The Line — October 2022

THE RUBBERNECKER

Over the last two summers, Nathan Hadley and partners established two very hard new free climbs on the southeast face of South Early Winters Spire, near Washington Pass in the North Cascades. The harder of the routes, which Hadley sent on August 22 this year, is Rubbernecker, a seven-pitch, mixed bolt and gear route with three 5.13 pitches (including a 13+ traditionally protected crack) and a 5.14- bolted pitch. Ace photographer Jeremiah Watt shot Hadley on the route and graciously allowed us to share some images from Rubbernecker here.

Nathan Hadley on pitch two (5.13) of Rubbernecker. The full route is only 600 feet high but packs a wallop.

Powerful laybacking on the steep, clean rock of South Early Winters' southeast face (pitch two of Rubbernecker).

Pitch four (5.13+ trad). On Hadley’s ground-up free ascent, the 0.2-size cam he is placing in this shot fell down the wall. This nearly ending Hadley’s attempt, as it was the only pro he had for this section. A rigid-stem cam, circa 2000, from a nearby anchor saved the day. He sent on his next go.

The last hard move on the 5.13 final pitch of Rubbernecker. The pocketed wall that starts this pitch was the initial objective of the entire route; the pitch continues with a wild traverse across a rail and ends with this splitter crack.

Rubbernecker on the left and Backseat Driver on the right, both established in the last two years. The two routes are just left of The Passenger, a well-known classic of this face.

Hadley’s report for AAJ 2023 and more Jeremiah Watt photos are available now at our website. The Rubbernecker? Hadley explains: “I named the route because of the way I and others always stare up at the Washington Pass spires from our car windows.”

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CHILEAN GOLD

In the last few years, Sebastian Pelletti has been contributing fascinating AAJ reports from South America, often from little known peaks and ranges. Pelletti, whose mother is Australian and father is Argentinean, first visited Chilean Patagonia in 2015 and fell in love with the small towns and easy access to wild mountains. “During the pandemic, I built a little cabin on the outskirts of Puerto Natales, from where I’m based most of the year,” he says. In his work as a guide and during his free time, he scouts new lines on lesser known walls of Torres del Paine National Park, as well as the surrounding fjordlands. Here are highlights of three reports from AAJ 2022, describing climbs with a variety of South American partners—Pelletti’s full reports are all at the AAJ website.

Grupo La Paz

Grupo La Paz from the north. The full traverse went from right to left. Photo by Hector Diaz.

Pelletti and friends made two trips from Puerto Natales in 2021 and 2022 to a “mystical looking group of three rock towers situated in the southern Cordillera Riesco. The towers are seldom seen, and we had only a few photographs for reference.” After a six-hour boat ride across Canal Santa María, they first linked the east and central towers of the Grupo La Paz, making the first ascent of Aguja Central. Still drawn to the towers, Pelletti returned in February with two other friends and traversed the entire massif, including the western peak, first climbed by Yvon Chouinard and Jim Donini in 1988. Read the report. 

Cuerno Este

Photos: Sebastian Pelletti, Joe Feltham.

On January 8, 2022, Pelletti, Pepe Jurado (Ecuador), and Romano Marcotti (Chile) pulled off a rare feat: the first ascent of a significant summit in Torres del Paine. Cuerno Este looks like some kind of mad layer cake, with golden granite below and dark, loose metamorphic rock frosting the top. Their 600-meter route, Vacaciones Metamorficas, shared some pitches with an earlier route that didn’t quite reach the summit, and it went all free at 5.11-. Read the Cuerno Este report here.

Cerro San Luis

Bushwhacking through dense forest to reach Cerro San Luis; it took eight hours to travel five kilometers. Photo by Nicolás “Nico” Secul.

Last August, Camilo Pedreros, Nicolás “Nico” Secul (both from Chile), and Pelletti kayaked west from Estancia Perales across Fiordo Última Esperanza to reach the northern Cordón Monumento Moore. On the second day of this adventure, they bushwhacked “through very dense subpolar forest, at times progressing on our hands and knees. It took approximately eight hours to travel five kilometers to the base of the broad south face of Cerro San Luis,” their objective. The made the second known ascent of the peak and named their route Memoria Kawésqar (750m, AI4 80°), “in honor of the Kawésqar, an indigenous people who navigated these fjords by canoes thousands of years ago.” Read the report here.

Seba Pelletti is already sure to have at least one report in the 2023 AAJ: This past summer, he and friends from South America climbed several new routes in the Vampire Spires of Canada’s Northwest Territories.

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MINI-EPIC

Prolific Sierra climbers Vitaliy Musiyenko, Brian Prince, and Brandon Thau joined forces on a new line at the Spring Lake Wall last summer. Establishing the route required two trips into the mountains (about four hours of steep hiking for each approach). For the second trip, Musiyenko writes in AAJ 2022, “I brought along a cheap backpack covered with images from the popular show Friends, which I’d bought from Walmart with the intention of using it as a lightweight haul bag. However, the pack lasted only half a pitch of hauling before exploding. All of our extra cams, headlamps, water, and food fell to the talus field. The only logical solution was for me to hike out, drive home, and grab the extra rack…and a real haul pack. I didn’t get much sleep but was back at the base of the wall at 8 o’clock the next morning.” The new route is Friends (8 pitches, 5.11b).

