How does one determine whether it’s a climbing trip with some fishing, or a fishing trip with some climbing? From August 9 to 16, Mike Hathorn, Dan Wolfskill, and I enjoyed a multisport week, catching several dozen trout and three new climbs in th...
In July 2024, Matt O’Brien and I hiked 11 miles up to Royce Lakes Basin, a beautiful area with three large alpine lakes surrounded by towering peaks. We spent several days there, during which we established two new alpine rock routes. On our seco...
To access the remote northwest face of Mt. Abbot (13,715’), I hiked in from Mosquito Flat trailhead to the east, past Ruby Lake and Mills Lake, to Abbot’s northeast side. On October 9, the bulletproof ice (AI2) of the Petit Griffon Couloir (leadin...
Eric Gilbertson with the differential GPS at the new summit of Mt. Rainier on the southwest rim, with Columbia Crest in the background. Photo by Ross Wallette. Between August and October, with the help of climbing partners Saulius Bračiulis,...
Jabberwocky Tower is a unique peak just east of Colchuck Lake in the Enchantments, visible from various spots nearby. Hundreds of people walk by Jabberwocky on a summer weekend without giving it a second look, but the formation was first climbed d...
Choral Peak (7,972’), in the Entiat Mountains, is one of the 200 highest peaks in Washington, with a popular scramble on its east face. It also has a steep northwest face below a large snow bowl—the perfect combination to form an alpine ice route....
By 2024, Boston Peak (8,883’) was likely the tallest peak in Washington that had never been climbed in winter. Located in North Cascades National Park, it is usually climbed in summer via the fourth-class east face. I’d photographed all sides of t...
On September 8, Sean Reckert and I climbed what we think is a new route on the central buttress of the north face of Castle Peak (8,306’) in the Pasayten Wilderness. Our line, Ripped Settee (1,200’, 11 pitches, IV 5.12a A0), is east (climber’s lef...
The first ascent of Khumjungar (a.k.a. Khamjung, 6,750m, 28°53’19.65”N, 84°7’37.07”E) was undertaken by the “Project Together” team of Pur Bahadur Gurung and me, in December 2023. The expedition began in Kathmandu on the 15th. After a rugged jeep...
In 1996, a joint Shinshu University and Nepal Police expedition made the first ascent of Ratna Chuli (7,035m; see AAJ 1997). I was one of the team that reached the summit, gaining invaluable experience for my Himalayan career, all thanks to suppor...
The stranded free soloist above was rescued shortly after this photo was taken. One of the rescuers was Chase Morgan. He wrote to ANAC, “The soloist was standing on a sloping foot ledge, just below the slippery crux, about 45 feet off the ground...
On November 9, Gibson McGee (19) was bouldering on White Rastafarian, a V2 highball (some say V3) that has been the scene of many accidents. He fell from near the top and struck the ground, shattering his L1 vertebra (the highest bone in the lower...
Point Dume State Park is a popular seaside area with short top-ropes. Last year, Right Center (5.7) was the site of a serious lowering accident. Photo: Cecily Breeding | Wikimedia On October 9, we decided to go to the beachside cliff at Point...
Whitney Clark’s progress-capture device failed when the as-yet-unused retention sling got stuck in the device as she was ascending. It is common practice to use a sling and an elastic connection to hold the progress-capture device upright as o...
Larsen Tormey, three hours after being pinned by a large boulder near Lamarck Col. This photo was taken shortly before his partner managed to pull the boulder off. Photo: Jacob Ireland Around 12:40 p.m. on September 28, Larsen Tormey (28) was...
Cole Taylor climbing into trouble on the Half Dollar Pitch of Freeblast. He fell shortly after this photo was taken, impacting a slab (out of sight). On impact, his leg became impaled on a Camalot’s lobe. Photo: Dylan Miller On October 20, Ga...
On October 2, a 55-year-old male was reported missing by his son. The missing climber had failed to return from a solo attempt on the West Gully of El Capitan. Members of Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) were deployed, and after a few hours of s...
Via Aqua (4 pitches, 5.8) is moderate climb characterized by its wandering route-finding, subpar rock quality, and stunning views. This unique route (yellow line) crosses a huge, massively exposed ledge system two-thirds of the way up the 1,500-...
The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome saw a serious leader fall on July 7 (yellow circle) when a cam pulled out. Photo: Tuxyso | Wikimedia On July 7, two male climbers in their 30s began a proposed three-day climb of Half Dome’s Regular Nor...
On the afternoon of June 19, two teams were descending from Leaning Tower. The descent, which is known to be challenging, was the site of a devastating accident and a male climber in his 40s lost his life. While the lower team was trying to find ...