The Julie Tullis Memorial Award
The Julie Tullis Memorial Award is a small grant to assist deserving female mountaineers or any disabled climbers or mountaineers, both male and female, to achieve their climbing or mountaineering ambitions.
Julie Tullis was the first British woman to climb an 8,000m peak, but tragically died after summiting her second 8,000er, K2, in 1986. She was a long-time member of the Sandstone Climbing Club (SCC) and after her death the Club initiated the Julie Tullis Memorial Fund (JTMF) as a permanent memorial to her life and achievements.
By 1991 fund-raising had enabled the SCC to create a small memorial campground at Harrisons Rocks. Thereafter, profits from the campground were added to the JTMF, with the intention that the fund eventually be used to support causes close to Tullis's heart.
In recent years the SCC decided that the fund and campground needed to be put on a permanent basis, and the fund used for its original intended purpose. Both have now been handed over to the BMC for administration.
The grant is most likely to be awarded on an annual basis, all applications being reviewed by the BMC International Committee with input from two representatives of the Sandstone Climbing Club; Sarah Cullen, and Chris Tullis, Julie's son.
Applications for the Julie Tullis Memorial Award can be made via the BMC Expedition Grant form, and should include a short covering note explaining how the project fits the award criteria.
- The BMC will consider applications from individual British females, or a British female expedition, with an interesting mountaineering goal.
- Also welcomed are applications from British male or British female disabled climbers with a specific climbing or mountaineering goal for the year in question.
Closing dates are 1st November (for expeditions or projects taking place before March the following year) or 1st March (for expeditions or projects planned for the rest of that year).
The completed form and relevant additional material should be returned to the BMC International Committee Secretary, Nick Colton (nick@thebmc.co.uk).
DOWNLOAD: The Application Form
Details of other available grants
Julie Tullis (1939-1986)
Julie Tullis was born in Surrey in March 1939, started climbing in 1954 and married Terry Tullis in 1959. The two set up a café and climbing equipment shop in Groombridge and ran instructional courses on Southern Sandstone. Amongst the many people that they instructed were groups of disabled children, and it was here that Julie's personality began to emerge.
Through the 1960s and into the '70s life was spent bringing up her two children, organising climbing courses, encouraging able-bodied people as well as those with physical and mental disabilities to expand their horizons, and in any spare time riding and making doll's houses for collectors.
Two chance events during this period would later prove decisive in her career as a high altitude mountaineer. The first was an introduction to martial arts. Tullis would pursue this throughout her life with great passion, becoming a black belt in both Judo and Aikido. Many were convinced that these disciplines added great mental strength and endurance to an already determined woman.
The second was meeting the legendary Austrian mountaineer Kurt Diemberger. She would later organise his lecture tours in the UK and climb with him in Austria.
In wasn't until her children left school that Tullis felt free to go away climbing for extended periods. Her first expedition, in 1978, took her to Peru with, amongst others, double amputee Norman Croucher. There she climbed Huascaran, her first 'high' peak. A productive trip to Yosemite followed, then in 1982 Diemberger, who was now involved with making films in the high mountains, invited her on an expedition to Nanga Parbat as his assistant and sound recordist. This began a great partnership, which would go on to win several prestigious international film awards.
The next few years involved a whirlwind of intense activity on and around the great Himalayan or Karakoram peaks, climbing and film-making with Diemberger. In 1983 the two accompanied an Italian expedition attempting K2 from the Chinese side. Tullis became the first woman to reach 8,000m on the peak and also explored approaches to the Chinese side of the Gasherbrums. In 1984 it was K2 again, this time with the Swiss, but from Pakistan. During this expedition and at the age of 45, she became the first British woman to climb an 8,000m peak, when with Diemberger she summited Broad Peak.
In 1985 they joined a British team on the North East Ridge of Everest and then during the summer returned for another crack at the Diamir Face of Nanga Parbat. That year she spent 52 days above c6,000m. Towards the end of 1985 and in early '86 she finished her highly readable and inspirational autobiography, Clouds from Both Sides, and made a film about village life in East Nepal before travelling to Pakistan and the ill-fated summer on K2.
