In Memoriam AAJ
David McGivern, 1948 – 2023

Lifelong educator, explorer, climber, musician, fine wood craftsman, and mentor David F. McGivern took his last breath on October 11, surrounded by siblings, a few friends, and his high school sweetheart and life partner Marie Dochnahl. David was ...

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| Published 2023 | Author Charlie Sassara


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Sloan Peak, West Face, Merrill-Minton Washington, North Cascades

On Sunday, January 29, 2023, Aaron Minton and I climbed a new ice route on the west face of Sloan Peak (7,835'). The climbing involved seven new pitches with difficulties up to WI4+, and we continued up the upper portion of Superalpine, a WI3/4 on...

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| Published 2023 | Author Tucker Merrill


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Chitistone Mountain, Hot French Grotto Alaska, Wrangell Mountains, Wrangell–St. Elias National Park

In March 2023, Elias Antaya, Ethan Berkeland, Jonathan Koenig, and I were having a productive cabin-based trip climbing beautiful ice lines throughout the Chitistone Valley in the Wrangell Mountains. After repeating Broken Dreams (1,500’, WI6, Com...

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| Published 2023 | Author Tristan O'Donoghue


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cerro Chaltén: First winter Solo, by Supercanaleta, and Alpine-Style Solo of Goretta Pillar Argentina, Southern Patagonia, Chaltén Massif

On August 29, 2022, I arrived in El Chaltén with one objective: a winter solo ascent of Cerro Chaltén (Fitz Roy) via the Supercanaleta, a goal since my first wintertime visit to the Chaltén Massif in 2013. I returned in 2019, but never managed ...

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| Published 2022 | Author Colin Haley


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cerro Celador, South Face; Cerro Ilse Von Rentzell, East Face, First Ski Descent Chile, Southern Patagonian Icefield

The summit mushroom of Cerro Celador (3,067m) as seen from the south. The 2022 route followed the south face, traversing around the west side of the peak to reach the summit. Photo by Mike Dahlquist. On October 29, Cedric Babec, Andres Bosch,...

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| Published 2022 | Author Mike Dahlquist


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Southern Patagonia, 2022–2023 Season Summary Argentina, Southern Patagonia, Chaltén Massif

Weather wise, this was a statistically “average” season in the Chaltén Massif, which means there were few weather windows and conditions were challenging. There were five fatalities in the Chaltén Massif. In August 2022, during an attempt to cl...

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| Published 2023 | Author Rolando Garibotti


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Aguja Poincenot, North Face, The Power of Independent Trucking Argentina, Southern Patagonia, Chaltén Massif

Mateo Esposito (Canada) and I established a new route on the north face of Aguja Poincenot between January 17 and 20, 2023. [Editor’s Note: The 2023 route begins left of Old Smuggler, crossing it at a ledge system at mid-height (where that route j...

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| Published 2023 | Author Ripley Boulianne


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cerro Pared Sur, Southwest Face Chile, Northern Patagonia Icefield

On December 19, 2022, Felipe Cancino (Chile) and Scarlett Graham, Mitchell Harter, Frank Preston, and Riley Rice (all USA) made the first ascent of Cerro Pared Sur (2,548m, 47°25’37”S, 73°27’40”W), located in the far southeast corner of the Northe...

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| Published 2022 | Author Mitchell Harter


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cerro Arenales, North Face, and Icefield Traverse Chile, Northern Patagonia Icefield

The November 2022 route up the northern side of Cerro Arenales.  From October 29 to November 16, 2022, we—Rebeca Cáceres, Nadine Lehner, and Isidora “Isi” Llarena—put up a new route on Cerro Arenales (3,437m) and completed a 150km multis...

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| Published 2022 | Author Rebeca Cáceres, Nadine Lehner and Isidora Llarena


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Nevado Navidad, Sueños de Kwanzaa Traverse Chile, Northern Patagonia, Aysén Region

A winter view looking east to the group of peaks at the northern end of Parque Nacional Patagonia: (A) Llave de Granito, (B) Summer Solstice Spire, (C) Nevado Navidad, and (D) Cerro Choss. The 2022 route, the Sueños de Kwanzaa Traverse, summit...