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The Line is the newsletter of the American Alpine Journal (AAJ), emailed to more than 45,000 climbers each month. Find the archive of past editions here. Interested in supporting this online publication? Contact Billy Dixon for opportunities. Suggestions? Email us: [email protected].

An Alaskan Dream: A Story from the Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grant

“The remoteness, the lack of people, and the complexities all work to create an atmosphere of real adventure...The 60-degree terrain had my heart racing and coated with the perfect snow; it made for a moment I could only dream of. I stopped to hammer in a picket 30 meters up and then again at the end of the rope, where I took a seat and belayed. Glory!”

Tanner Josey's dream of an Alaskan adventure turned into a reality in May of 2021. Josey attempted to climb Mount Foraker, the third highest peak in the United States.

Dive into the details and epic photos of his trip report and be transported into the Alaska Range. Face avalanche danger, navigate crevasses, and ascend steep snow slopes alongside Josey.

A Second Chance: A Story from the McNeill Nott Award

"We established a camp at 4600m and decided our best ascent option would be to use a gully on the west side of the peak to gain access to the south ridge. Leaving camp at 3 am, the gully proved to be reasonably pleasant second and easy third-class terrain. Unfortunately, by the time we reached the base of the south ridge at 9 am, a storm had moved in.

Not having access to weather forecasts at base camp, we were limited to a forecast we had received just before leaving the village several days ago, thanks to a cell phone tower constructed there two years ago. Based on that, clear skies were expected for the next two days, so we decided to dig in under a boulder and see what happened.”

Tess Smith and Alan Goldbetter set out to summit Mount Starikatchan, an unclimbed peak in India in 2022 after attempting it in 2019. Smith received the McNeill Nott award, this past year, helping to make their trip possible. Immerse yourself in Smith’s trip report and these stunning photos of India’s Zanskar Range.

EDUCATE: Inside the Life of Search and Rescue Teams

As mountain athletes, we know the expertise, technical knowledge, and bravery that goes into what Search and Rescue teams do—helping fellow mountain-lovers in distress. SAR work is invaluable, but it's also shrouded in mystery and can be pretty hard to talk about too, given the tragic outcomes of some rescues.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk to Grant Kleeves, a volunteer with Ouray Mountain Rescue, one of the winning SAR teams for last year’s Rocky Talkie SAR Award. We talk to Grant about some of the operational and logistical challenges that SAR teams face, and he walks us through the decision making process for a particular rescue Ouray Mountain Rescue did in 2021. You might note that we don’t describe what caused the accident, or analyze the accident either. And this is on purpose. Most of the time, SAR teams get a call for services without much context, and they must make decisions based on what they know. The story that Grant shares with us reflects that tricky reality.

American Alpine Club Podcast · EDUCATE: Inside the Life of Search and Rescue Teams

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The AAC and Rocky Talkie are partnering once again this year to offer the Search and Rescue Award—giving a total of $36,000 to three Search and Rescue teams who responded to 2022 incidents in exceptional and inspirational ways. If you or a friend are part of a SAR team that is doing the good work out there, make sure you apply for the Award before the end of January 2023!

Summit Register 006

In this issue of Summit Register, we give you beta on voting as a climber in the 2022 midterms; the Climbing Wall Association reflects on policies and legislation impacting climbing gyms; and the AAC explores the big question: Should climbing be political?

It's In the Air: On Politics and Climbing

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AAC member Dawn Kish

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A Climber's Voter Guide

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Vote the Crag: The Beta for the 2022 Midterm Elections

by AAC Policy Director, Taylor Luneau

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AAC member Jeremiah Watt

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Vote the Gym: The Climbing Wall Association Reveals the Policies that Impact Indoor Climbing

by Director of Standards and Regulatory Affairs at the Climbing Wall Association, Garnet Moore

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AAC member and Twin Cities BIPOC Initiatives Chair Rodel Querubin

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With Immense Sorrow, We Say Goodbye to our Dear Friend Hilaree Nelson.

With immense sorrow, we say goodbye to our dear friend and board member Hilaree Nelson.

Hilaree was a groundbreaking ski mountaineer, an inspiration to women and particularly adventurous moms, and a force among the AAC Board of Directors since her nomination in 2020. As a community, we find comfort in recognizing the number of lives she touched, the people she inspired, and the energy she carried through life. 

We also know the pain and grief felt by those closest to her, particularly her children and partner, are unbearable. Who she was as a mother, partner, and our friend are part of what inspired us all so much. In the future, we will create space to fully celebrate her profound impact on the mountain community. In the meantime, our thoughts are with her loved ones as they grieve and learn to live on in her absence.

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“Hilaree was a beacon for our community. She led a life defined by immense grace and strength that extended far beyond the world's great ranges. Her advocacy created change, while her leadership enabled those around her to do the same. I am personally devastated to have lost her as a colleague and as a friend, and my heart goes out to her family.”

-Graham Zimmerman, AAC Board President

“Hilaree was an inspiration, a kind and humble leader, a total badass, and a genuine friend. I'm grateful to have known her, and my heart is with her family, her children, and Jim.”

-Katie Stahley, AAC Board Member

“The profound example set by Hilaree is one to which the rest of us can only aspire. Her accomplishments as an athlete shine brighter because she was a mother participating strongly in our community of climbers, skiers, and activists. Volunteering demonstrated yet another force of hers, guiding many of our compasses both in and out of the mountains. May she rest in peace.”

