Feature Article AAJ
A Journey to Western Sichuan, A Return Visit to the Shaluli Shan Reveals Troublesome Changes in the Mostly Unclimbed Peaks of the Litang Plateau, China

A Journey to Western SichuanA return visit to the Shaluli Shan reveals troublesome changes in the mostly unclimhed peaks of the Litang Plateau} China.Tamotsu NakamuraAfter a fascinating visit to the eccentric collection of Christian churches in th...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Canadian Coast Range, Grenelle-Spearman Traverse

Grenelle-Spearman Traverse. Greg Collum and I helicoptered to the Plummer Hut near Mount Waddington on the last day of a record-breaking heat wave in the Coast Mountains. All too soon we were trapped in the hut, reading novels and drinking tea. Sh...


Accident Reports ANAM
Bad Weather, Exhaustion, Off Route, Climbing Alone, Inadequate Equipment — Colorado, Thatchtop Mountain

BAD WEATHER, EXHAUSTION, OFF ROUTE, CLIMBING ALONE, INADEQUATE EQUIPMENTColorado, Thatchtop MountainOn December 16, 1982, Michael Dorsey (24) left the trail head for a solo ice climb in the Thatchtop-Powell area. The weather conditions were margin...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Antarctica, Vinson Massif

Vinson Massif. I was extremely lucky to be invited by Frank Wells and Dick Bass to go with them to Antarctica as part of their “Seven Summits Odyssey.” Just getting there was a major feat of logistics. We chartered a specially modified DC3 with th...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Bolivia, Chearoco and Other Peaks, Cordillera Real, and Sajama, 1985

Chearoco and Other Peaks, Cordillera Real, and Sajama, 1985. After an acclimatization climb on May 25, 1985 of Colquejahui in the Hampaturi group, Bavarians Georg and Josef Seifried and Robert Wagner on May 26 placed Base Camp at 4650 meters a kil...


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche — Alaska, Mount Foraker

AVALANCHEAlaska, Mount ForakerOn April 19, 1984, Steve Barker (33), Tom Anninger (41), Dick Lohman (45), Sharon Svenson, and I (34) flew into the base of Mount Foraker. We set up camp and prepared for the load carry, which we would do the next day...


Accident Reports ANAM
Inexperience—Party Separated and Unroped, Dehydration—Exhaustion, Alaska, Mount McKinley, West Buttress

INEXPERIENCE–PARTY SEPARATED AND UNROPED, DEHYDRATION- EXHAUSTIONAlaska, Mount McKinley, West ButtressJust before 0600 on the morning of June 8, Alexey Volkov (27) contacted VIP Michael Dong at the 14,200-foot Ranger Camp. Volkov was concerned tha...


Feature Article AAJ
The Exploration of the Cariboo Range from the East

The Exploration of the Cariboo Range from the EastRaymond T. ZillmerIN referring to the Cariboos in this article, I have in mind only that higher portion of the Cariboo Range which is E. of the Raush River and the headwaters of the Azure River, an...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Canadian Rockies, The Watch Tower

The Watch Tower (Canadian Rockics)First ascent by R. S. Whitney, J. A. Corry, and B. B. Gilman on August 3rd and 4th, 1932. This rock pinnacle rises sharply above Cataract Brook on the east side of the valley leading from Hector, B.C., in to Lake ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Cordillera Huayhuash, Puscanturpa Norte, Pasta Religion, New Route

Puscanturpa Norte, Pasta Religion, New Route. From May 24 to June 24, we (Lionel Daudet, François Lombard, Xavier Baudry) opened a rock climbing route on the northwest face of Puscanturpa Norte (5652m). This face is extremely steep, grooved with h...


Accident Reports ANAM
New York, Shawangunks

New York, Shawangunks. On 22 April it was planned that John Huels (28) would lead Northern Pillar, seconded by David T. Estroff, Francis de Monterey would lead Southern Pillar, seconded by Robert Jahn; MacRush, a member of the Harvard Mountaineeri...


Accident Reports ANAM
Failure of Rappel, Piton Pulled Out, Failure to Follow Route, Alberta, Rocky Mountains, Rundle Ridge

FAILURE OF RAPPEL, PITON PULLED OUT, FAILURE TO FOLLOW ROUTE Alberta, Rocky Mountains, Rundle RidgeOn August 16,1986, around 0800, David Doucette (38) and Bruce Magee (35) set out to climb the Guides’ Route (5.7), a 17-pitch climb on the east end ...


Feature Article AAJ
Ship of Fools

Ship of FoolsTwenty-five days on a Karakoram giantby Jared OgdenStanding at the base of Shipton Spire, Mark Synnott and I shivered silently, neither wanting to tell the other our fears or doubts about the climb we were about to begin. Our intended...


Club Activities AAJ
The Alpine Club of Canada

The Alpine Club of Canada. The Alpine Club of Canada celebrated its 90th Anniversary in 1996 with an anniversary dinner that also honored four Canadians who had contributed to Canadian mountaineering and who had reached the summit of Mount Everest...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Ice—Rappel Error, Alaska, Denali National Park, Mount Wake

FALL ON ICE–RAPPEL ERRORAlaska, Denali National Park, Mount WakeOn April 23, Jed Kallen-Brown (23) and Lara Kellogg (38) were climbing the Northeast Ridge of Mount Wake (9,100 feet) in the Ruth Gorge of Denali National Park and Preserve. The pair ...


Feature Article AAJ
Parachutes in the St. Elias Range

Parachutes in the St. Elias RangeWalter A. Wood, Jr.“THE McKinley is four days behind schedule. No, the Louise is full up. You haven’t a chance there.” Such was the news which greeted one unbearded and five bearded members of the fourth expedition...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Mexico, Durango, El Peñón (Cerro) Blanco, El Vedauwoo

El Peñón (Cerro) Blanco, El Vedauwoo. In March, on the 800'+ south face of Cerro Blanco, Todd Skinner and I established a new line to the right of the rightmost line pictured on p. 290 of the AAJ 2002, joining this existing line at the very top of...


In Memoriam AAJ
Walter Leroy Huber, 1883-1960

WALTER LEROY HUBER1883–1960Walter Leroy Huber became a member of the American Alpine Club in 1919 and was Western Vice-President 1935–1937. He was born in San Francisco January 4, 1883; all four grandparents came across the plains as pioneers. Aft...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India, Garhwal Himalaya

Garhwal Himalaya. An American-British expedition to Nanda Devi, the highest mountain in the British Empire was extremely successful this summer, as chronicled elsewhere in these pages. In addition we understand that this past fall a small group of...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Utah, Candlestick Tower, Canyonlands

Candlestick Tower, Canyonlands. This 450-foot butte was climbed for the first time in the middle of March by John Byrd, Jim Dunn, Doug Snively and me. We approached on foot from Island in the Sky. After two unsuccessful attempts on the looser nort...