Two climbers attempting the West Face of Leaning Tower in June decided to descend after arriving at Ahwahnee Ledge (the top of the fourth pitch), due to excessive heat and sun. While rappelling the very overhanging first pitch with the haulbag, Cl...
On June 4, Alex and Jane (pseudonyms) started their afternoon of climbing on Mockery, a bolted 5.8 route. Jane began leading, but a few bolts up she asked to get lowered. The climbers switched roles and Alex ascended the route to the bolted anchor...
The number of accidents and searches on Mt. Shasta was down from the last couple of seasons, most likely due to COVID-19 and the associated forest closure and stay-at-home orders, which kept people off the mountain for a while. In 2020, the U.S. F...
Pioneer Peak looms over the Knik River, northeast of Anchorage. The north face is a broad pyramid laced with gullies, starting at 500 feet above sea level and rising to the summit at 6,398 feet. The classic route follows a direct line to the summi...
On July 14, I met up with two partners to climb some trad routes in Hatcher Pass. I had been leading trad for more than four years and regularly traveled outside of Alaska to get practice outside of our very short summer climbing season. After wa...
Last year was a strange one for climbers, to say the least. COVID-19 seems to have brought far more climbers to some areas—with an increase in accidents—while other areas had unusually low numbers, primarily because of long COVID-related closures....
Gail Oberlin Bates spent her last morning at home reading the New York Times, engaged in the world to the end—which was at the grand age of 103. Married for 53 years to the pioneering mountaineer Bob Bates, who died at age 96 in 2007, Gail was an...
Cannon, a Climber’s Guide, written by Howard Peterson, was the first guidebook to Cannon Cliff in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. While writing the three editions between 1972 and 1975, he was able to contact many of the climbers who established t...
Frank Tarver (left) and Warren Harding sorting gear for the second ascent of Lost Arrow Chimney in Yosemite Valley. Photo by Bob Swift Frank Tarver died on March 30 in Edmonds, Washington. He was born in Oakland, California, on July 1, 1935, ...
My partner (49) and I (33) are very experienced climbers. I’ve climbed at the Red several times, and though it was my partner’s first time here, he has climbed and belayed plenty of steep routes. My background is multi-pitch trad, and his is all s...
Jordan’s desert is famous for its sandstone formations, and the history of climbing in Wadi Rum is long—some of the sport’s legends have been active here. Local Bedouin climbed the rocks to find natural water reservoirs long before climbers and to...
Tsewang Namgyal leading the first pitch of Whiskey Shadow (WI4+/5) in 2021. The ice had been considerably thicker during the first ascent in 2020. Photo by Vishal Rautela In December 2019, I asked Indian climber Karn Kowshik if I could join h...
The Harsil Horns from the north. The west peak (right) was climbed in 2020 from the col to the west of the mountain (not visible). Harsil village (ca 2,400m) lies on the main road from Uttarkashi to Gangotri, about 30km before reaching the la...
Looking north-northeast across the Rakcham Plateau. (1) Approximate lines of Latin Brother, (2) Rehab Line, and (3) Miquellink, each with about 600m of climbing and all climbed in 2019. Photo by Gebhard Bendler Markus Kärle, Roman Mayerl, Chr...
On the west ridge of Charquini (5,392m), about 800m away from the summit and maybe 100m lower, stand a few towers and needles. Most of these have been climbed by their easy west flank, but several have impressive northeast faces, and are connected...
Plantaris Pillar on Noseeum Mountain. Photo by Alik Berg There is a renaissance in new route activity in the Canadian Rockies these days, with a wide cast of characters establishing routes in all of the climbing genres. Mixed multi-pitch crag...
“Hey Q! Time to do this!” These were the muffled words that woke me from Alik’s splayed-out sleeping bag. I looked over through bleary eyes. He was propped up against the wheel of his Pontiac Vibe, stove roaring and coffee in hand. It was October ...
The Trans-Canada Highway passes directly underneath Mt. Macdonald (2,883m), just east of Rogers Pass, and my neck is always cranked from looking up as I drive past, hitting the rumble strips as my truck and mind swerve off the beaten path. I can...
August 3, 2020: The world is in shambles. The global pandemic is riding rampant, borders are closed, countries are in lockdown. I am an American expat temporarily residing in Canada. Amid a seemingly endless stream of doom-scrolling, I read an art...
In August 2019, Tony McLane and I ventured out to one of Canada’s greatest roadside attractions: The Little Face of Mt. Macdonald. The goal was to climb an entirely free route through the meat of this north-facing wall right above the Trans-Canada...