Your Role as a Volunteer
This page is your starting point for getting involved as a volunteer with the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC). It brings together the key resources, roles, and contacts you need — whether you're leading your first trip, taking on an executive role, or looking to get involved at the national level.
Where to Start
Every new volunteer should begin with the Volunteer Essentials Course. It's the fastest way to get oriented, and it's the same starting point we recommend for every new trip organizer in the section.
Volunteer Essentials Course
acc.thinkific.com – Volunteer Essentials Course
The ACC's Leadership Development Committee built this course to simplify and support the onboarding of new volunteer trip organizers. It brings key information together in one place, and it doubles as an ongoing reference — you can revisit it any time you have a question about your responsibilities as a volunteer.
The course is free — click "Enroll for free" to work through the content at your own pace. If you have suggestions for making it more useful for onboarding new volunteers, pass them along through your section executive so they reach the Leadership Development Committee.
How to Volunteer with the ACC
There are three broad levels at which you can get involved: within your local section, at the national level, and through the ACC's hut network. You don't need prior experience to start — most roles are learned on the job, with support from current volunteers and section executives.
Section Level
Section-level roles are the backbone of the ACC — they're what make weekly hikes, weekend trips, and section courses happen. There are a few ways to get involved:
- Running Section Trips – Leading a trip on the day itself: guiding the group, making on-the-spot decisions, and ensuring everyone's safety in the field.
- Coordinating Section Trips – Organizing the logistics before a trip happens: setting the date, posting it, managing sign-ups and waivers, and lining up a qualified leader if you aren't leading it yourself.
- Volunteering for the Executive (coordinators, financials, chair, etc.) – Taking on an ongoing role that helps run the section itself, rather than a single trip. Reach out to the current executive to ask about vacant positions and what each role involves.
ACC National
Beyond the section, the national ACC office runs a number of committees that shape the club's programs, safety standards, and strategic direction. These are a good fit if you'd like your volunteering to have an impact across the whole club, not just locally.
alpineclubofcanada.ca – Committees
Visit the link above for the full list of national committees and what each one covers.
Huts
The ACC maintains a network of backcountry huts across Canada, and volunteers play a key role in keeping them running smoothly for members and the public.
- Hut Ambassador Program – Hut ambassadors visit ACC huts to check in on their condition, greet guests, and help maintain the standards our huts are known for. Sign up via the Hut Ambassador form.
Questions about any of the above? Reach out to your section executive — they can point you to the right person or committee to get you started.