Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Error — Webbing Anchor Not Tied, Fall on Rock — New York, Mohonk Preserve, Shawangunks

RAPPEL ERROR – WEBBING ANCHOR NOT TIED, FALL ON ROCKNew York, Mohonk Preserve, ShawangunksOn October 14, Scott Ruit (29) fell about 80 feet to his death while attempting to rappel from Birdland. He set up an extended anchor using webbing, weighted...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, First Ascents in the Romanzof Mountains, Eastern Brooks Range

First Ascents in the Romanzof Mountains, Eastern Brooks Range. The first climbing done by members of the IGY McCall Glacier Project was a 1700-foot scramble up the south slope of nearby “Mount MacVicar” on May 20, 1957 by the late Dr. Richard C. H...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Bublimotin (a.k.a. Lady's Finger), Southwest Face

Bublimotin (a.k.a. Lady's Finger), Southwest Face. Members Yasushi Yamanoi (leader), Daisaku Nakagaki, and Taeko Nagao arrived at the foot of southwest face on August 12, 1995, with great baggage, after a long and dangerous approach. We started to...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Yukon Territory, The Season in Kluane National Park

The Season in Kluane National Park. There were 87 people in the St. Elias Mountains in 1985 who spent a total of 1639 nights. This was a quiet summer. Aside from climbs noted elsewhere, there were two groups that climbed Mount Logan by the King Tr...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Greenland, Schweizerland, Schweizerland Mountains, Various Activity

Schweizerland Mountains, Various Activity. A seven-member team was flown to the Tasiilaq Mountain Hut (built in 1996 and run by Hans Christian Florian) in the Schweizerland mountain region of east Greenland by helicopter in March. The three-week e...


Accident Tables ANAM
Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III

Colorado, South Maroon Peak. On 15 August, Frank Pretzel (44), Herbert Ungnade (54), Robert Day (42), and William Martin (22), set out from camp to climb South Maroon Peak (14,158) near Aspen, Colorado, by the west ridge. A fifth man, Donald McEac...


Accident Reports ANAM
Inadequate Protection, Fall on Rock, Failure to Follow Route — Ontario, Rattlesnake Point

INADEQUATE PROTECTION, FALL ON ROCK, FAILURE TO FOLLOW ROUTEOntario, Rattlesnake PointAbout noon on June 24, 1984, a climber (26) was leading Jeopardy, a 5.10 single- pitch rock climb at Rattlesnake Point, Ontario. He had placed protection about t...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Masherbrum Southwest, Ascent and Tragedy

Masherbrum Southwest, Ascent and Tragedy. Masherbrum is a difficult mountain with two nearly equal summits. The main summit (7821 meters, 25,660 feet) has been climbed only once, by William Unsoeld, George Bell, Nicholas Clinch and Jawed Akhter in...


Book Reviews AAJ
Sous l'oeil des choucas...ou les plaisirs de l'Alpinisme

Sous l'oeil des choucas … ou les plaisirs de l' Alpinisme. Eighty plates bv Samivel, with foreword by Guido Rey. 4 to. Paris : Delagrave, 1933. Price Fr. 25.The pleasures of Alpinism depicted by Samivel, with a foreword by Guido Rey, makes a book ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Cordillera Blanca, Paron Valley, La Esfinge, Little Fluffy Clouds, New Route

La Esfinge, Little Fluffy Clouds, New Route. A large team of British climbers arrived in Peru at the start of July. On arrival at the Sphinx, my climbing partner, Neil Dyer, and I set about looking for a potential new free route that could be clim...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Baffin Island, Mt. Overlord, Overlorded

Baffin Island, Mt. Overlord, Overlorded. In the Weasel Valley on July 1, Chris Atkinson and I established Overlorded (1,800m, 30 pitches, TD+ 5.10-) to Overlord’s summit in 18 hours roundtrip. Although we did not see any evidence, the first half o...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Gangapurna Attempt

Gangapurna Attempt. Four Austrians led by Reinhold Amann failed in the pre-monsoon period to climb the east ridge of Gangapurna (7455 meters, 24,458 feet), which they hoped to reach from the south. They originally hoped to climb the west ridge but...


Club Activities AAJ
A.A.C., New England Section

AAC, New England Section. Un success fou! AAC New Englanders flocked to a hilltop in Weston, Massachusetts, on March 30, 1996, to fill our 70place capacity. The sound of conversation, punctuated with laughter, greetings and introductions, rose ste...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, India, Uttar Pradesh, Central Garhwal, Meru East Face, Attempt

Meru East Face, Attempt. The original aim of the expedition was to make the first ascent of the north face of the highest summit in Himachel Pradesh, Reo Purgyil (6816m), which straddles the border between India and Tibet. Unfortunately, two days ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Spanish Dhaulagiri Attempt

Spanish Dhaulagiri Attempt. A four-man Spanish team led by Miguel Díaz had hoped to climb the east face of Dhaulagiri to the northeast ridge, but this was too dangerous because of big falling ice slabs and they turned to the northeast ridge. Rafae...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Washington, Curtis Ridge

Curtis Ridge. Without doubt the most frequently attempted and eagerly sought route on Mount Rainier over the past 25 years has been Curtis Ridge on the northeast side. Separating Winthrop Glacier from Willis Wall and Carbon Glacier, this steep and...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, California, Sierra Nevada, Mount Conness, West Face, Rosy Crown Route

Mount Conness, West Face, Rosy Crown Route. In June 1974, Gary Colliver and I put up a new route starting 300 feet to the right of the Harding route. We climbed free for a full 150 feet. The second pitch went free until the crack became shallow. W...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Antarctica, Ellsworth Mountains – Sentinel Range, Shinn, South Face Direct

Shinn, South Face Direct. There were only three reported ascents of nearby Shinn (4,660m). While acclimatizing for his attempt on Tyree, Austrian Chris Stangl soloed the south face direct of Shinn, via a variant of one or both of the existing Chou...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Europe, Austria, Dachl

Dachl: One of the most difficult climbs and one of the most talked of rescues, of the past summer took place on the north face of the Dachl in the Gesäuse. Long known to Vienese as a rock-climbing goal, the direct route to the summit up the north ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Makalu Attempt and Kangchungste Ascent

Makalu Attempt and Kangchungtse Ascent. Our expedition was made up of Maurice and Marc van der Berge, Wim Willekens, Michel Schuitemaker, Dr. Frank Hoppenbrouwer and me as leader. We hoped to climb the northwest ridge of Makalu by the standard rou...