Austin Mallet's Secrets to Building Momentum

The AAC has launched a new grant, called the Momentum Grant, to fund intermediate to advanced alpine adventures, with a focus on ice, mixed, rock, and ski-alpinist objectives. The Momentum grant is in partnership with the family of Austin Mallet, in honor of Austin. Austin was a Texas native who developed a deep passion for big mountain objectives, but whose time was cut short by a tragic avalanche in 2024. Austin approached climbing with incredible discipline and sought to grow his skillset and develop his mountain craft at every opportunity. The Momentum Grant will preserve Austin’s spirit by supporting the projects of passionate climbers seeking to elevate their skills in big mountain environments. To get applicants inspired by Austin’s story, and to share about the kinds of projects the grant funds, we had some of Austin’s closest friends on the podcast, to share stories of his adventures and mountain philosophy. In this episode, we hear memories from his partner, Emily McKay, and two of his close climbing friends, Chris Labosky and Aiden Whitelaw. We explore Austin’s never-ending psych for adventure, his dialed planning methods, his generosity, his deep belief in his climbing partners, and much more. Dive in to get inspired by Austin’s legacy, and dream up your application for the Momentum Grant. Applications close April 30, 2026. Learn more about the grant: https://americanalpineclub.org/momentum-grant