An Army Black Hawk helicopter lifts the severely injured Becca Steinbrecher out of the Black Canyon on September 11, 2023. Photo by Vic Zeilman. Around 7:30 a.m. on September 11, Becca Steinbrecher (30) took a serious leader fall on Great Whi...
The rough approach to Table Dome played a factor in the call for rescue after Steve Sagin took a long leader fall on Wily Javelina. His partner, Jerry Cagle, wrote, “The topography is generally rugged and invariably involves some degree of bushw...
The scene of the rockfall accident at the Granite Dells. Note the crushed crash pad and shattered debris. The rocks were dislodged by a climber from the area on the cliff marked by the yellow box. To give a sense of scale, the figure in the red ...
On January 8, Climber 1 (female 25) got her knee stuck in a wide crack on the Regular Route (3 pitches, 5.7) on Queen Victoria Spire in Sedona. Climber 1 was following four friends on her first outdoor climb when she attempted an “alpine knee” whi...
Dry Flyin’ (700’, 5.10b) on the east face of the previously unclimbed Golden Trout Spire. Photo by Zach Lovell. How does one determine whether it’s a climbing trip with some fishing, or a fishing trip with some climbing? From August 9 to 16, ...
In July 2024, Matt O’Brien and I hiked 11 miles up to Royce Lakes Basin, a beautiful area with three large alpine lakes surrounded by towering peaks. We spent several days there, during which we established two new alpine rock routes. On our seco...
To access the remote northwest face of Mt. Abbot (13,715’), I hiked in from Mosquito Flat trailhead to the east, past Ruby Lake and Mills Lake, to Abbot’s northeast side. On October 9, the bulletproof ice (AI2) of the Petit Griffon Couloir (leadin...
Eric Gilbertson with the differential GPS at the new summit of Mt. Rainier on the southwest rim, with Columbia Crest in the background. Photo by Ross Wallette. Between August and October, with the help of climbing partners Saulius Bračiulis,...
Sam Allen and Jenn Carter at the top of pitch two on Song of the Summer, Jabberwocky Tower. Photo by Wayne Wallace. Jabberwocky Tower is a unique peak just east of Colchuck Lake in the Enchantments, visible from various spots nearby. Hundred...
Eric Gilbertson leading the first pitch on the northwest face (300m, WI3 M3 steep snow) of Choral Peak. Photo by Nick Roy. Choral Peak (7,972’), in the Entiat Mountains, is one of the 200 highest peaks in Washington, with a popular scramble ...
Eric Gilbertson on Boston Peak’s summit ridge during the peak’s first winter ascent. The summit is visible in the background. Photo by Nick Roy. By 2024, Boston Peak (8,883’) was likely the tallest peak in Washington that had never been climb...
The north face of Castle Peak, showing approximate lines of (1) Ripped Settee (1,200’, 5.12a A0, 2024) and (2) The Drawbridge (IV 5.10+ A1, 2017). The parallel buttress just to the left has two routes: Herrington-Hirst (5.11-, 2008, on the left)...
On the upper glacier below Khumjungar, showing the route of ascent (the south-southwest face is hidden). Photo by Prakash Gurung. The first ascent of Khumjungar (a.k.a. Khamjung, 6,750m, 28°53’19.65”N, 84°7’37.07”E) was undertaken by the “Pr...
Sanctuary Peak from the southwest. The first-ascent route climbed the glacier and finished up the left skyline ridge. Photo by Yasuhiro Hanatani. In 1996, a joint Shinshu University and Nepal Police expedition made the first ascent of Ratna C...
The stranded free soloist above was rescued shortly after this photo was taken. One of the rescuers was Chase Morgan. He wrote to ANAC, “The soloist was standing on a sloping foot ledge, just below the slippery crux, about 45 feet off the ground...
On November 9, Gibson McGee (19) was bouldering on White Rastafarian, a V2 highball (some say V3) that has been the scene of many accidents. He fell from near the top and struck the ground, shattering his L1 vertebra (the highest bone in the lower...
Point Dume State Park is a popular seaside area with short top-ropes. Last year, Right Center (5.7) was the site of a serious lowering accident. Photo: Cecily Breeding | Wikimedia On October 9, we decided to go to the beachside cliff at Point...
Whitney Clark’s progress-capture device failed when the as-yet-unused retention sling got stuck in the device as she was ascending. It is common practice to use a sling and an elastic connection to hold the progress-capture device upright as o...
Larsen Tormey, three hours after being pinned by a large boulder near Lamarck Col. This photo was taken shortly before his partner managed to pull the boulder off. Photo: Jacob Ireland Around 12:40 p.m. on September 28, Larsen Tormey (28) was...
Cole Taylor climbing into trouble on the Half Dollar Pitch of Freeblast. He fell shortly after this photo was taken, impacting a slab (out of sight). On impact, his leg became impaled on a Camalot’s lobe. Photo: Dylan Miller On October 20, Ga...