Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Snow — Unable to Self-Arrest California, Mt. Shasta, Hotlum/Bolam Ridge

On June 19, a family of seven from Utah attempted to climb the Hotlum/Bolam Ridge route. By midmorning they had begun the steeper section of the route at 12,300 feet. They were all roped together—with no intermediate protection nor belay anchors—w...

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| Published 2021 | Author Mt. Shasta Climbing Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Rock California, Mt. Shasta, Avalanche Gulch

In the afternoon of April 9, a solo climber took a glancing blow to the thigh by a quoted “500-pound rock” while climbing Avalanche Gulch. The climber was near the Heart, which is the steepest part of the route, with slopes reaching 35°. Another s...

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| Published 2021 | Author Mt. Shasta Climbing Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Boulder Rolled Onto Leg California, Mt. Shasta, Clear Creek Route

The east side of Mt. Shasta in September 2012 (left) and September 2021 (right). Exceptionally dry conditions in 2021 contributed to a number of accidents on the mountain. Photo by Phil Rhodes On June 23, a lone male (31) was climbing the Cle...

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| Published 2021 | Author Mt. Shasta Climbing Ranger Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Ground Fall — Improperly Clipped Anchor Tether Arizona, Cochise Stronghold, Owl Rock

On the afternoon of January 31, Tim Parker (35) suffered a ground fall from the anchors of Naked Prey (5.12a) in Cochise Stronghold. Parker is a climber with over 15 years of experience. His partner, Darcy Mullen (32), is a climber of over 10 year...

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| Published 2021 | Author Tim Parker and Darcy Mullen


Accident Reports ANAM
Loose Rock at Base of Route Arizona, Phoenix, South Mountain Preserve

On November 11, Joshua Brown (23) and a partner (22) were climbing in an undeveloped area that required 3rd- and 4th-class scrambling up a loose slope to access the base of the crag. The pair finished a ground-up, trad first ascent and began packi...

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| Published 2021 | Author Joshua Brown


Accident Reports ANAM
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema — Ascending Too Fast Alaska, Denali West Buttress

On May 29, a 25-year-old male climber was assisted to the NPS medical tent at 14,200-foot camp by his climbing partners. The team reported they had flown to 7,200-foot camp and immediately moved to 11,200-foot camp. They then spent two nights at t...

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| Published 2021 | Author Denali Mountaineering Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Accidental SOS Activation Alaska, Denali, West Buttress

In the early morning hours of May 29, Denali mountaineering rangers were notified of an SOS activation at 11,200-foot camp. Ranger teams on the mountain at the 7,200-, 7,800-, and 14,200-foot camps were notified and involved in the information gat...

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| Published 2021 | Author Denali Mountaineering Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Frostbite — Poor Position Alaska, Denali West Buttress

On the afternoon of May 22, two male climbers left 14,200-foot camp for 17,200-foot camp. The 57-year-old male and 56-year-old male embarked on their climb in spite of weather warnings from rangers and during winds gusting to 40 mph in camp. After...

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| Published 2021 | Author Denali Mountaineering Rangers and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Ice — Fatality Alaska, Denali West Face of Reality Ridge

On May 13, Denali mountaineering rangers received an SOS message from a Garmin inReach satellite device. At 6:01 a.m., rangers began two-way communications with a climbing party comprised of Climber 1 (male, 31) and Climber 2 (male, 32). These cli...

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| Published 2021 | Author Denali Mountaineering Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Crevasse Fall Alaska, Denali National Park, Eldridge Glacier

On May 1, a 23-year-old female and 28-year-old male flew onto the South Spur of the Eldridge Glacier with the intent of exploring ski mountaineering objectives in the vicinity. This spur of the Eldridge Glacier originates to the northeast of the R...

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| Published 2021 | Author Denali Mountaineering Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche Alaska, Neacola Mountains, Mt. Neacola

Less than two weeks prior to completing the first ascent of the 4,600-foot north face of Mt. Neacola (5.10 A2 M6), a trio of New Hampshire-based climbers were nearly killed in an avalanche. On April 1, I (31), Ryan Driscoll (34), and Justin Guari...

