Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Dragon Tooth, Southwest Face, Water Route Russia, Siberia, Sayan Mountains, Ergaki Massif

The southwest face of Dragon Tooth and the nine existing routes. Water Route (2019) is in yellow. Nearly all are in the Russian 5B category. Photo by Alexander Zhigalov There are now nine routes on the broad southwest face of Dragon Tooth (2,...

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| Published 2019 | Author Anna Piunova


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South Lachama Glacier, Exploration and Attempt on Peak 5,320m Nepal, Changla Himal

“True Peak 5,822m” (unclimbed) seen from high on the north lateral moraine of the South Lachama Glacier.  Photo by Mike Fletcher Following a suggestion from Julian Freeman-Attwood, Drew Cook, Lorna Earl, Mike Fletcher, Nick King, Stephen Hump...

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| Published 2019 | Author Derek Buckle


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Peak 5,976m, South Ridge, Attempt Nepal, Rolwaling Himal

Moving toward the 6,100m col below the unclimbed north ridge of Drangnag Ri (6,757m, foreground left). In the background is Takargo Ri (6,771m), with part of Chobutse (6,686m) to the right.  Photo by Will Rowland During November, a British ex...

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| Published 2019 | Author Will Rowland


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Parchamo, West Face of North Ridge Nepal, Rolwaling Himal

In November 1996, Kili Sherpa and I climbed a line on the far left side of the west face of Parchamo (6,273m) to reach the shoulder on the north ridge at around 5,950m. From our camp at approximately 5,485m on the Drolambo (Drolambau) Glacier, we ...

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| Published 1996 | Author Tad Welch


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Lugula, Northwest Ridge over Bhrikuti Shail; Selka Kangri, East Ridge Nepal, Damodar Himal

Lugula from the southwest showing the partially climbed west ridge as the left skyline and the elegant unclimbed south ridge in the center. Photo by Sergio di Léo Lugula (6,899m) is a beautiful summit located on the Nepal-Tibet border bet...

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| Published 2019 | Author Paulo Grobel


Feature Article AAJ
Chamlang: A Coveted Face Is Finally Climbed Nepal, Mahalangur Himal, Barun Section

The Czech line on the northwest face of Chamlang (7,321 meters). The climb and descent took seven nights away from base camp; the seventh bivy site is hidden. (H) marks the high point of the 2019 French attempt on Chamlang’s north pillar. The ph...

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| Published 2019 | Author Zdeněk Hák


Feature Article AAJ
Synergy: The Power of Partnership on the First Ascent of Link Sar Pakistan, Karakoram, Masherbrum Range

(A) Changi Tower. (B) K6 Main. (C) Link Sar (7,041m) from the southeast, showing the line of the 2019 ascent, advanced base camp, and bivouacs. Stocking ABC at 4,700 meters (1,000 meters above base camp) with weeks of supplies was a crucial stra...

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| Published 2019 | Author Steve Swenson and Graham Zimmerman


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Langshisha Ri Group, Peak 6,130m, West Ridge Nepal, Langtang Himal

The rounded summit of Peak 6,130m seen from the northwest on the high glacier below the south face of Langshisha Ri. The French team climbed the right skyline.  Photo by Pierre Rizzardo Taking a permit for Langshisha Ri (6,412m), the Fren...

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| Published 2019 | Author Rodolphe Popier


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Klang Himal, Northeast Face, and Exploration Nepal, Dolpo, Sonjo Lek, Gyaekochen Himal

Unclimbed Gyaekochen (6,107m) from the northwest.  Photo by Paolo Grobel Dolpo is considered a land for trekkers, not a destination for mountaineers. However, there are beautiful peaks: not necessarily all that high, but wild and remote. ...

