In Memoriam AAJ
Samuel Finley Thomas, M.D., 1913-1989

SAMUEL FINLEY THOMAS, M.D.1913-1989Samuel Finley Thomas was born in Paris, France on October 2, 1913. He died in Salt Lake City on May 31, 1989. He received his A.B. from Princeton University in 1935 and his M.D. from the College of Physicians and...


Notes AAJ
American Alpine Club Grants

The American Alpine Club provides resources for climbers and explorers to attempt new challenges, conduct scientific research, and conserve mountain environments. The AAC awards more than $40,000 annually, although the size and number of awards va...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains, Various Activity

Wrangell-Saint Elias, Various Activity. Climbing and skiing in the Wrangell-Saint Elias mountains yielded a wide variety of adventures for 1997.I started with a relaxing family trip to a side valley east of the Barnard Glacier, one valley south of...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Chile, Fitzroy

FitzRoy. FitzRoy (11,072 feet) has finally been climbed for the second time and by a new route! (First ascent on February 2, 1952 by Magnone and Terray. — Editor.) The summit was reached on January 16, 1965 by José Luis Fonrouge and Jorge Comesaña...


Feature Article AAJ
Northwest Face of the Great White Throne

Northwest Face of the Great White ThronePatrik R. CallisONE hundred eighty million years ago or so, the area which is now southwestern Utah was thought to be a sahara-like desert and in the course of time, a layer of sandstone over 2000 feet in de...


Club Activities AAJ
The Mountaineers

The Mountaineers. The Mountaineers continues to offer well-received and popular courses in fundamental to intermediate mountaineering instruction, with the same emphasis as before in the “leave no trace” wilderness ethic. Land managers give the cl...


In Memoriam AAJ
Warren B. Spickard, 1918-1961

WARREN B. SPICKARD 1918-1961On August 20, 1961, the northwest mountaineering fraternity lost one of its most beloved members when Dr. Warren B. Spickard fell to his death while descending from the summit of the northwest peak of the Mox Peaks in t...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Ruth Gorge, Mt. Barille, Northeast Buttress, Forever More

Mt. Barille, Northeast Buttress, Forever More. I arrived on the Ruth Glacier on May 21. A 12-day storm kept me in my tent until June 2. The next day, I undertook an attempt of a new route on the south face of Mount Dickey, but the granite was so g...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Nunavut, Baffin Island, Great Cross Pillar, Tunuk

Great Cross Pillar, Tunuk. It was reported that Lou Bartell and Russ Mitrovich climbed a new line on Great Cross Pillar left of Crossfire (Synnott/Hollinger/Gore, 1995). The pair fixed lines for four days over a week of storm, then committed to th...


Book Reviews AAJ
High Rocks and Ice: The Classic Mountain Photographs of Bob and Ira Spring

High Rocks and Ice: The Classic Mountain Photographs of Bob and Ira Spring. Ira Spring. Foreword by John Harlin III. Guilford CT/Helena MT: Falcon, 2004. Numerous black & white photographs. 107 pages. $18.95.In his introduction to this most es...


In Memoriam AAJ
John Salathé, 1899-1993

JOHN SALATHÉ1899-1993Here are a few facts to piece out the excellent obituary below. John Salathé was born in Niederschöntal, near Basel, Switzerland on June 14, 1899. He studied blacksmithing in his home town for three years. He then went to Pari...


Accident Reports ANAM
California, San Gabriel Mountains, Mt. San Antonio

California, San Gabriel Mountains (2), Mt. San Antonio—David Connors (20), Daniel Ramsey (19), and Rose Marie Kennedy (18) of Pomona, California and Donna Mesell (18) of West Covina, California, left the Stockton Flats campground in the San Gabrie...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India, Garhwal, Nar Parbat

Nar Parbat. Peter Hillary, Murray Johns and Graeme Dingle of the Indo-New Zealand Ocean to Sky Expedition climbed Nar Parbat (19,200 feet) on October 17. Sir Edmund Hillary fell sick and could not make the climb. This concluded a 59-day adventure ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Ice, Inadequate Protection, New Hampshire, Crawford Notch, Frankenstein Cliffs

FALL ON ICE, INADEQUATE PROTECTIONNew Hampshire, Crawford Notch, Frankenstein CliffsOn December 30 Bob O’Brien paired up with Lisa Thompson for some ice climbing. Bob is an experienced ice climber of more than ten years and while Lisa has limited ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Mongolia, Altai Mountains, Huiten, a.k.a Khuiten Uul, First Winter Ascent of North Ridge

Huiten, a.k.a Khuiten Uul, first winter ascent of north ridge. On the winter solstice, December 22, Graham Taylor and I summited Huiten (4,374m), the highest mountain in Outer Mongolia. Taylor had made two previous winter attempts, in 1999 and 200...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Zion: New Routes and Speed Ascents United States, Utah, Zion National Park

I was fortunate in 2003 to have good partners and lots of climbing time in Zion N.P. My season started on February 15. My partner Ammon McNeely and I arrived in the park Saturday morning after working late on a rigging job Friday night. Saturday a...

| Published 2003 | Author Brian McCray


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded, Bad Weather, California, Yosemite Valley

STRANDED, BAD WEATHERCalifornia, Yosemite ValleyOn February 8, 1981, Dan Abend stopped SAR Ranger Bruce McKeeman about 8:30 a.m. in Lower Pines Campground and reported that two of his friends were climbing the South Face of Washington Column. Aben...


Feature Article AAJ
Ascents in the Cordillera Blanca

Ascents in the Cordillera BlancaLEIGH N. ORTENBURGERFor nearly a century mountaineers have been attracted by the Andes in South America. Here they have found innumerable ice-covered giants, unclimbed, relatively accessible, with good weather predo...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Idaho, Sacajewea Peak, Broken Wings to the North Peak

Sacajewea Peak, Broken Wings to the North Ridge. In mid-May, Aaron Mordicai, Abe Dickerson, and I traveled up the remote canyon leading to the north face of Sacajewea Peak in the Lost River Range. This hanging canyon above the West Fork of the Pas...


Accident Reports ANAM
Slip on Snow, Descending Unroped, Fatigue, Alaska, Mount McKinley

SLIP ON SNOW, DESCENDING UNROPED, FATIGUEAlaska, Mount McKinleyOn May 9, 1983, Niklaus Lotscher (36) and Bill Baker flew into the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier to climb the West Buttress of Mount McKinley. At 1630 on May 22, John Wason, a...