It is always interesting to see how the popularity of countries varies from year to year, a variation largely dictated by the powerful combination of politics and costs. In 2008 several teams had initially planned to visit China and/or Tibet, but with all eyes on the Olympic Games the Chinese authorities wanted to avoid demonstrations so withheld permits, causing all such trips to be cancelled or replaced by expeditions to other countries.

In other parts of the Himalayan chain, the weather was the main problem. Of the three mountaineering expeditions to India, all experienced problems with the weather, so although the trips to the Obra Valley and to Sikkim each achieved a first ascent, both were of secondary objectives: an attempt to cross the Zemu Gap also had to be abandoned.

The situation was fairly similar in Nepal, where an attempt at a new route on Phari Lapcha was unsuccessful, although the team managed to repeat another route on the same peak. In the Khumbu, despite the theft of everything left at base camp and then his partner returning home, the expedition leader made a valiant solo attempt at the first ascent of the S summit of Peak 41 but aborted on reaching steep mixed rock.

All three of the expeditions to Pakistan experienced weather (or climatic) problems, one to Distaghil Sar finding that in the past ten years ‘global warming’ had caused such dramatic changes that their planned approach was rendered unduly dangerous, so were forced to abandon their attempt. A mixed NZ/UK pair on Beka Brakai Chhok in the Batura stretched their food reserves to the utmost waiting for a break in the weather, but then had to abort on reaching a long unprotectable cornice of loose snow. After making the first ascent of a nearby peak to acclimatise, a one-man attempt on Hispar Sar was also unsuccessful.

South America attracted four expeditions, two being to the Cordillera Blanca of Peru, one of them climbing two separate routes on a previously unclimbed peak, while the other returned from a reconnaissance trip to find that their base camp had been attacked by armed bandits, who had stolen money and injured their cook. In the Darwin range of Chile, bad weather again interfered with progress, forcing abandonment on two separate peaks. A team in Venezuela made the first ascent of a ‘big wall’, although not the primary objective.

There was only one expedition to North America supported during the year, and this team climbed a new route on the Moose’s Tooth in Alaska.

Nearer to home, all three expeditions to Greenland recorded successes with numerous new routes and first ascents.

In Central Asia, there were three expeditions to Kyrgyzstan, all of which reported successes, including a number of first ascents and the first ski crossing of Kyondy Pass.

In addition to the above trips, the MEF supported three scientific expeditions during the year, those to India and Russia both studying effects of altitude on human physiology, while one to Nepal carried out a multi-disciplinary study of medicinal plants which grow up to 5000m in Langtang & Manang. All reported success, but inevitably it will take some time for all the data of each to be fully analysed.

After several years of patient negotiations, in December 2008 our then chairman, Martin Scott, signed an agreement with the RGS on the 'Mount Everest photographs'. The RGS will retain copyright, but will pay the MEF a proportion of the income generated from them, and will also allow free use of the Ondaatje Theatre on one evening per year. The agreement has already resulted in financial and other benefits to the MEF and, thereby, our support for expeditions to explore mountainous regions of the world. A successful fundraising evening was held at the RGS in November 2008 organised by Col Henry Day which attracted an appreciative audience for Mick Fowler’s talk about his ‘First Ascents of the Matterhorns of Eastern Tibet’. Another by Paul Rose, one of our trustees, is scheduled for 5th November 2009 when he will talk about his ‘Adventurous Travels – Poles and Oceans’. The MEF is also hoping to be make a return to the Kendal Mountain Festival being held between 19th & 22nd November: choice of speaker(s) will be made nearer the time.

As always the MEF relies upon hard-working unpaid officers, especially Bill Ruthven as our administrator and Secretary. All of the Trustees also contribute greatly to the work of the Fund in one way or another and Lindsay Griffin as Chair of the Screening Committee is unrivalled in his ability to select and advise candidates for our grants. In the 'Credit Crunch' we are indeed fortunate to have as our Treasurer Richard Morgan who, together with our Investment sub-committee, managed to mitigate the worst effects of the downturn on our available funding. I would like to thank Nick Kekus and Mick Jenkins, retiring from that sub-committee after six years, for their sound advice and good fellowship. I would also like to welcome Dr Andrew Hodson of Sheffield University to the Committee of Management and thank everyone on the Committee for supporting me as Chairman this past year, in particular Sir John Chapple, whose advice I have much appreciated over the Everest photographs matter.

Sarah Tyacke

MEF Chairman August 2009.

Destinations in 2009 (repesented in graphical form)

MEF Committee Information 2008 - 2009

2009 Expeditions/Projects supported by MEF

Grants to expeditions 1977 - 2009 (represented in graphical form)