Accident Reports ANAM
Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, South Fork of Cascade Canyon

Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, South Fork of Cascade Canyon— Fred A. Shire, Jr. (23), of Long Beach, Cal., had told his parents that he was going to hike to Lake Solitude via Cascade Canyon and left at 5 A.M. on July 2 to do so. He had planne...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall—After Climb Completed—California, Tahquitz

FALL—AFTER CLIMB COMPLETED—California, Tahquitz. Stan Klein, a climber from Loma Prieta Chap. RCS who has moved to LA, was making his second climb of the day with Jim McPherson. Stan led the last pitch of Graham Crackers. He completed the move at ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington, Cascade Mountains, Mount Triumph, North Face

Mount Triumph, North Face. In early August Pete Doorish and I climbed the Central North Buttress, of Mount Triumph. From the toe of the buttress (5000 feet), ascend steep rock to where buttress becomes a sharp arête. Continue on the solid rock of ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Rock — Pulling Rappel Rope Down, Poor Position, British Columbia, Bugaboo Glacier Provincial Park, Snowpatch Spire

FALLING ROCK—PULLING RAPPEL ROPE DOWN, POOR POSITIONBritish Columbia, Bugaboo Glacier Provincial Park, Snowpatch SpireIn August, a party of three climbers had completed the final rappel after climbing the Kraus-McCarthy route on Snowpatch Spire, a...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
India, Himachal Pradesh, Kumaun, Changabang, north face, attempt

Changabang, north face, attempt. Andreas Amons, Cas van de Gevel, Melvin Redeker, and I tried to climb 6,864m Changabang by its north face in the autumn. Arriving at base camp on August 25, we spent the first 12 days acclimatizing and load carryin...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Garhwal, Lamchir and Nanda Kini

Lamchir and Nanda Kini. Both of these peaks have been climbed by National Outdoor Leadership School courses. Lamchir was first climbed in 1991 and subsequently in the fall of 1993 and on May 25, 1994. The true summit is 5662 meters (18,576 feet) b...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentina, Argentine Patagonia, Cerro Torre, Compressor Route, and Clarification

Cerro Torre, Compressor Route, and Clarification. On January 29 and 30, 1996, Charlie Fowler and I climbed the Compressor Route on Cerro Torre, attaining the base of the summit mushroom at 9:30 p.m. in dead calm but in cloud. Charlie and I elected...


Notes AAJ
Of General Interest, A Blessing for Climbers and Their Equipment

A Blessing for Climbers and Their Equipment. A translation of the Benedictio Instrumentorum ad Montes Conscendendos which the late Pope Pius XI approved and had inserted in the Rituale Romanum has been received from our member Anderson Bakewell, S...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Utah, Arches National Park, Hot Wheels Tower, Funny Car

Hot Wheels Tower, Funny Car. In the Windows area of Arches National Park, Brad Bond rope-soloed the first ascent of Funny Car (5.8 A2+) on the Hot Wheels Tower. Bond: “Linus Platt acted as technical advisor during the ascent.” The climb is 100 fee...


Club Activities AAJ
A.A.C., New York Section

A.A.C., New York Section. Why do people join organizations like the American Alpine Club? Certainly one of the main motives is to expand one’s circle of climbing friends and partners and to share the fellowship of like-minded people. Facilitating ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, British Columbia, Rocky Mountains of Canada, Foster Peak

Foster Peak. Flight-Lieut. J. S. T. Gibson contributes the following information on this and other climbs of 1942 (see A.J. 54, 399; where “Easter Pk.” should be Foster Pk.). From Floe Lake crossed meadows and moraines, then the lower part of a sm...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Mount Dentiform, East Buttress, Coast Range

Mount Dentiform, East Buttress, Coast Range. In late August Jim Nelson, Bill Pilling, and I climbed the short but pronounced pillar to the right of the ice funnel on Dentiform’s Tellot Glacier face. We cramponed to the base of the buttress, then f...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California, Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, The Nose, Speed Record

El Capitan, The Nose, speed record. Events leading up to the record speed ascent of the Nose in 2 hours and 48 minutes: September 2001, Hans Florine and Tommy Caldwell climb the Nose in 4:31. They miss the nine-year-old record of 4:22 by only nine...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Climbing Unroped, No Hard Hat, Inexperience, Bad Weather, Wisconsin, Devil's Lake State Park

FALL ON ROCK, CLIMBING UNROPED, NO HARD HAT, INEXPERIENCE, BAD WEATHERWisconsin, Devil’s Lake State ParkFred Kolberg (18) arrived at Devil’s Lake about 9 a.m. April 9, 1980, on a school outing with the Wilderness Club, Arrowhead High School, Hartl...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Ultar Sar, First Ascent

Ultar Sar, First Ascent. The most significant achievement of the last Karakoram season was the first ascent of the difficult and dangerous Ultar Sar (7388 m), by the Pakistanis called Ultar II, and known also as Bojohagur or Bojohagur II. It is th...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, Climbing Around Durango, 1983-1984

Climbing Around Durango, 1983-1984. The years 1983 and 1984 were very active ones for Durango climbers. Near the Watch Crystal, John Duran and Tim Kuss did Sweeney’s Special (5.12b) and Free Base (5.12a), two extreme crack climbs. Craig Lombard an...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Alaska Range, East Kahiltna Peak, D.S. and F.J.

East Kahiltna Peak, D.S. and F.J. Carl Tobin and I flew into the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. We skied to the East Fork, where we spent from May 3 to 12 exploring climbs. May 5 was clear and, despite our being tired from the ski to the ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Inadequate Protection — California, Yosemite Valley

FALL ON ROCK, INADEQUATE PROTECTIONCalifornia, Yosemite ValleyOn July 22, 1982, Thomas Kirkley (22) fell while climbing above the Devil’s Bathtub behind the Ahwanee Hotel. He was two meters above a fixed piton which he had not tested adequately. T...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru—Cordillera Blanca, Caraz III, South Face

Caraz III, South Face. On June 28, Haroon Khesghi and I climbed the south face of Caraz III (5720 meters, 18,767 feet). We started in a couloir that runs up just to the right of the summit. The climb was similar in length and difficulty to the sou...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Snow, Inadequate Equipment and Clothing, Climbing Unroped, Weather — British Columbia, Purcell Mountains, South Howser-Pigeon Col

FALL ON SNOW, INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING, CLIMBING UNROPED, WEATHER British Columbia, Purcell Mountains, South Howser-Pigeon ColOn August 2, 1984, two climbers were caught in a thunderstorm on South Howser Tower, and were forced to retreat....