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...
Abi Gamin. The Bengal Royal Engineers Kamet-Abi Gamin expedition under the leadership of Major N. D. Jayal made the second ascent of Abi Gamin (24,130 ft.) in Gahrwal. After getting to within 100 feet of the top on June 16th on the east ridge, a s...
Sharkfin Tower, South Face. Taking advantage of an unusually late year, Ed Cooper and Cecil Bailey climbed this face in early November. Fresh snow was reached at 5000 feet, and the depth increased to about three feet at 7500 feet. The traverse abo...
Spantik, ascent of 1987 British Descent Route. A small Japanese expedition climbed 7,028m Spantik from the northwest, repeating the Descent Route used by Mick Fowler and Victor Saunders after their historic ascent of the Golden Pillar in 1987. The...
Urkinmang, Langtang Himal. On November 8 Bill Roos, Judy Rearick, Larry Derby and I made the second ascent of Urkinmang (20,100 feet) by its west ridge. The day before the summit was reached, ropes were fixed on 600 feet of rock band which began a...
FALL ON ROCK, LOWERING ERROR – ROPE (TOO SHORT) SLIPPED THROUGH BELAY DEVICE (GRIGRI)Utah, Pine Creek CanyonOn May 9th, rescuers responded to a climbing accident near the Zion- Mount Carmel Tunnel. A 27-year-old man was on a route known as “Feast ...
Rainbow Mountain, Correction. On page 452 of A.A.J., 1976 it tells of a route climbed on March 3, 1975. This route was not done first at that time but had been done previously. Joe Herbst climbed it in early January, 1975, accompanied by Tom Kaufm...
Ascents of Mounts Duff, Wade and Surrounding Peaks. Our most notable climbs during a week of excellent weather were the apparent first ascents of Mount Duff, Mount Wade, and "Saddlehorn Spire" (the striking peak directly east of Mount Vern Ritchie...