ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK SUMMARY: Two people died in climbing-related accidents in 2017, and another was very seriously injured.On March 18, a 39-year-old man apparently died while descending from the Loft, a high saddle at about 13,500 feet, ...
On August 20, Anders Fridberg and I (both very experienced) were climbing Blood in the Water, a three-pitch route on the north face of Sharksfin, south of Estes Park. Little did we realize the route’s name would have some additional significance t...
The Coconino County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Unit responded to a report of a climbing accident at Paradise Forks around 11 a.m. on June 10. The report indicated a climber had fallen 10 to 20 feet and was injured. Upon arrival, it was det...
On July 8, a 51-year-old male climber’s body was found at the base of the Trough (4 pitches, 5.4); it is not known whether he was soloing or scrambling to reach another route when he fell. On September 6, a climber (male, age 24) was killed and hi...
One fatal climbing accident was reported in Joshua Tree in 2017: Samuel Boldissar, 25, died as a result of head injuries after a ground fall from Spaghetti and Chili (5.7+) on Cyclops Rock. The precise cause of the fall is not known.Two serious in...
On December 3, my climbing partners Dave and Sam and a newly introduced third partner, Johnny, met up at Echo Cliffs and hiked to the crag called Easy Street. We split into teams of two, setting up ropes alongside each other. Dave and I began on C...
On August 6, a party of two was descending from Starlight Peak (14,200 feet) after climbing the Starlight Buttress route. Both climbers were experienced but unfamiliar with this particular area. They had planned to descend the northwest ridge to t...
On Friday, August 25, five climbers left the Bay Area with the goal of climbing Cathedral Peak. The team consisted of two experienced climbers (Ben and Nate) and three with little to no experience outside of the gym (Megan, Erin, and Andrew). All ...
On September 9, at 1:20 p.m., Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies responded to a report of a 12-year-old male, Person 1, who took a 20-foot ground fall while lead climbing. Upon arrival, responders found Person 1 at the base of Mic...
My climbing partner and I were attempting to climb Tenaya Peak, Matthes Crest, and Cathedral Peak—three long but moderate routes in the Tuolumne Meadows area—in a day. Because of the sheer amount of climbing and distance we would need to travel, w...
The first pitch of Zodiac, showing (1) climber’s high point near the top belay anchor and (2) the highest piece of protection that held. The climber estimated he fell 110 feet. Parker Kempf On the morning of De...
On May 3, 2017, Barry Smith and I touched down on the southernmost prong of the Pitchfork Glacier in the Neacola Range of Alaska. Our goal was to climb two adjacent virgin summits, peaks 8,908’ and 8,505’ [see AAJ 2016] , as well as to survey the ...
On a blindingly sunny day, March 5, 2018, Ryan Johnson's face radiated with the kind of satisfaction only an alpinist can appreciate. In a video sent to his girlfriend, he was smiling and calm, spinning in a slow circle to show a panorama of Alask...
A BORDER DISPUTE with China dashed our hopes of a permit for Rangrik Rang, but at the last minute Justin Guarino and I obtained permission to attempt Baihali Jot (6,365m). In September 2017 we approached up the Baihali Nala from the Chenab River...
A five-man Japanese expedition comprising Tetsuji Otsue (leader), Shigekazu Kawajiri, Kiyotaka Nakamura, Koji Matsumoto, and Goto Tomio, with three Nepalese climbing members, Man Bahadur Gurung, Iman Gurung, and Ramesh Gurung, reached the summits ...
On November 17 two friends of Niels Tietze hiked to the base of Fifi Buttress to look for their overdue friend. The two knew that Tietze had been up on the formation, working to establish a new route, and had been doing so alone, using fixed lines...
In October, Alex Doria was injured in a long fall on the third pitch of the Regular Northwest Face on Half Dome. Doria had made a substantial runout to a stance near the end of the 5.8 pitch and was preparing to place a piece when he lost his bala...
On October 11, Quinn Brett (female, 30s) was attempting a Nose in a Day ascent with Josie McKee when she took a very long fall while leading the right side of the Boot Flake. The two women were using speed-climbing tactics: Brett was effectively r...
THE HISTORY and exact whereabouts of established routes on Illampu, particularly its western aspect, has been something of a muddle. New information about several routes is helping to set the record straight.Illampu has two summits: north (6,310m,...
Rob Lamey and Mike Rolf (U.K.) were active on Lofoten's westernmost island of Moskenesøya in 2016, putting up several new routes, including two on Merraflestinden.On July 26 the two climbed Nonchalance (Norwegian 6) on the Reine Slab (Reinesvaet),...