-Brody Leven, AAC Board Member

”Being on the board of the American Alpine Club with your heroes is always a strange experience. You go through ebbs and flows of fandom while you sit next to one of the world’s greatest climbers or most visionary alpinists. So when someone like Hilaree Nelson hops in a chair next to you, you are almost speechless. But that immediately fades away, because in minutes, she has you cracking up about the time she climbed this, or the time she skied that mountain, or the cute thing her son did the other day. She had this amazing knack of making every one of us on the AAC board remember why we were there together, why we love the wild spaces. She knew how to read a room, a person, and a line up and down a mountain. I will grieve her loss for a very, very long time. But I will forever treasure those times we laughed together, climbed together and shared in our love of the mountain community together. RIP Hilaree.”

-Jen Bruursema, AAC Board Member

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If you need support in grieving Hilaree’s loss, or any loss such as this that happened in the mountains or because of an accident, you can find therapy, shared experiences, and financial resources here.

EDUCATE: Trends in Climbing Accidents, with Pete Takeda

EDUCATE: Trends in Climbing Accidents, with Pete Takeda

Pete Takeda might be new to editing "Accidents in North American Climbing," but he’s not new to the climbing game. With decades of experience, and through actively developing a database of all of the climbing accidents submitted to the publication for over half a century, he wields a unique level of knowledge about accident trends in climbing. In this episode, we sat down with Pete to talk about the process of selecting the stories and analysis for the "Accidents" publication each year, trends in climbing accidents that Pete has noticed through his work—including many that the climbing world has been ignoring for far too long—and the bravery of submitting a report in a world that loves to critique.

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More Resources

The Archives of Accidents in North American Climbing

The Line — September 2022

Last spring, Mike Dunn and Arthur Herlitzka made the second known traverse of the Towers of the Virgin (going left to right in the photo) in Zion National Park. Mike Dunn

BIG YEAR FOR ZION CLIMBING

The upcoming AAJ will include eight Climbs and Expeditions reports from Zion, one of the richest years in memory for noteworthy climbs in this southwest Utah national park. Below are a few teasers—just in time for autumn Zion season.

Nat Bailey about to whip off the 5.13a R third pitch of The Crack in the Cosmic Egg. Jérôme St-Michel

The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, First Free Ascent: We loved Canadian Nat Bailey’s story about freeing this nearly 40-year-old route on the east face of Mt. Moroni. After many days of work last November, Bailey and partners went for the send, but Bailey struggled to redpoint the 5.13a R third pitch. He eventually turned over that lead to his friend Drew Marshall, giving up his dream of making a one-day free ascent. Two days later, Bailey returned and fired the pitch. “I didn’t feel euphoria so much as a sort of peaceful sadness,” he writes in the AAJ. “I’m learning that when you give something life, you inherently give it a death as well.”

Cowboy Killer, The Altar of Sacrifice: Mike Dunn, who traversed the Towers of the Virgin in the spring (see photo at top), returned in late November with Ky Hart to attempt the east face of one of the biggest towers: The Altar of Sacrifice. Their route, Cowboy Killer (VI 5.10 A4 X), was climbed over six days, with a crux headwall climbed by a “grotesque gash, with rock the consistency of a sugar cookie.”

Looking down the crux pitch of Cowboy Killer (VI 5.10 A4 X), the first route up the east face of the Altar of Sacrifice. Ky Hart

Forest Altherr on the bouldery crux of the Mo’ Splitter Pitch (5.12), the ninth pitch on Na-Gah’s Wall. Alex Parker

Na-Gah’s Wall, Oak Creek Drainage: When Forest Altherr spotted a striking splitter 1,000 feet above the ground on a wall south of Meridian Tower, he was smitten. During an attempt a week later, however, he discovered fixed gear atop the first pitch. The route had been climbed with aid in 1993 (Allen-Funsten-Rourke, 1993), he learned later, but a free ascent looked possible. After more than a year of attempts, alone and with half a dozen different partners, Altherr linked all 11 pitches free in a single day.

All eight Zion reports from the 2022 AAJ can be found by searching at publications.americanalpineclub.org.

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BAFFIN KAYAKING AND CLIMBING

Over the last few years, Sarah McNair-Landry and Erik Boomer have been passing their summers with exploratory adventures around their home of Baffin Island, Canada, using skis, kayaks, and climbing gear. (McNair-Landry hails from Iqaluit, capital of Nunavut territory.) In 2021, the pair ventured south from the community of Clyde River to reach remote Inuksuit Fjord, rarely visited by climbers, and put up first ascents and first descents on nearby rivers. Their report for AAJ 2022 is available online, and some of their beautiful photos are highlighted below.

En Route

Erik Boomer and Sarah McNair-Landry skied and paddled 100 kilometers to reach Inuksuit Fjord, shuttling 45 days of food and equipment across the ice. Cloud-capped Nuksuklorolu Tower marks their destination at far left.

Finding a Campsite

Rain and warm weather created big puddles of water on the sea ice, and it was difficult to find a dry and strong spot to pitch the tent. The duo arrived on dry land the next day, where they set up a small base camp, and within a week the sea ice began to break up.

Nuksuklorolu Pinnacle South

The climbers summited this spire and found no evidence of prior visitors, but many of the formations in this area have been climbed before, and documentation is scarce.

