Club Activities AAJ
A.A.C., Southwest Section

Southwest Section. We had three events in 2010, finishing strongly with a successful winter dinner after a climbing day in April at Malibu and a bit of climbing in Palos Verdes. On April 17 six climbers met at Malibu Creek State Park and hiked to ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Argentine and Chilean Patagonia, Castillo del Paine

Castillo del Paine. An expedition from the town of Rengo in central Chile made on January 27 the first ascent of a fine rock peak (c. 2400 meters, 7874 feet), belonging to the Cordón Olguín, north of the Paine massif. The group was formed by F. Ar...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Mexico, Nuevo Leon, El Portrero Chico, Milesky Wall, Rest Day alla Pagoda

Milesky Wall, Rest Day alla Pagoda. In January, Rolando Larcher, Fabio Leoni and Marco Curti, all from Trento, Italy, established a new route, Rest Day alia Pagoda (7c+) in the Milesky Wall sector in three days. The route has six pitches which ran...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru, Urus Oeste, Cordillera Blanca

Urus Oeste, Cordillera Blanca. A Swiss expedition from Lausanne, made up of Georges de Rham, Gilbert Apothéloz, Daniel Bach, Jean Jacques Fatton, Carlo Jaquet and Albert Besanges, made the first ascent of Urus Oeste (17,717 feet) on July 26. They ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Nuptse Attempt

Nuptse Attempt. Hans-Burkhard Nix led an unsuccessful German attempt on the north face of Nuptse; they had hoped to repeat the Doug Scott route. They arrived late in the post-monsoon season and gave up after twelve days at 21,325 feet before reach...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Denali National Park, Thunder Mountain, Walk of the Schnitzelkings

Thunder Mountain, Walk of the Schnitzelkings. On April 6, 1999, German climbers Christoph Duepper and Thomas Traxler climbed the right-hand fork of the split couloir to the right (east) of the central spur—the Lightning Spur—on Thunder Mountain’s ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan or Afghan Frontier, Hindu Kush, Saraghrar, Central Peak

Saraghrar, Central Peak. In the A.A.J., 1968, 16:1, p. 223 was reported the ascent of Saraghrar North (23,097 feet) on July 27, 1967. It should also have been noted that the Japanese climbers, Kohichiro Umezu and Shiro Yokoyama continued on to mak...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Afghanistan, Bandako

Bandako. An expedition sponsored by the city of Turin was composed of Andrea Mellano, Romano Perego, Pierfranco Giraudi and Riccardo Varvelli. On July 25 Mellano and Perago made the fourth ascent of Bandako (22,450 feet) by a new route, the north ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Black Canyon of the Gunnison. On the Cimarron Slabs, Patrick Griffin, Udom Likhitwonnawut and I climbed a clean and enjoyable route, Wonderland (III, 5.8), which consisted mostly of face climbing and low-angled finger-cracks. Several bolts were pl...


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock—Inadequate Belay While Lowering, Utah, American Forks Canyon, Rockapella

FALL ON ROCK-INADEQUATE BELAY WHILE LOWERINGUtah, American Forks Canyon, RockapellaOn June 1, Aaron Johnson (17) was being lowered from Rockappella, but his partner could not hold him. The rope started pulling her up. Another young woman grabbed o...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Greenland, Umimakut Nunat Region, West Greenland

Umiamakut Nunat Region, West Greenland. Elio Scarabelli, Riccardo Soresini, Marco Zappa and I as leader left Como on July 6, traveling via Milan and Copenhagen to Sondre Stromfjord by air, to Egedesminde by helicopter and to Umanak by boat. There ...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
South America, Peru-Cordillera Blanca, Traverse from San Juan to the North Col of Cayesh

Traverse from San Juan to the North Col of Cayesh. Italians Paola Gigliotti and Massimo Marchini made an interesting traverse in June from the summit of San Juan, over the top of Maparaju to bivouac in the col between Maparaju and Milpocraju. On t...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, Yukon Territory, Mount Logan

Mount Logan. On June 10 Bruce Gilbert, Paul Swift, Dick Folta and I were landed at about 8900 feet on the Quintino Sella Glacier. By June 16 Camp IV A was established in the séracs above King Col. However, our push toward the plateau on June 18 wa...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, Canada, St. Elias Range, Dak Tower, Flowers for Blaise, and Mt. McArthur, Some Kind of Monster

Kaskawulsh/Hubbard divide area, various ascents. After waiting five days for suitable weather to fly, Andy Williams put Jean Boyd, Cathryn and Nigel Wallis, and I down on July 1 at a superb “photo opportunity” location 10½ km north of Mt. Queen Ma...


Club Activities AAJ
Sierra Club

Sierra Club. Probably one of the most important mountaineering events to occur in the Sierra Club happened at the administrative level with the appointment of Nick Clinch as the new Mountaineering Committee Chairman. Nick, who comes to this positi...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Pakistan, Ganalo Peak Attempt

Ganalo Peak Attempt. Ganalo Peak (6606 meters, 21,664 feet) flanks Nanga Parbat on the northwest. We had access to it from the Diamir side, placing Base Camp at 13,775 feet on the moraine of the Diamir Glacier. We were Emilio Hernando, Jesus Gomez...


Accident Reports ANAM
Oregon: Mount McLaughlin (9940 ft.)

Oregon: Mt. McLaughlin (9940 ft.). On 30 July 1949 Ed Freuer, a Henley High school graduate of a few weeks before, slipped and plunged over a cliff. The state of his injuries has not been subsequently reported. His companion, Glen Hillyard, came d...


Accident Reports ANAM
California, Yosemite National Park

California, Yosemite National Park. On 20 August Ronald Guest (21), Pierre Zetterberg (21), and Tom Rack (21) decided to climb a seemingly moderate wall between Murphy Dome and Fairview Dome near Tenaya Lake. There were no pre-established routes o...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Asia, Nepal, Ama Dablam Attempt

Ama Dablam Attempt. A five-man French team led by Michel Pelle reached 19,000 feet on April 5, four days after having reached Base Camp and having placed Camp II at that height. They learned that an American expedition had arrived with a permit fo...


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
North America, United States, Alaska, Ascents in McKinley Park

Ascents in McKinley Park. As seasonal ranger, I took part in various climbs, many unsuccessful, in what proved to be a wet summer. In late June John Bryant and I climbed the west face of Fang Mountain (6736 feet) in marginal weather. We approached...