In August 2019, we made an exploratory expedition to the Eastern Zaalayskiy, close to the border with China and Tajikistan. Our primary goal was a new route on the highest mountain in the region, Pik Kurumdy (6,613m), which has probably been climb...
The following report is based on the photographic record and equipment found with Hansjörg Auer, David Lama, and Jess Roskelley after an accident on April 16 on the east face of Howse Peak. Jess’ iPhone was found on him at the base of the face. Th...
Two climbers (male, 33, and female, 36) left their car at 5 a.m. on March 25, planning to climb Polar Circus, a long ice route above the Icefields Parkway. The risk of an avalanche was rated “moderate,” and during the previous evening the team had...
Late on July 19, a group of three hiked to a bivouac below Diadem Peak. They arrived at 2 a.m. and slept for a few hours. The temperature overnight remained warm at around 4 C. A clearing trend was under way after a week of precipitation. The clim...
In midafternoon on May 30, rescue personnel responded to a report that a 63-year-old man had fallen from the top of Lost Boys. He was located at the base of Super Brant Man (5.10b), in between large boulders. The climber’s rope, harness, carabiner...
On July 27, my climbing partner (female, 25) and I (male, 31) climbed the east ridge of Niselheim and then began descending the fourth-class northwest ridge. As we were scrambling down the ridge, my partner found a rappel anchor consisting of a si...
On March 23, my climbing partner and I were finishing our day of climbing on a 5.9 sport route called Sagging Bumline. It was a sunny day, we felt rested, and the climb was well within our limits. This is a 35-meter sport climb, and we were using ...
On the morning of August 4, a 33-year-old man was leading the fourth pitch of Parallel Passages, a long 5.10 route in the North Walls area of Stawamus Chief. This highly experienced climber, with 5.13 trad routes under his belt, had free-soloed th...
On July 10, a climber was demonstrating a roped solo system to a friend while leading the route Libya Sucks (5.7). The climber was using a Grigri as his self-belay device. He placed a few pieces of protection low on the route, then stood up at a g...
Brad Gobright, 31, one of the best-known big-wall climbers and soloists in North America, died in a rappelling accident at El Potrero Chico on November 27. Gobright and his climbing partner for the day (male, 26) had teamed up to attempt El Sender...
On April 6, a climber (age 22) was leading the sport route Axis Bold as Butta (5.11a) at Hidden Valley, a crag near Abingdon. She had led the route several times previously. The first bolt, 11 feet off the ground, was stick-clipped. There is a goo...
On November 14, my brother David (32) and I (29) set out to climb Jah Man (5 pitches, 5.10c) on Sister Superior. In the days leading up to the climb, we had read route descriptions and the most recent trip reports. As we racked up, I picked out fe...
Salt Lake County Search and Rescue (SLCOSAR) was called out October 12 around 9:15 p.m. to assist three experienced out-of-town climbers who were unfamiliar with the area (one male and two females). The trio had climbed a long traditional route kn...
Two 26-year-old males were involved in a rock climbing accident on the morning of July 12, while attempting a variation to the right of the second lead on Pentapitch. According to the belayer (climber A), he had led the first pitch of Pentapitch a...
On June 9, Salt Lake County Search and Rescue (SLCOSAR) assisted an injured climber who had fallen while descending Mt. Olympus. A team of three climbers, including the 27-year-old female, had descended from the West Slabs route, a long, moderate ...
A group of three moderately experienced climbers—two males and one female (Sam, 23; Jared, 18; and Rylee, 27)— headed to the School Room early on August 15. Rylee and Sam had just finished their Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) courses a day earlier....
On October 12, I (age 25) was in a team of five guides setting top-rope anchors for a base-managed site. Three guides left to hike in with our clients while another guide and I finished setting anchors and dropping ropes. We then needed to rappel ...
On May 26, I was climbing with a less experienced partner at Reimer’s Ranch, an area unfamiliar to both of us. After comfortably completing a 5.10 route, I gave my partner (male, 33) the option of leading or top-roping the adjacent route Monkey Bo...
On October 3, Rachel Zoeller (35) and her climbing partner were at Lilly Bluff in the Obed. Rachel had been climbing intermittently since 2007 , but it had been over a year since she climbed outside, so she and her partner reviewed the process for...
On August 24, at approximately 9:40 a.m., Chaitanya Sathe (35), a well-known and admired member of the Mazamas, suffered a fatal fall of approximately 100 feet while descending 3rd- or 4th-class terrain into the Lower Gorge. A number of accidents ...