Nuksuklorolu Middle

Midway through their trip, with the ice melted out of the fjord, Boomer and McNair-Landry made two attempts on possible new route up a spire first climbed in 1977. After 32 hours on wet rock, with free climbing up to 5.11, they bailed just below the top. “We were getting the adventure we wanted, but were also being humbled by the climbing in this wild place.”

Beautiful Rock

Boomer leads pitch four of Hotel Gina (320m, 6b+) on the White Wall, a climb in the Perfection Valley that was established in 2012.

First Descent

McNair-Landry paddles the first descent of a class IV rapid on the upper McBeth River.

All In

Boomer goes big on one of the 40- to 60-foot drops along Awesome River.

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THE CUTTING EDGE: JIRISHANCA

In 2019, Vince Anderson and Josh Wharton turned back just below the summit of Jirishanca in Peru after an extremely difficult climb. In this clip from Episode 50 of the Cutting Edge podcast, Vince describes the decision to retreat. The pair returned this July to complete the route, and they tell the whole story for the podcast.

Josh Wharton (left) and Vince Anderson at base camp. Drew Smith

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DOWNLOAD THE AAJ

The 2022 AAJ will be in the mail later this fall. In the meantime, AAC members can download the 336-page PDF of the book at the AAC website. Log in to your member profile, open the AAJ drop-down menu, and select “Download.”

DIRECT QUOTE

“This was a direttissima, but the kind where a drop of water would linger on its way down.”— Spencer Gray, channeling Emilio Comici while describing a new route on A Peak in Montana, climbed with Kate Mylan in late July of last year.

Kate Mylan leading the 11th pitch of Feefeyefoh (14 pitches, 5.11+) on A Peak. Spencer Gray

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The Line is the newsletter of the American Alpine Journal (AAJ), emailed to more than 45,000 climbers each month. Interested in supporting this online publication? Contact Billy Dixon for opportunities. Content suggestions? Email us: [email protected].

The Prescription — September 2022

The following reports will appear in the upcoming 2022 edition of Accidents in North American Climbing.

LEADER FALL | Single Piece Pulled Out 

Eldorado Canyon State Park, Wind Tower

Tiffany Hauck just moments before slipping and falling 30 feet, directly past the belay. Photo: Mike Sutton

My partner Mike (46) and I, Tiffany Hauck (50), convened on the morning of June 13, 2021. Our sights were set on Wind Ridge (4 pitches, 5.7). We had climbed on the route a month earlier but ended up missing a good portion of the ridge. We wanted to bag the full climb.

We made good progress and were soon at the top of the second pitch, nested in a cave-like hollow. Mike had led the previous pitch and opted to wrap the rope around a single largish boulder as the only anchor in the belay. I’d led the next pitch previously and knew that once I maneuvered past the chin-up, it was gravy.

I tightened my helmet and stepped onto a nearby boulder, so I could stretch and reach a large flake, which overhangs about eight feet above the belay. I heaved myself up into a narrow hollow. I put a cam in the same crack I’d previously used and then yanked in four directions. Satisfied the cam was stable and wouldn’t walk, I clipped in, stood up, assessed my position, and made a step onto a tiny foothold—and I slipped.

My right side slammed onto a large boulder at the edge of the belay ledge and I bounced—how far out, I don’t know, as I lost sense of direction. [As Hauck fell, the sole cam she had placed as protection pulled out.] My ears filled with the sound of pro slamming into the rock and striking my helmet. I was yanked back toward the rock, then bounced briefly again before I came to a stop. [Hauck and her partner estimated the fall was around 30 feet, ending well below the belay ledge.]

Looking up at the narrow hollow crux, where two different falls in 2021 led to serious accidents. Photo: Tiffany Hauck

It took time, but I righted myself and looked up to see Mike leaning over the boulder I’d hit on the way down. The first thing I noticed was a large splatter of blood on the rock between us, but Mike quickly explained that it was his blood—he had been pulled violently across the rock when I fell. I painfully climbed back to the belay ledge, and eventually we scrambled over to the descent trail. With the help of Mike and a climber named Hillary, who had come up the route behind us, I was able to walk out under my own power.

A visit to the emergency room revealed no concussion and no broken bones. I had minor scrapes and bruises on my shins, and contusions on my hip and buttocks. That evening, my left shin swelled to twice its normal size. The contusion would take weeks to heal.

Analysis

It is hard to say for sure the cause of the cam failing. I don’t know if it’s because I put in the wrong sized cam or if I put it in a bad location. But the most likely cause is that I placed too small of a cam, or that I placed it in a flaring crack. (Source: Tiffany Hauck.)

The second-pitch belay anchor on Wind Ridge is best built with this large block, in this case using part of the lead rope to tie it off. The long sling in the foreground is clipped to a cam placed in a shallow pocket. Photo: Pete Takeda

Editor’s Note: On Wind Ridge, a fall at this point is often a ledge fall. The cracks available at this crux are flared and piton-scarred, making cam placements tricky. Often, cams placed straight into piton scars appear secure. However, when the cam is rotated downward under load, it can disengage. Also, the interior lobes, hidden from view, might not be securely engaged because of grooves inside the crack. One can easily choose to skip this pitch by traversing along the big ledge.

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A TRAGIC ACCIDENT TWO MONTHS LATER

Wind Ridge climbs directly to the circled belay ledge atop pitch two. This was the site of both accidents reported here. At this point, climbers can either escape left or continue through an overhang. In the August 2021 incident, the two climbers fell all the way to the point marked X. Photo: Tommy Copeland 

The exact spot of Hauck’s fall was the site of an eerily similar accident two months later. On August 26, two climbers suffered a belay anchor failure and fell over 100 feet. Climber 1 was in his 20s and survived with severe injuries. Climber 2 was in his 30s. He sustained fatal injuries.  

