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The American Alpine Journal Newsletter
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January 2010
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Welcome to the New Decade and the Second AAJ Newsletter!
The American Alpine Journal, brought to you by the American Alpine Club
since 1929, now has a website (www.aaj.americanalpineclub.org) where new-
route reports are uploaded as they're edited. The pace will accelerate rapidly
over the next few months as we race to close the printed book, but already
you'll find many great new climbs. Keep track of what's new by clicking New,
and sign up for the RSS feed for immediate updates whenever something is
posted. Enjoy, and good climbing to you in 2010!
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Mt. Balchen, Alchemy Ridge
 (Alaska, Hayes Range)
By Samuel Johnson, AAC
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SE Ren Land, Cenotaph, McDonnell Peak,
Small Lion
Inspired by pictures from an expedition in 2007 led by Dick Griffiths and reported in AAJ 2008, four of us from the Netherlands, supported by the Dutch Alpine Club, visited Southeast Ren Land from August 8-30, operating from a base camp at the head of Skillebugt Inlet.... (read more)
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Broad Peak, Southwest Face,
new route to 6,800m
By Ramin Shojaei, Arash
Mountaineers Club, Iran
 Our group of 10 started
toward Broad Peak on June
23. Our goal was the first
new route in the Himalaya
by Iranian climbers. On our way to base camp, we met the French climber Ludo Giambiasi, who was returning from two attempts Broad Peak with Elisabeth Revol, one on the southwest face, the same face we had planned to try.... (read more)
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Mt. Ritter, West Arête
The west escarpment of
Mt. Ritter (13,157 feet)
stretches over the
headwaters of the San
Joaquin River. This
impressive wall is steep
and the rock suspect, but
an arête leading from
Ritter Lakes basin to the
summit was too hard to
resist...(read more)
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Colchuck Balanced Rock, The Scoop
 After an early June ascent to check out and clean the more difficult pitches, we returned to Colchuck Balanced Rock (CBR) on August 9 and completed the free ascent of our new line. The Scoop (III+ 5.11c), named for the crux pitch, which looks like it was carved by a giant ice cream scoop, follows a line of beautiful cracks linked with excellent belay ledges to the right of the West Face and the Tempest.... (read more)
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Korean Climbers Coming Clean: A New Beginning?
 Peter Jensen-Choi is an American Alpine Journal correspondent who lives in Korea; he also is an active member of the Corean Alpine Club Technical Committee and is the founder of Sanirang Alpine Networks. Last month he helped organize a symposium for Korean mountaineers entitled "How Should We View Korean High-Altitude Climbing?" The November 18 meeting, sponsored by the Korean Alpine Federations's Academic Affairs Committee and presented by Korea's Mountain magazine, was designed in part to examine the style of Korean high-altitude climbs, which traditionally have relied on large teams, fixed rope, and other heavy tactics. Before the meeting, Jensen-Choi surveyed leading mountaineers and editors for their opinions on Korean climbing. Here is his report on this remarkable meeting.
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Northwest Ren Land, various ascents
...The following day we headed up-fjord on a 250km boat journey to a previously unvisited area in Northwest Ren Land.
The journey took around six hours, after which we spent a day ferrying loads across a glacier to establish base camp 30
minutes' walk from the coast. The next day we explored the two main glaciers of the area, looking for attractive objectives.... (read more)
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Changuch (6,322m), first ascent
 On June 9, 2009 an Indo-British team made the first recorded ascent of Changuch, an elegant sharp-edged peak that was one of the last major virgin summits in the region. Changuch lies northwest of Nanda Kot on the divide between the Lawan and Pindar valleys, directly opposite the southeast face of Nanda Devi East. Three previous attempts from the Pindari side had failed, and in 2007 an ice avalanche in the Pindari icefall killed two Sherpas. The northern approach from the Lawan Valley is much easier, and the first ascent team found .... (read more)
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Dome Kang (7,264m), first ascent and correction of history
 (Nepal, Janak Himal)
By Salvador García-Atance, Spain
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Nalumasortoq
(South Greenland, Tasermiut Fjord)
By Erik Massih, Sweden
 On June 28, Oskar Alexandersson and I made the first free ascent of Life Is Beautiful (VI 5.9 A2+, 600m, Suzuki-Yamaoka, 2000) at 5.13- or F7c+. Both of us led and followed free in a 19-hour push. I had tried to free climb the route the previous summer with Martin Jakobsson, and knew it was possible.... (read more)
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Mocha Spire first ascent; Broken Tooth, attempt with new variation
(Alaska, Denali National Park)
By Jay Rowe
 ...We then turned our attention to a 1,000 foot unclimbed rock spire, which lies on the divide between the Coffee and Ruth glacier drainages, a short distance from camp. Cody and I had climbed its taller neighbor to the north, Coffee Spire, the year before. On May 9, we enjoyed a sunny and moderate six-pitch free climb to the summit. We chose the name "Mocha Spire" because of the chocolate color of the rock.... (read more)
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Mendenhall Towers; Main Tower, Iron Curtain; Tower 4, Resisting A Rest, and Resignation Arête.
