Sierra Nevada Section. This was another active year for the Sierra Nevada Section, which continued to welcome many new members. Adhering to the adage of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” the Section again hosted the full slate of its annual “Cli...
Nanda Devi. Our five-man, six-woman team left the road at Lata on August 12 and walked in the rain for a week to reach Base Camp at 16,400 feet on August 22. We were Misses Chandraprabha Aitwal, Sushama Mahajan, Rekha Sharma, Bharati Das, Dr. Kuku...
Mt. Chephren, Leftover Rib, New Route. The east face of Mt. Chephren, a graceful pyramid with a multitude of rock ribs sweeping down from the summit, towers nearly a vertical mile above the Icefields Parkway. It received its first ascent in the su...
Khangchen Gyao, 1982. A 33-man Indian Army team was led by Major Vijay Singh. The summit (6889 meters, 22,603 feet) was reached on October 12, 1982 by Captain J.W. Varma, NaikSubedar Ratnam, Havildars Burra Ram, Harbans Singh, Naik Balwant Singh a...
FALL ON SNOW, UNABLE TO SELF-ARRESTWyoming, TetonsThe Koven route on Mount Owen is one of the most popular due to its easy access from the Teton Glacier. From the glacier, the route climbs over moderate terrain to the Koven Couloir, a narrow 45- t...
FALL ON ROCKWashington, Snowqualmie Pass, Chair PeakOn September 8, Chad Engstrom (23) tumbled about 600 feet down a 45- degree rock slope while climbing with his uncle, who saw the accident. Rescuers ran out of daylight and planned to return to t...
Swiss Makalu Attempt. Two of the three team members, Daniel Anker and Martin Fischer, reached their high point of 7600 meters on the southeast ridge of Makalu on October 13. After they went back to Base Camp for a rest, they were struck by the bli...
RAPPEL OFF ROPENew York, ShawangunksOn August 2, 1984, a woman (20) rappelled off the end of her rope on Jackie (5.5) and fell five meters to the ground, fracturing vertebrae. (Source: Tom Scheuer, Senior Ranger, Mohawk Preserve)AnalysisThis kind ...
Wolverine Peak, North Buttress, 1988. James and Franciska Garrett and I climbed a new route at the head of the northeast cirque of seldom-visited Wolverine Peak on July 14, 1988. The buttress is spectacular with sound rock and good pitches. There ...
FALL ON ROCK, INADEQUATE PROTECTION, NO HARD HAT California, Yosemite ValleyOn the morning of June 28,1986, Erik Goukas (23) and Douglas McDonald hiked to the base of Higher Cathedral Rock to attempt the first continuous free ascent of the Pratt/K...
Broad Peak North, First Ascent, Solo. My wife Goretta and I left Skardu with 32 porters on May 12. After only four days of walking, our liaison officer felt so ill that we continued on alone without him. We reached Base Camp at 16,400 feet on May ...
Abasraju to summit ridge, Moonlighting. On July 7 Tony Barton (U.K.) and I climbed a new route (Moonlighting, 11 pitches, TD) on the west-southwest face of Abasraju (5,550m). There is only one other route on the face, and it goes up to the left of...
Nelle Ande del Sud Perú, by Piero Ghiglione. 169 pages, 78 photographs, appendices, and folding map. Milano: Garzanti, 1953. Price, L. 1200.Despite his advanced years, Piero Ghiglione’s abundant energy and enthusiasm are apparent throughout this n...
Aconcagua, Ascent by the Youngest Female. Nerea Ariz, daughter of the well known Spanish climber, Gregorio Ariz Martinez, climbed to the summit of Aconcagua by the normal route on January 3. At the age of fourteen years and eleven months, she is t...
ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS, ASCENDING TOO FAST, CLIMBING ALONE Alaska, Mount McKinleySung Hyun Baek (29) flew in on May 5, 1988, to join the Korean Alpine Club expedition on a climb of the Cassin Ridge of Denali. The Korean Alpine Club expedition had...
Gasherbrum II, Parachuting and Hang-Gliding. Among other exploits achieved by French climbers on Gasherbrum II, two impressive records were set. On July 11 Pierre Gévaux successfully descended by parachute from the summit. On July 14, Jean-Marc Bo...
New Routes in Peak Lake Cirque, Upper Green River. Stan Hilbert accompanied me on these climbs. Sulphur Peak, North Face: The route followed the prominent couloir leading to a chimney/crack line until 150 feet below a big roof in the crack where a...
Grand Teton, North Ridge. On July 31, Jake Breitenbach, Leon Sinclair, Irene Ortenburger, and Leigh Ortenburger made the first direct approach of the north shoulder of the Grand Teton from Valhalla Canyon. Although the rock was a trifle loose in p...
FALL ON ROCK, INADEQUATE PROTECTION—ROPE ON TAPE, INEXPERIENCEAlberta, Rocky Mountains, Rock Gardens (Jasper)On April 5, 1990, around 1630, two climbers, Sean (17) and David (23), ventured off the Rock Gardens, a rock outcrop popular with the loca...
Alpamayo, Southwest Face. A very strong team of Italians, led by Casimiro Ferrari and composed of Angelo Zoia, Danilo Borgonovo, Pino Negri, Pinuccio Castelnovo and Dr. Sandro Liati supported by the industrialist Franco Busnelli, made the first as...