On September 30, Mathieu Détrie, Julien Dusserre, Pierre Labbre, and I arrived at our 5,130m base camp below the south side of the Nangpai Gosum peaks. [All three Nangpai Gosum peaks, as designated by the Nepalese government, are still officially ...
We were a team of six students gathered from six different universities, celebrating the 110th anniversary of the Japanese Alpine Club, which supported our expedition. In 2013, I had been a member of the expedition that made the first ascent of Ja...
The southwest ridge of Dhaulagiri (8,167m) descends 3km from the summit to a point where it divides into the south-southwest ridge and southwest pillar. The south-southwest ridge and southwest ridge were climbed in 1978 by Japanese, while the stee...
It took me three years to decide whether to go for a solo attempt on Chobutse (6,686m). I grew up in the Rolwaling Valley, seeing the mountain from my home. Each time I go back it seems so close and attractive, especially the west face, which rema...
The tried and tested Basque team of Alberto Iñurrategi, Juan Vallejo, and Mikel Zabalza hoped to make the first ascent of the north face of Chamlang (7,321m). The team acclimatized on Hongu (Hongku Chuli West, 6,764m) and spent two weeks checking ...
April 25 will remain forever in our memories. We were at Manaslu base camp when the earth began to tremble, causing a national disaster. Rather than add to the confusion by attempting an untimely repatriation, we decided to remain in the mountains...
Climbing as two pairs—Fanny Schmutz and Damien Tomasi, and Fleur Fouque and Sébastien Rougegré—four French guides from the Chamonix Valley made the first alpinestyle ascent (fifth overall) of the Lagunak Ridge (south ridge) of Ama Dablam (6,814m)....
In the fall of 2015, I began exploring the expansive Wheeler Crest, repeating a few of the classic routes with friends. We became entranced with the wildness of the place—long approaches, no trails, no crowds, and just the occasional bighorn sheep...
On September 17, two female climbers in their 20s were top-roping a 5.10c route called Gueuse. One climber had just completed the route. The sun was going to set in 20 to 30 minutes. Everyone else at the crag had just left, so the two climbers wer...
I have been lucky to become friends and climbing partners with a great group of Sherpas from the Rolwaling Valley. These include Mingma Tsiri Sherpa of Ascent Himalayas (first Nepalese to summit K2), with whom I climbed Everest in 2012. One mounta...
The first repeat of the East Face Route (ED2 VI 5.9 A3+) on Mt. Slesse—first climbed in 1997 by Sean Easton and Dave Edgar—has been on the minds of local rock climbers for almost 20 years. In spite of attempts by skilled climbers, the route remain...
In mid-March, Johnny Ticona (Bolivia), Davide Vitale (Italy/Belgium, resident in Bolivia), and I made what we believe to be the first ascent of the southwest face of Jakoceri. (This peak is often quoted as ca 5,800m, but is possibly higher; it is ...
Peter Inglis, who died after a cornice collapse in the St. Elias Range in Alaska, was a Telluride (Colorado) ski patroller for over 20 years and a longtime San Miguel County search and rescue volunteer. In addition, he guided clients all over the ...
Justin Tyler Griffin wore many hats. He was an above-average athlete, a husband, a father, a son, a brother, and by profession a builder. Justin grew up in the great state of Kentucky and attended Bowling Green High School. During high school he m...
Floyd Allen “Tex” Bossier, a key figure in Colorado climbing’s “golden age,” died in Saint- Joriez, France, on September 6, at the age of 71. Tex was born far from the mountains in the oil town of Port Arthur, Texas, the youngest of four. When he ...
On June 8, Rodrigo Lobo and I made the first ascent of Al Fondo Hay Sitio on the east face of Pico Italia (ca 5,750m). We trained specifically for this route: Among other things, we climbed 25 sport pitches in the Aranjuez Valley in one day. This ...
In October 2015, Mattia Buzzetti and I climbed an icefall on the south face of Pacokeuta (5,589m), which can be clearly seen from the Peñas–Laguna Jankho Kkota–Paso Mullu–Amaguaya road. The route was 120m, up to WI4, but we did not continue to the...
At approximately 4:30 a.m. on July 25, Climber 1 and Climber 2 (both age 25) departed the Lupine Meadows Trailhead with plans to climb the Dike Route on the Middle Teton. At approximately 4 p.m. they reached the top of the Dike Pinnacle and decide...
One thing that can be said about the Great White North’s preeminent crag is that it’s no longer a locals-only hang. Over the past decade the place has completely blown up. Where once we only saw clunkers rattle in from no farther than Oregon and...
For some years I have been captivated by the many big walls in Basaseachi Falls National Park. At 2,700’, El Gigante is the biggest vertical wall in Mexico, and then there’s Piedra Bolada, with the highest seasonal waterfall (1,500’), and Basaseac...