In a Climbing magazine accident report, Climber 1 recalled using a cordelette to girth-hitch a horn in the alcove for a belay. Climber 1 began leading the third pitch and moved out of the narrow hollow (where Hauck had fallen), at which point he gave his belayer a warning and fell. 

The two climbers tumbled end over end until they stopped on a ledge with a tree above the first pitch of a route called Tagger.

Later, SAR found no evidence of an anchor at the belay ledge. Perhaps the pair were unanchored. Perhaps their gear came unclipped or broke, as can happen in severe incidents. What is certain is their anchor, assuming they had one, was insufficient.

Danger Zones

Eldorado Canyon is notorious for its heady climbing style and demanding terrain. Adventure often extends well beyond the grade of the climbing and into the realm of rock quality, gear placements, and building belay anchors. See “DANGER ZONES: ELDORADO CANYON” for more information on where and why accidents happen in Colorado's trad mecca. 

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SAME ACCIDENT, ONLY DIFFERENT

On pitch two of the South Face of Washington Column, the leader fell 35 feet after a piece failed in a pin-scarred crack. Several of his lower pieces pulled as he fell. Photo: NPS

Piton scars infest many popular routes across North America. Back in the day, climbers hammered these tapered, nail-like spikes—often called “pins”—into cracks, using them as we now use nuts and cams. Over the years, repeated placement and removal of pitons marred these cracks with flared and irregular scars. Today, these disfigured cracks often offer passage on many moderate and popular classics. Thus, novices are often confronted with tricky protection placements.

California, Yosemite Valley
On October 7, 2016, two climbers started up the South Face of Washington Column. This popular route is a first big wall for many. On pitch two, the leader started climbing up a pin-scarred corner rated C1. Approximately 35 feet up, the piece he was standing on pulled out. The team believe that the falling leader pulled out an additional three pieces of gear during his fall, before landing on the belay ledge on his right side. When he tried to move, the injured leader experienced excruciating pain on his side and was having trouble breathing. They called 911 and YOSAR responded with an ultimately successful rescue. As with Hauck’s accident on Wind Ridge (above), the culprit was an inadequately placed cam in a piton scar. Read more on this in ANAC 2017.

See the National Park Service Accident Report for more images and details.

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 The Prescription newsletter is published monthly by the American Alpine Club.

No Longer an Old Boys’ Club

The AAC Triangle Chapter nourishes a strong female climbing community.

PC: AAC member Anne McLaughlin

Grassroots: Unearthering the Future of Climbing

By Sierra McGivney

A woman's place is on lead. No longer is climbing “an old boys’ club.” This is true now more than ever. The future of climbing is expanding beyond traditions of the past at a rapid pace. 

In North Carolina, AAC member Anne McLaughlin created a network of women climbers aiming to empower those who identify as female. What started as a Women's Climbing Night evolved into a network of women aged 20-70 who are all bound together by their love of climbing. 

“We called ourselves women’s climbing night until this year. We realized we were more than a night, we were a network,” says McLaughlin. 

McLaughlin yearned for a women’s climbing community in North Carolina. Although North Carolina has a strong climbing community, there was not a strong female presence. 

PC: AAC member Anne McLaughlin

Oftentimes women are introduced to climbing by male partners or friends. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with this, it does reflect the reality that the majority of educators, mentors, and guides are men, positions that allow for knowledge-sharing and decision-making that shape the culture of climbing. In addition, because of societal pressures, someone who identifies as a woman may feel as though they have to prove themselves in front of a male climbing partner. When women climb with other women that pressure can often disappear, and they can focus on the climb at hand. 

Jane Harrison, a friend of McLaughlin’s had run a women’s climbing meet-up when she was living in Oregon. She approached McLaughlin about starting one in the area. Together they began to devise a plan to create a Women’s Climbing Night for their local North Carolina community.

The key was to keep the event casual and have a core group of women who attend, organize, and facilitate. Instead of having a one-off event, they opted to have a consistent two nights a month blocked off for women’s climbing. Establishing rapport and consistency with their community encourages participants to have a long-term relationship with climbing. Harrison and McLaughlin began hosting meetups at their local gym, Triangle Rock Club in January of 2018. 

“Ever since then, we've just had more and more people joining up,”  says McLaughlin. “Right now I run the email list and we have over 260 women.” 

PC: AAC member Anne McLaughlin

Cory Johnson, the AAC Triangle Chapter Co-chair, got involved quickly with the Women’s Climbing Network (WCN). She discussed with McLaughlin how the AAC could partner with them. Now, the AAC Triangle Chapter supports the WCN by providing access to their gear closet for outdoor events and promotes them on the Triangle Facebook page. Johnson encourages women who attend the Triangle Chapter skills clinics to get connected with McLaughlin. 

“So many of the women who've joined our group came to it through taking a clinic through the American Alpine Club Triangle Chapter,” says McLaughlin. 

In the North Carolina climbing community, there is a strong desire to find good consistent partnerships and mentors. By creating a strong women’s climbing community that removes hurdles like gym to crag transition, McLaughlin has provided a safe climbing environment that empowers women. 