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| Published 2021 | Author Nick Aiello-Popeo


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Hissar Range, Mura Peaks Tajikistan, Pamir Alai

In June 2021, I led a group from Iskanderkul lake to Sarytag village, then west and south to the Mura Valley, leading off the Zambar Valley. The Mura Valley, located in the Hissar (a.k.a. Gissar) Range, has a small glacier with a beautiful lake, a...

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| Published 2021 | Author Michal Kleslo


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Peak 5,007m (Attempt), Asterisk Pakistan, Karakoram, Tagas Mountains, Nangma Valley

Several unnamed peaks line the Nangma Valley, one of which Jonathan Schaffer and I attempted to climb in August. [This mountain, at approximately 35°21’58.82”N, 76°29’24.54”E, is labeled Peak 19, 5,007m, on Jerzy Wala’s orographic map of the K6 Gr...

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| Published 2021 | Author Pete Fasoldt


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Biarchedi I, Attempt From Southeast Pakistan, Karakoram, Masherbrum Mountains

Our trip in June to attempt unclimbed Biarchedi I (6,810m, 35°40'22.22"N, 76°24'20.83"E) can be summed up in two words: bad weather. One day after Ralf Dujmovits and I reached base camp, after a trek under clear blue skies, the weather turned for ...

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| Published 2021 | Author Nancy Hansen


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Bondit Peak, Northeast Spur, Attempt Pakistan, Karakoram, Masherbrum Range, Honboro Massif

To acclimatize for our main objective, Takayasu Semba and I first attempted Laila Peak. We arrived in early June to find the temperature—and consequently the avalanche danger—far too high. We turned around at 5,400m. After moving by vehicle to Ka...

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| Published 2021 | Author Shinji Tamura


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Praqpa Ri Central, Attempts Pakistan, Karakoram, Baltoro Muztagh

From mid-July to late August, Martin Sieberer (Austria) and I attempted to reach unclimbed Praqpa Ri Central (7,156m, 35°49'47.30"N, 76°25'57.09"E) to the west of K2. However, even while approaching the mountain we noticed “monsoon-like” weather, ...

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| Published 2021 | Author Simon Messner


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Uli Biaho Gallery, Northeast Face, Frozen Fight Club Pakistan, Karakoram, Baltoro Muztagh

Uli Biaho Gallery seen from the Trango Glacier. For the line of the 2014 Ecuadorian route, see AAJ 2015. Four other routes have been climbed close to the left arête of this wall. Photo by Marcin Tomaszewski As young boys we lived and breathed...

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| Published 2021 | Author Damian Bielecki and Marcin Tomaszewski


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Rakaposhi, Southwest Ridge in Alpine Style Pakistan, Karakoram, Rakaposhi Range

Hélias Millerioux and Patrick Wagnon (both from France) completed the first known alpine-style ascent of the rarely climbed southwest ridge of Rakaposhi (7,788m), summiting on July 26. This was the route used on the first ascent of the mountain in...

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| Published 2021 | Author Lindsay Griffin


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Flat Top Peak, East Face, Soulfly New Zealand, Southern Alps

The head of Mistake Creek in the Earl Mountains is seldom visited in winter, at least not by climbers. It’s a cold and dark place, but when I first ventured there in the winter of 2020, to climb the south face of Pyramid Peak (2,295m, AAJ 2021), m...

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| Published 2021 | Author Ben Dare


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Southern Alps: Annual Highlights New Zealand, Southern Alps

The summer of early 2021 was highlighted by a series of adventurous trips into remote areas of the southern ranges. In January, Leonard Brockerhoff, Ed Cromwell, Nick Kowalski, and Ben Mangan made the long trek into the Garden of Allah, via the L...

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| Published 2021 | Author Ben Dare