Club Activities AAJ
Arizona Mountaineering Club

Arizona Mountaineering Club. The club began 1973 with a winter survival seminar in response to the needs revealed in analyzing the events leading to the fatality that occurred on Humphreys Peak on New Year’s Day. Then came the annual leader traini...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Putha Hiunchuli Attempt

Putha Hiunchuli Attempt. Two Britons and a Swiss under the leadership of Andrew Kerr attempted to climb Putha Hiunchuli (7246 meters, 23,773 feet) by its south ridge, which they reached from the east. They got to 7050 meters on October 17 before g...


In Memoriam AAJ
Vitaly Mikhailovich Abalakov, 1906-1986

VITALY MIKHAILOVICH ABALAKOV 1906-1986With good reason Vitaly Abalakov was known as “The Father of Soviet Mountaineering.” One of the first to pursue serious mountaineering within the socialist system, he contributed much to the development of Rus...


Book Reviews AAJ
East of Everest

East of Everest, … an account of the New Zealand Alpine Club Himalayan Expedition to the Barun Valley in 1954. By Sir Edmund Hillary and George Lowe. New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, 1956. 70 pages; 48 pages of photos. Price $5.00.In April, May...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall/Slip on Rock and Placed No Protection—Wyoming, Grand Teton, Exum Ridge

FALL/SLIP ON ROCK AND PLACED NO PROTECTION—Wyoming, Grand Teton, Exum Ridge. Joseph Sherrill (25) and Lyle Dean were attempting a roped technical climb of the West Face of the Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton. Sherrill was following with an upper bel...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Inexperience, British Columbia, Coast Mountains, Wedge Mountain

FALL ON ROCK, INEXPERIENCEBritish Columbia, Coast Mountains, Wedge MountainDarlene Wright (33) and Brian Prentice (34) were ascending the north ridge of Wedge Mountain on August 10, 1980. The ridge is exposed but not difficult. They were roped, an...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Antarctica, Rondespiret, First Ascent

Rondespiret, First Ascent. The Sÿr-Rondane 1996-97 expedition returned from Antarctica on January 20 after a successful first ascent of Rondespiret (The Ronde Spire), with an altitude of almost 8,000 feet. Ivar Tollefsen organized and led the expe...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Alaska Range, Mt. Hunter, Northeast Buttress, North Couloir

Mt. Hunter, Northeast Buttress, North Couloir. Scott DeCapio and I landed on the Kahiltna Glacier’s Southeast Fork in mid-May with aspirations to try the Moonflower on Mt. Hunter’s north buttress. However, the complete absence of high-pressure day...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Bolivia, Condoriri, Southeast Face, Direct, Cordillera Real, 1981

Condoriri, Southeast Face, Direct, Cordillera Real, 1981. A possibly new route on Condoriri was accomplished by Ecuadorians R. López, M. Moreno, R. Navarrete, I. Rojas and M. Suárez, who placed a base camp near Condoriri Lake and on June 16, 1981 ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Bolivia, Yacuma Aguja

Yacuma Aguja. Italians B. Balatti, R. Riva and G. Valsecchi made the first ascent of the 1200-meter-high northwest buttress of Yacuma Aguja (6005 meters, 19,700 feet) in the Ancohuma-Illampu group. They followed first a rocky crest, then an ice ri...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Wyoming, Tetons, Ascents in Avalanche Canyon

Ascents in Avalanche Canyon. In June and July Graham and Mary Ann Matthews climbed from Avalanche Canyon. They made the ascent of an unnamed pinnacle east of Mt. Wister, quite obvious from the highway but evidently not previously climbed. A fine c...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Everest, Polish Ascent and Tragedy

Everest, Polish Ascent and Tragedy. An expedition led by Eugeniusz Chrobak climbed Mount Everest up the western side from Nepal. The 19- member team included 10 Poles, 4 Americans, 3 Mexicans, a Canadian and a Briton. They established five camps a...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Manaslu Attempt

Manaslu Attempt. Five Swiss led by Franco Dellatorre tried to climb Manaslu by the northeast face. They reached a high point of 6415 meters on April 6.Elizabeth Hawley


Book Reviews AAJ
Chaltel (Fitzroy)

Chattel (Fitzroy). Carlos Capellas, editor. Servicio General de Información de Montaña, Barcelona, 1985. 46 pages, 13 black-and-white photographs 22 line drawings and sketch maps. Paper. Pesetas 300.The Cordillera Real has slowly been drawing grea...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Tierra del Fuego, Cordillera Alvear

Cordillera Alvear, Tierra del Fuego. On March 4, 1971 Rod Saunders, Echardt Drushke and Rick Hoare made the first ascent of Cerro Alvear (4500 feet), the highest peak in the Cordillera Alvear, some ten miles northeast of Cerro Olivia. On March 6 S...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington-Cascade Mountains, Dragontail, Triple Couloir Route

Dragontail, Triple Couloir Route. In May, 1974 Leslie Nelson, Bill Joiner and I climbed the “hidden couloir” of the Wickwire-Stanley route, then traversed left into and up the prominent couloir in the center of the face and finally climbed the cou...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Spantik Attempt and Tragedy

Spantik Attempt. Another group of Germans led by Herbert Streibel failed to reach the summit of Spantik.


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Trango Tower Attempt

Trango Tower Attempt. A British expedition gave up their attempt on the Trango Tower after Martin Boysen came close to being the victim of an unusual accident some 600 feet below the summit. On a difficult free and aid pitch, Boysen jammed his leg...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Chile, Shipton's Expedition to the Southern Patagonian Continental Icecap

Shipton’s Expedition to the Southern Patagonian Continental Icecap. This expedition was primarily a scientific one and as such had no definite climbing programme. The members of the party were E. E. Shipton, leader, G. C. Bratt, surveyor, P. W. Ja...


Accident Reports ANAM
Montana, Glacier National Park

Montana, Glacier National Park—On August 16, 1956, about 6:00 p.m., Mr. Lino Graglia (35) fell while running on a scree slope and suffered a simple fracture of the humerus (upper arm) of the left arm. His wife assisted him off the mountain—Mt. Hen...