THIS TRIP to Oman was a bit like an unexpected gift: It arrived at the last moment, and I had no idea what to expect. In fact, this season I had been planning to realize a dream of climbing the famous Venezuelan tepui; we had a close-knit and moti...
Tunç Fındık and partners have developed numerous routes in the mountains of Turkey, with roughly 25 long new rock, ice, and alpine routes from 2016 to 2018. [See AAJ 2016 for reports on previous Fındık climbs.] In 2017, in Antalya, Fındık and Cema...
IN APRIL, a group of 13 climbers led by the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) engaged in an exploratory expedition, organized by the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), to explore the Wadi Sulam region and establish new rock climbs and canyoneering routes. Wadi ...
AFTER ASKING Arnaud Petit, a great French climber with experience in Wadi Rum, for various ideas, we arrived in Jordan in January 2019 and drove around to check out the walls that Arnaud had suggested, together with local guide Salim Zalabya. Afte...
SUNDENVAN, THE LATERAL moraine meadow under Kedar Dome, is the highest base camp site on the Gangotri Glacier. I have probably spent more months living there than most of the summer-resident blue sheep. It has become a place of great peace for me ...
In mid-May, Léo Billon, Sébastien Moatti, and Sébastien Ratel from the prolific Groupe Militaire de Haute Montagne (GMHM) made the fourth ascent of the north face of Changabang (6,864m) in a scant three days. The French trio followed the line of t...
Austrian alpinists Hansjörg Auer, Max Berger, Much Mayr, and Guido Unterwurzacher traveled to the Baspa Valley in late September, looking for interesting technical objectives. Despite unstable weather during their short reconnaissance and acclimat...
On July 9, a 23-year-old man with about two months of climbing experience was scouting for new climbs at the top of a popular crag called Taylors Falls, one hour north of Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The climber was not wearing a harness, helmet, or an...
An Indian Himalayan Club team comprising Rajesh Gadgil, Ratnesh Javeri, Vineeta Muni, Imran Pathan, and Ashish Prabhu, led by veteran Divyesh Muni, made the first ascent of the northwest ridge of Chemma (6,130m), which was probably also the first ...
At 10:45 a.m. on September 25, Koki Ikeda, Daisuke Shimozuru, Yujiro Suga, and Asahi Takeshita (Japan) with Dendi Sherpa, Ngima Sherpa, Penba Sherpa, Tenjin Sherpa, and Bir Kaji Tamang (Nepal), all from a Japanese expedition led by Sachio Nakamizo...
Mikel Zabalza led an expedition of the Spanish Alpine Team to the Rolwaling in 2017 (AAJ 2018). The following year he returned with a group of friends to attempt the unclimbed southeast ridge of Drangnag Ri (6,757m).Base camp was established in th...
The Chulu Group from the Annapurna Circuit trekking route to the south: (A) Chulu West, (B) Chulu East, and (C) Chulu Southeast. The south-facing walls of both Chulu West and East are thought to be unclimbed. Photo by Damien GildeaWIDELY REPORTED ...
AT THE END of August, Jorian Bakker (27), Noël Diepens (31), Wout Martens (27), Line van den Berg (26), Rik van Odenhoven (27), and Mats Wentholt (27), with team coaches Court Haegens (47) and Boris Textor (32), traveled to the Djangart Range. Thi...
View east from the ascent of Pik Vulture to (A) White Lady, (B) Rabbit Ear, (C) Twin Towers, (D) Yellow Tower, and (E) Black Spark. Photo by Mark AitkenTHE AT BASHI RANGE is more than 100km in length and about 30km wide, a beautiful region of sno...
I GOT A MESSAGE from Hiroki Yamamoto: “I’m going to India with Yusuke Sato this fall, and I’m wondering if you wanna join us?” Five months before, I had become a father and was on parental leave, spending all my time with my wife and daughter. I d...
In September, Josie McKee, Caro North, and I traveled to the Kijai Nala (valley) with the intention of climbing the west face of Arjuna (6,230m). We spent 28 days in the mountains and encountered mostly bad weather and difficult conditions. After ...
Flat Top (6,100m) and Kishtwar Eiger (ca 6,000m) are situated above the Brammah Glacier on the southwestern side of the Kishtwar region, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Due to military conflict in recent decades, this area has not been popular ...
THE STATE of Nuevo León in Mexico is most famous among climbers for El Potrero Chico, north of Monterrey. But there are limestone walls all around Monterrey, some more adventurous then others. In November I paid a visit to the nonprofit youth deve...
The north side of El Toro showing approximate lines of (1) El Sendero Luminoso and (2) La Sombra Luminosa. Photo by Drew Marshall FOR ME, CLIMBING IS ALL ABOUT getting to the top, so when I arrived at El Potrero Ch...
In October, Aivaras Sajus and I made the first known ascent of Sharphu II (6,328m, 27°45'29.87"N, 87°55'7.92"E) via the east face—a route we named Samsāra (1,040m, ED2 AI5 M6). The route height is measured from the first belayed pitch on the glaci...