“There is a hunger out there for women to climb with other women and learn from other women,” says McLaughlin.

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PC: AAC member Anne McLaughlin

McLaughlin wasn’t always the strong trad crusher she is today. Her first time climbing left her disappointed and discouraged. At the time she was a graduate student at Georgia Tech and had signed up for a beginner outdoor climbing class. No prerequisite needed. The group piled into a van and drove out to Sand Rock, Alabama, a crag that McLaughlin would come to know well over the subsequent years. Sand Rock is known for its beginner-friendly toprope jug routes —full of horns, suitcase handles, and chicken heads—as well as crimpy face climbs and thin crack lines. Sport routes run parallel to difficult trad routes. There are even a couple of good bouldering problems—some even describe it as "the Southeast's most underrated bouldering area,” according to Mountain Project. 

McLaughlin was the only woman in the group on her first trip. The guides set up one of the notorious overhung juggy 5.6 climbs. The moves resembled a pull-up. Each tug upward makes the climber look and feel strong, while being a relatively easy route. But it was not “easy” for McLaughlin. She stood at the base, trying repeatedly to pull herself up with no success. She thought: I’m worse than everyone here. I’m failing. I’m just not a climber. 

Around the corner was a multitude of slab routes. Routes that might have favored McLaughlin's strengths. But McLaughlin had only been presented with one version of what climbing could be.

PC: Adriel Tomek

“Having that experience, [you realize] you have to set up people for success and play to people's strengths,” says McLaughlin. “Observe what they can do and what they are having trouble with, and tweak their opportunities to ensure they have an excellent first experience, especially outside.”

A couple of years later during an internship in Florida, McLaughlin tried climbing again. Her supervisor, Gwen Campbell, was a climber in her 50s and brought her to the local climbing gym in Orlando. Campbell was McLaughlin's biggest cheerleader. Every move McLaughlin made was followed by a cheer and shout of excitement.

 “She introduced me to climbing and I absolutely loved it,” says McLaughlin.

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Now, McLaughlin is the cheerleader. Although education is not the point of their trips, McLaughlin gives participants an opportunity to learn. She spends the day showing anyone interested how to clean sport routes, rappel, and flake the rope. One woman, Rachel, who is primarily a gym climber, began going to their outdoor events. McLaughlin anchored into the top of a climb at Pilot Mountain while Rachel cleaned the anchor. The sun beat down on the two of them as Rachel cleaned the anchor first with McLaughlin’s instruction and then with McLaughlin just watching to make sure she was safe. 

Later McLaughlin received an email from her, explaining that she had practiced cleaning the anchor and was able to take her friends out and teach them. She had felt empowered by McLaughlin's instruction and was grateful.  

“That made my day,” McLaughlin says with a smile. 

PC: AAC member Anne McLaughlin

The goal of the WCN is to connect and empower women, arming them with knowledge so they can advocate for the climbing they want to do, and make informed and safe decisions for themselves in the mountains. Participants are encouraged to find climbing partners and friends to meet up with outside of WCN nights and events. Independence within climbing allows women to make decisions in the mountains confidently, a skill every climber should have. The network provides an environment for women of all ages to grow, learn, and connect. 

“If you see it, you can be it,” says McLaughlin. 

CLIMB: The Full Circle Everest Team Talks Joy, Partnership, and Climate Change

CLIMB: The Full Circle Everest Team Talks Joy, Partnership, and Climate Change

The Full Circle Everest team was the first all-Black team to attempt Everest, and with the majority of their team summiting, they nearly doubled the number of Black climbers who have summited the highest mountain in the world. In this episode, we sit down with three members of the team—leader and longtime climber Philip Henderson, North Face Athlete Fred Campbell, and Kenyan guide and mountaineer James “KG” Kagambi, who is the first Black African to summit Denali, Aconcagua, and now Everest. We talked about moments of joy on the mountain, what they learned working alongside their expert Sherpa team, what motivated them to join this all-Black expedition, the evidence of climate change they witnessed, the challenges of mountaineering judgment on mountains with unstable conditions, and much more.

Dive in for a dose of inspiration and insights you won’t want to miss.

Members of the Full Circle Everest team will be giving a keynote speech for the AAC’s 2023 Annual Gala. Don’t forget to save the date and join us for the biggest, and fanciest, get-together of dirtbags around.

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Resources/ Mentions in the Episode:

Full Circle Everest

More about Fred Campbell

More about Phil Henderson

More about KG

KCC (or Khumbu Climbing Center)

Under The Spell of the Grand

A story from the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch

June in the Tetons is the perfect practice ground for the Alps or Canada. Mixed terrain and conditions prepare climbers for any outcome in the mountains. Snow rests in shadowed pockets on high mountain passes. And down in the glacially carved valley sits the Climbers' Ranch. Yellow summer flowers bloom all around the rustic coed bunkhouse. For $30 a night (for non-AAC members), guests get to wake up in their off-the-grid cabins, walk outside, breathe the fresh air, and watch the sun illuminate the Tetons.

Below dive deep into work week at the Grand Teton Climbers Ranch. If you would like to deepen your support for the American Alpine Club and the Grand Tetons Climbers’ Ranch consider donating below.

The Prescription — August 2022

LOWERING ERROR | Unclipped from Directional Rope

Red River Gorge, Kentucky

The following report is a preview of the upcoming Accidents in North American Climbing. The 2022 edition is at the printer and will be mailed this autumn.

