The American Alpine Club has appointed Andrew McLean of Salt Lake City, Utah as the United States delegate to the International Ski Mountaineering Council, the organization that oversees ski mountaineering competitions worldwide. The ISMC operates under the authority of the Union Internationale des Associations d' Alpinisme, known in English as the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation.
Regarding his new position, Andrew McLean says, “It's an exciting time to be involved with ski mountaineering races in America. Although the sport is well established in Europe, it is just getting going over here and growing rapidly. The races are fun to compete in as well as watch, and help to improve your backcountry skills. By increasing the number of races in the United States and raising the standards, I hope that the US competitors will soon be a force in international competitions and that people will discover this wonderful new sport.”
McLean is an experienced backcountry mountaineer with 36 years of experience on snow and skis including 16 years racing with the United States Ski Association and the Fédération Internationale de Ski.
McLean graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in industrial design. When he is not in the backcountry, McLean is a product designer for Black Diamond Equipment in Salt Lake City, Utah
