Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Montana, Crazy Peak, North Face

Crazy Peak, North Face. On June 13, Paul Richer and I hiked into Big Timber Canyon to climb the north face of Crazy Peak. Access is through Half Moon campground (24 miles northeast of Big Timber). Two and a quarter miles of easy hiking brings one ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington, Cascade Range, Mesahchie Peak, Northwest Ridge

Mesahchie Peak, Northwest Ridge. On June 18, 1978 my brother Gordon and I completed this 1400-foot rock climb. The approach route traversed the Mesahchie Glacier from the east; then made a rotten, exposed scramble to reach a prominent notch on the...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Nut Failure, No Hard Hat, California, Yosemite Valley

FALL ON ROCK, NUT FAILURE, NO HARD HAT California, Yosemite ValleyJohn Jinishran and Joe Bryant were climbing the North Buttress of Middle Cathedral on June 23 when Jinishran, who was leading, fell. He had just placed a nut and was testing it. It ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Wyoming, Black Hills, Devils Tower

Devils Tower. El Matador route on the west face was first climbed in September, 1967 by Eric Bjornstad and me; it ranged from one to three columns south of the McCarthy route. We followed a south-facing vertical dihedral for two serious pitches an...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Northwest Chugach

Northwest Chugach. The northwest Chugach is separated from the main range by an 8950-foot untraversed pass between the Marcus Baker and Matanuska glaciers. This elliptical segment of mountains measures 50 miles east to west and 25 miles north to s...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca, Chacraraju, East Face, The Shriek of the Black Stone

Chacraraju, East Face, The Shriek of the Black Stone. 1999 was an El Niño year in Peru, and climbing conditions were very poor. Andrej Markovic and I were members of a Slovenian expedition. Our main goal was to open a new route on the east face of...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, Eldorado Canyon

Eldorado Canyon. Left of C’est la Vie, Christian Griffith and Pat Ament climbed Pointe Sauvage (80 feet, 5.11a R), a vertical face protected by bolts drilled from stances. The climb joins C’est la Vie at the base of the corner. Starting off the lo...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Kyrgyzstan, Pamir-Alai, Lailak Region, Rocky Ak-Su, North Face, Various Ascents

Rocky Ak-Su, North Face, Various Ascents. Out of the six teams that entered the Technical Class of the Russian Mountaineering Championships, four decided to climb the north face of Rocky Ak-Su (5217m) in the Lailak region of the Pamir Alai. The ch...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, North West Territories, Mount Sir James MacBrien, Logan Mountains

Mount Sir James MacBrien, Logan Mountains. In July Jim McCarthy and I made the first ascent of the southeast arête of this mountain, highest in the entire region. We had hoped to make a multi-day route of the neighboring Lotus Flower Tower, but th...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, China, Shisha Pangma, Second Ascent

Shisha Pangma, Second Ascent. An expedition of the German Alpine Club’s Mountain and Ski School was led by Dr. Manfred Abelein and Günter Sturm and further composed of Manfred Sturm, Fritz Zintl, Michael Dacher, Otto Wiedemann, Sigfried Hupfauer, ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States (C.I.S.), Kyrgyzstan, West Kokshaal-Tau, Kotur Glacier Region, Various Ascents

Kotur Glacier Region, Various Ascents. Guides Pat Littlejohn (U.K.), Alan Delizee (France) and Vladimir Komissarov (Kyrgyzstan), with Dr. Jane Whitmore, Alan Dunworth, Richard Smith, Ingrid Crossland, Christopher Clarke and Joanna da Silva, approa...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentine-Chilean Patagonia, North Tower of Paine Attempt

North Tower of Paine Attempt. In December, 1987, Matjaž Ravhekar, Ivan Rejc and I entered the Paine area, hoping to climb the northwest buttress of the North Tower. We got to Punta Arenas on December 10 and reached Base Camp on the 18th. The weath...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Off Route, New Hampshire, Cannon Cliff

FALL ON ROCK, OFF ROUTENew Hampshire, Cannon MountainOn August 3, 1985, John Sidonis (?) took a 20 meter fall on the seventh pitch of Sam’s Swan Song. He sustained a broken shoulder, punctured lung, head injury, and numerous cuts and bruises. A te...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Greenland, Upernivik Island, West Greenland

Upernivik Island, West Greenland. An expedition of the Club Alpino Italiano’s Ivrea section was led by Giuseppe Patrucco and composed of Sandro Beato, Piergiorgio Bosio, Gianbattista Campiglia, Franco Cena, Nello Delu and Renato Moro. From Søndre ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Cho Oyu, Winter Ascent

Cho Oyu, Winter Ascent. A Polish-Canadian party led by Andrzej Zawada completed the first winter ascent of Cho Oyu (8201 meters, 26,906 feet). They climbed the southeast-face route. Maciej Berbeka and Maciej Pawlikowski climbed to the summit on Fe...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India-Garhwal, Datopanth, South Face

Satopanth, South Face. The members of our expedition were Marek Glogorowski, Tomasz Kopys, Andrzej Mierzejewski, Krysztof Pilawski, Aleksander Rygier, Michal Takarewski, Dr Ryszard Urbanik, Ziemowit Wirski and I as leader. We established Base Camp...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, China, Gurla Mandhata Reconnaissance

Gurla Mandhata Reconnaissance. In the pre-monsoon season five Japanese and eight Chinese reconnoitered Gurla Mandhata (7728 meters, 25,355 feet), which the Chinese call Namunani. An attempt on this peak is planned for 1985.


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Italian Everest Expedition

Italian Everest Expedition. A colossal 64-man Italian expedition, 56 of whom belonged to the armed forces, invaded Mount Everest by the South Col route. Ninety climbers and Sherpas took part in the actual climb and 44 more were at Base Camp! The l...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Snow, Faulty Use of Crampons, Unable to Self-Arrest, New Hampshire, Mount Washington, Lion Head

FALL ON SNOW, FAULTY USE OF CRAMPONS, UNABLE TO SELF-ARRESTNew Hampshire, Mount Washington, Lion HeadOn March 6, a hiker was descending the steep section of Lion Head trail when snow had balled up in his crampons and he fell approximately 50 feet,...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Cathedral Mountains

Cathedral Mountains. In June, John Middendorf, Calvin Hebert, and I visited a small, isolated cluster of granitic peaks with small glaciers to the west of Mount Foraker at the edge of the high tundra. The peaks are bordered by Cathedral Creek on t...