Accident Reports ANAM
Leader Fall on Rock Wyoming, Devils Tower, Durrance Area

A climber injured his leg on the first pitch of the Durrance Route (just right of the sun/shade line in
the middle of this photo). Though his partner offered to bail, the climber considered the time they had invested in the trip and decided to c...

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| Published 2024 | Author Person 1


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Upper Blacktail Butte

On the afternoon of May 30, Jenna Jones (18) was gearing up at the base of a sport crag when she was struck in the head by a falling rock. Jenna sent the following report to ANAC: While on a Teton trip with my boyfriend, “A,” we decided to do a q...

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| Published 2024 | Author Jenna Jones


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Anchor Failure — Old Webbing Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Middle Teton, Glacier Route

On July 3, two male climbers summited the Middle Teton via the Northwest Couloir Route. As the weather deteriorated and winds increased, the climbers elected to descend the Middle Teton Glacier Route (Grade III 5.4 AI2+) instead of the standard 3r...

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| Published 2024 | Author Grand Teton National Park search and rescue report


Accident Reports ANAM
High Altitude Illness Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Lower Saddle and Garnet Canyon

With the Middle Teton (center right) dominating the skyline, Garnet Canyon presents a beautiful and relatively low-altitude (9,280 feet) vista. Still, without proper acclimatization, climbers can easily suffer high altitude illness here. Photo: ...

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| Published 2024 | Author Grand Teton National Park Search and Rescue Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Unanchored Belayer Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Grand Teton

On the afternoon of July 16, a 72-year-old male fell while leading on the Upper Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton. Luckily, he landed on the ledge from which he was being belayed. This climber sustained significant injuries and was having difficulty b...

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| Published 2024 | Author Grand Teton National Park search and rescue report


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Loose Rock Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Grand Teton

This photo was taken after a 30-plus-foot leader fall low on the North Face of the Grand Teton. The leader’s high point is visible (blue X), as is the failed cam placement (red arrow). The fall ended at the yellow arrow. Photo: Christian Feinaue...

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| Published 2024 | Author Dr. Jim Dahle and Grand Teton National Park Search and Rescue


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Middle Teton, Southwest Couloir

On July 24, a 22-year-old female climber fell on steep snow while descending the Southwest Couloir Route on the Middle Teton (12,809 feet). The fall occurred while the climber was traveling on a shortcut to avoid the usual path to the saddle below...

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| Published 2024 | Author Grand Teton National Park Search and Rescue Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Unfinished Knot Washington, Vantage, Millennium Wall

In recent years, Frenchman Coulee, a.k.a. Vantage, has emerged as a destination climbing area, with sport routes and superb crack climbs on columnar basalt. Pictured here is a popular area known as the Feathers. The density of routes and ease of...

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| Published 2024 | Author Randy Bracht


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Snow — Crampon Snag While Fleeing Falling Serac Washington, Mt. Rainier, Emmons Glacier

On June 29, I (male, 35) and two partners (both male, 40 and 36) were descending the Emmons Glacier after a summit attempt. A little after 7 a.m., a serac collapsed higher on the mountain. We were around the 11,000-foot level, near the top of the ...

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| Published 2024 | Author Anonymous climber


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche and Rockfall — Stranded Washington, Mt. Rainier, Liberty Ridge

At 1:30 p.m. on June 6, Mt. Rainier climbing rangers were notified about a satellite SOS activation on Liberty Ridge. The incident commander was able to directly message two climbers, who were stranded at 9,700 feet. Rockfall had hit one climber i...

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| Published 2024 | Author Mt. Rainier Climbing Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Leader Fall — Arm Tangled in Rope Washington, Leavenworth, Rattlesnake Rock

Being mindful of one’s rope position is always important. The photo shows a later re-creation of an accident on a granite sport climb near Leavenworth, Washington, in which the leader’s rope wrapped around their arm immediately prior to a fall. ...

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| Published 2024 | Author Emma Chabal and Dylan Albrecht


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall From Anchor — Rappel Ring Detached from Slings Washington, North Cascades, Cutthroat Peak

In rare circumstances, girth-hitching anchor cord around a rappel ring can lead to anchor failure. Manipulating the rappel ring in certain ways (pulling outward on the top of the ring in this illustration) can cause the girth hitch to "flip," es...

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| Published 2024 | Author Chelan County Mountain Rescue, Okanogan Countay SAR and The Editors


Editorials And Prefaces ANAM
Preface

Climbing accidents are a painful yet consistent measure of the state of our sport. Accidents mirror trends in climbing culture, reflect areas of its growth, and follow a shifting demographic. As climbing encompasses a bigger, more varied populatio...

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| Published 2025 | Author Pete Takeda


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock Washington, North Cascades National Park, Thornton Peak

On August 3 at approximately 2:40 p.m., the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office notified North Cascades National Park climbing rangers of a potential rescue situation on Thornton Peak. Initial information was that a 36-year-old female had a lower leg ...

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| Published 2024 | Author North Cascades National Park Climbing Rangers


In Memoriam AAJ
Thomas Callender Price Zimmermann, 1934–2024

T.C. Price Zimmerman seemed to live a charmed, or at least exceptional, life. He was, concurrently, president of the American Alpine Club and dean of the faculty at Davidson College. He had graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College; studied a...

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| Published 2024 | Author Alison Osius


Feature Article AAJ
Dirty Dancing: New Routes in the Indian Himalaya India, Eastern Garhwal

This has never been climbed,” Dhruv tells us. A passionate local climber and a living guidebook, Dhruv Joshi helped put our expedition to India together. He points to a beautiful pyramid just to the south of Nanda Devi East: “About 6,300 meters.” ...

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| Published 2024 | Author Manu Pellissier


Feature Article AAJ
Alpine Education: New Routes in Peru and Pakistan Peru, Cordillera Blanca; Pakistan, Hindu Raj

These days, becoming a great alpine climber undoubtedly requires high-level physical fitness and proficiency across various climbing styles. However, as others have said before, alpine climbing isn’t just a sport—it feels more like an art form. Ph...

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| Published 2024 | Author Yudai Suzuki


Feature Article AAJ
Ryu-Shin: Return to the Mirror Wall Greenland, East Greenland, Renland

It had been a 50-day odyssey to get from Oban, Scotland, to the massive shield of granite called Mirror Wall on the Renland peninsula of East Greenland. Those seven weeks included sailing through rough seas, vomiting with seasickness, dodging stor...

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| Published 2024 | Author Seán Villanueva O'Driscoll


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Manamcho, Southwest Ridge and Face China, Tibet, Nyanchen Tanglha East

Kajaqiao (left) and Manamcho seen from the northwest over the Manam Valley. The first-ascent route on Manamcho (Fowler-Ramsden, 2007) faces the camera. The 2024 route up the southwest face and ridge lies near the right skyline. Photo: Lai Xingzh...

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| Published 2024 | Author Xia Zhongming


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Jiongmudazhi, First Ascent, via Northwest Face China, Tibet, Nyanchen Tanglha East

The northwest face of Jiongmudazhi (6,590m) and the line of the first ascent in September 2024. Photo: Tong Haijun/Wang Yongpeng Less than a month after climbing Chuchepo (see report here), Tong Haijun and Wang Yongpeng returned to the area i...

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| Published 2024 | Author Xia Zhongming