The Sharp End

By late April, Marcus Mazzaferri had already hiked nearly 1,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. He was just about to stop for the day near Tuolumne Meadows, high in Yosemite National Park, when he came across a swollen creek and decided to cross it before setting up camp. What happened next left Marcus all alone, with no gear, 15 miles from the nearest road. His story will make you wonder: What would I have done? The Sharp End is produced each month by Accidents in North American Climbing, an annual publication of the American Alpine Club, and is presented by Mammut, with additional support from Vertical Medicine Resources and Colorado Outward Bound School.

In this special episode of the Sharp End, Ashley speaks with Ryan Montoya, a 23-year-old student who had the strength, skill, and fortitude to survive a terrible mountaineering accident on March 15, 2017. Just below the summit of 14,018-foot Pyramid Peak in Colorado, during a solo winter ascent, Montoya fell more than 1,500 feet down the remote east face, then made his way back toward the road over the next three days, despite serious injuries. We've given extra time to this episode to let Ryan tell his amazing story in full detail. The Sharp End is produced each month by Accidents in North American Climbing, an annual publication of the American Alpine Club, and is presented by Mammut, with additional support from Vertical Medicine Resources and Colorado Outward Bound School. [Note: Because of some technical difficulties, listeners may notice one or two brief gaps in this interview.]

Experienced mountaineers Jennifer Staufer and Adam Vonnahme were descending 14,294-foot Crestone Peak in Colorado when Jen slipped on an unexpected patch of ice and careened about 150 feet down the Red Gully, sustaining multiple injuries. Jen was 10 weeks pregnant at the time, adding to their fears. In this episode, Ashley chats with Jen and Adam about the climb and the dramatic nighttime rescue that followed. This incicdent was documented in the 2016 edition of Accidents in North American Climbing: http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214127.

Skander Spies, a volunteer with Denali National Park's climbing rangers, had just headed out on patrol on the Kahiltna Glacier. Although they didn't know it yet, the rangers would record eleven separate crevasse falls that day, including Skander's. And his incident was scarier than most! The Sharp End is produced each month by Accidents in North American Climbing, an annual publication of the American Alpine Club, and is presented by Mammut, with additional support from Vertical Medicine Resources and Colorado Outward Bound School.

In this story from the mountains near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a nighttime search for two lost skiers takes a dramatic turn when one of the rescuers is caught in an avalanche. Amazingly, the team from Routt County SAR not only bring their injured teammate home, they also bring out the lost skiers! The Sharp End is produced by Accidents in North American Climbing, an annual publication of the American Alpine Club, and is presented by Mammut, with additional support from Vertical Medicine Resources and Colorado Outward Bound School.

Raf Andronowski is a highly skilled ice climber, photographer, and gear reviewer (http://thealpinestart.com) who lives in the Canadian Rockies. But even the most experienced climbers may have a lapse in judgment...with painful consequences.

On November 12, David Fogal had just finished a two-pitch climb outside of Joshua Tree National Park in California. From the top, he lowered his partner to a big ledge so she could walk off. He then decided to downclimb to the ledge without a belay. In this episode, David describes the accident that followed with remarkable self-awareness and good humor. David's brother has started a Go Fund Me account to help with medical bills for his long and difficult recovery. If you're inspired to contribute, go to https://www.gofundme.com/david-fogal-rock-climbing-accident.

Around sunset on November 7, 2015, Angela Uys (26) was at an anchor partway up Snake Dike on Half Dome, preparing to rappel. Her tether system was not effectively clipped to the anchor, and when she weighted the system it failed. She fell approximately 500 feet to her death. In this episode, Ashley speaks with Yosemite climbing ranger Jesse McGahey, who responded to and investigated this tragedy, and the two discuss what went wrong and how similar accidents might be prevented. You can read Jesse's full report from Accidents in North American Climbing here: http://bit.ly/2gbz1Ba. Thanks to David Iliff (License: CC-BY-SA 3.0) for the beautiful photo of Half Dome's southwest face, where Snake Dike is found.

Climber and backcountry skier Steven Lozano summited Mount St. Helens with a friend on a beautiful April day. When two climbers joined them on top, one of them, who was making his 69th ascent of the mountain, asked Steven to take a photo of him with Mt. Rainier in the background. What happened next will be seared into Lozano's memory forever.

Felipe Proaño, a North Face sponsored climber and native of Ecuador, took a long fall off Black Elk, a classic 5.11 climb in Wyoming's Wind River Range, and nearly left a finger behind. Felipe tells Ashley how his desire to be a "badass" backfired, with painful results.