On the 4th August she reached the summit via the Abruzzi Ridge shortly after Alan Rouse, these two becoming the first and second British climbers to do so (and Tullis only the third woman ever). Sadly, both would die shortly after, succumbing to altitude while trapped in a prolonged storm on the Shoulder.
Related Content
Rock Climbing Articles
The Youth Ready to Rock Sport climbing course is designed to help young climbers (11-17 year olds) make their first moves onto rock by having a fun day out, as well as covering the use of some key skills and equipment, for both the participant and the parent/carer.
Hillwalking Skills
Camping ‘wild’ is a different way of spending the night outdoors but it isn't allowed everywhere - with a responsible approach however, there are many remote areas where you can still rest your weary head under a star-filled sky.
Rock Climbing Articles
The Youth Ready to Rock Trad climbing course is designed to help young climbers (11-17 year olds) make their first moves onto rock by having a fun day out, as well as covering the use of some key skills and equipment, for both the participant and the parent/carer. Trad climbing is the most popular style of climbing on British crags.
Mountaineering Destinations
Here are some facts, figures and background information on the world's highest mountain.
Indoor Climbing Gear
We take a look at the culture of tight climbing shoes. Just how tight is too tight - and are we creating problems for the future?
Governance
On this page, you will find links to recent BMC annual reports and annual accounts.
Mountaineering Articles
An introduction to BMC and MEF mountaineering grants
Mountaineering Articles
Are the Alps falling down? IFMGA Mountain Guide Andy Perkins has a stark warning about the impact of climate change on the Alps: “I don’t have children but if I did I wouldn’t persuade them to be mountain guides. I’d be saying ‘Get your yacht sailing ticket...'" Katy Dartford interviews Andy to find out more.
As part of LGBTQ+ history month we asked members of the BMCs Equity Steering LGBTQ+ sub-group to share their stories about getting into climbing and walking.
Access & Conservation
As the general election date draws nearer, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) have reviewed the manifestos from each party to help you make a more informed choice when it comes to protecting the landscapes and crags that we love to walk in and climb on.
News
As the world’s garment manufacturing industry moves to a more sustainable business model, what we’re wearing in the hills in three years time will be very different to today’s unsustainable, un-recyclable, polluting garments, predicts Mike Parsons from the Outdoor Gear Coach. But why is change needed? And what is going to happen? Mike explains in this article.
News
The first of four films in The Landscape Project has just been released on BMCTV, a fascinating new series that brings climbing and natural history together. Starting with the Lake District, presenter Nathan Chrismas, a biologist and ecologist, shares his deep knowledge and passion for the geological and ecological highlights of four hugely popular climbing and walking areas.
Here’s a rundown on ten of the best places to boulder outside for beginners.
News
As part of Volunteers Week 3 - 9 June we have Cotswold Voluntary Warden Walk Leader Margaret Reid sharing her inspiring experience. Margaret organises and leads walks in the Cotswolds National Landscape for people from the Friendship Cafe in Gloucester. Activities like this are made possible with funding from the BMC Mend Our Mountains project from the BMC Access & Conservation Trust (ACT) charity.
Article
In National Walking month this May we’ve teamed up with BMC Official Retail Partner Cotswold Outdoor to bring you all the info and advice you need to care for and repair your favourite pair of walking boots. Not only does this save you money, it also saves the environment - the less we consume and throw away, the better.
News
BMC volunteers from the Get Stuck In programme joined Fix the Fells last month in Wasdale on Lingmell Breast, one of the main routes up to Scafell Pike. They spent the day helping to maintain part of this hugely popular footpath up to England’s highest mountain.
News
BMC member Madalin Cristea, known as Cris, from Romania, has become the first person to summit both Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro from sea level and back again. He is currently attempting to be the first person ever to climb up and down each of the world’s seven summits (the highest mountain on each continent) from sea level - climbing every metre of the mountains up and down.
