On September 7, my partner and I, both mid-30s, were climbing North Peak (12,242 feet) in the Hoover Wilderness outside Yosemite. We had completed the low-fifth-class Northeast Ridge and were scrambling up to the summit when I stepped on a piece o...
A climber on Rehab (5.11a) at Lover's Leap. Minutes later, she fell attempting to clip a bolt above her—a notoriously difficult clip. Her last protection was a Totem Cam at waist level, here hidden by her body. The red circle marks where she fel...
Castle Crags’ granite spires rise within sight of Mt. Shasta. The classic Cosmic Wall, first climbed by Chris Bonington’s party in 1979, roughly follows the sun-shade line on the twin-summited Ogre, right of center. Photo: Thomas Shahan On Se...
On August 16, a two-person party summited Mt. Shasta via Clear Creek, pushing from their Wintun Ridge camp at 10,500 feet despite a well-publicized incoming storm. The pair was unfamiliar with the terrain, lacked adequate wet-weather gear, and pre...
In September, a climber slipped and fell nearly 2,000 feet after getting off their route in poor visibility. Photo: Mt. Shasta Climbing Rangers On September 12 at approximately 3:45 p.m., USFS Climbing Rangers were notified of a slip-and-fall...
Avalanche Gulch in summer. In August, a climber fell several hundred feet while glissading down the steep snow near a row of cliffs known as the Red Banks (yellow oval). Photo: Mt. Shasta Climbing Rangers On August 10, a solo male climber los...
Mt. Shasta (14,179 feet) in February. The mountain rises nearly 10,000 feet above surrounding foothills and farms. No route should be underestimated. Photo: Bernie Ongewe The 2025 season on Mt. Shasta produced high activity, two fatalities, a...
“Old Bendy” was at the center of an accident in which a belayer was pulled by a falling leader into the end of his stick clip, breaking five ribs. Photo: Mark Hammond On February 22, Mark Hammond was belaying a partner on Hammered and Enamore...
In December 2025, photographer John Burcham fell and was struck by a falling rock. His helmet was destroyed but likely saved his life. Photo: The Burcham Family On December 10, John Burcham, a Flagstaff-based photographer and climber with mor...
The North Buttress of Mt. Hunter with the line of Deprivation marked in red and the location of the fall indicated with a yellow X. Photo: JD Merrit. On May 17, a party of two was climbing Deprivation on the North Buttress of Mt. Hunter when ...
Cold, altitude, and exertion conspire on Denali to produce frostbite even in prepared parties. Hypoxia impairs the judgment needed to recognize early symptoms before tissue damage is irreversible. Photo: Deve Weber On May 20, a guide service ...
On June 10, two NPS rangers on an acclimatization ski near the 14,200-foot camp witnessed a skier and a snowboarder get caught and carried by a size D2.5 soft slab avalanche that released from the Rescue Gully. One victim was partially buried and ...
Kalhiltna Base Camp (7200 feet) serves as the staging point for the majority of Denali expeditions, most of which arrive by ski plane from Talkeetna. Photo: Nomdeploom Denali (Mt. McKinley) mountaineering rangers and volunteers assessed 37 pa...
Buckets (5.5). This 2017 photo does not depict the 2024 accident. It does show, however, the total distance that an 11-year-old climber fell in November 2024. Note that the rock is steep and without large ledges or features that might have slowe...
Approaching the south side of Mt. Kenya by the Teleki Valley, with Batian and Nelion in the center, split by the white stripe of the Diamond Couloir. To the right is the prominent tower of Point John, with Lenana in back at far right. Photo by C...
From August 13 to 31, 2024, Kilian Jornet Burgada traversed the Alps from east to west by foot and bicycle, reaching all 82 of the 4,000-meter-plus summits. The previous fastest time for this link-up, using no motorized transportation, was 60 da...
Nick Baggaley nearing the final headwall on the east ridge of Stutfield Peak East. Photo by Greg Barrett In the late summer of 2025, after a ton of rain, there were a couple short weather windows for bigger objectives in the high peaks of the...
Shawn Jordan setting out for the 12,800-foot summit of Crosson. Mt. Foraker and the Sultana Ridge are in the background. Photo by Roo Streba Shawn Jordan and I are Tahoe-based skiers who have adventured together throughout the Sierra. The...
On the summit of Felsenbrüder in the Bajdah area. Photo by Daniel Hahn In January 2025, Michael “Michi” Bänsch, Daniel Hahn, and I embarked on an adventurous trip around Saudi Arabia to search for new climbs in a country that has only bee...
Marco Cocito on pitch one (7a) of Evening Coffee (180m, VIII+ max) on Jebel Fokha, Al Hamra Towers. Photo by Riccardo Volpiano Our expedition to Oman in February and March marked the conclusion of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) Eagle Team pro...