Accident Reports ANAM
Fall On Rock - Climbing Unroped Montana, Bitterroot National Forest, Blodgett Canyon

Ryan Silsby, 25, died in a fall in Blodgett Canyon in mid-August. Silsby had parked at the Blodgett Canyon Trailhead, planning a two-day trip. His vehicle was found on September 2 with his camping gear still inside it, and his body was discovered ...

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| Published 2014


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
The Eiger, North Face, Odyssee Switzerland

All photos by Frank Kretschmann / Funst.de I started dreaming of climbing a new route through the steepest part of the north face of the Eiger in 2002. I joined Steph Siegrist on his new project La Vida es Silbar (Siegris...

| Keywords Schali, Schaeli
| Published 2015 | Author Roger Schäli


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Incredulous Bulk, West Face, Causative Striations California, High Sierra

The Sierra was unseasonably warm in early October. With a few days at our disposal, Pete Fasoldt and I hiked up to the Incredible Hulk to find the usually crowded cliff, and indeed all of Little Slide Canyon, totally empty. Even the marmots were s...

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| Published 2015 | Author Josh Finkelstein


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pikes Peak, Corinthian Column, New Routes Colorado, Front Range

During the past few winters of climbing in the Bottomless Pit area on Pikes Peak’s north side, I spotted a few crack systems on the Corinthian Column (ca 13,500’) that looked interesting for potential summer rock routes. However, upon closer inspe...

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| Published 2015 | Author Phil Wortmann


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Kettle Dome, Southwest Face California, High Sierra

After spending five days in the backcountry, my brother Jon Schutz, my girlfriend Julie Tran, and I succeeded in putting up a new line on the southwest side of Kettle Dome (9,451’) in Kings Canyon. As far as we could tell nobody had climbed this w...

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| Published 2015 | Author Matthew Schutz


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Panther Peak, South Face, New Routes California, High Sierra

Panther Peak (9,006’) is a small peak in Sequoia National Park, located along the ridge connecting Moro Rock and Alta Peak. Its steep south side, with two prominent buttresses, is displayed nicely for hikers on the popular High Sierra Trail. To my...

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| Published 2015 | Author Vitaliy Musiyenko


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cherubim Dome, South Face, New Routes California, High Sierra

Cherubim Dome (10,440’) is a beautiful rock face towering above the Valhalla and Hamilton lakes, just east of Angel Wings. While researching its established rock climbs, I was able to find only one route, up the south-southwest face: Archangel (IV...

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| Published 2015 | Author Vitality Musiyenko


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall On Rock and Snow ­– Inexperience, Off Route California, Sawtooth Range, Cleaver Peak

On March 21 the Mineral County Sheriff (Nevada) received a 911 call from Brandon Reiff (33) of Reno, who reported that he had broken his leg in a fall near Matterhorn Peak (12,280’). His 911 call was transferred to the Mono County Sheriff, but the...

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| Published 2015


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North Triple Peak, Northwest Face, No Country For Old Men Alaska, Kichatna Mountains

Alaska is a land of superlatives. It’s big, wild, and hairy—and, as the joke goes, so are the girls of Talkeetna. I’d heard so much about Alaska that I knew sooner or later I’d end up there. And I did, after Twid Turner and I hatched a plan to cli...

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| Published 2015 | Author Tim Blakemore


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pico Independencia, North Face, The Life You Can Save Mexico, Nuevo León, Parque La Huasteca

On April 2, Carlos Flores and I made the first ascent of the Life You Can Save (350m, 13 pitches, 5.12d) on the north face of Pico Independencia in Parque La Huasteca, just west of Monterrey.The route first required three weeks of preparation, alo...

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| Published 2015 | Author Gareth “Gaz” Leah


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock Colorado, Eleven Mile Canyon, Pine Cone Dome

I felt super solid. The route (appropriately named Harder Than It Looks) was comfortably within my difficulty range and well-suited to my strengths: delicate and slabby at the bottom, with a fun-looking undercling near the top.I had just completed...

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| Published 2014 | Author Allie Levy


In Memoriam AAJ
Andy Tyson, 1968–2015

In 2006, on a climbing expedition to China, Andy Tyson and his team found themselves on the wrong side of a raging river 80 miles from their objective. Not trusting their driver, who insisted the team needed to ford the river, Andy’s expedition ma...

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| Published 2015 | Author Molly Absolon


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Kooshdakhaa Spire, North Face, Otter Water Boogie Man; Point 2,320m, Southwest Face, Lichening Bolt Buttress Alaska, Coast Mountains, Upper Chilkat

During a spell of excellent weather from May 18 to May 31, Max Fisher and I returned to the Upper Chilkat area of the Coast Mountains, where we’d visited a year prior (AAJ 2015). The area is located about seven miles west of Mt. Foster and spans...

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| Published 2015 | Author Erik Bonnett


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Adventures of the 'Mild Bunch': Coastal Rock Climbs From a Yacht Greenland, West Greenland

The Tilman 2015 Sail and Climb Expedition had two main aims. The first was to climb new routes from my boat Dodo’s Delight as I sailed it down the west coast of Greenland. The second was to bring the boat back across the Atlantic to Scotland a...

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| Published 2015 | Author Bob Shepton


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall Washington, Mazama, Goat Wall

My wife and I, both 28, were climbing a popular multi-pitch sport route, Prime Rib of Goat (5.9), in the summer of 2012. A group had caught up to us, and we allowed them to pass at one of the generous ledges en route. Since this was a long climb, ...

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| Published 2012 | Author Erik Turner


Accident Reports ANAM
Essentials: Head Injuries

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by the exertion of a sudden force on the head and brain that causes an abrupt back and forth motion. An impact of this nature can fracture the skull, bruise the brain, tear blood vessels, and destroy neurons....

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| Published N/A | Author R. Bryan Simon


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
New Routes on Mt. Woolsey, Hallelujah, and Buffalo Back Wyoming, Bighorn Mountains

Can one guarantee a perfect adventure? It seems an oxymoron, at least by Tilman’s edict that if the outcome is certain there’s no point in starting a journey. Adventure requires uncertainty; uncertainty requires un-guarantee-ability. And yet, mix ...

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| Published 2015 | Author John Harlin III


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall On Rock ­­– Off-Route California, Yosemite Valley, Manure Pile Buttress

On May 16, after several days of rain in Yosemite Valley, my partner and I went to do a warm-up climb on Manure Pile Buttress. As it was the first day of good weather in a while, the cliffs were busy, and all the routes were occupied except for an...

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| Published 2015


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Inadequate Belay, Poor Position, No Helmet Texas, Austin, Barton Creek Greenbelt, Gus Fruh Wall

On February 14 a climber (19) fell off the sport climb Birdland (5.10+), hitting a wide ledge about 20 feet off the ground. I (Adam Hosterman, 30) was climbing nearby and saw the accident. A friend of the climber scrambled to the ledge from an adj...

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| Published 2015 | Author Adam Hosterman


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Jati Khollu, South Face, Gully Route Variant Bolivia, Cordillera Real, Hampaturi Group

After a visit to the Kasiri region, Nick Berry, John da Silva, and I traveled via Palcoma to Laguna Jachcha Khasiri (4,710m), where we established a base camp. On June 19, leaving without a map in significant mist and with little idea where to hea...

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| Published 2015 | Author Derek Buckle