--Two climbers were killed on Sunday at the Horsethief Butte. Tony Silva, a detective in the Gresham, Ore., Police Department, and Laura Dyal-Silva died after falling about 35 feet from the top of the basalt columns at Horsethief Butte in Klickitat County's Columbia Hills State Park just before 1 p.m. Sunday. Silva died at the scene; his sister-in-law was airlifted to an area hospital where she later died as well. It isn't clear how this accident happened. Some believe that it was attributed to a slip at the top of the crag, while others believe is had something to do with a rappel accident. Neither climber was attached to a rope. To read more, click here and here.
--Steve Grossman recently scanned a 1978 article from Mountain Magazine about the Stawamus Chief of Squamish and put it online. The historical essay makes for some fantastic (though difficult on the eyes, it's very small) reading. To see the essay, click here.
--Steve Grossman recently scanned a 1978 article from Mountain Magazine about the Stawamus Chief of Squamish and put it online. The historical essay makes for some fantastic (though difficult on the eyes, it's very small) reading. To see the essay, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--The New York Times ran an article on the infamous Aaron Ralston. For those of you who don't remember, this is the individual who was canyoneering in Utah and became stuck after a boulder shifted. He was forced to cut off his hand with a pocket knife. Most would argue that this isn't the best way to become famous, but Ralston did become famous. He wrote a best-selling book about his epic. To read the article, click here.
--The first Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) to be awarded for lifetime achievement will be presented to Walter Bonatti on April 24th in Coumayer, Italy. Bonatti, now 78, was one of the most active alpinists in the 1950s and 60s. The Alpinist is best known for his role in the first ascent of K2 and for the first ascent of Gasherbrum IV in Pakistan. To read more, click here.
--The world renowned alpinist, Jim Donini, recently penned a long article about the false history behind Cerro Torre. The Italian climber, Cesare Maestri claims to have the first ascent of the peak. Most Western alpinists agree that this is not the case, but fifty years later, many still do not agree. To read about this and about why Donini wrote about this at this time, click here.
--The Access Fund awarded over $20,000 in grants to support local climbing activism to the following organizations:
--The first Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) to be awarded for lifetime achievement will be presented to Walter Bonatti on April 24th in Coumayer, Italy. Bonatti, now 78, was one of the most active alpinists in the 1950s and 60s. The Alpinist is best known for his role in the first ascent of K2 and for the first ascent of Gasherbrum IV in Pakistan. To read more, click here.
--The world renowned alpinist, Jim Donini, recently penned a long article about the false history behind Cerro Torre. The Italian climber, Cesare Maestri claims to have the first ascent of the peak. Most Western alpinists agree that this is not the case, but fifty years later, many still do not agree. To read about this and about why Donini wrote about this at this time, click here.
--The Access Fund awarded over $20,000 in grants to support local climbing activism to the following organizations:
- Southeast Climbers Coalition (SCG) - Steele Acquisition
- Dr. Rob Ramey -- Review Paper on Raptor Closures
- Friends of Indian Creek (FOIC) - Organizational Start-Up
- Yosemite National Park - Climber's Brochure
- Four Corners Climbing Coalition (4CCC) - Hawkins Preserve Kiosk
- Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) - Rumney Rocks Trail and Staging
- Climbers of Hueco Tanks (CHTC) - Organizational Start-Up
- Access Fund Land Foundation (AFLF) - Operating Funds
- The BLM Bishop Field Office - Bishop Climbing Ethics Brochure
- Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council (LVCLC) - Education Materials
