15

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2012 Copp-Dash Inspire Award winners and their objectives were:

•Chris Wright with Geoff Unger. Southeast face of Lunag IV (6781m). Other possible objectives include Little Lunag (6492m) and Lunag III (6795m), all in the Khumbu Himal, Nepal, and unclimbed.
• Sam Johnson with Ryan Johnson. 1400-meter southwest face of Kizil Asker (5842m) in western Kokshall Too of Kyrgyzstan.
• Mike Libecki with Freddie Wilkinson. Belgica—Fabiola—BirgerBergensenfiella area, Antarctica. First ascents on previously unclimbed big walls.
• Joshua Lavigne with Jon Walsh. Northwest face of the South Tower of Mount Asgard, Baffin Island, Canada.
• Pat Goodman with Jeremy Collins and Brad Jackson. First ascent of Peak 2600m (aka The Phoenix) via a new all free route up the 700-meter east face, Logan Mountains, Canada.


The 2011 Copp-Dash Inspire Award winners and their objectives are:

• Dave Burdick with Dylan Johnson and John Freih. A new, completely independent rock and mixed line on the 1100m South Face of Mt. Burkett, Stikine Icecap, Southeast Alaska.
• Jesse Spaulding with Kyle Kneely, Scott Parker and Conrad Piper-Ruth. New routes, up to 6000m, in the Nangma Valley, Northern Pakistan.
• Kyle Dempster with Jewell Lund. First ascents in the Karavshin Valley in southwestern Krgyzstan. Intermission bike ride from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Skardu, Pakistan (approximately 1400 miles).
• Matt McCormick with Pat Goodman and Will Meinen. First ascents of the Southwest Pillar of K7 West and an alpine-style first ascent of a major sub-summit of K7 West, Nepal.
• Mike Libecki. Solo attempt for the first ascent of The Ibex Horn, central Afghanistan.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO : http://coppdashinspireaward.com/


2010 Copp-Dash Inspire Award winners and their objectives were:

• Kevin Mahoney with Ben Gilmore and Freddie Wilkinson. South Face of Nuptse, Nepal. Alpine-style ascent via a new route on the perimeter of the Cobweb Wall.

• Madaleine Sorkin with Lorna Illingworth and Emily Stfler. Southeast Face of Mt. Proboscis, Canada. First complete free ascent of the 2,000-foot Original Route.

• Matt McCormick with Jim Shimberg and Tim Deroehn. Southeast Pillar of K7 West, Nepal. Alpine-style first complete ascent of a major sub-summit of K7 West.

• Sam Johnson with Ryan Hokanson. South Face of Mt. Shand and traverse of Mt. Hayes massif, Alaska. Alpine-style first ascent of 1,500-meter face on Mt. Shand and 12-mile traverse of Hayes massif, entailing thousands of vertical meters of climbing.

• Sarah Garlick with Danika Gilbert, Jim Surette and Dave Nettle. Northwest face of the Baroness, Greenland. New free route on 2,000-foot northwest face of the Baroness.

• Will Meinen with Fred McGuinness and Scott Thumlert. North Face of Mt. Geikie, Canada. First ascent on 4,000-foot face.

• Zack Smith with Renan Ozturk and Freddie Wilkinson. Traverse of the Moose’s Tooth massif. A full traverse of the massif, entailing an estimated 12,000 feet of ice, rock, and snow climbing.