Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Anchor Came Out, Fall on Rock, Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Mount Moran

RAPPEL ANCHOR CAME OUT, FALL ON ROCKWyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Mount MoranRK (23) and JG (20) died of multiple injuries late Friday, September 17, or early Saturday, September 18, 1993, when they fell while climbing the South Buttress of ...


Book Reviews AAJ
Missing in the Minarets: The Search for Walter A. Starr, Jr.

Missing in the Minarets: The Search for Walter A. Starr, Jr. William Alsup. Foreword by Glen Dawson. Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Association, 2001. 215 pages, numerous black-and- white photographs. $24.95. Note: All profits from the Yosemite ...


Feature Article AAJ
Dihedral Perspectives

Dihedral PerspectivesLessons learned during my first decade of free climbing on El Capitan.Tommy CaldwellI really had no chance at being a dentist, lawyer, or anything generally considered respectable. In retrospect, becoming an adventure climber ...


Feature Article AAJ
The Mountain Environment, The Year in Garbage

The Mountain EnvironmentThe year in garbageby Brent Bishop and Chris NaumannIn the United States and around the globe, there is a growing awareness that climbers must take responsibility for their environmental impacts and even clean up after othe...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Tibet, Nyainqentangla East Range, Niwu Valley, Chukporisum (6359m), Attempt

Niwu Valley, Chukporisum (6,359m), attempt. In September 2003 a team of four members traveled to the little-explored Nyainqentangla East range in Tibet. Situated 400km northeast of Lhasa, this range has seen little exploration or climbing to date ...


Feature Article AAJ
Freeing Zion's Thunderbird Wall, A Big Payoff for a Long Apprenticeship in Sandstone Climbing

Freeing Zion's Thunderbird WallA big payoff for a long apprenticeship in sandstone climbing.Michael AndersonWhat could cause overworked grown men to piss away their valuable time bickering like old married couples? Why, the Internet, of course! Th...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India, Sikkim, Kangchenjunga Himal, Zemu Gap (5,861m), First Documented Ascent from the South

Kangchenjunga Himal, Zemu Gap (5,861m), first documented ascent from the south. Reaching Zemu Gap from the south proved a long-standing mountaineering problem. The Gap (27°40'9?N, 88°12'53?E) lies on the high ridge extending east from the south su...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, Cathedral Wall, Alter Boy

Cathedral Wall, Altar Boy. In mid-July Doug Snively and I made the first ascent of Altar Boy (III, 5.8) on the Cathedral Wall. It generally ascends the obvious open-book to the right of the Dalke Route. The climb yielded seven pitches of separatel...


Accident Reports ANAM
Cerebral Edema, Altitude Sickness, Alaska, Mt. McKinley

CEREBRAL EDEMA, ALTITUDE SICKNESSAlaska, Mt. McKinleyOn June 1, Bruce Hickson (22), Tom Crouch (23), and George Gonzales (26), members of an Air Force training team which had climbed the West Buttress, were camped at 18,000 feet at Denali Pass wai...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India, Ladakh, Suitilla, Attempt

Suitilla, Attempt. It was reported that a five-member team from Bombay attempted the “Peak of Needles,” unclimbed Suitilla (6373m), via the southwest face/southwest rib in 1997. The approach took nearly three times as long as normal (14 days) due ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Himachal Pradesh, Kulu Pumori

Kulu Pumori. Shib Shankar Das led an Indian expedition which climbed Kulu Pumori (6553 meters, 21,500 feet). This beautiful pyramid stands in the center of the Bara Shigri Glacier. On September 6, leader Sib Shankar Das, Dipen Samanta, Arupam Das,...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Chile, Chilean Patagonia, Torre Central, Bonington-Whillans

Torre Central, Bonington-Whillans. This route was repeated alpine-style by the strong team of Carsten Birckhamn (German) and Andren McAuley (Australia), in December, 1995, after they had climbed the Torre del Norte two times by the Monzino Route. ...


Notes AAJ
United States, First Year of the Yale Mountaineering Club

First Year of the Yale Mountaineering Club. On 1 May 1947 the Yale Mountaineering Club became an official organization recognized by the University. During the rest of the academic year, the Club’s activities were limited in scope. Every week end,...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California—Sierra Nevada, The Watchtower, Timex and Nightwatch

The Watchtower, Timex and Nightwatch. On August 15 Dick Saum, Steve Tucker and I climbed “Timex,” a fine free route on the imposing main face of this formation near the head of Tokopah Valley. High-quality climbing characterized the route with som...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Mt. Hooker, Year of the Horse

Mt. Hooker, Year of the Horse. Hiring horses and taking the “long way in” from Dickenson Park, Jeff Maus, Kevin Dunkak and I spent 11 of 21 days scouting, fixing and climbing a 13-pitch route on the north face of Mt. Hooker. (This line shares grou...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru—Cordillera Huaytapayana, Lasontay, 1982

Lasontay, 1982. On August 10, 1982 all members of an Italian expedition, D. De Nigro, A. Farina, C. Roberti, P., G., A. and M. Gatti, M. Barcelli, E. Moreschi, O. Brembilla, A. Perico and S. Gambirasio, reached the summit of Lasontay Oeste (5330 m...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, South Chasm Wall, Burlgirl

South Chasm Wall, Burlgirl. In March Mike Shepherd and I had a vision of free climbing Bull Girl (5.11 A4). We thought we’d need a lot of time to clean and find a way to free the aid, so we spent two nights on the 2,000' climb. Three pitches up we...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Mummery Group, Canadian Rockies

Mummery Group, Canadian Rockies. A number of first ascents were made from the Alpine Club of Canada Camp. “Lorenzen” is really a long ridge with a number of broken towers. The two highest pinnacles at the west end of the ridge were climbed on July...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru-Cordillera Blanca, Ranrapalca, Southwest Face, and Other Climbs

Ranrapalca, Southwest Face, and Other Climbs. A party from the Klub Wysokogórski Warszawa was led by Wlodzimierz Rudolf. Ryszard Kolakowski and Tomasz Kopys made the first ascent of the southwest face of Ranrapalca on June 29. In eight hours they ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Neacola Mountains, Upper Powell Glacier and Upper Barnard Glacier

Upper Powell Glacier and Upper Barnard Glacier, various ascents and ski descents. Mike Meekins flew Dave Kinsella (Ireland), Wilfred Glanznig (Austria), Wolfgang Huber (Austria), and me into the upper Powell Glacier on the north side of the Chugac...