Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India, Himachal Pradesh, Western Garhwal, Pantapia Glacier Various Ascents

Panpatia Glacier, various ascents. A nine-member group of Irish climbers and trekkers, most of whom had never been on an expedition, made first ascents of four modest peaks above the Panpatia ice cap. The climbing party comprised Martin Boner, Geo...


In Memoriam AAJ
William Henry Jackson, 1843-1942

WILLIAM HENRY JACKSON1843-1942Mr. Jackson, pioneer, artist and writer, was born on April 4th, 1843, and died on June 31st, 1942. The first 50 years of his life found him striking out from up-state New York, after service in the Civil War, into alm...


Feature Article AAJ
Lightning Hazards to Mountaineers

Lightning Hazards to MountaineersAlvin E. Peterson*Although statistics show that lightning is not one of the major hazards of mountaineering, enough casualties and near casualties have been reported that the matter is at least one of concern. Moun...


Accident Reports ANAM
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), Party Separated, Weather, California, Mount Shasta

ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS (AMS), PARTY SEPARATED, WEATHER California, Mount ShastaOn May 25, Mike Turegun (35) and John Cain (49) approached Mount Shasta via Northgate, setting up a base camp at 9,000 feet on the bench near the Hotlum/Bolam Route. O...


Feature Article AAJ
Climbing Cracks

"… no one needs to be taught to climb; one merely needs reminding of something one knew even before going to school.” —Tom Patey, “Apes or Ballerinas,” Mountain, May 1969 WHILE the theory of crack climbing is simple, the practice can be qu...

| Published N/A | Author Yvon Chouinard Photographs by TOM FROST and TOM ROSENZWEIG


Feature Article AAJ
Kangchenjunga's North Face

Kangchenjunga’s North FaceCarlos BuhlerKANGCHENJUNGA’S NORTH FACE rises two vertical miles in one sweep of overlapping cliffs, rock faces and hanging glaciers. It is a masterpiece of nature’s architecture, designed to discourage climbers from atte...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Utah, San Rafael Swell, La Piñata

San Rafael Swell, La Piñata. On November 9, Franziska Garrett and I were surprised to find the big hulk of a desert tower adjacent (west-northwest) to Mexican Mountain still unclimbed. After driving the Mexican Mountain Road and parking at its ter...


Feature Article AAJ
National Climbing Classification System

National Climbing Classification SystemLeigh N. OrtenburgerTwo years have now passed since efforts were initiated to establish a single climbing classification system for use throughout the United States. The intention was to devise a logical and ...


Feature Article AAJ
Vancouver Episode

Vancouver EpisodeWilliam R. Hainsworth THE Seward Glacier storm was running true to form when Walter Wood suggested I take advantage of the “socked in” day to jot down a few notes, while memories were fresh, on the ascent of Mount Vancouver. Immed...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Attempt on Mount Kimball, Eastern Alaska Range

Attempt on Mount Kimball, Eastern Alaska Range. Mount Kimball (10,350 feet) is fully 500 feet higher than its nearest contender in the eastern Alaska Range, although many of the lesser peaks east of the Richardson Highway have been climbed. A seri...


Accident Reports ANAM
Overdue, Alberta, Rocky Mountains, Jasper National Park, Mount Geraldine

OVERDUEAlberta, Rocky Mountains, Jasper National Park, Mount GeraldineTwo inexperienced climbers read the route description for Mount Geraldine in a local guidebook and decided that this was a reasonable objective for low- end climbers. Although M...


Feature Article AAJ
A Himalayan Classic—Makalu's West Pillar

A Himalayan Classic—Makalu’s West PillarKitty Calhoun GrissomMY HEART WAS POUNDING from lack of oxygen and excitement as I scrambled up the last talus slope and reached the abandoned stone walls that would become our Base Camp. Above, thin wispy c...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Mahalangur Himal—Khumbu Section, Ama Dablam, West Face

Ama Dablam, west face. Yasuyuki Shinno and Takahiro Yoshida made a very rare ascent of the west face. It appears the pair hoped to climb a new line between the American and Smid routes but decided there was too much steep rock, so instead more or ...


In Memoriam AAJ
Roger Sherman Whitney, 1905-1965

ROGER SHERMAN WHITNEY1905-1965Roger Sherman Whitney, born at Wainscott, Long Island on June 19, 1905, lost his life along with Thomas Heim on July 21, 1965 while descending a steep snow slope at 19,300 feet on Ranrapalca in Peru.A graduate of Yale...


Club Activities AAJ
A.A.C., Sierra Nevada Section

A.A.C.: Sierra Nevada Section. New officers were elected at the final meeting in December 1951: Oscar A. Cook, chairman; Robin Hansen, vice-chairman; Richard C. Houston, secretary-treasurer; Lawrence G. Coveney and David R. Brower, additional memb...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California - Yosemite, In Cold Blood, West Face of Sentinel Rock

In Cold Blood, West Face of Sentinel Rock. The renowned American authority on mountaineering, Curtis W. Casewit, says, “Solo climbing is insanity.” And Mr. Casewit, of course, is an honorable man. I love to read such fatuous remarks, coming as the...


Club Activities AAJ
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. Our Mountaineering Section topped off another good year in 1989. Membership growth continued as the sport becomes more popular, activities keep expanding and members have even found time to go climbing!The Second An...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, British Columbia, Bugaboos, Snowpatch Spire, Sweet Sylvia

Snowpatch Spire, Sweet Sylvia. In the Bugaboos during the last week of July, Craig Luebben, Will Hair, Brad Jackson and Kennan Harvey teamed up to establish Sweet Sylvia (V 5.12b) on the right end of the east face of Snowpatch Spire.Will and I arr...


Feature Article AAJ
Cerro Torre Solo

Cerro Torre SoloMarco Pedrini, Club Alpino Svizzero *THE ENORMOUS advances in free climbing achieved in the last ten years have also raised the standard of classic alpinism, especially in regard to light expeditions and major ascents undertaken in...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
White Tower, Deeper than the Day Asia, Laos

In January-February 2008 I spent eight days during a two-week period putting up, and then trying to redpoint, a new route on an unclimbed tower at Na Pha Daeng. I eventually managed to climb the whole of the crux pitch to a point just four meters ...

| Published N/A