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| Published 2019 | Author Paulo Grobel


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Ardang, First Ascent via North Face and North-Northwest Ridge Nepal, Far West Nepal, Phupharka Himal

Ardang (6,034m) from the north, showing the Canadian first ascent (with two camps) in red and the British attempt on the northeast ridge in blue. Photo by Emily Ward In late autumn, two teams attempted unclimbed Ardang (6,034m) in the Limi re...

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| Published 2019 | Author Lindsay Griffin


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Amotsang, South Ridge Nepal, Damodar Himal

Seen from the east: (A) Amotsang, (B) Jomson Peak, and (C) Margot Peak. The solo first ascent of Amotsang was by the south ridge, beyond the left skyline. Photo by Paulo Grobel Amotsang (6,393m, 28°50'5.76"N, 84°10'13.19"E) was brought onto t...

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| Published 2019 | Author Lindsay Griffin


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Rakaposhi, South Face and Southeast Ridge Pakistan, Karakoram, Rakaposhi Range

Our planned objective for 2019 was a new route on Tirich Mir, the highest peak in the Hindu Kush. However, by the time we arrived in Pakistan, Kazuya Hiraide and I still had not received a permit, and so we went to Gilgit to reconnoiter another ob...

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| Published 2019 | Author Kenro Nakajima


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Mt. Fay, East Face, The Sound of Silence Canada, Alberta, Canadian Rockies, Valley of the Ten Peaks

The route line for Luka Lindič, Ines Papert, and Brette Harrington's The Sound of Silence (1,100m, M8 WI5) on the east face of Mt. Fay. The original route (1985) finished up and right from the snowfield at two-thirds height. Sans Blitz (2000) cl...

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| Published 2019 | Author Luka Lindič


In Memoriam AAJ
Steve Wunsch, 1947 – 2019

When I heard that Steve Wunsch had died, and how he had, until the end, kept his cancer private, an Irish song, “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye” came to mind, and I realized that during all the time we traveled together, the climbs, the successes, the f...

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| Published 2019 | Author John Bragg


In Memoriam AAJ
Bob Swift, 1930 – 2019

Bob Swift began backpacking in the Boy Scouts and took up climbing with the Sierra Club as a teenager. There were practice climbs at Berkeley’s Cragmont and Indian Rocks, learning from the likes of David Brower and Richard Leonard, who had been cu...

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| Published 2019 | Author Doug Robinson


In Memoriam AAJ
Jess Roskelley, 1982 – 2019

Jess Fenton Roskelley was born in Spokane, Washington, on July 13, 1982. He graduated from Mt. Spokane High School in 2001 and attended the University of Montana for two years before embarking on an expedition to climb Everest with his father, Joh...

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| Published 2019 | Author Alli Roskelley and Family


Book Reviews AAJ
Dee Molenaar, 1918 – 2020

Dee Molenaar, an international mountaineering legend, geologist, and artist, passed away on January 19, 2020. He was 101. Throughout his life, Dee demonstrated great generosity, getting as much satisfaction from helping others achieve their mount...

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| Published 2020 | Author Kristina Ciari and Mary Hsue


Book Reviews AAJ
Wayne Merry, 1931 – 2019

Wayne Procter Merry passed away at home in Atlin, British Columbia, on October 30, 2019. He was 88. Wayne lived a consequential and deeply satisfying life as a trailblazer in a variety of arenas: big-wall climbing, national park administration, se...

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| Published 2019 | Author Steve Grossman


In Memoriam AAJ
David Lama, 1990 – 2019

For the millennial generation, those born between 1981 and 1996, there is no climber that systematically challenged and defined the standards and disciplines of mountain sports as David Lama did. When we lose exceptional people at much too young a...

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| Published 2019 | Author Conrad Anker


In Memoriam AAJ
Brad Gobright, 1988 – 2019

Brad Gobright grew up in Orange County, California, along with his sister, Jill, three years his junior. His parents, Pam and Jim, who are avid hikers, brought the family to Lone Pine Lake in the Sierra Nevada when Gobright was 4, cementing his lo...

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| Published 2019 | Author James Lucas