ON JULY 29, a party of two experienced climbers was climbing Chockstone Corner on Yamnuska’s big limestone face. It is a nine-pitch climb (5.8) requiring traditional protection. The leader had started up pitch seven, about 60 meters below the top ...
On August 30, a party of two was climbing Heart Line, a very long, moderate (5.9 A0) rock route in the Bow Valley. As the second climber (male, 30s) was finishing pitch four, a large boulder rolled down the climb and struck the climber in the shin...
ON MONDAY, March 12, an experienced party had decided to climb the route Ice Nine on Mt. Wilson. This is a 90-meter, WI6 route that had been seeing frequent ascents and was described as being in “WI5” shape. The weather was clear, with cold overni...
On Christmas day, a male climber, 26, fell a significant distance while soloing frozen Cascade Falls and died as a result of his injuries. Cascade Falls is a very popular ice route (300m, WI3) near the town of Banff.ANALYSISThe dangers of unroped ...
On June 13, a tree fell from above the Outhouse Wall at the Back of the Lake area and struck three climbers who were at the base. One climber (male, age 26) was flown to a hospital by air ambulance and later died from his injuries. A second climbe...
Four climbers were involved in an avalanche incident below the Kitty Hawk ice climb (3 pitches, WI5) on the east side of Elliot Peak. An avalanche swept down the route just after one of the climbers had rappelled off Unicorn, a short M7 mixed rout...
At around 10:30 a.m. on September 19, two climbers triggered an avalanche on the Silverhorn route. The weather was clear, with light winds, and the temperature was near 0° Celsius. The leader described the snow as being “Styrofoam-like.” They had ...
On July 29 a climber was descending the northeast ridge of Assiniboine and was rappelling diagonally to reach a ledge when the climber slipped and swung back into the fall line, impacting a protruding rock. The resulting injury prevented the party...
IN THE EARLY hours of April 23, a party of two climbers from Europe left their high camp, located in the northeast bowl of Whitehorn Mountain (3,399 meters), to attempt the northeast face of the mountain. This is not believed to be an established ...
In the early morning of June 1, Parks Canada was notified that a solo climber was requesting assistance high on Mt. Logan. The climber had summited the mountain and was located at Prospector’s Col, at approximately 5,500 meters. The climber was ex...
After an acclimatization ascent of Kyzyl Alai East in the Pamir Alai (see report here), my team headed for Karakol Lake and the Pamir in July. From the M41 (the Sary Tash to Karakol Lake road) in the Markansu Valley, we walked west up the Uysu Val...
In June a team led by Michal Kleslo climbed two peaks east of Kindik Pass in the Central Alai. Jakub Moravik and Michal Sranc climbed the steep, rocky northwest rib of Pik Kindik (4,927m, 39.789907°N, 72.709461°E), which in June was mostly snow an...
It always starts out like a casual day. Perfect weather, great friends, no need to push yourself. The next thing you know you’re sitting on your couch in a cast and writing an accident report for ANAC.I work for the American Alpine Club, and we we...
At approximately midnight on September 1, Sublette County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a call from a couple of climbers (male and female) who were stranded on the northwest face of Wolf’s Head, not far below the summit. Their rappel rope had...
On August 2, at approximately 8:25 p.m., rangers were notified that a party was uninjured but lost on the Petzoldt Ridge of the Grand Teton and needed help. Cell phone reception was poor, but a ranger was able to communicate with the party via tex...
At approximately 10:30 p.m. on July 22, Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call from a hiker who stated he was hiking east on the Cascade Canyon Trail when he heard calls for help and saw lights flashing on the cliffs above the trail. Ra...
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on June 28, an experienced climber (male, age 68) was struck by a rolling rock while scrambling down a descent gully after a climb of the Open Book (5.9+), a popular multi-pitch route above Garnet Canyon. The rock hit th...
At approximately 7:45 a.m. on June 25, an individual was reported overdue from a solo climb up the east face of Teewinot Mountain. The overdue climber, a 27-year-old male, had posted a video onto social media from the summit around 4:30 the previo...
On June 16, at 11:23 p.m., Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call from an uninjured father (33) and son (13) in the vicinity of the southwest couloir of Teewinot, at roughly 11,000 feet. They reported leaving the trailhead that morning ...
On June 12, at about 9:30 p.m., rescue coordinator George Montopoli received a call about an accident in the descent gully (southwest couloir) on Symmetry Spire. The caller informed Montopoli that he and his climbing partner had left the valley at...