Ben Sanford climbing onto the summit ridge of Mt. Haast after the first ascent of Hotline on the east face. Photo by Gavin Lang The 2018–2019 summer climbing season in New Zealand was highlighted by several significant repeat ascents in Aorak...
Looking more or less south up the western arm of the Spang Nala Glacier from Chomotang at the three peaks climbed by a French party in August 2019: Spang Nala Dome, Spang Nala Kangri, and Sum Nomo Kangri. Photo by Laurent Lafforgue The combin...
During the descent of the east ridge of Menthosa after making the first traverse. The ridge drops to a wide col, the Urgus Pass, then rises again to a triangular rocky peak on the left (Urgus Pharbrang). Photo: Spencer Gray Rushad Nanavatty, ...
The Chomotang Group seen from the valley running southwest from near to the Sirsir La. (A) Chomotang south-southwest top. (B) Chomotang northeast (designated Chomotang I on most maps but actually the second-highest top in the group and more accu...
This historic descent was made in October 2017 but was not previously reported in the AAJ. This is a first-person account. The Caroline Face—the huge, steep, serac-laden southeast face of Aoraki/Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak (3,724m), ha...
The west faces of Bhagirathi III (right) and Bhagirathi IV. (1) Huserka-Smolen attempt (2019). (2) Stairway to Heaven (2004). (3) Scottish Route (1982). Photo by Ondrej Huserka As part of a larger Slovakian expedition to the Gangotri, Jan Smo...
The summit (north) ridge of unclimbed Chombu seen from the north-northwest. Photo: Victor Saunders By October 10, Mick Fowler and I were running out of time. We had ruled out the east (not accessible from our base camp), the west (too dangero...
The beautiful Rongdo Valley is located in Nubra and administratively belongs to Ladakh (recently and controversially separated from the state of Jammu and Kashmir). Many of its mountains exceed 6,000m, but as Rongdo is close to the border with Chi...
Looking up the Rongdo Valley from Fatha Gompa to the summer herding village of Daksa. The two new rock routes established in 2019 are on the cliff with the prominent black streak (a waterfall) beyond Daksa and on the right. Photo: Todd Swain ...
Alexander Blümel starting the 11th pitch of Baba Ji, Raldang Spire, Baspa Valley. Photo: Much Mayr On the first day of our 2018 trip to the Baspa Valley, Hansjörg Auer and I hiked to the base of Raldang’s big wall, and then planned to com...
Raldang Spire above the Baspa Valley. (1) Baba Ji (2019). (2) American-Belgium-Italian route (2019). (3) American attempt (2015). Photo: Much Mayr A North Face team visited the Baspa Valley in the autumn, mostly operating from the plateau nor...
Looking north from Peak 1,303m, showing the line of Å Dæven! Torssukatak Fjord and Pamiagdluk Island are to the right. In the middle distance on the left side of the fjord is the top of Maujit Qoqarsassia and its subsidiary summit, the Thumbn...
Nalumasortoq from the south-southwest, showing La Cura up the middle of the south face of the Central Pillar. For more routes on the various faces see AAJ 2004. Photo by Federica Mingolla Tasermiut is a paradise, not only for rock climbing bu...
Edu Marin dangles from the Great Arch, high above the Getu River. Half of Valhalla’s 14 pitches cross the roof, totaling 300 meters of climbing. Photo: Karel Downsbrough “I need to bolt a line there!” That was Edu Marin’s reaction after Dani ...
San Isidro Canyon is located just west of El Salto, the limestone climbing paradise in northern Mexico. Five miles past the town of La Ciénega de González, the canyon boasts huge potential for multipitch routes. Over long weekends in September and...
Sam Tucker working his way up a fin feature on the four pitch of the Ibiza Club Weapon (250m, 5.14b). Photo by Edwin Teran Google Maps shows an impressive blue line when displaying the route from Calgary, Alberta, to El Salto in La Ciénaga d...
At an elevation of 1,362m, Cañón de la Sandía is situated at the southeastern end of the larger Huasteca climbing area. This canyon can be seen from the road 2.1 km past Rompepicos Dam, with an obvious overhanging orange wall. In April, I was fort...
The south pillar of La Gloria (9,688 feet), west of El Salto, showing the 1,500-foot route Rezando (13 pitches, 5.11+). Photo by Zach Clanton The first time I saw La Gloria, it was just a dreamy nameless pinnacle high above the ponderosa pin...
The 2018 Brazilian line Qujanag on the west face of Ulamertorssuaq. In the upper section the route more or less climbs the right edge of the great dihedral taken by Magic Tromblon, between that route and Moby Dick. Photo by Marcos Vinicius Toder...
Looking northeast across the entrances of the three upper branches of the Gurreholm Dal. The 2014 first ascent of Peak 1,630m (labeled Mt. Doom by the 2018 expedition) followed the curving ridge in front of it, over the lower northern (left) top...