Mountaineers Books
We have just announced our new distribution agreement with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). The ATC is a West Virginia-based nonprofit with the lead role in protecting and managing the Appalachian Trail and surrounding 250,000 acres of public lands in cooperation with an array of federal, state, and local agencies. Beginning August 17, we will be the exclusive distributor of ATC books and maps.
ATC and its affiliated clubs of volunteers implemented Benton MacKaye’s 1921 proposal for the trail by 1937 and have maintained it ever since, including achieving federal adoption of the trail in 1968 as the first completed national scenic trail. Despite its small size, ATC has published guidebooks, maps, and other materials related to the Appalachian Trail for nearly 90 years, handling its own fulfillment from the start and expanding its network since the 1970s, until the operation outgrew its resources and program priorities.
“Partnerships have always been the lifeblood of the Conservancy and its work, from volunteer-centered clubs of all sizes to large national conservation organizations to Cabinet-level federal agencies. We look forward to a long and enduring partnership with The Mountaineers as we evolve the model for our publishing and sales programs,” says Sandra Marra, president and chief executive of ATC.
Mountaineers Books is the nation’s leading independent publisher of outdoor recreation, sustainable lifestyle, and conservation books, producing and distributing these titles to a worldwide audience. Its flagship title, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills—published in 1960 and now in its ninth edition—is considered the “bible” of climbing and is the all-time best-selling text on the sport. Now, more than 750,000 copies, nine editions, eight translations, and 60 years later, Freedom (as it is affectionately known) has seen Mountaineers Books become the respected outdoor authority that it is today. Mountaineers Books has a strong track record providing quality distribution and other publishing services for like-minded organizations, with distribution clients including Green Trails Maps, Colorado Mountain Club, Adventure Cycling Association, and American Alpine Club.
“It is hard to imagine a better match. The ATC and The Mountaineers are kindred organizations with common missions and a shared understanding of how a robust publishing program can bring new audiences to the outdoors. The ATC’s authoritative guides to the country’s iconic long trail are a natural fit alongside Mountaineers Books titles in our sales and distribution channels. It is a real pairing of strength to strength,” says Tom Helleberg, publisher of Mountaineers Books.
