In Memoriam AAJ
Lawrence E. Nielsen, 1917-1992

LAWRENCE E. NIELSEN1917-1992Lawrence E. Nielsen was born and raised on a cattle and wheat ranch near Pilot Rock Oregon. He was educated at Pacific University, Washington State University and Cornell University, from which he received a Ph.D. in ch...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North North America, United States, Alaska, Mount Fairweather

An American Alpine Club party consisting of William S. Ladd, Allen Carpé and Terris Moore, accompanied by Andy Taylor, left Juneau on April 4th to attempt Mount Fairweather. Heavy storms prevented a landing at Sea Otter Bight, as had been done in ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru—Cordillera Blanca, Nevado Parón, Huandoy Oeste and Other Peaks

Nevado Parón, Huandoy Oeste and Other Peaks. Our expedition was made up of Boštjan Kekec, Franc Langerholc, Željko Perko, Stane Stanovnik, Damjan Vidmar and me as leader. On May 30 Langerholc, Stanovnik and I climbed the middle of the 1300-foot-hi...


Accident Tables ANAM
Table I

YearTotal Number of Accidents ReportedNumber of Deaths194715111948281519491791950308195118419523514195325121954318195534619564610195745171958321119594522196047(4)*23 (1)** Numbers in parenthesis refer to number of rescuers injured or killed–not in...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California, Yosemite Valley, Half-Dome - Mt. Watkins - El Capitan Blitz

Half Dome-Mt. Watkins-El Capitan Blitz. In October Dean Potter and I became the first to climb three Grade VI Yosemite walls within 24 hours. We started on Half Dome’s 2,000-foot Northwest Face. Approaching via the Death Slabs we arrived at the ba...


Accident Reports ANAM
Dislodged Rock-Fall, Rope Severed, Pennsylvania, Delaware Water Gap, National Recreation Area, Mount Minsi

DISLODGED ROCK—FALL ON ROCK, ROPE SEVEREDPennsylvania, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Mount MinsiOn the afternoon of March 26, Daniel O’Malley, Tim Feitzinger, and Jeff Sukenick decided to take advantage of the nice weather to go roc...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Atunmontepuncu

Atunmontepuncu. After our Mexican expedition, consisting of Ubaldo Martinez, Agustím Tagle, Santos Castro, Jorge Rivera, Guillermo Carrasco, Felipe García and me, failed to reach our objective of Huascarán because of bad weather, I returned alone ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, P 10,206, P8715 and P 8110

P 10,206, P 8715 and P 8110. Jim Bouchard and I were flown to an alpine tarn north of the Eldridge Glacier terminus and hiked up to make the first ascents of two prominent peaks between the Eldridge and Buckskin Glaciers. (Both peaks appear on McK...


Accident Reports ANAM
Oregon, Salmonberry Canyon

Oregon, Salmonberry Canyon. On October 6th, Owen Fowler died of a heart attack while hunting. Upon arrival the Oregon State Police determined that the terrain was too rugged for them to attempt removal of the body. On October 7th, MRSCO was reques...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall On Ice, Minnesota, Devil Track River Gorge

FALL ON ICEMinnesota, Devil Track River GorgeOn January 18, 1981, Brian McKinley and Peter Monkkonen, both experienced on ice, attempted a third ascent of Nightfall, a 200-foot, two-pitch ice climb in northern Minnesota. Both had done the climb pr...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Himachal Pradesh, Dharamsura

Dharamsura. An Indian ladies’ expedition climbed Dharamsura (21,- 165 feet) on October 3. Roma Sen Gupta, leader, Bani Bose, Maitreyee Mitra, Chhanda Bhattacherjee, Rachana Das, Sati Patra, two Sherpas: Nawang Tsering and Karma, and three high-alt...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, New Mexico, Brazos Cliffs, White Couloir Route

Brazos Cliffs, White Couloir Route. This spectacular quartzite face rises some 2000 feet above the Brazos River in northern New Mexico. Several routes have been pioneered by George Bell and others, but large sections of the five-mile-long cliffs r...


Accident Reports ANAM
California, Yosemite Naitonal Park, Unicorn Park

California, Yosemite National Park, Unicorn Peak. On 21 July Tom Luden (16) and a companion had completed short rock climbing routes on Unicorn Peak and Northeast side of Echo Ridge to its summit. The two boys then attempted a high traverse of the...


Club Activities AAJ
Explorer's Club of Pittsburgh

Explorer’s Club of Pittsburgh. The club had another active year with membership growing to over 150. In addition to vertical caving and rock-climbing programs, the ECP sponsored two foreign expeditions to Nanga Parbat and to the Santa Marta range ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India–Garhwal, Panwali Dwar, Southeast Ridge, and Vasuki Parbat, East Face

Panwali Dwar, Southeast Ridge, and Vasuki Parbat, East Face. The four-man Japanese Ritsumeikan University party was composed of Keisuke Nakae, leader, Takeshi Kobayashi, Masahiro Nomura and Hiroshi Nomura. We set up Base Camp at 12,000 feet on the...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, New Hampshire, Cannon Mountain

Cannon Mountain, Direct start to VMC Direct. This variation was first made by Steve Arsenault and me on June 7 and 8. We made a hammock bivouac after four pitches where the route merged with the normal VMC Direct. The route starts 30 feet north of...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Faulty Use of Belay Device, Ontario, Milton, Rattlesnake Point

FALL ON ROCK, FAULTY USE OF BELAY DEVICEOntario, Milton, Rattlesnake PointOn April 27, 1985, a climber (30) with some experience was leading a pitch, belayed by someone (25-30) who had never climbed before. He found the pitch too difficult, fell, ...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock, Unroped, Climbing Alone, Quebec, Mont Saint Hilaire

FALL ON ROCK, UNROPED, CLIMBING ALONE Quebec, Mont Saint HilaireOn September 6, a hiker made a macabre discovery at the foot of the northern slopes of Mont Saint Hilaire. A body rested among the rocks at the foot of a 250 metre high cliff near the...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India—Garhwal, Rataban

Rataban. A 16-member Indo-New Zealand team was led by Lieutenant Colonel Balwant Singh Sandhu and Graeme Dingle. They set up Base Camp on August 23 at the head of the Valley of Flowers. On September 2 Raymond John Button and Captain Lakha Singh re...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India-Garhwal, Thalay Sagar Attempt

Thalay Sagar Attempt. “Third time lucky” didn’t work in 1982 on Thalay Sagar’s north flank. We got to within 350 feet of the summit on June 26 but had to retreat because of a slight mishap. In excellent conditions we reached our previous high poin...