Accident Reports ANAM
Utah, Arches National Monument

Utah: Arches National Monument. A 19-year-old New Yorker fell to his death on 29 May 1950 as he neared the top of Landscape Arch. Visitors are not allowed to cross the arch since it is only six feet thick at one point.Source of information: newspa...


Accident Tables ANAM
Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table II

GeographicalDistrictsNumber of Accidents1951-68DeathsTotalPersonsInvolvedNumber of Accidents1969DeathsTotalPersonsInvolvedCanadaAlberta251131000British Columbia36135711117Yukon Territory448111Ontario111000Quebec111000United States Atlantic — North...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Gasherbrum II

Gasherbrum II. On July 31 members of the French expedition led by Louis LePivain reached the summit of Gasherbrum II by the normal route. They were LePivain, Michel Metzger, Rémy Pilliègre, Nicolas Campredon and Guy Flecher. On August 1 Metzger ac...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentina, Central Andes, Uruguayan Rugby Team Plane Crash of 1972, New Discovery

Uruguayan rugby team plane crash of 1972, new discovery. On February 12, 2005 Mario Perez (an Argentinean horse guide) and I made a historical discovery related to the famous crash in the Andes of a Uruguayan plane chartered by a rugby team in 197...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, Notchtop Mountain, East Face

Notchtop Mountain, East Face. The first ascent of the exposed, seven- pitch “White Room” route was made in June by Roger Briggs and me. It meanders up the very steep and featureless wall to the right of “Optimus,” finishing in a prominent dihedral...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Utah, "Frankenstein" and Echo Pinnacle, Moab, 1992

“Frankenstein” and Echo Pinnacle, Moab, 1992. In May, 1992, Mike Baker soloed a big new tower ¼ mile before the Bride, which he called “Frankenstein” (IV, 5.9, A3). Baker did it in five pitches, but he expects subsequent parties will climb it in f...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Wyoming—Tetons, Thor Peak, Northwest Face

Thor Peak, Northwest Face. After studying aerial photographs all winter, Leigh Ortenburger was convinced that Thor Peak had a 1200-foot northwest face which should at least be investigated during the summer. An additional attraction to this route ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Failure to Test Protection, Anchor Slng Failure, Fall on Rock, Alberta, Rocky Mountain, Spray Slabs

FAILURE TO TEST PROTECTION, ANCHOR SLING FAILURE, FALL ON ROCKAlberta, Rocky Mountains, Spray SlabsSpray Slabs is a practice area near Banff. In July, 1990, a leader (46) climbed a short distance above his belayer, clipped into a very old 9 mm web...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Batura Attempt

Batura Attempt. Our expedition set out from Hasanabad for Batura on July 2. We walked for three days through an inhospitable land to 3800 meters, where the porters refused to go on, frightened by the glacier crossing. We had to ferry our loads fro...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Manaslu Attempt

Manaslu Attempt. A six-man Italian expedition led by Oscar Piazza got up to 7300 meters on the east ridge of Manaslu on May 1 but had to give up there.Elizabeth Hawley


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca, Hualcán, Southwest Ridge

Hualcán, Southwest ridge. J. Curry Slaymaker and David Ciochetti made the first ascent of the southwest ridge of Hualcán (20,096 feet) on July 7. A camp was established at 17,000 feet above Laguna Cochca, where a third member of the group, Dan Lan...


In Memoriam AAJ
Talcott Miner Banks, 1905-1983

TALCOTT MINER BANKS1905-1983Talcott Banks was perhaps better known as a sportsman and a devotee of the musical arts than as a mountaineer. He was bom in Englewood, New Jersey, June 23, 1905. After three years at Hotchkiss he attended Williams Coll...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Mt Everest, Russian Attempt

Mt. Everest, Russian attempt. Two Sherpas who have arrived in Kathmandu report details on the Russian Everest attempt. After being flown to Lhasa in mid-October, 1952, aided by local porters, the expedition took longer in its approach than they ha...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Dhaulagiri, Post-Monsoon Northeast Ridge Ascents and Attempts

Dhaulagiri, Post-Monsoon Northeast Ridge Ascents and Attempts. A party of five Spaniards to the normal northeast ridge was led by Xavier González. On October 2, Jordi Corominas completed the 51st ascent of the peak. Japanese under the leadership o...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Karakoram, Trango Group, Shipton Spire, New Routes and  Attempts

Shipton Spire, new routes and attempts. The expedition of the Slovak Mountaineering Union was in Pakistan from July 17 to September 8. Our main goal was to climb Shipton Spire and some surrounding peaks. The expedition had 10 members: leader Igor ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Ice — Gave Way, Fall on Ice, Climbing Unroped, Utah, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Great White Icicle

FALLING ICE – GAVE WAY, FALL ON ICE, CLIMBING UNROPEDUtah, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Great White IcicleOn December 31, Gene Rawson (37), a solo ice climber, was near the top of the final pitch of the Great White Icicle. Rawson was waiting for anot...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Idaho, The Prow, Steamboat Rocks

The Prow, Steamboat Rocks. Steamboat Rocks are a large group of quartzite buttresses, ten miles from Kingston on the Coeur d’Alene River. At least six of them are over 500 feet high. The south-facing apron of the first buttress provided possibly t...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Yukon Territory, St. Elias Mountains, Various Ascents in the Waddington Range

Various Ascents in the Waddington Range. May can be pretty fine in the Coast Mountains, but it can also be pretty darn bad. Last May was the finest ever, and an unusually large number of climbing parties happened to be on hand to enjoy the fruits....


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, New Hampshire, Cathedral Ledge, Recompense

FALL ON ROCKNew Hampshire, Cathedral Ledge, RecompenseOn June 18, Mark Gallagher (48) was climbing Recompense when he fell, hit a ledge, and suffered a compound fracture of his lower left leg. Gallagher said he had climbed Recompense several times...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Langar, 1974

Langar, 1974. In A.A.J., 1975 on page 216 we reported that Italians had climbed Langar but details were lacking. On August 5, 1974 Sergio De Infanti, Mario Qualizza and Aldo Scalettaris reached the summit of Wala Peak 193, which lies just north of...