NewsWire

The east face of Mt. Fay with the line of The Sound of Silence (M8 WI5, 1100m) marked in red. [Photo] Courtesy of Ines Papert, Luka Lindic and Brette Harrington

Ines Papert, Luka Lindic and Brette Harrington complete The Sound of Silence on Mt. Fay

by Luka Lindic

Luka Lindic writes about a new route he completed on the east face of Mt. Fay (3234m) in British Columbia, Canada, with Brette Harrington and Ines Papert on April 2-3. After getting lucky with weather and snow conditions they managed to find a thin line of passage up through the heart of the wall. They named their route The Sound of Silence (M8 WI5, 1100m), as a tribute to their friend Marc-Andre Leclerc, who had expressed a desire to name a route after the Simon and Garfunkel song before he died in 2018.

The northwest face of Chamlang (7321m) with the line of UFO (ABO M6, WI5, 2500m) marked in red. [Photo] Zdenek Hak and Marek Holecek collection

Zdenek Hak and Marek Holecek complete the first ascent of Chamlang’s northwest face

by Derek Franz

Czech climbers Marek Holecek and Zdenek Hak teamed up for another huge, demanding route on May 16-23, this time on the northwest face of Chamlang (7321m) in Nepal. They named their route UFO Line (ABO: M6, WI5, 2500m). Holecek initially declined to give a technical rating. “We have agreed on difficulty of the climb as the hardest we have done together in the mountains, ABO in other words,” is all he wrote in his initial press release. UFO appears to be one of the only routes to be completed on the northern aspect of Chamlang, despite years of interest and attempts by top climbers.

Ten-year-old Selah Schneiter leads the bolt ladder to Boot Flake on the Nose, El Capitan, Yosemite. [Photo] Schneiter family collection

10-year-old Selah Schneiter climbs the Nose of El Capitan

by Derek Franz

Ten-year-old Selah Schneiter of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, climbed the Nose of El Capitan (VI 5.8 C2, 2,900′) on June 13 after a casual five-day ascent with her dad Mike Schneiter and their close family friend Mark Regier. Selah appears to have the youngest documented ascent of the Big Stone, but the age record wasn’t part of Selah’s or her parents’ incentives. “We did this climb for us; it was her energy and her idea,” said Mike, who is an AMGA guide.

Five bodies found in avalanche debris on the flanks of Nanda Devi East / Sunanda Devi; three others presumed dead

by Derek Franz

Eight climbers are presumed to have been killed in a large avalanche on the flanks of Nanda Devi East / Sunanda Devi in the Indian Himalaya while attempting an unclimbed satellite peak referred to by its elevation as Peak 6477. Photos from a helicopter search conducted by the Indian military on June 3 showed evidence of five bodies in the avalanche debris, which was near their last known camp at around 5400 meters. The other three members of the group are presumed dead.

American Alpine Club hosting the Excellence in Climbing Celebration on June 1

by Derek Franz

The American Alpine Club is hosting its annual Excellence in Climbing Celebration on June 1 at its headquarters in Golden, Colorado. Tickets start at $20. Laura Waterman and Ken Yager will be inducted into the Hall of Mountaineering Excellence and Kelly Cordes–this year’s recipient of the H. Adams Carter Literary Award–will deliver the keynote address.

Getulio Felipe reaches the end of the via ferrata, which is buried in snow, on Punta Penia's Normal Route, Marmolada, Dolomites, Italy. He is belayed by guide Alessio Nardelotto with his friend Pedro McCardell offering support from behind. [Photo] Stefano Fabris

14-year-old with cerebral palsy summits the Marmolada in Italy’s Dolomites

by Derek Franz

Doctors predicted Getulio Felipe would never walk after a complication at birth left him with cerebral palsy. But the 14-year-old Brazilian learned to walk at age 7, and on Sunday, April 21, he summited the Punta Penia (3343m) on the Marmolada, the highest point of the Dolomites in Italy, after nine hours of climbing in deep snow.

The two red stars indicate the bivy locations and the smaller red dots mark the approximate line of Ruth Gorge Grinder (AI6+ M7, 5,000') on the east face of Mt. Dickey. [Photo] Alan Rousseau

Alan Rousseau and Jackson Marvell summit Dickey’s east face via “Ruth Gorge Grinder”

by Alan Rousseau

Alan Rousseau wrote the following story about a new route he completed on the east face of Mt. Dickey in Alaska with Jackson Marvell on April 3-5. Their new line follows a prominent corner system between Blood from the Stone and the Wine Bottle; they named it Ruth Gorge Grinder (AI6+ M7, 5,000′).

Cole Lawrence sends Pitch 6 (5.13a) on the first free ascent of Super Ultra Mega, an eight-pitch route on an unnamed buttress in Montana's Bitterroot Range. [Photo] Winter Ramos

Montana climbers tap potential of Bitterroots with “Super Ultra Mega” (5.13a, 8 pitches)

by Alpinist Magazine

Missoula climber Cole Lawrence and several partners completed a vision that began a decade ago when he established and redpointed Super Ultra Mega (5.13a, 8 pitches) on an unnamed, unknown buttress in Montana’s Bitterroot Range last September. The climbers say this is just the beginning of the potential for new, big free routes and that it’s time to put the area on the map.

The east face of Howse Peak, Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada. [Photo] Courtesy of Parks Canada

Auer, Lama, Roskelley summited Howse Peak before avalanche killed them on the descent

by Derek Franz

Parks Canada reported in a press conference today that Jess Roskelley, David Lama and Hansjorg Auer started climbing M-16 (VI WI7+ A2) on Howse Peak early Tuesday morning, April 16, summited around 12:30 p.m. and were likely killed in an avalanche while descending the east face of the mountain that day. The bodies were found in a field of avalanche debris on Sunday, April 21.

David Lama during acclimatizing on Fox Peak, October 2018. [Photo] David Lama/Red Bull Content Pool

Auer, Lama and Roskelley killed in avalanche on Canada’s Howse Peak

by Derek Franz

Hansjorg Auer, David Lama and Jess Roskelley are presumed to have been killed in an avalanche while attempting M-16 (VI WI7+ A2) on Howse Peak, located on the Icefields Parkway in Alberta, Canada. Parks Canada officials confirmed in a press conference today that a helicopter search was conducted and crews observed signs of multiple avalanches in the area and that “there was strong evidence that the climbing party was involved and that the victims were deceased.”

Four recipients selected for 2019 Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award

by Derek Franz

Four recipients have been selected for the second annual Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award. Cassady Bindrup, Gabe Dirksen, Talley Kayser and Max Neale are each receiving $1,000 for solo trips, respectively, to the Scottish Highlands, the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Sierra Nevada Range and Baranof Island, Alaska. Last year, a total of $4,000 was distributed among three recipients.

The East Face of Jannu/Kumbhakarna. The actual route is shown in red, while the intended route is shown in orange. [Photo] Courtesy of Marcin Tomaszewski

Two Russian alpinists complete a new line on the east wall of Jannu (7710m)

by Anna Callaghan

Two Russian alpinists, Sergey Nilov and Dmitry Golovchenko, spent nearly three weeks attempting a new route in alpine-style up the unclimbed east face of Nepal’s Jannu/Kumbhakarna.