Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentina, Argentine Patagonia, Chalten Massif, Aguja Mermoz, Northwest Crest

Aguja Mermoz, northwest crest. On October 21 Vasja Kouta, David Pehnec, and I arrive at base camp, Piedra del Fraile. The weather is bad. First we attempt Supercanaleta on Fitz Roy but turn back a few pitches above the block. Later, conditions on ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Southern Peru, Cayangate IV, North Face, Cordillera Vilcanota

Cayangate IV, North Face, Cordillera Vilcanota. Our expedition was composed of Dr. Pierre Barnola, Pierre Chapoutot, Paul Giroud, Jean Jacques and Martine Rolland, my wife Elizabeth and me. We accomplished our chief objective, a new route on the n...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Monte Sarmiento, West Summit, La Odisea de Magallanes South America, Chile, Southern Patagonia, Tierra Del Fuego

At the western end of the Darwin Range in Chile’s Tierra del Fuego rises one of the most beautiful mountains in the world, the ca 2,200m Monte Sarmiento. The mountain is 150km from the nearest human settlement and is only accessible by boat. Bad...

| Published 2009 | Author Ralf Gantzhorn, Germany


In Memoriam AAJ
Anatoli Boukreev, 1958-1997

ANATOLI BOUKREEV1958-1997The last 15 months that have been left on my shoulders have given me three splendid successes, both personal and in sport. An ascent on Fitz Roy (3441m) in Patagonia via the west face in 25 hours round-trip, an ascent of t...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Protection Pulled out and Inadequate Protection, Exceeding Abilities, California, Taquitz Rock

FALL ON ROCK, PROTECTION PULLED OUT and INADEQUATE PROTECTION, EXCEEDING ABILITIESCalifornia, Tahquitz RockOn October 19, Sean was leading the first pitch of “The Blank” route on Tahquitz when he fell. The route began at a large ledge and access t...


Feature Article AAJ
Expedition to Mount Hayes

Expedition to Mount HayesOscar HoustonAN unsuccessful attempt to climb Mt. Hayes was made in August, 1937, by a party of four, Dr. Roger Whitney, Andrew Taylor, Grant Pearson and Oscar Houston. The expedition was defeated by the bad weather that p...


Accident Reports ANAM
HAPE, HACE, Frostbite, Alaska, Mount McKinley

HAPE, HACE, FROSTBITEAlaska, Mount McKinleyOn May 22, 1991, Korean Kim Hongbim (32), who was camped at Denali Pass at 18,200 feet on the West Buttress Route on Mount McKinley, became seriously ill with severe AMS and high altitude pulmonary edema....


Feature Article AAJ
Kanchenjunga Solo

Kanchenjunga SoloPIERRE Beghin, Groupe de Haute MontagneON MY RETURN FROM JANNU in November 1982, I obtained permission to climb Kanchenjunga’s southwest face in the autumn of 1983. In March 1983 I decided on a solo ascent. Despite six years of Hi...


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Rigging Error — Fall on Rock, Distraction, California, Yosemite Valley, Serenity Crack

RAPPEL RIGGING ERROR – FALL ON ROCK, DISTRACTIONCalifornia, Yosemite Valley, Serenity CrackOn May 7, Brian Ellis (31) and Japhy Dhungana (25), his frequent climbing partner of several years, climbed Serenity Crack (three pitches, 5. lOd) and Sons ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, British Columbia, Combatant, Coast Range

Combatant, Coast Range. Mount Combatant’s 4500-foot south pillar rises from the Tiedemann Glacier, next to Waddington. This big wall of excellent granite had been tried only once, in 1992 by Greg Collum and Andy Selters. In the fall of 1994, Collu...


In Memoriam AAJ
John Henry Hall, 1944–1971

JOHN HENRY HALL 1944–1971John Hall was a student in geochemistry at the California Institute of Technology. Before that he had studied medicine at Harvard University and chemistry at Reed College. It was at the latter that I came to know him in th...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Koh-i-Beefy (ca 5,400m) Asia, Afghanistan, Hindu Kush

While working in Afghanistan with development projects, I was constantly impressed by the beauty of the Hindu Kush and excited about its climbing potential. “Being involved with projects that attempted to promote sustainable development for poor m...

| Published 2009 | Author Joel Fiddes


Book Reviews AAJ
Cervin: Belle Epoque

Cervin: Belle Epoque. Gaston Rébuffat. Grand Vents, Genève, 1983. French text. 168 pages, black and white and color illustrations. 150F.However it is called, the classically shaped Cervin-Cervino-Matterhom must be among the best known peaks in the...


In Memoriam AAJ
Allston Burr, 1866-1949

ALLSTON BURR 1866 - 1949Allston Burr, long a member of the American Alpine Club, died in January 1949 at the age of 82. His life was one of quiet accomplishment, devoted to his family, to his wide circle of friends and to his great interest in and...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Himalaya, Hispar Muztagh, Shimshal White Horn (ca. 6,400m), Attempt

Shimshal White Horn (ca. 6,400m), attempt. Shimshal White Horn (a.k.a. Ishpardin) is an elegant snow pyramid located to the northeast of Distaghil Sar. In July-August a French team comprising Jacques Autino, Brimbelle Grandcolas, Luc Jarry-Lacombe...


Book Reviews AAJ
Give Me the Hills

Give Me the Hills, by Miriam Underhill. London: Methuen & Co., 1956. 252 pages; ills. Price 25 s.This book will be enthusiastically received by all who respond with a hearty "For me, too!" to Miriam Underhill’s exclamatory "Give me the Hills!"...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Baltoro Muztagh, Uli Biaho and Trango Groups, Shipton Spire (Hainabrakk), Fragments of Freedom

Shipton Spire (Hainabrakk), Fragments of Freedom. Our team of four climbers from the Moscow Karakoram Expedition— Denis Savelyev (leader), Evgeny Korol, Andrew Muryshev, and Sergey Nilov— ascended a new line called Fragments of Freedom on Hainabra...


Accident Tables ANAM
Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table I

Number ofTotalAccidents ReportedPersons InvolvedInjuredKilledUSACANUSACANUSACANUSACAN195115221131952313517131953242712121954314131819553439286195646725413195745532818195832392311195942256231019219604746412378194196149961144510144196271190164019119...


Book Reviews AAJ
My Tibet

My Tibet. Text by His Holiness The Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet. Photographs and Introduction by Galen Rowell. Mountain Light Press, published by the University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1990. Large Format, 162 pages, 117 co...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Malahangur Himal — Khumbu Section, Mera Peak (6,470m), South Ridge, In Memoriam

Mera Peak (6,470m), south ridge, In Memoriam. From October 29 to 31 I climbed a new route, solo, on the right side of Mera Peak’s southwest face. I named it In Memoriam, as a tribute to Mal Duff and Ian “Tat” Tattersall; the only other route on th...