Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California - Yosemite, Mount Clark, Southwest Face

Mount Clark, Southwest Face. This long face was first climbed by Joe McKeown and me on August 19. We began just left of the single chimney system and climbed some 200 feet to loose blocks where we traversed into the chimney and ascended to an alco...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Cordillera Huayhuash, Yerupajá, West Face, Yerupajá Chico, North Face, Yerupajá Sur, West Face, Rasac, East Face

Yerupajá, West Face; Yerupajá Chico, North Face; Yerupajá Sur, West Face; Rasac, East Face. Our expedition was composed of Eric Decamp, Bernard Due, Roger Pagny, Alex Smetanine and me as leader. We did all climbs alpine-style without fixed ropes. ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Venus Peak (6,279m), Southeast Ridge Asia, China, Xinjiang, Karakoram

In June and July Daniele Bernasconi, Mario Panzeri, and I traveled to the Shaksgam Valley to attempt an alpine-style ascent of Gasherbrum I. Unfortunately, due to the inefficiency of the agency that organized our logistics, it took 45 days t...

| Published 2010 | Author Hervé Barmasse


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada—Coast Range, "Chutine Peak," Owens Peak, and Other Peaks of the Stikine Region

“Chutine Peak”, Owens Peak, and Other Peaks of the Stikine Region. When an anticipated trip to Mount Logan fell through at the last moment I began scrambling to rescue something from the summer season. Two years previously my wife Betty and I and ...


Feature Article AAJ
A Challenge on Mount Adamant

A Challenge on Mount AdamantAndrew John Kauffman, 2ndFROM the mountaineer’s point of view, the Granite Range of the Northern Selkirks probably represents the culminating point of the Interior Ranges. Its firm rock, soaring to almost 11,000 feet in...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru—Cordillera Blanca, Chopicalqui, North Ridge, 1977

Chopicalqui, North Ridge, 1977. The French climbers A. Bouyssière, J. Lacaze and Ch. Mourembles climbed Chopicalqui from the north. They fixed 2000 feet of rope on the difficult rocks of the northeast spur of the lower buttress up to about 18,700 ...


Accident Tables ANAM
Reported Mountaineering Accidents Table III

TABLE III1951–95USA1959–95CAN.1996USA1996CAN.TerrainRock336939895Snow200029738Ice180842River1231Unknown2260Ascent or DescentAscent296942291Descent184328648Unknown324730Immediate CauseFall or slip on rock232421268Slip on snow or ice75415220Falling ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, McHenry's Peak, Northwest Face, Rocky Mountain National Park

McHenry’s Peak, Northwest Face, Rocky Mountain National Park. Late in the fall of 1978 Bill Feiges and I departed the Bear Lake parking area at 2:30 A.M. for a headlamp approach to the hanging valley below the northwest face of McHenry’s. We enter...


Accident Reports ANAM
Bad Weather, Exhaustion, Frostbite, Washington, Mt. Rainier

BAD WEATHER, EXHAUSTION, FROSTBITE Washington, Mt. RainierA search and rescue operation which involved the use of five aircraft, four Seattle Mountain Rescue members and numerous NPS employees was completed on May 8. This operation rescued one cli...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington, Sierra Nevada, Leaning Tower, West Face

Leaning Tower, West Face. The Leaning Tower rises 1863 feet above the floor of Yosemite Valley about 400 yards to the right of Bridalveil Falls. Charles Michael made the first ascent by the eastern slope (date unknown). A route up the west face, h...


Feature Article AAJ
Everest and Lhotse

Everest and LhotseGlenn Porzak*OUR 1990 AMERICAN Everest-Lhotse Expedition had a dual objective. Not only would we seek to climb Mount Everest but we would also attempt neighboring Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest peak. This was also the highest...


Notes AAJ
Everest, the Rescue of Lincoln Hall

Everest, the rescue of Lincoln Hall. At 7:30 a.m. on May 26 a team of four climbers comprising Andrew Brash from Canada, Myles Osborne from the UK, Jangbu Sherpa from Nepal, and I, an American living in Bristol, UK, were at 8,550m, about two hours...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, P 6190 Attempt

P 6190 Attempt. An expedition of five U.S. climbers attempted a first ascent of this beautiful unnamed peak from the K7 Base Camp near the head of the Charakusa Glacier. We arrived at Base Camp on August 4. We decided on the striking northwest are...


Accident Reports ANAM
California, Taquitz Rock

California, Taquitz Rock. On July 29, James Michael McLain (24), joined a scheduled climb at Taquitz Rock with Don Rappolee (38). They decided to climb the “Switchbacks” (Route #28, Climbers Guide to Taquitz Rock by Charles Wilts) and left the gro...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Central Peru, Tunshu Group, Cordillera Central

Tunshu Group, Cordillera Central. The idle Mina Pachancoto (c. 15,800 feet) is at the end of a remarkable road which penetrates deep into the heart of the Tunshu group from Pachacayo on the Río Mantaro to the east. There are almost daily trucks to...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California, Sierra Nevada, The Obelisk, Far Out and Other New Routes

The Obelisk, Far Out and other new routes. Lucho Rivera and I enjoyed several summer adventures in the rock-climbing wonderland that is the Sierra Nevada. First was a new route on the steep face of the East Ridge of Mt. Russell. The route offered ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Frostbite, Bad Weather, Inexperience, Alaska, Mount McKinley

FROSTBITE, BAD WEATHER, INEXPERIENCEAlaska, Mount McKinleyA ten-member Fantasy Ridge party, with guides Mike Covington and Steve Gall, made a successful ascent of the South Buttress on Mount McKinley. They reached the summit on June 25, 1981 and r...


Feature Article AAJ
The Hubbard Affair

The Hubbard AffairKenneth Andrasko, Harvard Mountaineering ClubHUBBARD is such a tubby name, without serpentine or exception, no howling past or return to forever, just a designation. Its western countenance has that same schizophrenic symmetry as...


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Rock California, Yosemite Valley, El Capitan

On April 24, Cam Lawson (30) was leading the sixth pitch of Iron Hawk, a Grade VI route on El Capitan. This pitch starts on the big ledge from which the El Cap Tree grows. Jason Kraus (29) was belaying from the ledge, using a GriGri clipped to his...

| Published 2000


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California, Boulder Gorge, Yosemite

Boulder Gorge, Yosemite. September 28, 1966 was supposed to be a rest day. I had just returned from a Yosemite beat-out and did not feel up to anything hard. So I decided to give my wife Liz a treat by taking her up an “easy” first ascent. Vic Cow...