Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentine Patagonia, Cerro Gorra Blanca, Ascent

Cerro Gorra Blanca, Ascent. Well-known Argentine climbers Jose Luis Fonrouge and Alfredo Rosasco ascended Cerro Gorra Blanca (2907m). The ascent was an ice climb that ended with a summit mushroom. Other details are lacking.Marcelo Scanu, Buenos Ai...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Tirich Mir West IV, Southwest Face

Tirich Mir West IV, Southwest Face. An Italian expedition led by Tullio Vidoni was composed of Danilo Saettone, Gian Luigi Sterna, Gian Piero Soster, Emilio De Tomasi, Alberto Ezio, Gianni Calcagno and me. We left Chitral by jeep on July 5 and dro...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Coast Range, Papoose Rock

Papoose Rock. The west face of Papoose Rock rises sheerly above the new coast highway about five miles south of Squamish ; its general appearance gives rise to its name relationship to the larger Squamish Chief (Goose Rock) several miles north. Lo...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Thamserku, North Face

Thamserku, North Face. In 1979 Japanese failed to climb the north face of Thamserku (6608 meters, 21,680 feet) when one member fell ill. In 1980 the leader Koji Okano and Katsuyuki Masunaga returned accompanied by Kimio Takehara and Dr. Keiichi Ha...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Chile, Monte Trinidad, Northeast Face

Monte Trinidad, Northeast Face. Pablo Pontoriero and Diego Cannestraci put up a new route on the northeast face of Monte Trinidad (ca. 1700m) on February 10-11. The route, Vamos con Peto (6b+, 450m), follows a crack system in the center of the fac...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington-Cascades, Mount Stuart, Northeast Face

Mount Stuart, Northeast Face. On October 18, Charlie Hampson and I climbed a new line to the left of Girth Pillar. From our bivouac atop the Ice Cliff Couloir, we descended to where we could start traversing toward the Girth Pillar access ramp, wh...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Ama Dablam, West Face Attempt

Ama Dablam, West Face Attempt. Our expedition, consisting of Merv English, Geoff Cribites, Ken Hyslop and me as leader, was attempting a direct line on the west (Mingbo) face of Ama Dablam. We climbed up the right side of the great central gully b...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India, Matri, Garhwal

Matri, Garhwal. On June 20 three Indian girls climbed Matri (22,047 feet), which lies some four miles north of the Gaumukh, the source of the Bhagirathi River, above the Gangotri glacial system. They were members of a group of twelve climbers, bot...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Annapurna II Attempt

Annapurna II Attempt. A Japanese group led by Kazuhiko Yamada reached 24,125 feet on the unclimbed south face of Annapurna II on October 5 but had to give up because of bad weather. They had established two high camps.Michael J. Cheney, Himalayan ...


Club Activities AAJ
Mountaineering Club of Alaska

Mountaineering Club of Alaska. The club’s tenth year was marked by the construction of two more cabins located seven miles apart on Whiteout and Eagle glaciers in the western Chugach Mountains. These A-frames complete the quartet of shelters linki...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Greenland, Traverse of Greenland

Traverse of Greenland. On September 11 Jaroslav Pavlícek, Miroslav Jakes and I flew from Reykjavik, Iceland to Kulusuk, Greenland to try to traverse the Greenland Icecap. At a time close to the 100th anniversary of Nansen’s first successful traver...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Coast Mountains, Greyskull Valley

Greyskull Valley. The Greyskull Valley Expedition included Laura Schmonsees,Trevor Deighton, Andy Rich, and myself.The expedition spent 23 days in June in the Coast Range on the border of British Columbia and Alaska. On June 8 we flew in from Skag...


Accident Reports ANAM
Unable to Find Descent Route, Darkness, Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Grand Teton

UNABLE TO FIND DESCENT ROUTE, DARKNESSWyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Grand TetonOn July 19 at 2105, I received a cell phone call via Teton Dispatch from John Rasmussen. Rasmussen stated that he and his wife were near the summit of the Grand T...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California—Yosemite, Chopper

Chopper. The Chopper is a single-pitch climb first climbed by Rick Sylvester and me in September. It is located in the second crack system left of the Edge of Night, so named for the prominent blade-like block found a third of the way up. It was f...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Purcell Mountains, Bugaboos, North Howser Towewr, Hey Kool-Aid!; South Howser Tower's Lost in the Talus; Pigeon Feathers, Peek-A-Boo and ICU

Pigeon Spire, first winter ascent. On March 12, 2006, Marc Piché and I made the first winter ascent of Pigeon Spire, via its North Face. During summer Pigeon sees constant traffic up its classic West Ridge, a 5.4 ridge scramble, but in winter this...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Patrasi Himal

Patrasi Himal. A Japanese expedition from Kobe University to Patrasi Himal (21,742 feet) failed in the post-monsoon period. Details are lacking.


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Makalu Attempt

Makalu. Attempt. We arrived at Base Camp on August 29. The team members were Australian Greg Child, Irishman Terry Mooney, Indians Sharu Phrabu and Praful Mistry and Britons Rick Allen, Andy Parkin, Mark Miller, Sean Smith, Simon Yates, Alan Hinke...


Accident Reports ANAM
Loss of Control—Voluntary Glissade, Faulty Use of Crampons, Miscommunication, Inexperience, Washington, Mount Shuksan

LOSS OF CONTROL—VOLUNTARY GLISSADE, FAULTY USE OF CRAMPONS, MISCOMMUNICATION, INEXPERIENCEWashington, Mount ShuksanJames Blilie (24), a strong but inexperienced climber, summited on Mt. Shuksan early on the morning of May 19, 1985, with several co...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca

Cordillera Blanca. A group of 17 people organized by Mountain Travel and led by John Filsinger and me made moderate ascents during a three-week circular trek north of Huascarán. Two climbs are worthy of note. One was a new route on Rajucaca (“Punt...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, Longs Peak, 1988

Longs Peak, 1988. In early April, 1988, I soloed a new route on the Diamond without fixed rope or bolts. Smash the State (V, 5.8, A5-) starts in a chimney/ groove to the right of Its Welx, crosses left almost to King of Swords and then goes straig...