Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Utah, Tombstone and Seraph

Tombstone and Seraph. In September, my brother Jonathan and I climbed a 350-foot spire known by the locals as “The Tombstone.” This wide spire can be seen, looking south off Highway 70, about 15 miles east of Green River. After a 30-minute drive o...


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Failure, British Columbia, Selkirk Mountains, Mt. Austerity

RAPPEL FAILUREBritish Columbia, Selkirk Mountains, Mt. AusterityOn 24 July 1978 Edward P. Nester and Julius Bede, both experienced climbers, attempted a new route on the northeast ridge of Mt. Austerity, 10,980 feet. At 1600 hours they had not rea...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Loose Rock, Fatigue — Alberta, Banff National Park, Mount Victoria

FALL ON ROCK, LOOSE ROCK, FATIGUEAlberta, Banff National Park, Mount VictoriaI (35) was climbing with two friends, H.N. (32) and E.D. (26) on August 28. We departed from the Abbot Pass Hut early Saturday morning to attempt a south to north travers...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Chile, Chilean Patagonia, Torres del Paine, Various Ascents

Torres del Paine, Various Ascents. In early March I traveled to Paine, took advantage of a good spell of weather and went with several friends to a base camp below Cuerno Chico. Several new routes have been done here this season, on Cuerno Chico a...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Australasia, New Zealand, Autumn 2005-Autumn 2006, Queenstown region, Summary.

Queenstown region, summary. Queenstown’s Wye Creek became New Zealand’s focal point for sport-mixed climbing over the past winter. A number of climbers based themselves in the Wye valley cirque and developed mixed climbs up to grade M11. First to ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Utah, Zion National Park, Big Bend Gendarme, Mean High Tide

Big Bend Gendarme, Mean High Tide. This route climbs the obvious crack system on the southwest face, facing the Big Bend shuttle stop. It can be recognized by the rubble stack in the fifth-pitch chimney. It reaches the top of the spirelike formati...


Accident Reports ANAM
Dropped Gear, Inadequate Fuel and Food, Weather, Dehydration, Exhaustion — Washington, Mount Rainier, Liberty Ridge

DROPPED GEAR, INADEQUATE FUEL AND FOOD, WEATHER, DEHYDRATION, EXHAUSTIONWashington, Mount Rainier, Liberty RidgeA cell phone call late June 30 revealed that Mike Matelich and Larry Sverdrup were stranded on Liberty Ridge and in need of assistance ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington, Cruel Finger

Cruel Finger. This narrow, spindlelike spire of granite lies in the Nightmare Needles of the Cashmere Crags, above grotesque "Fire Spire" and "Little Snowpatch," some 2500 feet above the deep valley of Ingalls Creek but still below the snowy crest...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Canadian Arctic, Sigurd and Other Peaks, Pangnirtung Pass Region, Baffin Island

Sigurd and Other Peaks, Pangnirtung Pass Region. Baffin Island. Our five-man expedition had very good weather. On August 15 Sylvain Grand Maison, Patrice Lanciault, Marc L’Heureux and Raymond Sénécal ascended to the east ridge of Adluk via a 45° t...


Accident Reports ANAM
Bad Weather, Hypothermia, Frostbite, Inadequate Equipment, Inexperience — New Mexico, Wheeler Peak

BAD WEATHER, HYPOTHERMIA, FROSTBITE, INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT, INEXPERIENCENew Mexico, Wheeler PeakOn May 14, 1982, Steve Hendley (20) and Chris Dolby (20) were descending from the 4300-meter summit of Mount Wheeler when they began to encounter interm...


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Rock, Oregon, Mount Jefferson, Milk Creek Glacier

FALLING ROCKOregon, Mount Jefferson, Milk Creek GlacierWhile crossing the north couloir of Milk Creek on July 1, two climbers (both 32) were ascending out of the bottom of the couloir on firm snow. One was crossing the bottom of the couloir when a...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Ecuador, Chimborazo, North Ridge of Veintimilla Summit

Chimborazo, North Ridge of Veintimilla Summit. On December 20-22, Byron Sykes and I, with support from Jens Larsen and Jorge Davila, climbed the striking line of the prominent north ridge of the Veintimilla summit (20,561') of Chimborazo. By 3 p.m...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Chile, Cerro Negro, Ice Cascade

Cerro Negro, Ice Cascade. The 250-meter-high ice cascade hanging on the south side of Cerro Negro, a peak northwest of Santiago, has long been a challenge to local climbers. C. Buracchio and I first climbed the mountain (4975 meters, 16,324 feet) ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Alaska Coast Mountains, Peak 7,030' (Mt. Bearzi) and Peak 6,230'

Peak 7,030' (Mt. Bearzi) and Peak 6,230'. In July Carl Dietrich and Kale Sommer made the third ascent of Peak 7,030', located six miles northwest of Devil’s Thumb in the Stikine Icefield, via a new route from the east. From the Burkett Glacier, th...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, Ice Lake Region, U.S. Grant Peak

U. S. Grant Peak (13,692 ft.) offered a first ascent to a party of eight under the leadership of Father H. M. Walters. The ascent along the southwest ridge was not very difficult.


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Bolivia, Cordillera Quimsa Cruz, Taruca Umana Valley and Cerro Auchuma, Various New Routes

Taruca Umana Valley and Cerro Auchuma, Various New Routes. Based on a conversation with Sue Savege, we decided to concentrate on further exploration of the Taruca Umana valleys and of the unexplored Cerro Achuma and Cerro Jankho Willkhi ranges. We...


Accident Reports ANAM
Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park

Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park. On 26 July Charles Darling (37) and Vincent Larsen (38) were descending the Middle Teton Glacier near the end of the moraine. Mr. Darling started to glissade and then either slipped or stumbled in attempting to ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Inadequate Equipment, Fatigue, Slip on Ice, British Columbia, Selkirk Mountains, Adamant Glacier

INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT, FATIGUE, SLIP ON ICE British Columbia, Selkirk Mountains, Adamant GlacierOn August 4, 1986, a party of four left camp around 0630 to climb East Blackfriar. It wasnearly 1500 by the time they reached the summit. They returned ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Garhwal, Satopanth

Satopanth. On July 3 Franz Huber, Thomas Kürschner, Berndt Ritschel, Armin Siwy, Georg Welsch, our liaison officer Murthi and I with 16 porters reached Base Camp at Nandanban (14,450 feet). After a number of days of excursions over the debris-cove...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Utah, Climbs on the Colorado Plateau in Arizona and Utah

Climbs on the Colorado Plateau in Arizona and Utah. In early 1991, Bill Hatcher, Barry Ward and I climbed The Teapot (III, 5.8), an interesting 350-foot formation near Jacob’s Ladder on the Navajo Reservation. In June, I made the first solo ascent...