Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentina—Central Andes, Mercedario, Southwest Face

Mercedario, Southwest Face. The approach of an Italian expedition from Gorizia up the Rio Colorado began on January 13. Base Camp was set up at 12,510 feet still ten miles from the peak. Camps were established at 14,775, 17,725, and 19,675 feet. A...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Indoor Climbing Wall—No Protection, Minnesota, Duluth, Vertical Endeavors Climbing Gym

FALL ON INDOOR CLIMBING WALL-NO PROTECTIONMinnesota, Duluth, Vertical Endeavors Climbing GymTom Upham (27) was climbing the wall with friends about 9:00 p.m. when the accident occurred in the Bananaz Family Entertainment Complex.Upham said, during...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Denali National Park, Broken Tooth, East Couloir to Summit Ridge (New Bail)

Broken Tooth, east couloir to summit ridge (new bail). In early May, after our Ruth trip [see above], Eamonn Walsh and I arrived on the Coffee Glacier to investigate an unclimbed couloir on the east face of the Broken Tooth. Climbers had eyed this...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Snow—Inadequate Protection, Haste, Alaska, Mount McKinley, West Buttress

FALL ON SNOW–INADEQUATE PROTECTION, HASTEAlaska, Mount McKinley, West ButtressThis incident happened in May while we were descending the fixed lines of the West Buttress. We happened to be the only roped team (as well as our other two climbing par...


Feature Article AAJ
Alpine Invasion Routes from Italy

Alpine Invasion Routes from ItalyJ. Monroe ThoringtonTHE Alps form the arc of Italy’s northern frontier from the sea at Ventimiglia to the head of the Adriatic. Milan is the hub for passes leading from the Po headwaters to France; Verona is the ke...


Editorials And Prefaces ANAM
Accidents in North American Mountaineering, Fortieth Annual Report of the Safety Committee of The American Alpine Club and The Alpine Club of Canada

This is the fortieth issue of Accidents in North American Mountaineering and the tenth that has been edited and published jointly by The American Alpine Club and The Alpine Club of Canada.Canada: In 1986, there were ten fatal accidents involving f...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Coast Mountains, Mt. Gilbert, West Pillar

Mt. Gilbert, west pillar. Mt. Gilbert (10,225') is an impressive granite peak that lies 90 km southeast of Mt. Waddington, deep in Canada’s Coast Mountains. Although it is the closest 10,000-foot peak to Vancouver, it is one of the most difficult ...


Notes AAJ
Cosmic Rays and Mountain Operations

COSMIC RAYS AND MOUNTAIN OPERATIONSSince about the year 1900 it has been known that even the most carefully insulated electroscope would slowly lose its charge. This effect was thought to be due to ionizing radiation from ubiquitous traces in the ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, China, Bogda Tien Shan

Bogda, Tien Shan. Our expedition with general leader Iwao Nakai climbed Bogda (5445 meters, 17,864 feet), the highest of the eastern Tien Shan, on June 9 and 10. All nine climbing members, K. Miyagawa, M. Nakazima, T. Fujibayashi, E. Ohno, S. Yama...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, St. Elias, Faiweather and Peaks in the St. Elias National Park and Glacier Bay National Park

St. Elias, Fairweather and Peaks in the St. Elias National Park and Glacier Bay National Park. Many expeditions made their access to the mountains which lie within these parks or near them through Yakutat. Of eight expeditions, only three were tru...


Notes AAJ
A Choice of Mountaineering Books

A CHOICE OF MOUNTAINEERING BOOKSAs a step towards making the Library of the American Alpine Club more useful, as well as to stimulate a general interest in mountaineering literature, the Library Committee recently asked five members of the Club, k...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
United States, Washington—Cascade Mountains, Beacon Rock, East Face Closure

Beacon Rock, East Face Closure. The southeast face of Beacon Rock was closed in July of 1989. The Washington State Park Ranger, Steve Johnson, caught two climbers climbing near the east central buttress. As they were ascending a new route, the ran...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Manaslu, Three Attempts

Manaslu, Three Attempts. A large Japanese expedition with a film crew led by Yoshimichi Furuhata hoped to climb and descend Manaslu by the normal northeast-face route. The highest point reached was the site for Camp III at 7200 meters which Furuha...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Greenland, Cape Farewell Region, Pamiagdluk East, First Ascents and Repeats

Pamiagdluk East, first ascents and repeats. During two weeks of perfect weather in the second half of August Daniela and Hans-Jochen Hägele with Andreas and Sandra Holle repeated several of the routes put up by the 1994 Bayerland and 1996 Freising...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Himachal Pradesh, Cathedral

Cathedral. Six of eight Japanese led by Keishi Saito reached the summit of Cathedral (6400 meters, 20,998 feet) by the north ridge on September 1 and 2. Base Camp was placed at the tongue of the Bara Shigri Glacier on August 12. Advance Base, and ...


Feature Article AAJ
A New Ascent in the Hayes Range

A New Ascent in the Hayes RangeBenjamin Greeley Ferris, Jr.COMING up on the boat to climb Mt. Hayes, we had a chance to study a picture of the second highest summit of the Alaska Range E. of Mt. McKinley, a peak about 13,000 ft., lying nearly 10 m...


Notes AAJ
Bolivia, General Information

General information. Unseasonably early snowfall arrived late in the climbing season, substantially increasing the avalanche risk. Local guides say the climbing season is moving earlier each year. Last year the weather was almost continuously bad ...


Feature Article AAJ
The Book of Shadows, The First Ascent of the North Face of the Trango Nameless Tower

The Book of ShadowsThe first ascent of the north face of the Trango Nameless Towerby ERIC BRANDWhen I finally crossed out of Pakistani air space on my way to Bangkok, I was overcome with relief. Our team had completed the first ascent of the north...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Pamir-Alai, Ak-Su, Various Ascents and Terrorist Activity

Ak-Su, Various Ascents and Terrorist Activity. The members of our expedition were Robert Lange, Stefan Hiermaier, Radan Svec, Michael Meyer, Lutz Wenzel, and Roland Lämmermann. Before we had our “little” terrorist experience, we climbed several ro...


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Rock Hits Climber—Despite Doing All the Right Things, Washington, Mount Rainier, Disappointment Cleaver

FALLING ROCK HITS CLIMBER–DESPITE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGSWashington, Mount Rainier, Disappointment CleaverOn July 29, Estee Fernandez (29) was descending the base of the Disappointment Cleaver with her partner when a two-foot diameter rock hit ...