Royce Falls is notable for being perhaps the highest of the large waterfalls in the Sierra. This obscure horsetail fall descends approximately 700’ over its 1,200’ length, fed by the drainage of Royce Lakes atop the 11,000’ Merriam plateau. The un...
In 2013, Scotty Nelson, Jon Griffin and I slogged 18 miles back to the "netherworld between the Palisades and LeConte Canyon” in Kings Canyon National Park, home to the Cyclorama Wall [37.001365, -118.506994]. The only recorded route on the wall...
The 2,000’ Bubbs Creek Wall has seen a fair amount of development during the last several years on its main southern face, but the east face had yet to see an ascent. During the socially distant summer of 2020, that's where I set my sights: a mass...
In late August 2019, IFMGA guide Henry Moya (Ecuador) and I guided Ted Mueser and Mark Yoder (both USA) up a new route on the west face of Nevado Palqay (5,422m; 13°17'23.40"S, 72°30'8.22"W) in the Cordillera Vilcabamba. This peak lies along the f...
In late July 2020, Luis Crispin and Thomas Schilter (both Peru) planned to try the unclimbed south face of Nevado Mariposa (5,842m; 13°47'7.92"S, 71°12'35.94"W) from the same base camp used to access the normal route on Ausangate. However, because...
I have been exploring the Cordillera Vilcanota in southeastern Peru for 10 years, climbing all of its 6,000m peaks and many 5,000m peaks. At the northeastern edge of the range, beyond Yayamari (6,049m) and the Ritipampa de Quelcaya, are many peaks...
On June 25, 2019, James Baragwanath (Chile) and I climbed a new route up the west face of Huamashraju (5,434m; 9°31'27.98"S, 77°23'5.32"W). The route consisted of 300m of high-quality granite, which we climbed free to 6a+, having only to overcome ...
In early June 2019, Ian Schwer, Juan Pablo Cano, and I (all Argentina) climbed a new route up the west face of Huamashraju (5,434m; 9°31'27.98"S, 77°23'5.32"W) to the left of El Chumita (see AAJ 2021). The west face consists of a 300m headwall mad...
In July 2019, Nicolas Secul (Chile) and I headed into the Rajucolta Valley in the Cordillera Blanca. The Pou brothers from Spain had tipped us off about their first ascent of the huge granite northeast face of Cashan Oeste earlier in the same summ...
On September 19–20, Nicolas Davalos and I climbed what may be a new route on the rarely visited southwest face of Illiniza Sur (5,263m) in Ecuador’s western Andes. This face, according to our local sources, was first climbed by Jorge Anhalzer and ...
Over October 9–10, Nicolas Davalos and I targeted the very rarely visited southeast face of Chimborazo (6,268m) and its attractive southeast summit, which is commonly known as Pico (or Cumbre) Nicolas Martinez (5,719m). After a relatively short ap...
In late 1996, the late Jean-Christophe Lafaille (France) planned a bold, solo, clandestine ascent of the southwest face of Xixabangma during the first few days of the official Nepal-China winter mountaineering season (December 1–February 15). He w...
On December 13–14, 2020, Juliana García, Francisco Pulluquitin, and I completed the first ascent of Antisana Este (5,580m, 0°29'14"S, 78° 8'28"W) from its base via the south face. This face is located between the central (main) and south summit in...
Pedra do Sertão is located near Marmelópolis in Serra da Mantiqueira, approximately halfway between São Paulo and Rio de Janerio. Despite this formation having an official name, it has no trail to its summit and the cliff is unlikely to have bee...
At the end of July, Mike Pond and I made the trek into the northeast face of Mt. Hitchcock in search of new climbing terrain. We approached via the Russell-Whitney col and set up camp at beautiful Hitchcock Lake, directly beneath the mountain. A...
In July I spent a total of 10 days (including hiking, rest days and resupplies) attempting to rope-solo the first free ascent of the north face of Sundance Pinnacle, just south of the Cirque of the Towers. Four days were spent top-down brushing li...
Back in early 2018, the Kolob Canyon Scenic Drive was about to close for an indefinite period to undergo substantial road repairs, and I was nervous. For years I had enjoyed unfettered access and good fortune, resulting in the opening of multiple ...
In 1996, Peter Croft completed an awesome eight-mile traverse along the crest of the peaks surrounding the Evolution Lakes basin, defining the classic Evolution Traverse. Some ten miles to the south, the jagged Palisades span from Bishop Pass in...
After a low snow year in California, much of the alpine melted out earlier than usual, providing an early start to the high-country climbing season. With an extra day off to explore over the Fourth of July weekend, Johnny Lomas and I decided to ...
As research for the High Sierra guidebook I've been working on for the last several years, I was able to recruit my friend Sean Sullivan for an adventure with the aim of finding an obscure climb on Mt. Bago (11,870’) called Dee-Bees Rib (5.7, Boyd...