Accident Reports ANAM
Scrambling Fall on Mt. Haig – Forced Bivouac, Inadequate Equipment Canada, Alberta, Border Ranges, Mt. Haig

On November 13 a party of six scrambled to the summit of Mt. Haig, in the far southern Canadian Rockies, via the east ridge. At about 4 p.m., as the party was descending, one member of the group stumbled forward and at the same time lost her grip ...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Long Leader Fall on Kemosabe Ice Climb – Inadequate Protection Canada, Alberta, Kananaskis Country, Waiparous Creek

On November 29, while leading the second pitch of Kemosabe (100 meters, WI4), a 35-year-old climber took a 40-meter fall from near the end of the pitch, pulling out two ice screws before his fall was arrested. The climber sustained life-threatenin...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Leader Fall on Yamnuska – Loose Rock, Inadequate Protection Canada, Alberta, Yamnuska, Forbidden Corner

An experienced party of two was climbing Forbidden Corner (5.9 R) on April 12 when the leader fell about 10 meters on the fourth or fifth pitch as a result of a broken hold. A piece of protection pulled out and lengthened the fall. As the belayer ...

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| Published 2016 | Author Matt Mueller


Accident Reports ANAM
Ice Climbing Fall – Descending Unroped Canada, Alberta, Ghost River Valley

At 3:40 p.m. on February 4, two ice climbers were descending the lower portion of the Aquarius ice climb (WI4). The first climber walked across a large ice ledge to the anchor at the top of the final rappel while his partner pulled the ropes from ...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Ski Mountaineer Hit by Falling Cornice Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Mons Icefield

A group of seven skiers was attempting the southern portion of the Great Divide ski traverse, which goes from the Columbia Icefields to Lake Louise. On May 4 they were using the standard bolted rappel route off the west glacier of the Mons Icefiel...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Leader Fall on Banff Ice Climb Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Professor Falls

On February 21, a party was climbing Professor Falls on the slopes of Mt. Rundle and attempting to combine pitches in order to complete the route quickly. The leader, a very experienced climber in his 50s, climbed and protected the upper portion o...

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| Published 2016


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Linzhou Taihang Canyon, Merry Christmas China, Henan Province

OVER CHRISTMAS OF 2016, pictures of a large icefall strongly resembling a Christmas tree circulated on Wechat (a free messaging and calling app widely used throughout China). It took He Chuan and Liu Yang five days to determine the location of thi...

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| Published 2017 | Author Lindsay Griffin


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Fall on Mt. Assiniboine – Loose Rock, Climbing Unroped Canada, British Columbia, Mt. Assiniboine

A party of two departed the Hind Hut at 5:30 a.m. on August 30 to attempt the north ridge of Mt. Assiniboine. This is the most popular route up this peak, rated 5.5 and Alpine Grade II. Moving relatively quickly, the two climbers gained the ridge ...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Long Fall on Carlsberg Column – Inadequate Protection Canada, British Columbia, Yoho National Park, Carlsberg Column

On December 28, two experienced climbers started up the classic Field ice climb known as Carlsberg Column. Carlsberg has an “approach pitch” that starts out with a steep little pillar (WI3) and then continues for another 30 meters of low-angled ic...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Boulder Crushes Bugaboos Climber Canada, British Columbia, Purcell Mountains, Bugaboos Provincial Park

On July 15, a loose boulder shifted as a 32-year-old apprentice guide approached the west ridge of Pigeon Spire, sending him into a 10-meter tumble. The boulder then rolled over the climber, breaking 14 ribs and two vertebrae and collapsing a lung...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Scrambling Fall in Sir Donald Group – Loose Hold Canada, British Columbia, Glacier National Park, Sulzer Tower

At the end of August, a party of three climbers attempted a lightweight traverse of the peaks that bound the headwaters of the Illecillewaet River, including Mt. Sir Donald. This is a 37-kilometer trip with nearly 6,000 meters of vertical gain and...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded on Mt. Tupper – Inadequate Equipment Canada, British Columbia, Glacier National Park, Mt. Tupper

On June 20, as a pair of climbers was ascending the south buttress of Mt. Tupper, wet, snowy conditions slowed their progress in the upper third of the route. The climbers did not bring ice axes and crampons for traversing the final snowy ledges t...

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| Published 2016


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Fall on Mt. Tupper – Loose Rock, Climbing Unroped Canada, British Columbia, Glacier National Park, Mt. Tupper

On July 25, while ascending the classic west ridge of Mt. Tupper, an unroped climber pulled on a loose block along the ridge top and fell down the south face. His two climbing partners witnessed him falling with the large block, then cartwheeling ...

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| Published 2016


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pik Semenova Tian-Shanski, Northwest Face Kyrgyzstan, Tien Shan, Kyrgyz Ala-too, Ala Archa National Park

Route 3 is the 2015 Aitken-Potockiy Route. See photos below for other routes.  The Ala Archa is a popular and easily accessible mountain group, lying only 40km south of Bishkek, and contains some of the best alpine, ro...

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| Published 2015 | Author Mark Aitken


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Oxford Glacier, Island Peak, East Face and South Ridge; Snow Dome, North Ridge; Panorama Peak, South Ridge Greenland, East Greenland, Stauning Alps

The Stauning Alps of northeast Greenland are bounded to north by the King Oscar Fjord, to the east by the Skel Valley, to the west by the Alpefjord, and to the south by the Nordvest Fjord, the northwest branch of Scoresby Sund. While the northern ...

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| Published 2013 | Author Mark Aitken


Accident Reports ANAM
Essentials: Deep Water Soloing Safety Steps for a Fun New Sport

In deep water soloing (DWS), the danger of a fall is lessened, but the potential for injury is not eliminated. At least three DWS fatalities have been reported in Europe. POTENTIAL INJURY TYPES Drowning. Sudden immersion in cold water raises the r...

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| Published 2016 | Author R. Bryan Simon and Seth C. Hawkins


Accident Reports ANAM
Lowering Error – Clipped Wrong Rope Into Anchor New Mexico, Diablo Canyon, Sun Devil Wall

On January 18, at approximately 2 p.m., Climber 1 fell from the top anchors of pitch two of Appendicitis (5.10a) on the Sun Devil Wall. She fell approximately 170 feet to the ground. Trained medical professionals were climbing nearby and immediate...

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| Published 2016 | Author Heather Volz


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Western Hajar, Various New Routes Oman

Italian climbers Manrico Dell’Agnola, Daniele Canale, Tommaso Lamantia, Giovanni Pagnoncelli, and Marcello Sanguineti spent the first half of January 2017 in Oman, visiting the Western Hajar mountains and climbing several new routes. At Jebel Fokh...

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| Published 2017 | Author Marcello Sanguineti


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Jebel Misht, Wer Wir Waren and Mitten ins Herz Oman

In January and February of 2017, Philip Flämig and I climbed some big new lines on the beautiful and impressive limestone of the Western Hajar mountains. First we climbed Wer Wir Waren (460m climbing distance, 8 pitches, F6b) on one of the untouch...

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| Published 2017 | Author Jens Richter


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Yalla Shabab Jordan, Wadi Rum

In November, British climbers Dan McManus and Calum Muskett bolted and climbed a difficult four-pitch line up a previously unclimbed face in Barra Canyon. The new route, Yalla Shabab (8a), went in four pitches: 7a+, 8a, 7c+, 7b+, the last three al...

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| Published 2016