Alaska has been called the Great White North and The Last Frontier, a land where tough, cold peaks are scaled by gruff, bold climbers. So why was I 1,000 feet up a new route sweating through my T-shirt? Sunburnt eyes squinted through the white glare that reflected off glaciers, granite, and my shirtless partner. A thousand feet up a new route in the Mendenhall Towers we still couldn't believe it.... (read more)
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Mt. Burkett, National Public Ridge; Burkett Needle, South Pillar, free variation; Silly Wizard Peak, Thriller Arête; Mt. Suzanne, West Ridge.
 "If we get off this hill, I'm not climbing anymore on this trip. I'm done, finished." The top of Mt. Burkett marks our fourth summit in the last 15 days. Finally, with many thousands of feet to descend, my body sends clear signals of fatigue. Only after sprinting down the final bowling alley of a couloir and coasting onto the flats of the Baird Glacier do we feel the intensity dissipate. (read more)
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Fresh from Pakistan:
Gerfried Göschl and Louis Rousseau detail their new route on Nanga Parbat.
Rolando Larcher describes a new line, The Children of Hushe, on the southwest pillar of K7 West, and tells of the kids that inspired the climbers at least as much as their route.
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East Tibet: Nyaiqentanglha East & Kangri Garpo
By Tamotsu Nakamura, Japanese Alpine News
 I came back home from Tibet on November 17, 2009 after five weeks and 4,800 km of exploring unknown peaks and glaciers in Nyaiqentanglha East and Kangri Garpo. The trip was quite satisfactory and enchanting in spite of very strict control by the Public Security Bureau over foreigners entering prohibited areas off the main road-the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.... (read more)
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High Sierra: Mt. Langley
By Nate Ricklin, Pullharder Alpine Club
I'd been eyeballing this line on the 1,500 foot north face of Mt. Langley for about a year, since I noticed that Rest and Be Thankful, the north arête route put up by Alois Smrz and Miguel Carmona 10 years ago, was the only route on the face.... (read more)
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Wind River Range: Twenty Hour Tower and Alexander's Band; Flat Top Mountain, Trundler
 By Mark Jenkins, AAC
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Please Submit Your New Routes NOW!
If you have climbed a big new route,
please report it to us as soon as
possible! The American Alpine
Journal strives to be complete-to get
ALL the big new routes-but we can
only do this with your help. Please
have mercy on your poor editors and
send us your report right now.
The complete Submissions Guidelines
are available here, including specific
contact names and email addresses.
But you can always reach us at
aaj@americanalpineclub.org.
A big THANKS! from your editors,
Kelly Cordes
Lindsay Griffin
John Harlin III
Dougald MacDonald.
What we publish:
The AAJ tries to be the world's
"journal of record" for documenting
significant new climbs. We seek
reports on all new long routes
worldwide ("long" typically means a
full day or more on the climb itself).
We sometimes report a repeat ascent if
the peak or route has not been climbed
in many years; if there have been
major changes in conditions on the
mountain; if the style is new
(example: first free ascent); if the
ascent was exceptionally fast; if it was
the first winter ascent (but only of
major routes); or if the report supplies
vital information for future climbers.
We do not publish reports on first
"national" ascents (for example, the
first American or Italian or Japanese
ascent). We also don't cover first
women's ascents, handicapped climbs,
or other special recognitions.
Sometimes, however, we break our own
"rules."
How to write a report:
Reports for the Climbs & Expedition
section of the AAJ are typically
250-500 words long. The prime goals
are to document history and to provide
information that helps future climbers
in this region, but we enjoy a good
story, too! Here is a simple way to
remember what should be included in
the report: tell the story of
your trip ... very briefly!
Be sure to include:
What?-name of peak and route.
Where?-exactly where is it? Country,
mountain range, route line.
When?-dates of the expedition.
Who?-names of climbers.
Why?-why did this climb interest
How hard?-difficulty of the climb,
using whichever grading system you prefer.
For photo guidelines and more, please
click here.
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About Us
The AAJ is published by the American Alpine Club. Founded in 1902, the AAC is the leading national organization devoted to mountaineering and rock climbing, the conservation and study of mountainous regions, and representing the interests of the American climbing community. To join the AAC, visit www.americanalpineclub.org, write info@americanalpineclub.org, or call (303) 384-0110 in Golden, Colorado. To order new and old copies of the American Alpine Journal, visit the American Alpine Club Store.
Sincerely,
John Harlin III
Editor
The American Alpine Journal |
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