News
BMC member Wayne Andrews from Bettws, South Wales has started a hill walking group for people who suffer with their mental health or an addiction, called Forever In The Hills.
News
This May is National Walking month, so to celebrate the power of a good old stomp around the UK’s countryside, nine of the BMC staff have shared their favourite hike. From fossil-hunting in the Peak District and airy Scottish scrambling to the Via Alpina in Switzerland, one of these is bound to tickle your fancy this spring or summer. Better still, with the BMC collaborations with Komoot and HotelPlanner, you can plan and navigate your route and find your accommodation for your trip for less!
News
Worryingly, small adder populations could be extinct by 2032 unless we act now to help conserve them. The North Pennines National Landscape are asking BMC members to help them record sightings these native UK snakes to better understand their distribution and improve conservation efforts. Their Adders Up project started in February 2024 and will run for three years, hoping to achieve positive outcomes for the conservation of this enigmatic and threatened reptile.
News
The Watkin Path up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and the peat hags on neighbouring mountain Glyder Fach have benefitted from BMC volunteer improvement work on the latest Get Stuck In event, 15-16 April 2024. This was organised by Hill Walking Rep Steve Charles and Access & Conservation Officer (Wales) Tom Carrick as part of the Mend Our Mountains project, funded by the BMC Access & Conservation Trust.
News
The BMC’s volunteering arm, Get Stuck In, donated £1,500 to Fix the Fells this week to buy footpath repair tools to enable our teams to quite literally get stuck in to fixing the mountain footpaths in the Lake District.
News
The sphagnum-planting season has come to an end to allow the ground-nesting birds to, well, ground nest! Thank you to all the volunteers that have helped the BMC to plant over 16,000 plugs of this super soggy, carbon-locking moss this winter, helping to restore the Peak District peat bog.
News
Mend Our Mountains is back for 2024 with six incredible access and conservation projects across England and Wales. This project is funded by the BMC’s Access and Conservation Trust charity (ACT) and we would like to thank all our members, supporters and volunteers for making vital work like this possible. Here’s what is happening this year as a result of your funding, including volunteering events you can get involved with.
News
Did you know that we have a BMC Community Liftshare site? The Liftshare site is also able to connect you with others going to the same BMC event or Mountain Training course. The beauty of a community like the hillwalking/climbing/mountaineering BMC community is that many of us are often moving in the same direction. This lends itself to the Liftshare infrastructure which can allow us to move in the same direction – together. Greener, and cheaper!
News
On the 16 April we have the last opportunity to lobby for the 2024 ban on the sale of peat in bagged compost for horticultural use by supporting a Ten Minute Rule Bill speech by England in Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet Theresa Villiers.
News
The BMC have been hard at work presenting the Outdoors For All Manifesto to parliament, kick-starting a new addition to The Climate Project, arranging re-bolting, cleaning up crags and consulting on access across England and Wales. Here are the highlights as we swing into spring.
BMC members receive a free komoot map bundle (worth £8.99)
Hill Walking Skills
Dogs are a great companion for a hike in the hills, but here are a few things to think about before taking your pooch for a mooch.
Of course, there are many more great beginner hills, but here are seven to get you started.
Hill Walking Skills
Outdoor writer and photographer Chris Townsend presents this series of hill walking how-to films. In this episode Chris shows you how to use walking poles.
Thirty six leading national governing bodies and environmental organisations have joined together to support an Outdoors For All manifesto, seeking to extend responsible access to more green and blue landscapes.
Mountaineering
A list of organisations, trusts, commercial companies and charities that are able to provide funding support for trips. Be sure to check out each organisation's awarding criteria carefully before making an application to avoid disappointment and also wasting your time.
The Cwm Idwal Winter Monitoring system is now back live and with new equipment and software. Ready for you to head up the hills in the best wintery conditions.