Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, British Columbia, Coast Mountains, Waddington Range, Various Activity

Waddington Range, Various Activity. This was an interesting year, with a long, dry, hot introduction to the season putting the glaciers into very difficult conditions for travel, but shaping up the mountains (especially the rock lines) better than...


Feature Article AAJ
The Northwest Ridge of K2

The Northwest Ridge of K2James WickwireON the Pakistani-Chinese border, K2 rises as a rocky, isolated pyramid to 28,741 feet*, a scant two rope- lengths below the height of Everest. Although K2 is not as frequented by mountaineers as its higher ne...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Hayes Range, Nenana Spire, Midget Porn

Nenana Spire, Midget Porn. In early March, Tim Cosik had a Swedish lady he had just met (who would soon become his pregnant wife) drop us at an obscure Fairbanks hangar. We knew we were in for an adventure when a kid met us at the door with a roll...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Alaska Coast Mountains, West Witches' Tit, South Face, Jack Hicks Memorial Route; and Cat's Eats Spire, Least Snowed-up Route

West Witches’ Tit, south face, Jack Hicks Memorial Route; and Cat’s Ears Spire, Least Snowed-up Route. From May 16 to June 5 Guy Edwards and I visited the Devil’s Thumb region of the Stikine Icecap in southeast Alaska and northwest British Columbi...


Club Activities AAJ
Alaska Section

Alaska Section. It was a busy year in the most northern of AAC sections. We officially purchased and signed the lease agreement with the State for the Snowbird Hut on the lateral moraine of the Snowbird Glacier in the Talkeetna Mountains—the first...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Mantok II, First Ascent, Ladies' Couloir, Peak 10,020', Northwest Face to Summit Ridge Alaska, Alaska Range

After reading trip reports and getting beta from Freddie Wilkinson, who along with various partners has established multiple climbs in the area, from April 8-20 Joey McBrayer and I explored the Northeast Fork of the Yentna Glacier. In mostly disma...

| Published N/A | Author Christopher Wright


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, British Columbia, Purcell Mountains, Bugaboos, Various Free Ascents

Various free ascents. In July and August Nick Martino, Cedar Wright, and I freed two unrepeated aid lines on the Minaret of South Howser. On both the Italian Pillar (V 11+) and the Southwest Pillar (V 12- R/X) we created new pitches that wander fr...


Accident Tables ANAM
Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table II

Geographical Districts1951-811982Number of AccidentsDeathsTotal Persons InvolvedNumber of AccidentsDeathsTotal Persons InvolvedCanadaAlberta1304627124556British Colombia1406026618646Yukon Territory1819392312Ontario13423309Quebec10225103East Arctic...


Accident Reports ANAM
Out of Bounds—Lost, Inadequate Clothing and Equipment, Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Rock Spring Canyon

OUT OF BOUNDS–LOST, INADEQUATE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENTWyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Rock Spring CanyonOn February 6 at 1330, Cameron Morgan (25), Jonathan Gagne (25), and Katherine Gagne (24) left the Teton Village Ski Area boundaries with th...


Feature Article AAJ
Good Neighbor Peak

Good Neighbor PeakWilliam PillingMOUNT VANCOUVER HAS TWO MAIN SUMMITS, north and south, connected by a relatively horizontal ridge. The slightly higher northern summit was climbed in 1948 by Walter Wood’s party (AAJ, 1950, pages 367-378). The sout...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Tierra del Fuego, Argentine Patagonia, The Northwest Arête of the West Pillar of Punta Herron, La Giaconda

The Northwest Arête of the West Pillar of Punta Herron, La Gioconda. The weather was always bad, even when we humped loads to Paso Marconi. On October 12, we decided to leave for the Circle of the Altares. The weather was beautiful, but after only...


Feature Article AAJ
The Mountains of Arizona

The Mountains of ArizonaWeldon F. HealdMountains, mountains, everywhere, Nor any peak to climb” is a paraphrase which might be applied to Arizona. Yet it is hardly a fair statement. Although it’s true that all the highest summits may be reached by...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock—Climber Lowered off End of Rope by Belayer, Oregon, Smith Rock State Park, Magic Light

FALL ON ROCK–CLIMBER LOWERED OFF END OF ROPE BY BELAYEROregon, Smith Rock State Park, Magic LightOn February 21, Timothy Garland (24) climbed Magic Light in the Overboard Area of Smith Rock State Park. Magic Light is a bolted route rated 5.12b, tw...


Feature Article AAJ
The Elevator Shaft, A Wild Ride to the Summit of Mount Johnson

The Elevator ShaftA wild ride to the summit of Mount Johnsonby DOUG CHABOTThe first time I saw Mount Johnson (8,460 feet) was from a plane in 1992 as I was heading to the Ruth Glacier to guide a 12-day mountaineering trip. On its north face was an...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Greenland, Mount Forel and Schweizerland, 1986

Mont Forel and Schweizerland, 1986. On the evening of July 9, 1986, Duncan Bond, Greg Englefield, Jim Lowther and I departed by boat from Angmagssalik to the head of Tasilaq Fjord where our Base Camp was to be located a few kilometers up the valle...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Bolivia, Chaupi Orko, Southeast Ridge

Chaupi Orko, Southeast Ridge. From May 15-20 Raymundo Condori, Osvaldo Cortez, Andreas (a journalist from Poland), and I traveled toward Lake Suches. Heavy snow stopped us on a secondary road two mountain passes before Flor de Nevado Mine, so we h...


Accident Reports ANAM
Party Separated, Fatigue, Darkness, Hypothermia, Climber Lost, California, North Fork — Big Pine Creek

PARTY SEPARATED, FATIGUE, DARKNESS, HYPOTHERMIA, CLIMBER LOST California, North Fork —Big Pine CreekOn Monday, October 12,1986, Debra Melvin (32) and her husband Mark ascended 4242 meter Polemonium Peak near North Palisade. Their route was the 300...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Sita Chuchura (Tukuche West) Attempt

Sita Chuchura (Tukuche West) Attempt. Eric Delcasso led this eight-man French expedition. Three climbers and the sirdar ascended nearby 6000-meter summits and then four climbers and the sirdar devoted their attention to Sita Chuchura while the oth...


Book Reviews AAJ
Fourteen Thousand Feet

Fourteen Thousand Feet: A history of the naming and early ascents of the high Colorado peaks, by James Lathrop Jerome Hart. Second edition, with a Climbers Guide to the high Colorado peaks, by Elinor Eppich Kingery. Denver, Colo. Colorado Mountain...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca, Ocshapalca, South Face

Ocshapalca, south face. Back in Huaraz after the Huayhuash, I rejoined my friend Iñigo Mujica (Note: Baró Ramon and Mujica had climbed on Chacraraju and Jirishanca Norte. See note in Huayhuash section.) A team of four was descending after finishin...