Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall Canada, Alberta, Mt. Lefroy, Fuhrmann Ledges

On July 16, a guided party of three was ascending the Fuhrmann Ledges route to Abbot Pass Hut. They had to make an exposed traverse under a large gully near the base of the northwest face of Mt. Lefroy in order to access the ledge that crosses the...

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| Published 2017 | Author Parks Canada and Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall Incidents – Off-Route, Crowds Canada, Alberta, Mt. Temple, East Ridge

Two rockfall incidents on the popular east rige of Temple resulted in injuries and evacuations. On July 30, a party of three high on the route had just made the long traverse left across loose ledges to gain gullies through the Black Towers. Route...

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| Published 2017 | Author Parks Canada and Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Lowering Error – Rope Too Short, Inattention Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Lake Louise

June 18 was a busy day at the Back of the Lake. We were a group of seven; everyone knew each other, but not everyone had climbed together. Everyone was a physically strong climber, which may have led to a sense of complacency.Several of the climbe...

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| Published 2017 | Author Anonymous Member of the Group


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall – Poor Position Canada, British Columbia, Takakkaw Falls

My girlfriend and I were climbing the standard Takakkaw Falls route (12 pitches, 5.6) on Labor Day weekend. When we arrived, two parties were already on the route: a guide and a young woman, and a less experienced party that had been knocking off ...

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| Published 2017 | Author Bradley Roach


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall British Columbia, Yoho National Park, Mt. Hungabee

On September 3, a four-person team ascended the west ridge of Mt. Hungabee after a high bivouac the previous night. During the descent, one team member was struck on the helmet by a large rock while he was attached to an anchor. The climber had be...

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| Published 2017 | Author Parks Canada and Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded – Off-Route Canada, British Columbia, Yoho National Park, Chancellor Peak

Two climbers were attempting the west ridge of Chancellor Peak (3,266 meters) on July 24. They were expecting low fifth-class climbing and instead encountered what felt like 5.8 or 5.9, with little protection, on poor rock. The two simul-climbed a...

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| Published 2017 | Author Parks Canada and Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Slip on Ice – Inadequate Equipment Canada, British Columbia, Glacier National Park, Mt. Sir Donald

On July 15, TP and AM climbed the classic northwest ridge of Mt. Sir Donald. On the summit they met another pair of climbers and decided to descend together via the West Face Bypass route. As the group made their way down, they had to cross a few ...

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| Published 2017 | Author Parks Canada and Robert Chisnall


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche British Columbia, Northern Selkirks

Our party of six attempted an abbreviated version of the North Selkirks ski traverse, starting on April 16. On Friday, April 21, we left the Great Cairn (Ben Ferris) hut for the Guardsman Glacier and the summit of the Footstool, adjacent to Mt. Si...

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| Published 2017 | Author Dr. David Urness, D.C.


Accident Reports ANAM
Belayer Pulled Into Wall – No Ground Anchor British Columbia, Vancouver Island, Nanaimo

On October 8, a 24-year-old woman caught her climbing partner’s fall at the Lower Deck of the Sunnyside climbing area. (Whether the climber was leading or top-roping was not clear from reports.) The belayer was pulled forward, slamming into rock a...

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| Published 2017 | Author The Editors


Accident Reports AAJ
Lowering Error – No Stopper Knot British Columbia, Squamish, Shannon Falls

On June 27 my climbing partner and I witnessed an accident on Cardhu Crack (one pitch, 5.8) in the Shannon Falls area. After successfully completing the climb, the leader was being lowered. When she was about four meters above the ground, the bela...

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| Published 2017 | Author Yannick Gingras


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Inadequate Protection, Inexperience British Columbia, Squamish, Stawamus Chief

My climbing partner, Scott, and I were first responders to an accident high on the Chief on September 7. We had climbed Rock On and planned to continue up the Squamish Buttress (mostly 5.6 with one 5.10c pitch; about six more pitches). At the top ...

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| Published 2017 | Author Peter Morgan


Accident Reports ANAM
Mt. Logan Rescues Yukon Territory, Kluane National Park

In April, a party of three climbers attempting the east ridge of Mt. Logan required evacuation from approximately 4,800 meters (15,748 feet). One of the members was experiencing symptoms of high altitude cerebral edema (HACE).In early May, a femal...

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| Published 2017 | Author Scott Stewart


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pico Cão Grande: First Ascent of Leve Leve and Free Ascents of Nubivagant Africa, São Tomé and Príncipe

THE IDEA CAME UP as it often does, after a nice afternoon of climbing and a well-deserved beer. A good friend told us about the spectacular Pico Cão Grande (“Big Dog Peak”), a volcanic plug rising out of the jungle on the island of São Tomé, off t...

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| Published 2018 | Author Eneko and Iker Pou


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Rangston Gyathok, Southwest Ridge and West Face India, East Karakoram, Kunzang Range

On July 22 our Estonian expedition summited Peak 6,801m GPS (6,751m on the Indian map; 34°37'06.3192"N, 78°04'38.7084"E), the highest unclimbed peak in the Kunzang Range. [The Kunzang Range is generally defined as the mountainous region north of t...

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| Published 2018 | Author Kristjan-Erik Suurväli


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Sri Kailas West, First Ascent via South Face India, Garhwal Himalaya, Gangotri

After searching for a destination offering a potential first ascent, Alex Gammeter and I decided on the Gangotri. Two different contacts told us about mountains lying within the so-called Inner Line, an area of restricted travel near the border wi...

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| Published 2018 | Author Philipp Bührer


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Dhechyan Kang, First Official Ascent; Nagoru Far East, West Ridge Nepal, Damodar and Peri Himals

Dhechyan Kang (6,019m, 29.036532°N, 84.249716°E) was opened for mountaineering in 2014 but has no recorded ascent. I found this rather surprising, as satellite images show it to be a broad, rounded hill without technical difficulties. The main cha...

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| Published 2018 | Author Wolfgang Drexler


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Laila, Northwest Face, First Complete Ski Descent Pakistan, Karakoram, Masherbrum Range

On May 5, in poor weather, Carole Chambaret, Boris Langenstein, and I (all French) established base camp at Dalsampa (ca 4,200m) on the Gondokhoro (a.k.a. Ghondogoro) Glacier, intent on skiing from the summit of Laila (6,096m). The safest approach...

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| Published 2018 | Author Tiphaine Duperier


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pik Korzhenevskaya, South Face, Ol'cha Tajikistan, Western Pamir

In January a four-man Kyrgyz-Russian team climbed a new route up the middle of the south face of Korzhenevskaya (7,105m) in the Academy of Sciences Range. The main difficulties of this line are associated with icefalls that in summer often produce...

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| Published 2018 | Author Anna Piunova


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Fifth Koksil Glacier, Chapchingol Sar and Other Peaks Pakistan, Karakoram, Ghujerab Mountains

Tomaž Goslar, Mojca Švajger, and I arrived in Pakistan on July 10 with the aim of climbing a high peak in the Hindu Kush. However, due to security issues on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, our permit was denied and we had to focus quickly on anot...

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| Published 2018 | Author Irena Mrak


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Jeanette Peak, First Known Ascent Canada, British Columbia, Canadian Rockies, Selwyn Range

On April 2, at 5:10 p.m., Canadians Vern Stice of Edmonton, Pascale Marceau of Canmore, and I (from Minnesota) reached the summit of Jeannette Peak, which we believe was previously unclimbed. At 3,089m/10,135’, it is the highest summit in the Selw...

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| Published 2018 | Author Lonnie Dupre