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| Published 2022 | Author Gregory P. De Pascale


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
El Monstruo, Northeast Face, La Chilenita Chile, Northern Patagonia, Valle Cochamó

On February 8–9, 2023, Antar Machado and Cristóbal Señoret (both from Chile) climbed a new route on the northeast face of El Monstruo, which they called La Chilenita (1,200m, 5.11+ A0). La Chilenita shares a start with the wall’s first route, t...

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| Published 2023 | Author Erik Rieger


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Atardecer, Entre Cristales y Cóndores Chile, Northern Patagonia, Valle Cochamó

In February 2022, Kevin Heinrich and I completed the first ascent of Entre Cristales y Cóndores (11 pitches, 1,500’, 5.12 C1) on Atardecer, which forms the west face of Cerro Laguna in the Anfiteatro. The route was first envisioned by local climb...

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| Published 2022 | Author Thomas Gilmore


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Sierra Velluda, Pura Realidad Chile, Central Andes

Sierra Velluda (3,585m) is an eroded stratovolcano and the tallest peak in Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja, in Chile’s Bío Bío Region. The main, north summit was first climbed by Fahrenkrog, Kroessig, and Tilly in 1940. The southern summit, appr...

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| Published 2021 | Author Erik Rieger


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cuchilla Negra, East Face Argentina, Central Andes, Cordón del Potrero Escondido

In November 2022, Lisandro Arielovich, Federico Barberis, Glauco Muratti, and Martin Suso made the first ascent of the remote peak Cuchilla Negra (ca 5,130m, 33°01’07”S, 69°54’12”W) in the Cordón del Potrero Escondido. Muratti had attempted the p...

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| Published 2022 | Author Marcelo Scanu


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cerro Tres Hermanos, North Face Argentina, Central Andes

Cerro Tres Hermanos (4,751m, 32°43’55”S, 70°8’16”W) is located on the Chile-Argentina border and contains three summits: north (4,751m), central (4,595m), and south (4,274m). The north summit was first ascended from Chile in the 1960s by Hermann A...

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| Published 2022 | Author Marcelo Scanu


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cerro Piloto, South Face Argentina, Central Andes

Cerro Piloto (5,054m, a.k.a. Cerro Amarillo, 32°34'42"S, 70°9'3"W) is located at the northern head of the Quebrada Benjamin Matienzo (a.k.a. Las Cuevas valley), approximately 15km northwest of Aconcagua. The peak was first climbed in 1960 by a Chi...

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| Published 2022 | Author Henry Bizot


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cerro Alma Negra, Southeast Ridge Argentina, Central Andes

The east side of Cerro Alma Negra (6,110m, 32°5'47"S, 70°4'45"W) drops precipitously into a glacial cirque about 10km southeast of Cerro Mercedario (6,720m) and 5km west of Cerro de la Ramada (6,388m) in the Cordón de la Ramada. The peak was firs...

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| Published 2022 | Author Christian Stangl


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Peak 5,145 Chile, Northern Andes, Puna de Atacama

On March 28, 2022, the international team of Carla Cespedes, Lauren Hooper, JP Naylor, Mario Sepulveda, James Solan, Mike Solan, and Eduardo Tonetti climbed a 5,145m peak on the border between Chile and Argentina, at -24.9047,-68.4334, south of th...

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| Published 2022 | Author The AAJ


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Cerro Negro Grande; Volcán Del Toro; Cerro Del Gallo Chile, Northern Andes, Puna de Atacama

From 2019 to 2023, Alvaro Rojas Rivera and various Chilean partners ascended three previously unclimbed, nontechnical, 5,500m-plus volcanoes in a remote zone of the Atacama. These peaks are about 57km north of Ojos del Salado, near Paso de San Fra...

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| Published 2023 | Author Marcelo Scanu


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Huaytane, Southwest Face to Northwest Ridge; Huanzo, Northwest Ridge Peru, Cordillera Huanzo

The Cordillera Huanzo, located 40km west-southwest of Santo Tomás, is one of the forgotten ranges of Peru’s Andes. Because of its isolation, only two expeditions have been recorded. In 1970, John Ricker and Sue Tatum made a long traverse between S...

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| Published 2022 | Author Marcelo Scanu