Logan Zhang, age 11 at the time, created this depiction of his own accident scene.

In March 2021, Logan Zhang (11) hit a boulder on the ground while cleaning a route in the Motherlode at Red River Gorge. Logan was using the cable car (a.k.a. tram) method to retrieve his draws, staying clipped to the belayer’s side of the rope, as is common when cleaning overhanging routes. The first draw on the route was a permadraw so the climber didn’t need to clean it. After he finished cleaning his own draws from the route, Zhang continued lowering with the belayer’s rope still running through the first draw. Before reaching the ground, he removed the tram draw from the belayer’s rope and fell, hitting a boulder below the climb. He suffered a minor head laceration.

ANALYSIS

It is common for climbers to use the cable car or tram method to clean their draws off steep routes. It is important to understand the system and the consequences of adjustments. This incident could have been avoided by keeping the tram draw connected until the climber had reached the ground. Removing the tram draw when the climber is out from an overhanging wall instantly introduces slack into the system and the climber will drop. Also, remember to knot the end of the rope to close the system; the tram method uses more rope than standard lowering.

Alternatively, Logan could have removed the tram draw when he cleaned the quickdraw at the second bolt and taken the swing from this location, if it was safe to do so. This situation is not uncommon. Many climbers choose to leave their own draw on the first bolt for safety or efficiency when cleaning overhanging routes. (Source: Ocean Zhang, father of Logan.)

Diagram by ANAC contributing editor Lindsay Auble

See “Know the Ropes: Cleaning Sport Routes” in Accidents 2021 for more great tips on cleaning steep climbs.

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ANAC’s 75th ANNIVERSARY

The 2022 edition of Accidents in North American Climbing is the 75th annual educational publication of the American Alpine Club. Accidents debuted in 1948 as "Mountaineering Safety: Report of the Safety Committee of the American Alpine Club;” it evolved into “Accidents in American Mountaineering” in the 1950s.

The new publication originated as a result of “the startling increase in the number of mountaineering accidents which occurred during the summer of 1947,” according to the introduction. The report said “the number of persons interested in mountaineering, but lacking in climbing experience, has grown vastly,” citing the return to civilian life of thousands of World War II soldiers who received good but very brief training in mountaineering during their service.

Among the “factors of concern” cited in the report are several that ring true today:

• “Solo climbing appears to have spread alarmingly.”

• “So much spectacular publicity has been given to mountaineers and their climbs that many youngsters—and some older persons—see only the glamor, and fail to perceive that real success on a difficult climb connotes careful planning, hard work, proper technique and constant attention to the principles of safety.”

Other key takeaways in the 1948 edition now seem a bit archaic. For example: “Night climbing should be strictly avoided” or “Climbers should try to avoid placing a heavy man ahead of a very light man….careful consideration should be given to balance of weight on a rope.”

Nonetheless, few could argue with the 1948 report’s final words: “The most difficult climb done properly can be achieved more safely than an easy climb done carelessly.”

Three Accidents in 1947

Fred Beckey, courtesy of Dave O’Leske.

Wyoming, Teton Range: A rappeller on Mt. Owen was badly injured after his anchor failed: “A cut-and-dried case against using old rappel slings.”

British Columbia, Coast Mountains: In the Waddington Range, an avalanche killed one climber and injured three others, including Fred Beckey, who was already America’s most prolific climber of new routes in the mountains.

California, Yosemite Valley: A long fall on Higher Cathedral Spire broke the leader’s legs, but it could have been much worse, the report said, except for the belayer’s stalwart hip belay, the “resiliency and strength” of the party’s 7/16-inch nylon rope, and the fact that the leader had tied in with a bowline-on-a-coil with four wraps of the rope around his waist, potentially sparing him internal injuries.

Even 75 years ago, proper use of the best available gear saved lives!

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The Prescription is published monthly by the American Alpine Club.

PROTECT: The Climber’s Advocacy Network

I’m just one person…what can I do?

Turns out, quite a lot—if you have the resources and support to join together with other climbers. That’s why we’ve created the Climber’s Advocacy Network (CAN).

GA CAN member, Reese Rogers

CO CAN member, Sam Masters

In this episode, we sat down with two individuals that love climbing—and just can’t stop themselves from getting involved in their climbing community. They have joined the Climber’s Advocacy Network and are advocating for issues that impact climbers near them. Sam, from the Colorado hub of CAN, and Reese, from the Georgia hub of CAN, discuss what motivates them and what they’ve been learning from participating in the Climber’s Advocacy Network. We also sat down with grassroots campaign consultant Skye Schell to help us contextualize the potential and possibility of the CAN within outdoor advocacy at large. Dive in and explore how climbers at the AAC are fighting the good fight to protect their local public lands and build equitable access to the outdoors.

Resources:

Learn more about the Climber's Advocacy Network

Meet the CAN team

Education in the Face of Grief

The AAC Triangle Chapter offers education clinics at the North Carolina Climbing Fest.

PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair John White

Grassroots: Unearthing the Future of Climbing

By Sierra McGivney

When tragedy struck the North Carolina climbing community after a fatal rappelling accident in 2012, the AAC Triangle Chapter decided to turn its focus to education. David Thoenen and Danny McCracken, former volunteer leaders for the AAC Southern Appalachia and Triangle Chapters, created a best practice climbing education initiative for their chapter. The current co-chairs of the Triangle Chapter, Cory Johnson and John White, are carrying the torch with a strong drive to educate climbers. 

