Notes AAJ
Contraction Bolts

Contraction Bolts. Ralph Widrig and Joe Hieb, of the Seattle Mountaineers, have developed a contraction bolt, shown in the illustration opposite page 225. Fred Beckey writes:1“We have ½-inch star drills, cut down to five inches in length, fitted i...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Manaslu Attempt and Tragedy

Manaslu Attempt and Tragedy. A 16-person German-Austrian expedition led by Michael Dacher hoped to climb Manaslu by the normal northeast-face route. On May 3, three members established Camp IV at 7400 meters. Then disaster struck and Camp IV was n...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Dhaulagiri IV

Dhaulagiri IV. The Japan Rock Climbing Society Expedition led by Akinori Otsu attempted Dhaulagiri IV from Base Camp at 13,500 feet in Kaphe Khola in the post-monsoon. They established Camps I at 15,775 feet on September 6, II at 17,400 on the 11t...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Dhaulagiri Himal, Cho Polu, First Official Ascent

Cho Polu, First Official Ascent. Our team was composed of Dieter Rüelker, Guenter Jung, Dr. Olaf Rieck and myself as leader. On October 13, we started from Kathmandu, reaching Lukla by airplane and continuing on via the normal trekking route to Na...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Garhwal, Shivling Attempt

Shivling Attempt. Micael Sundberg had climbed before in Tibet and I, in India and Nepal. Mikael Eriksson, Bogi Palfay and Mats Almlöf had had no earlier Himalayan experience. We did not try the intended steep rocky northeast face because of much s...


In Memoriam AAJ
Walter L. Wolf, d.1981

WALTER L. WOLFWalter L. Wolf died on December 9, 1981. A resident of Zürich in Switzerland for a number of years, he had joined the American Alpine Club in 1954 while still living in the United States. He was a life member. He had climbed extensiv...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Africa, Madagascar, General Information

General information. For a selection of topo and photo diagrams, look at the two websites, www.madamax.com/camp-catta and www.campcatta.com. Local climbers and Camp Catta staff are encouraging exploration of the giant boulders around the forest, s...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Afghanistan, Parshui Valley

Parshui Valley. The Takushoku University Expedition was led by Hiromi Tanaka. Their objectives were high peaks on the right bank of the Parshui valley. On July 10 their Base Camp was attacked by a group of bandits with firearms who took all their ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Kangchenjanga North Face Attempt

Kangchenjunga North Face Attempt. Our expedition unsuccessfully tried the British route on the north side of Kangchenjunga, which we chose over the Japanese route because of poor snow cover and hard ice. We were five Basques: Koldo Aldaz, Juan Tom...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Spantik

Spantik. Frans Visser, Maarten Frissel, Pieter Slooten, Antoinette Briët, Sabine Deneer, Dr. Margreet Hogeweg and I as leader made the fourth ascent of Spantik, following a variation of the original southeast-ridge route, first climbed by a German...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Southern Peru, Ampato

Ampato. I climbed Ampato on July 29, 1972 with 50-year-old Carlos Zarate and his 15-year-old son Carlos. It took six days from the Chivay- Arequipa road, three days to the base, then to the top from the southeast and back to the south via Huanca.M...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Europe, France, Les Droites, New Route, 1991

Les Droites, New Route, 1991. On October 3, 1991, Canadian Barry Blanchard and I climbed a new route on Les Droites. We left the Argentière Hut at 5:30 A.M. and crossed the bergschrund an hour later. The climb began in a small gully between the Co...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall From Artificial Wall, Inadequate Protection, Washington, REI Headquarters

FALL FROM ARTIFICIAL WALL, INADEQUATE PROTECTIONWashington, REI HeadquartersSublime pleasures, smashing embarrassments, and extraordinary good fortune punctuate my life. Today, sublime pleasure comes from sitting in front of my computer, typing wi...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, USSR, Piks Kommunizma, Korzhenovskoi and Lenin

Piks Kommunizma, Korzhenovskoi and Lenin. “Team Alaska” led by Gary Bocarde and Susan Havens consisted further of Keith Fleischman, Willie Hersman, Margarite Kaniniski, Al Pack, Pete Panarese, Mardie Prentke, Steve Taylor and me. On July 19 we wer...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, British Expedition to Pumasillo and Huagaruncho

British Expedition to Pumasillo and Huagaruncho. Before heading for their main objective farther north, four members of the British party, George Band, Dr. Donald S. Matthews, Jack Tucker, and John Streetly, made, in June 1956, a reconnaissance in...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Canadian Arctic, Nunavut, Friga Peak Attempt and Schwarzenbach Falls

Friga Peak Attempt and Schwarzenbach Falls. Catalan Jordi Tosas attempted a big corner on Friga Peak above the Parade Glacier solo in June. After climbing 100 meters, he was driven back by storm. He put all his gear in a snow hole. When he returne...


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded, Exceeding Abilities, Inexperience, Inadequate Clohting/Equipment, Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, Longs Peak, Keiner's Route

STRANDED, EXCEEDING ABILITIES, INEXPERIENCE, INADEQUATE CLOTHING/ EQUIPMENTColorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, Longs Peak, Keiner's RouteOn September 2, a party of two men (ages 53 and 34) with no alpine rock or any snow/ice experience attempt...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, USSR, Pik Lenina, First Winter Ascent

Pik Lenina, First Winter Ascent. Our preparations began in 1983. We made winter climbs in the Caucasus and the Tienshan. In 1988, under my leadership the team was composed of 19 mountaineers from Leningrad and three from Kazakhstan. Base Camp was ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, British Columbia, Coast Range,, Mt. Sir Robert (Borden), and the Seven Sisters

Cost Range Of British ColumbiaMt. Sir Robert (Borden), and the Seven Sisters. In 1923 I saw the Coast Range below a cloud ceiling of 6000 ft., from the car window, while going from Jasper to Prince Rupert on the Canadian National Railway. Later, A...


Accident Reports ANAM
Montana, Glacier National Park

Montana, Glacier National Park: On the afternoon of July 21, 1955, June B. Johnson (20) and two other girls employed by the Glacier Park Company at the Many Glacier Hotel decided to climb the northeast face of Mt. Altyn. They proceeded up Appekune...