Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Bolivia, Pomarata, Cordillera Occidental

Pomarata*, Cordillera Occidental. In June we traveled to the Sajama region over the new La Paz-Arica road completed in 1979. On June 15 Gerhard Pösch, Sieglinde Rost and I moved east up a beautiful valley to the north ridge of Pomarata (or Pomarap...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Delta Range, Item Peak, North Face

Item Peak, North Face. In February, Jed Brown (18 years old) and I (33) ascended a direct line on the north face of Item Peak, to the left of the route I did in 2000. Jed and I found snow up to 65° and avoided all rock bands by stepping left aroun...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentina, Cerro Torre, The Revista Mensile

Cerro Torre. The Revista Mensile also notes that the two Detassis, Maestri, Stenico, and Eccher (Italians), and Fava and Lucchini (Argentines), also failed on the Cerro Torre in early 1958. They did make the first ascent of Cerro Grande in an 18-h...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentina–Central Andes, Aconcagua and Tupungato as Mountain Parks

Aconcagua and Tupungato as Mountain Parks. Both Aconcagua and Tupungato have been declared by the legislature of the state of Mendoza as parts of two recently created provincial (state) parks. Aconcagua became part of the Parque Provincial Aconcag...


Accident Reports ANAM
Loss of Control — Voluntary Glissade — Washington, Mount Snoqualmie

LOSS OF CONTROL-VOLUNTARY GLISSADEWashington, Mount SnoqualmieOn May 16, 1982, Kenneth Herrell (27) was in a party of six glissading down the southwest side of Mount Snoqualmie when he lost control and tumbled over a 100- meter rocky area. He sust...


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded, Inadequate Belay, Utah, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Bumblebee Wall

STRANDED, INADEQUATE BELAYUtah, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Bumblebee WallOn July 21, “Pat” (31), successfully led Perseverance Bulge, a two-pitch 5.9 route on Bumblebee Wall, near the Storm Mountain Picnic Area in Big Cottonwood Canyon. He sat on the ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Bolivia, Cordillera Apolobamba, Condoriri Group, Overview

Condoriri Group, Overview. The dry conditions meant that Cabeza de Condor (5648m) was devoid of snow and the few teams that attempted it reported extremely dangerous conditions (the peak is made of rotten loose rock). The popular Pequeño Alpamayo ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Climbing Unroped, Failure to Follow Route, Failure to Test Holds, No Hard Hat, Inexperience — California, Mount Sill

FALL ON ROCK, CLIMBING UNROPED, FAILURE TO FOLLOW ROUTE, FAILURE TO TEST HOLDS, NO HARD HAT, INEXPERIENCECalifornia, Mount SillOn September 21, 1984, after climbing third class rock to the beginning of the Swiss Arete route on Mount Sill, Richard ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Inadequate Anchor, Inadequate Communication, California, Yosemite Valley, Ranger Rock

FALL ON ROCK, INADEQUATE ANCHOR, INADEQUATE COMMUNICATIONCalifornia, Yosemite Valley, Ranger RockOn the morning of September 11, E (25), N (27), and L (26) set out to climb the popular Nutcracker route in Yosemite Valley (5.8, five pitches). All t...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, China, Kongur Tiubie

Kongur Tiubie. The Japanese National Defense Academy Expedition was composed of Majors Kiyonori Kimura, climbing leader, and Chitosi Andoh, deputy climbing leader, Captains Yohichiro Yamaguchi and Kunio Horoshima, Lieutenants Shigeyuki Koga, Hiros...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
United States, Washington—Cascade Mountains, North Early Winter Spire, West Face, "Labor Pains"

North Early Winter Spire, West Face, “Labor Pains." On Labor Day, Donna McBain and I did this fun six-pitch route on slabs and crack systems beginning just right of the large cave on the bottom of the west face. The middle pitches ascend through r...


Accident Reports ANAM
Alaska, Wrangell Range

Alaska, Wrangell Range. On 10 May Katsuomi Aoke (24), Hyhozi Matsunaga (21), Hirokazu Yamazaki (30), Osamu Iwatake (24), Take- hisa Shiono (23), and Kiyoshige Seiryu (20), six climbers from the Tokyo University Alpine Club, Japan, were flown to th...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Himachal Pradesh, Koa Rong Peaks

Koa Rong Peaks. Koa Rong 3 (6157 meters, 20,200 feet) was climbed by Indian women Bani Bose and Smirti Bhattacharjee and Sherpas Dawa and Pas- ang Thondup on July 25. The leader was Miss Lipika Ghosh. Japanese Shigemi Toyoda, Takamasa Tsukamoto, A...


Accident Reports ANAM
Colorado, The Dome, Near Boulder

Colorado, The Dome, Near Boulder. On 12 May Skip Bailey (22), and Michael Mertaugh (23), began a day of climbing with the expectation of trying a new route on the Dome. Because several teams of climbers were already at work on its face they decide...


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Rock, Fall on Rock, British Columbia, Rocky Mountains, Takakkaw Falls

FALLING ROCK, FALL ON ROCKBritish Columbia, Rocky Mountains, Takakkaw FallsOn July 8, 1988, a field test was being held for Association of Canadian Mountain Guides endorsement. The climb was on the route nearest the falls on the left side. One of ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India–Karakoram, Rimo III and Other Peaks in the Terong Basin, Eastern Karakoram

Rimo III and Other Peaks in the Terong Basin, Eastern Karakoram. Our Indo-British expedition was a joint venture between Bombay Mountaineers, Harish Kapadia, leader, Arun Samant, Muslim Contractor, Dhiren, Zerksis Boga and Dr. Meena Agrawal and Al...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Wyoming, Tetons, North Face of Disappointment Peak

North Face of Disappointment Peak. Two routes, one direct and the other on the western edge of the face, were pioneered by William Cropper and John Dietschy on August 4 and 15. The direct route on the previously unclimbed face involved a very diff...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington—Cascade Mountains, Black Pyramid, Northeast Face

Black Pyramid, Northeast Face. Dave Davis and I did a new 5-pitch climb on this crag. Grade II, F6.Greg Markov


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington, Mount Kent, North Face in Winter, and Little Finger, Southeast Face

Mount Kent, North Face in Winter, and Little Finger, Southeast Face. On February 15, Dallas Kloke and I ascended the unclimbed 1200-foot north face of Mount Kent, southeast of McClellan Butte. Unroped cramponing up low-angle snow and ice led to a ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington—Cascades, Mixup, East Face

Mixup, East Face. On September 11 Larry Baum and I made a new route on this face, beginning up the second large chimney north of Gunsight Pass. This chimney, which might also be called a gully, runs in a north-northwesterly direction from its base...