Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Rattlesnake Mexico, Chihuahua, Parque Nacional Cascada de Basaseachi

A French “Roc Aventure Programme” team from the Fédération Française de la Montagne et de l’Escalade (FFME) completed a new route on the left side Candameña Canyon, about half an hour from Basaseachi Falls, in October. Six young climbers—Kevin Agl...

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| Published 2016 | Author Jonathan Crison


Accident Reports ANAM
Bear Attack Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Mt. Wilson

On November 29, British climbers Greg Boswell and Nick Bullock were descending in the dark from a reconnaissance of a very difficult mixed route high on the west side of Mt. Wilson, above the Icefields Parkway, when a grizzly bear attacked Boswell...

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| Published 2015 | Author The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock Canada, British Columbia, Yoho National Park, Chancellor Peak

On August 7, a pair of climbers set out to attempt a new route on the north face of Chancellor Peak. After climbing a considerable distance, they encountered poor conditions and decided to traverse to the northwest ridge to complete their ascent. ...

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| Published 2015 | Author Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall – Near Miss With Rockslide Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Grand Sentinel from Moraine Lake

On August 15, 2014, Will Richardson-Little and I started hiking toward the Grand Sentinel at 7:20 a.m. from the Moraine Lake parking lot. Our objective was to climb the normal route on the south face (4 pitches, 5.9). We had a standard rack, doubl...

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| Published 2015 | Author Eric Chow


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Off Route Alberta, Banff National Park, Castle Mountain

On July 24, Banff Dispatch was relayed a 911 call from a climber whose partner had just taken a 15-meter leader fall on the upper cliffs of Castle Mountain. They indicated they were at the bottom of a popular route, Brewer Buttress (III 5.6), on t...

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| Published 2015 | Author Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Scrambling Alone Alberta, Banff National Park, Mt. Whyte

Late in the afternoon of July 28, a lone 30-year-old male was traversing the exposed alpine rock ridge heading southwest from the summit of Mt. Whyte toward Popes Peak. Partway across this traverse, the subject dislodged some loose rocks and fell ...

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| Published 2015 | Author Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Failure – Miscommunication, No Stopper Knots Canada, Alberta, Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, Cougar Creek Canyon

On April 28, two climbers were descending a single-pitch route known as Aces High on Casino Wall. One of the climbers rappelled off the ends of the rope. He fell about five meters and landed on his back, sustaining a lower back injury described as...

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| Published 2015 | Author Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Loose Rock Canada, Alberta, Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, Ha Ling Peak Boulders

A female climber in her 20s was bouldering at the base of Ha Ling Peak, near Canmore, on March 27. A piece of the boulder detached and crushed her pelvis. She was evacuated from the scene utilizing a wheeled stretcher.ANALYSIS The climber failed t...

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| Published 2015 | Author Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche – Poor Position Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Polar Circus

At 5:30 a.m. on February 5, two climbers set out to climb Polar Circus, a 700-meter ice climb on Mt. Cirrus. It had snowed lightly overnight and continued to snow during the day. Later in the afternoon, they observed snow sloughing off the steep c...

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| Published 2015 | Author Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Ice – Poor Position Canada, Alberta, Ghost River Valley

On February 2, a party of two was ascending a four-pitch WI5 ice route called Sorcerer. Low on the route, one of the climbers was struck by falling ice. He was lowered to the ground and a rescue was requested using a SPOT device. A multi-agency re...

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| Published 2015 | Author Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Snow – Inadequate Protection Canada, British Columbia, Joffre Peak

On January 11, three climbers perished after falling nearly the full length of the Central Couloir on the north side of Joffre Peak, east of Pemberton. The couloir is best known as an extreme ski descent, but this trio was ascending the route as a...

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| Published 2015 | Author The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Snow – Inadequate Equipment, Poor Position Wyoming, Middle Teton, Southwest Couloir

Climber 1 and Climber 2 had camped in Garnet Meadows on the night of August 28, with plans to climb the southwest couloir on the Middle Teton the following day. This route is 3rd class and is considered the easiest way to the summit. The two did n...

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| Published 2015 | Author National Park Service Search and Rescue Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Stranded – Off-Route, Inadequate Gear Grand Teton National Park, Teewinot

At 7:30 a.m. on August 22, three women began hiking up the “Apex Trail” from the Lupine Meadows Trailhead in an attempt to climb Teewinot Mountain (12,325 feet). The three climbers, all in their mid-20s, were attempting to ascend the standard east...

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| Published 2015 | Author National Park Service Search and Rescue Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded – Poor Position, Stuck Rappel Rope Wyoming, Grand Teton, Stettner Couloir

On the night of August 15, at about 8:45 p.m., Teton Interagency Dispatch received a cell phone call stating that six persons were stranded in the Stettner Couloir. The subjects had climbed the Petzoldt Ridge and then rappelled into the couloir. T...

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| Published 2015 | Author National Park Service Search and Rescue Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded – Off-Route Wyoming, Middle Teton, Dike Route

On August 11, while attempting to climb the Dike Route on the Middle Teton, Climber 1 and Climber 2—brothers with 39 years of climbing experience in the Tetons—got off-route. Unable to locate the top of the Dike Pinnacle, a prominent feature of th...

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| Published 2015 | Author National Park Service Search and Rescue Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall Wyoming, Middle Teton, Dike Route

At around 8:30 a.m. on July 7, Pete Mumford, a past Grand Teton seasonal employee, heard rockfall and a subsequent call for help. He quickly made his way to the base of the Middle Teton, near the Black Dike, where he found Climber 2 tending to her...

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| Published 2015 | Author National Park Service Search and Rescue Report and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Mt. Moran, Sickle Couloir

On May 17, four ski mountaineers were involved in an avalanche in the Sickle Couloir on the northeast face of Mt. Moran (12,605 feet). Three of the men were carried 500 to 600 vertical feet in the slide. They came to a stop on the surface, but one...

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| Published 2015 | Author National Park Service Search and Rescue Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Inadequate Protection Wisconsin, Devil's Lake State Park, West Bluff

On November 8, a 23-year-old male climber was leading a pitch on the West Bluff, belayed from the ground by a friend. He had just set his second piece of protection, at approximately 25 to 30 feet, when he fell. The top piece pulled out, and the l...

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| Published 2015 | Author The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Inadequate Tie-In Knot, No Helmet Wisconsin, Devil's Lake State Park, Rainy Wednesday Tower

A father and his 9-year-old daughter were climbing at Rainy Wednesday Tower on September 19. The father had over 30 years of climbing experience, and the daughter had climbed indoors but did not have much outdoor experience. The father was standin...

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| Published 2015 | Author The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Failure to Clip Anchors West Virginia, New River Gorge National River, Sandstonia

At 3 p.m. on November 6, a male climber (age unknown) fell while leading a sport route named Shady Lady (5.7) at the Sandstonia area of Bubba City. According to an NPS incident report, the climber was attempting to clip the anchors when he fell. D...

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| Published 2015 | Author NPS Incident Report