Split Aiguille, Direct, Sawtooth Range. Just west of the Grand Aiguille lies the 300-foot Split Aiguille, split by a deep, open chimney, which was climbed twice in 1960 by rope throwing and a tyrolean traverse from its lower summit. It was called Groin by the Iowa party, in poor taste we feel; we prefer Stur’s name. (A.A.J., 1961, 12:2, pp. 371-2.) On June 15 Steve Marts, Herb Swedlund and I climbed from Redfish Lake to its northern base. Herb spent the day making a photographic essay of the spectacular ascent, which followed the nearly vertical and very smooth eastern corner of the aiguille. Steve climbed the first pitch, using direct aid on a solitary crack that took angle pitons well at first but eventually bottomed out and left us skeptical about the iron. The next lead involved some difficult free climbing; then I had to place three bolts on a flawless section to reach a piton crack behind a loose flake. A strenuous flaring crack and some very exposed rotten rock gave access to a solid belay stance. Good rock and ample holds let us finish the ascent on a final short, but steep, lead.

Fred Beckey