“Part of how [previous Triangle Chapter Chairs] wanted to address their grief was to give back to the community and try to provide rappelling best practices,” says Johnson.

They created clinic guidelines based on the AAC: Know the Ropes and videos from the AMGA website explaining each topic. Clinics like “Rappelling,” “Two-Bolt Anchors: The Quad,” “Two-bolt Anchors: Cleaning and Lowering,” “Belaying From Above,” and “Knots For Climbers,” are all offered. 

PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair Cory Johnson

The AAC Triangle Chapter hosts these climbing clinics weekly at various Triangle Rock Club Gyms. The clinics are free and open to anyone who pays for a membership or day pass to the Triangle Rock Climbing Gym. North Carolina climbers looking to elevate or refresh their knowledge can visit their website. 

“Our general philosophy with all of our clinics is to make sure everyone can continue enjoying these resources and everyone has the tools to climb safely,” says Johnson.

In addition, the Triangle Chapter members and volunteers attend different festivals and events to offer clinics to all levels of climbers. When Bryce Mahoney, an AAC member and board member of the Carolina Climbers Coalition, reached out to Johnson and White about the Triangle Chapter hosting clinics at the North Carolina Climbers Fest (NCCF), they jumped on the opportunity. Johnson headed the project, organizing four clinics hosted by herself and other AAC volunteers at the festival, instilling confidence and knowledge in climbers.  

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Practice rings and tree anchors decorate the Jomeokee Campground in Pinnacle, NC on Saturday, May 14th. The AAC Triangle Chapter volunteers taught clinics to participants of the North Carolina Climbing Fest. Dirty hands worked together to carry rocks, building trails around the climbing areas of Pilot Mountain, just five miles from the campground. Climbers and hikers enjoyed a pancake breakfast cooked by Mahoney, the owner of the Jameokee campground and host of the NCCF, to fuel before the day's activities. 

“I just love bringing people together,” says Mahoney.

A volunteer teaches a group of participants. PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair Cory Johnson

Mahoney began his climbing career at Pilot Mountain when a friend opened his eyes to the world of climbing. Rock climbing and volunteer trail work with the Carolina Climbing Coalition became an outlet for him. At the time, Mahoney was working as a Virtual Veteran Support Specialist, a counselor offering peer support, crisis management, and VA resource navigation to promote quality of life and well-being for Veterans and their family members. 

“While I was doing the veteran support work, there were not a lot of victories the day of, so being able to go somewhere and use my physical abilities to do something was awesome,” says Mahoney. 

Mahoney had a background in construction, so building trails outdoors, in a place he loved, was rewarding. Volunteering at the CCC wasn’t enough for Mahoney so he joined the C4 team, a group of individuals that create and improve climbing access in the Carolinas, but he yearned to be on the board of directors. Two weeks later a seat opened up, and Mahoney eagerly joined. Now, Mahoney owns his own rock climbing guiding company: Yadkin Valley Adventure.

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When Mahoney attended the South Carolina Climbing Fest he thought to himself, we need a festival like this in North Carolina. But not long after, COVID-19 hit and stopped all events. This year, with the reopening of restaurants, offices, and events, Mahoney put on the North Carolina Climbers Fest. 

PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair Cory Johnson

Teaching and facilitating clinics even for a small group of people makes a huge difference in Mahoney’s eyes. Everyone makes mistakes in the mountains. Recognizing those mistakes, implementing best practices, and refreshing safety knowledge help us become better climbers. Success to Mahoney is knowing that these climbers leave with more knowledge in critical safety skills than they arrived with. 

“I do feel responsible as a professional rock climbing instructor, board representative, and a representative of this community in this region to stand out there and be like, we need to make sure we're double-checking these things, preventing injuries and deaths,” says Mahoney. The alliance between Mahoney and the AAC Triangle Chapter, with their focus on climber education, was a natural fit. 

Next year you won’t see the North Carolina Climbing Fest but the North Carolina Outdoor Fest. A strong climbing presence will remain at the festival. Mahoney aims to be more inclusive in the small, tight-knit outdoor community in North Carolina. Most people that climb also mountain bike, kayak, hike or recreate in the outdoors in another way. 

“I see more communities being here,” says Mahoney.

PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair Cory Johnson

A strong climbing education presence will still be a part of the festival. If you're looking to connect, learn, or simply want to have fun in the outdoor community, this festival is for you. In the meantime attend a clinic or get involved within your local AAC Chapter. Members like Mahoney, Johnson, and White drive the AAC’s work at the grassroots level to equip climbers with the necessary knowledge to be safe and successful in the mountains.

*Danny McCracken passed away this past fall. We are grateful for the impact he had on the Club.

The Cutting Edge: Pumari Chhish East Climbed at Last

Pumari Chhish East, a nearly 7,000-meter peak in the Karakoram, had been the goal of at least six expeditions over the last 15 years. In late June, the French-American trio of Christophe Ogier, Jérôme Sullivan, and Victor Saucède finally pulled it off. In the rapidly warming Karakoram, an effective strategy was key. In this episode, AAJ editor Dougald MacDonald speaks with Ogier and Sullivan about why they chose to approach the mountain a month earlier than other teams, why they avoided the peak's easiest lines, and how climate change is transforming alpinism around the world.

The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker, with additional support from Gnarly Nutrition, Lowa Boots, and Polartec