| Alpine Journal | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title (ISO) | Alpine J |
| Discipline | Climbing, Mountaineering |
| Language | English |
| Publication details | |
| Publisher | The Alpine Club (United Kingdom) |
| Publication history | 1863–present |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Indexing | |
| ISSN | 0065-6569 |
| Links | |
The Alpine Journal is the yearly publication of the Alpine Club of London. It is the oldest mountaineering journal in the world.
Contents |
The journal was first published on 2 March 1863 by the publishing house of Longmans in London, with Hereford Brooke George as its first editor. The journal was a replacement for Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers, which had been issued in two series: in 1858 (with John Ball as editor), and 1862 (in two volumes, with E. S. Kennedy as editor).[1]
The Alpine Journal provides an “as it happened” history of mountain exploration stretching back almost 150 years, from early ascents in the Alps, exploration of the Himalaya and the succession of attempts on Mount Everest, to present-day exploits. This continuous record – accessed through the Alpine Club library in London – has provided a research resource for authors and historians.
In recent years, each volume has run to approximately 450 pages. Alpinists write feature-length articles about the most significant mountaineering achievements worldwide. There are also articles on the mountain environment, culture and occasionally politics, as well as the arts as inspired by mountains, and high-altitude scientific research. An ‘Area Notes’ section details recent climbs, region by region, around the world, and there is a book review section, as well as obituaries and news from the Alpine Club. The editor since 2004 is Stephen Goodwin.
In 2010 the Alpine Journal went on-line, with journals for the last 40 years (bar the current issue) freely available. A second stage in this digitisation programme is intended to make available all volumes back to 1863.[2][3]