LOSS OF CONTROL—VOLUNTARY GLISSADE, FALL ON SNOWWyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Amphitheater LakeGrand Teton National Park dispatch received a phone call at 1345 on August 4, from Josh Howell who was requesting assistance for an injured climbi...
Ordeal by Piton: Writings from the Golden Age of Yosemite Climbing. Steve Roper, editor. Palo Alto: Stanford University Library Press, 2003.290 pages. Paperback. $20.00.We are fortunate to have had Steve Roper to chronicle the evolution of Yosemit...
In May and June 2005 I undertook two treks over a six-week period, the objective being to expand on the exploration and reporting of Tom Nakamura. During these journeys I climbed a couple of small peaks above 5,000m, but more important took ...
Jiang Jun Feng, Bipeng Valley, first ascent. Chris Chitty, Pat Goodman, Ari Menitove and I were to travel to the Qionglai Range to explore and make first ascents in the Shuangqiao Valley. However, during planning before we left for China, we heard...
Freedom, With BoundariesThe following is condensed from an opening address to the delegates of the Innsbruck Congress.Tom FrostDuring the golden age of Yosemite big wall climbing in the 1960s, we loved the movement, the beauty of the creation, and...
Nun-KunBERNARD PIERREThe Nun, 23,410 feet high, is the culmination of the Nun-Kun massif about 60 miles as the crow flies from Srinagar, capital of Kashmir. It was first scaled 28 August 1953 by an expedition consisting of Mrs. Claude Kogan, Mr. M...
FALL ON ROCK – MISJUDGED PENDULUMCalifornia, Yosemite Valley, El CapitanOn June 28, Mario (42), Peter (30), and Gilbert (40), all from Austria, were in their second day on the Nose (34 pitches, VI 5.11 A2), and preparing to make the King Swing—the...
Zion, various ascents. On the southeast face of West Temple, from March 19-21, Bryan Bird, Brody and Jared Greer, and I put up The Big Lebowski (21 pitches, 5.10 Cl). The route is characterized by clean crack climbing and lots of ledges. It ascend...
ALTITUDE SICKNESS, FALL ON SNOW, FROSTBITE, INEXPERIENCEAlaska, Mount McKinleyOn April 26, 1982, the ten-member Denali 101 Expedition flew from Talkeetna to the Kahiltna Base Camp to climb the West Buttress route on Mount McKinley. The expedition ...
Ketil, West Face, New Route. From July 13-23, Eduardo Alonso (Spain) and I established a new route, Anissa (VI ED 6b+ obl. A3, 1200m), on the west face of Ketil (2010m). The west face of Ketil can be divided into three parts: a 400-meter roof sect...
Mini-Mini Moonflower, Bacon and Eggs. On the evening of May 17 Eamonn Walsh and I began climbing Denali’s Isis Face. We completed the 7,200' face in just under 48 hours, for the route’s fourth ascent, and descended the South Buttress directly to K...
Making Climate an AllyWeldon F. HealdA NEIGHBOR of ours, a white-haired, retired colonel, asked my wife early in the war, “What is your husband doing in the army ?”“He’s in the Climatology Section of the Quartermaster Corps,” she said.“Climatology...
The Mountain World, 1958/59, edited for the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research by Othmar Gurtner and Marcel Kurz; English version by Malcolm Barnes, New York, Harper & Brothers, 1958, 208 pages text, 68 pages illustrations including double-s...
Storms of Silence. Joe Simpson. The Mountaineers: Seattle, 1996. Color, and black-and-white photographs, 240 pages. $19.95.Joe Simpson’s third book is an account of three expeditions: one to Gangchempo in the Langtang region of Nepal, where he ret...
The English engineer reminds me of one of my schoolmasters. We’ve spread a map of Huayna Potosi in front of him, and asked if the water-gathering aqueducts on the western flanks are passable on foot. Yes, he is positive, adamant. His pink index fi...
Everest attempt. Raging winds brought progress on our four-man attempt on the south pillar of Everest to a standstill as the jet stream lowered prematurely. Despite our 70-day vigil at 5500 meters and over, the outrageous winds never abated and th...
Pucahirca Oeste, attempt. In late June John Miller and I set out for the Pucahirca group, assisted by a Mountain Fellowship Grant from the AAC. After acclimatizing in the Ishinca Valley, we were unable to establish a new line on the north face of ...
RAPPEL FAILURE, INADEQUATE PROTECTION, FALL INTO CRE VASSEWashington, Mount ShuksanOn August 25, 1984, Richard Michelson (48) fell into a crevasse while descending Hell’s Highway on Mouont Shuksan when an anchor pulled out. He had three companions...
Gangapurna Attempt. After the leader, American Scott Woolums, had to drop out sick on the approach march and one Briton left the team at Base Camp, co-leader Sandy Allan, Swiss Toni Spirig and Canadian Paul Teare were the entire team. With heavy s...
The Western Hajar are a range of limestone mountains of varying rock quality. The main walls rise up to 1000 meters and, with respect to technical rock climbing, have been subject to very little exploration. On the southwest edge of the range, ove...