Gangapurna Attempt. An Icelandic expedition of five, led by Gudmundur Petursson, hoped to attempt Gangapurna by its east ridge from the col between Annapurna III and Gangapurna. However, they did not reach the col but abandoned the climb at 5500 m...
LOSS OF CONTROL—VOLUNTARY GLISSADEWyoming, TetonsOn September 9, 1984, Gwyne (51) and Marcel Davidson (26) left Surprise Lake at 0600 for a climb of Mount Owen via the Koven route. They reached the summit around 1500. They rappelled off the rock s...
Alma Negra District. In mid April, near the Alma Negra pass over to Chile, east of the city of San Juan, Argentines Antonio Beorchia, Antonio Mastellaro, Mario Muñoz and Edgardo Yacante made the first ascent of Cerro Mirador del Olivares (c. 4800 ...
Mount Adams, Lava Glacier Headwall. On June 21, Craig Eihlers, Clint Crocker, Matt Kerns, and I hiked the Killen Creek Trail #113 to Mountaineers Camp for our base. On June 22, we climbed to approximately 8500 feet by crossing over the lower porti...
Mt. Owen (12,910). Climbed by four parties, none of which followed throughout its entire length the route employed on the two previous ascents of this peak (1930) though all utilized the last portion of it (the west fissure) in scaling the Granite...
Shisha Pangma Tragedy and Ascent. Our 13-person expedition reached Base Camp at 16,400 feet on March 29. Supplies could be jeeped some eight miles further. The rest of the transport to Camp I at 18,700 feet was by yak. We were delayed until April ...
San Lorenzo Group, Cerro Hermoso, southwest summit. From a base camp in Rio Oro Valley, Italians Luca Maspes and Diego Fregona made what they believe to be the first ascent of Cerro Hermoso’s southwest summit, calling it “Cumbre Silvia.” They clim...
FALLING ROCK, SEVERED ROPE, STRANDED California, Yosemite ValleyOn October 13, 1988, about 1100, Kail Giger (44) and Alex Clapasson were on the sixth or seventh pitch (below Dolt Hole) on The Nose route of El Capitan when a rock fall occurred. Cla...
Everest Attempt. Ours was not a successful attempt. Indeed snow conditions were such that we didn’t even get close. The members were Bruce Farmer, Dick Price, Mike Rheinberger, Peter Allan, Warwick Anderson, Mike Perry, Graeme Dingle, Shaun Norman...
Artesonraju. A light Italian expedition led by Ferdinando Nusdeo climbed Artesonraju (19,766 feet) from the Quebrada Santa Cruz.Mario Fantin, Club Alpino Italiano
California—Mt. Clarence King: Philip Berry (20) and David Brower (30) roped attempted to ascend the east spur of Mt. Clarence King on August 2, 1952 during the Sierra Club high trip. They had completed the first pitch (class 4) with Berry leading....
Cordillera de Potosí. This range, nine miles east of historic Potosí, has some 50 rock peaks between 4800 meters and the highest, 5056-meter (16,590-foot) Cururana. With no glaciers, it is seldom visited by climbers. It receives heavy snow between...
FALL ON ROCK, INADEQUATE PROTECTIONColorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, NotchtopOn July 6 at 1600, Ulrich Moderl (22) of Austria took a 15 meter fall from the 5.9 crux pitch of the South Ridge on Notchtop. Moderl sustained a fractured right ank...
Sierra Club of California. Undoubtedly the year 1957 produced one of the most impressive rock climbs ever to be completed in Yosemite Valley, and one which certainly ranks with any climb completed or attempted in the world. Three southern Californ...
Table IYearTotal Number of Reported AccidentsNumber of Deaths194715111948281519491791950308195118419523514195325121954308
The Sentinel, Direct North Face, Free Ascent. In early October I began a two-week effort to free the Sentinel. Grant Farquar (UK), Steve Jeunavene, and one other person came to belay on the first six pitches. Kevin Thaw led pitch seven and 10. I l...
After an hour of getting nowhere, Peter called the NPS for help. The ranger taking the call asked if Peter could rappel or Prusik down and free the rope. Peter replied that he didn’t want to rappel and didn’t know how to Prusik. Ranger Scott obv...
Meru Attempt and Bhagirathi II Ascent. After a British group failed to climb the east ridge of Meru, Andrew MacNae and Gavin Thomas made a rapid ascent of Bhagirathi II (6512 meters, 21,365 feet) by its east face. Sudarshan Parbat Attempt and Thel...
Mount Washington, North Face. The extension of the Jefferson Lake road now makes this approach usable. In May Arnold Bloomer, Roy Harniss, Neil Jacques, Keith Spencer, Don Anderson, Richard Hebble and Jerry Koch made the first ascent of this face ...
Pokharkan, first ascent. Sherpa Panima Lama (51) and I (61) made the first ascent of Pokharkan (6,346m) on October 31. We climbed the north ridge via a route that is not highly technical. I selected this route because the south face is a difficult...