Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 5/23/24

AAI Denali Updates:

--Team 1 is on their way down from high camp. Team 2 just made it to camp 3 at 14,200-feet. And Team 3 is officially on the glacier and beginning their climb! Learn more at our expedition blog.

Northwest:

--Action News Now is reporting that, "a climber died while suffering a medical emergency on Mount Shasta this past Friday, the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff’s office said on Friday at 7 p.m., dispatch received a Garmin InReach emergency notification at 9,500 feet up Avalanche Gulch. A 49-year-old climber who was later identified as David Lopez, 49, of Campbell, collapsed and became unresponsive while approaching Lake Helen with his climbing partner." To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--Gripped is reporting that, "last week Alex Honnold was MCing a bouldering world cup event in Salt Lake City and this week he’s back in Yosemite. And unlike some climbers who choose not to talk about their free-soloing, Honnold is often quick to share about his most recent rope-less climbs. 'I’m back in the Valley!!' Honnold said on Instagram. 'I had a fun first day soloing the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral and then the East Buttress of El Cap. I heard someone call it the half pipe because you climb the two sides of the Valley across from each other.'" To read more, click here.

El Capitan at Sunset

--Gripped is reporting that, "American big wall climber Brant Hysell, the man behind the Gravity Labs YouTube channel, rope-soloed Salathé Wall on El Capitan on May 11 in 19 hours and 57 minutes. The previous fastest time was by Cheyene Lempe in 2013 at 20 hours and six minutes." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--The NPCA is reporting that, "the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and local leaders recently joined Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to discuss a proposal to expand Joshua Tree National Park and establish Chuckwalla National Monument." To read more, click here.

--Here are some updates on Mt. Charleston access for the summer 2024 season.

--Is Las Vegas the adventure sport capitol of the United States. Some think so...

Colorado and Utah:

--KSL.com is reporting that, "Police have identified the man found dead near Snowbird after not returning from skiing Sunday as 60-year-old Charles Esposito of Layton. Police initially received a call about an overdue skier about 10:30 p.m. Sunday and began a search of the area. Officers arrived to find the man's vehicle in the Snowbird parking lot and determined his phone was near the Gadzoom lift, according to a statement from Unified police." To read more, click here.

--Fox 31 is reporting that, "A climber was flown to a hospital after falling approximately 60 feet from a cliff near Loveland on Saturday, according to the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority." To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--The National Park Service is reporting that, "on Monday, May 20, Denali National Park and Preserve mountaineering rangers located a deceased climber at an elevation of 17,000 feet on the West Buttress route on Denali. On Sunday, rangers were contacted by a concerned family member that had not heard from a climber for several days. The climber had been regularly checking in with family via an InReach communication device during their attempted solo climb of Denali." To read more, click here.

--It appears that mosquitos are moving to higher altitudes due to anthropogenic climate change. Read more.

--Outside is reporting that, "a pair of bills that would have allowed Hawaii’s government to charge for rescues of hikers who venture onto closed trails has died in the state legislature. Senate Bill 2543 and House Bill 2174 were the latest in a series of proposals that sought to hold scofflaw adventurers financially responsible for their own rescues. The text of the House version cited both increased spending on rescue operations and the danger to first responders as motivations for the bill, and expressed hope that the new legislation would act as a deterrent for hikers considering venturing onto closed trails or terrain. Both bills died in the Senate, with a companion bill that would have established a 'hike safe' card whose purchase would have funded SAR operations failing as well." To read more, click here.

Upcoming AAI Programs:

Mountaineering in Ecuador
Kilimanjaro Expedition
Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership
Alpinism I: Introduction to Mountaineering
Glacier Skills and Crevasse Rescue
Mt. Baker Skills and Climb
Mt. Shuksan Skills and Climb
Mt. Whitney Skills and Climb
Alpine Rock Climbing