Accident Reports ANAM
Leader Fall On Mixed Climb – Poor Protection Canada, Ontario, Orient Bay

I WAS ICE CLIMBING with two partners in the Orient Bay corridor near Nipigon over a long weekend in March. My accident occurred on the second “pitch” on what appears to be an unnamed mixed dihedral to the right of the Right Stuff in the Amy R area...

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| Published 2018 | Author Jason Cook


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Anchor Failure – Off Route on Descent Canada, Alberta, Waterton Lakes National Park, Sofa Mountain

Two Southern Alberta Alpine Club of Canada members climbed the snow gully route on Sofa Mountain’s east face on March 13. They arrived at the summit at 3:47 p.m. and rested there, taking advantage of the warm, stable weather before descending.At 4...

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| Published 2018 | Author Parks Canada


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall On Rock – Scrambling, Loose Rock, Climbing Alone Canada, Alberta, Kananasis County, Mt. Smuts

On Sunday, August 12, a 27-year-old male climber was attempting a scrambling route on Mt. Smuts (2,938 meters). He did not check in that evening, and on August 13 his lifeless body was discovered by Kananaskis Emergency Services at the base of a 3...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Leader Fall On Rock – Off-Route, Insufficient Protection Canada, Alberta, Bow Valley, Goat Mountain

A party of two attempted Coire Dubh Intégral (500m, 5.7 WI3) on Goat Mountain on November 16. This is a multi-pitch ice route that leads to an upper face climbed mostly on rock and snow. The pair had left early in the day but took longer than expe...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Leader Fall On Rock – Rope Cut Canada, Alberta Bow Valley, Yamnuska

ON JULY 29, a party of two experienced climbers was climbing Chockstone Corner on Yamnuska’s big limestone face. It is a nine-pitch climb (5.8) requiring traditional protection. The leader had started up pitch seven, about 60 meters below the top ...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall Canada, Alberta, Bow Valley, Heart Mountain

On August 30, a party of two was climbing Heart Line, a very long, moderate (5.9 A0) rock route in the Bow Valley. As the second climber (male, 30s) was finishing pitch four, a large boulder rolled down the climb and struck the climber in the shin...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Ice Climbing Ground Fall – Rapidly Changing Conditions Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Mt. Wilson

ON MONDAY, March 12, an experienced party had decided to climb the route Ice Nine on Mt. Wilson. This is a 90-meter, WI6 route that had been seeing frequent ascents and was described as being in “WI5” shape. The weather was clear, with cold overni...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Fall On Ice – Climbing Alone, Weather Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Cascade Falls

On Christmas day, a male climber, 26, fell a significant distance while soloing frozen Cascade Falls and died as a result of his injuries. Cascade Falls is a very popular ice route (300m, WI3) near the town of Banff.ANALYSISThe dangers of unroped ...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Tree – Situational Awareness Canada, Lake Louise, Back of the Lake

On June 13, a tree fell from above the Outhouse Wall at the Back of the Lake area and struck three climbers who were at the base. One climber (male, age 26) was flown to a hospital by air ambulance and later died from his injuries. A second climbe...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche – Poor Position Canada, Alberta, David Thompson Highway, Elliot Peak

Four climbers were involved in an avalanche incident below the Kitty Hawk ice climb (3 pitches, WI5) on the east side of Elliot Peak. An avalanche swept down the route just after one of the climbers had rappelled off Unicorn, a short M7 mixed rout...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche Canada, Alberta, Mt. Athabasca

At around 10:30 a.m. on September 19, two climbers triggered an avalanche on the Silverhorn route. The weather was clear, with light winds, and the temperature was near 0° Celsius. The leader described the snow as being “Styrofoam-like.” They had ...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Error – Loss of Control and Pendulum Canada, British Columbia, Mt. Assiniboine

On July 29 a climber was descending the northeast ridge of Assiniboine and was rappelling diagonally to reach a ledge when the climber slipped and swung back into the fall line, impacting a protruding rock. The resulting injury prevented the party...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche – Poor Position, Weather Canada, British Columbia, Mt. Robson Provincial Park, Whitehorn Mountain

IN THE EARLY hours of April 23, a party of two climbers from Europe left their high camp, located in the northeast bowl of Whitehorn Mountain (3,399 meters), to attempt the northeast face of the mountain. This is not believed to be an established ...

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| Published 2018


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded – Exhaustion, Climbing Alone Canada, Yukon Territory, Kluane National Park and Reserve, Mt. Logan

In the early morning of June 1, Parks Canada was notified that a solo climber was requesting assistance high on Mt. Logan. The climber had summited the mountain and was located at Prospector’s Col, at approximately 5,500 meters. The climber was ex...

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| Published 2018


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pik Beletskiy, Southeast Glacier and Face Tajikistan, Pamir

After an acclimatization ascent of Kyzyl Alai East in the Pamir Alai (see report here), my team headed for Karakol Lake and the Pamir in July. From the M41 (the Sary Tash to Karakol Lake road) in the Markansu Valley, we walked west up the Uysu Val...

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| Published 2019 | Author Michal Kleslo


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Kindik Valley, Pik Kindik, Northwest Rib; Pik 4,760m, North Flank. Kyzyl Alai Valley, Kyzyl Alai East, North Face Kyrgyzstan, Pamir Alai

In June a team led by Michal Kleslo climbed two peaks east of Kindik Pass in the Central Alai. Jakub Moravik and Michal Sranc climbed the steep, rocky northwest rib of Pik Kindik (4,927m, 39.789907°N, 72.709461°E), which in June was mostly snow an...

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| Published 2019 | Author Lindsay Griffin


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall On Rock – Off-Route, Inadequate Protection Wyoming, Vedauwoo, Nautilus

It always starts out like a casual day. Perfect weather, great friends, no need to push yourself. The next thing you know you’re sitting on your couch in a cast and writing an accident report for ANAC.I work for the American Alpine Club, and we we...

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| Published 2018 | Author Carol Kotchek


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded – Unable to Retrieve Rappel Rope Wyoming, Wind River Range, Cirque of the Towers, Wolf's Head Peak

At approximately midnight on September 1, Sublette County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a call from a couple of climbers (male and female) who were stranded on the northwest face of Wolf’s Head, not far below the summit. Their rappel rope had...

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| Published 2018 | Author Sublette County Sheriff's Office


Accident Reports ANAM
Benighted – Inexperience Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Grand Teton

On August 2, at approximately 8:25 p.m., rangers were notified that a party was uninjured but lost on the Petzoldt Ridge of the Grand Teton and needed help. Cell phone reception was poor, but a ranger was able to communicate with the party via tex...

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| Published 2018 | Author NPS Search and Rescue Report


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Error – Device Installed Incorrectly Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Cascade Canyon, Storm Point

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on July 22, Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call from a hiker who stated he was hiking east on the Cascade Canyon Trail when he heard calls for help and saw lights flashing on the cliffs above the trail. Ra...

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| Published 2018 | Author NPS Search and Rescue Report