The Mountaineers. Climbing in 1956 took members of The Mountaineers to peaks from the Sierra Nevada to Mount McKinley. Its climbing committees in Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett programmed ascents of some 75 peaks in our Cascade and Olympic mountains. This was in addition to private climbs by many of the club’s 3500 members and to non-technical trips scheduled by the club. More peaks were bagged on The Mountaineers’ summer outing to the Minarets area of the Sierra, the Climbers outing to the Palisades area of the Sierra, and the Camp- crafters Outing to the Selkirks of Canada.

No expeditions were sponsored by the club this year, but individual members took part in several. Mountaineers Pete Schoening, Al Randall, Al Krup, and Don Claunch joined Keith Hart, of College, Alaska, and Leon Blumer, of Vancouver, B.C., in an assault on Mount McKinley via the difficult Pioneer Ridge. They were turned back at 15,000 feet by weather and lack of time, but not before they had determined that the route was feasible. Mountaineers Dr. Otto Trott and Dr. Paul Gerst- man, led by Walt Gonnason of Seattle and accompanied by Bruce Gilbert of Yakima, were turned back at approximately the 12,000-foot level on Mount McKinley. Examining the claim of the late Dr. Frederick A. Cook to the ascent of McKinley was the main interest in the attempt.

Closer home, first failure, then success greeted attempts at the first ascent of Mount Rainier’s Ptarmigan Ridge route in 20 years. [Described elsewhere in this issue—Ed.]

Beckey, Staley, Rupley and Wes Grande reported the first ascent of the West Black Butte, one of the volcanic arêtes that flank the west slope of Mount Baker.

In the twenty-second year of its climbing course, The Mountaineers gave basic and intermediate instruction to 400 students. Safety was accented heavily in the course. Safety programs also included cooperation with the Mountain Rescue Council, installation of rescue kits at key mountain sites, reports to the membership on accidents, and provision of wallet-size cards with emergency instructions for rescue. The mountains were kind this year in Western Washington. The weather was excellent. The accidents were few.

Much time was spent this year on preparation of a major text on climbing. It will contain possibly 500 pages, including more than 100 pages of drawings and other illustrations. Publication plans now are under way, and it is hoped that the book will be ready in the next year for distribution to members and other climbers.

Paul Wiseman, President