Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Tibet, Shisha Pangma Central (West) Summit Illegally Climbed by East Germans

Shisha Pangma Central (West) Summit Illegally Climbed by East Germans. Traveling on next-to-no money (we each spent the equivalent of US $700 on the whole trip from East Germany and back), Winfried Kraus, Dr. Karsten König, Fräulein Sabine Körbs a...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Haste—Trying to Stick to a Schedule, California, Yosemite Valley, North Dome Gulley

FALL ON ROCK, HASTE—TRYING TO STICK TO A SCHEDULECalifornia, Yosemite Valley, North Dome GulleyOn July 6, Dave Bedell (34) and Matt Niswonger finished climbing the South Face of Washington Column and bivouacked on the summit. Early the next mornin...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington, Cascade Mountains, Mount Formidable, Northwest Face

Mount Formidable, Northwest Face. On June 28, Gordon Adams and I climbed the northwest face of Mount Formidable. We approached via the primitive Cleve Creek Valley. The route went up the center of the 45° face mostly on névé just left of a rock fi...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Alaska Range, Traverse, and Kahiltna Dome, North Ridge

Alaska Range, Traverse, and Kahiltna Dome, North Ridge. In March, 1997, Meg Perdue, Peter Yeomans, Greg Wolfgang and I traveled by dog sled from Denali National Park’s north entrance to Wonder Lake with two musher friends who took the dogs back ou...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Garhwal, Bhagirathi I Attempt and Bhagirathi II Ascent

Bhagirathi I Attempt and Bhagirathi II Ascent. A Japanese expedition led by Kazuo Yamamoto reached 6100 meters on the west face of Bhagirathi I (6856 meters, 22,493 feet) before bad weather stopped them. On October 7, Hiroshi Oda, Shukoh Sakai, Ma...


Accident Reports AAJ
Sierra Nevada: (4) Devil's Slide, San Mateo Sea Cliffs

Sierra Nevada: (4) Devil’s Slide, San Mateo Sea Cliffs. On 17 August 1947 a local practice group from the Sierra Club was climbing on cliffs of disintegrating granite south of San Francisco. John Hood, leading an unfamiliar route, had placed three...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Utah, Remote Southern Areas, Valley of the Gods

Valley of the Gods. In March, on the Seven Drunken Sailors formation, Mike Baker and Leslie Henderson established Borracho Grande (5.9 C2, two pitches, 180').Eric BjØrnstadt


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Kanchungtse (Makalu II) Attempt

Kangchungtse (Makalu II) Attempt. A West German expedition led by Bernhard Günther failed to climb Kangchungtse by the Japanese route on the northwest ridge in the pre-monsoon period. The high point was 23,000 feet (c. 7000 meters). They had two B...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Tibet, Himalaya, Tsha Tung, First Ascent

Tsha Tung, first ascent. During my 2003 winter attempt on Xixabangma I noticed a small peak on the south side of the Phu Chu Valley just east of Eiger Peak (6,912m), as it was called by Doug Scott’s 1982 Xixabangma expedition. Later study showed i...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Australasia, Irian Jaya, Trikora, Carstensz Group

Trikora, Carstensz Group. Briton Jules Stewart, Spaniards Juan Luis Salcedo and I climbed a new route on Trikora on June 8. We approached from the north from Lake Habbema in two days to the Samalek Cave. We climbed the north face to reach the west...


Notes AAJ
Selkirk Range of British Columbia, Guidebook to the Interior Ranges

Guidebook to the Interior Ranges. Professor F. K. Butters has kindly contributed the following notes:1. So far as I am aware the first traverse of Uto from S. to N. was made in 1911 by H. Palmer, T. G. Longstaff and myself. It was made on the same...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Mount Andromeda, Andromeda Strain, Columbia Icefields Group

Mount Andromeda, Andromeda Strain, Columbia Icefields Group. In April Barry Blanchard, Tim Friesen and I completed the often tried “Andromeda Strain.” The route involved mixed climbing up to 5.9, A2 and required one bivouac. It is recommended but ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California, Sierra Nevada, Third Recess Peak, Serving Detention

Third Recess Peak, Serving Detention. The northeast side of Third Recess Peak features two striking arêtes that merge near the summit. In July Micha Miller and I climbed a new route (IV 5.10) that followed the left-hand arête for ten pitches. Star...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Falling Rock, Severed Rope, Wyoming, Tetons

FALL ON ROCK, FALLING ROCK, SEVERED ROPEWyoming, TetonsOn August 19, 1980, Glen Milner (33), an experienced mountain guide, was leading John Alexander (44) up the west ridge route (F5) on Teepe’s Pillar. The weather was cloudy andwindy with the te...


Accident Tables ANAM
Operation Conducted For, Table III

TABLE III Operation Conducted ForStateHunters-FishermenAircraftClimbersOtherArizona00511California3301735Colorado213014Montana0003Oregon41411Washington7101914Wyoming0030TOTAL46127888Initial inquiry indicates that the bulk of “other” are hikers, an...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Alaska Range, Mt. Dickey, Snowpatrol

Mt. Dickey, Snowpatrol. After hearing vague rumors concerning a gorge with mixed lines 5,000' high, half an hour from camp, Andy Sharpe and I packed a spare pair of socks and headed out to the Ruth to see what we could find.We flew in and got dump...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Failure of Nut — California, Yosemite Valley

FALL ON ROCK, FAILURE OF NUT California, Yosemite ValleyOn September 14, 1982, around 1400, Jim Slichter (27) was leading Pitch 24 of Pancake Flake on The Nose on El Capitan when an aid nut he was standing on pulled and he fell three meters. He st...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Ice, Inadequate Protection, Exceeding Abilities, New Hampshire, Frankenstein Cliff, Standard Route Left

FALL ON ICE, INADEQUATE PROTECTION, EXCEEDING ABILITIESNew Hampshire, Frankenstein Cliff, Standard Route LeftOn February 17, the strongest leader, Tom, had apparently done the first (crux) pitch just fine. The second leader, Jim, fell while attemp...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru—Cordillera Blanca, Santa Cruz South Face

Santa Cruz South Face. On June 7 and 8, Emil Tratnik, Andrej Lužnik, Peter Poljanec and I climbed the 1200-meter-high south face of Santa Cruz. We had very bad snow conditions and had to bivouac when we gained the west ridge. In the last part ther...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Coast Mountains, Mt. Joffre, Smell the Roses

Mt. Joffre, Smell the Roses. Joffre’s northeast face has a nice chimney/gully line, just left of the central pillar. It rimes up well in winter, with just enough snow and ice to be tempting. On my first attempt, with Mike Spagnut and Andrew Port, ...