The Iowa Mountaineers climbing club was a major player in the in early Sawtooth Range exploration. The club was founded by John and Ede Ebert in 1940, as the University of Iowa Mountaineering Club. The club later incorporated as a not-for-profit Iowa corporation and became a major force in sponsoring climber education and expeditions throughout the world. Schwartz Pinnacle, Harriets … Continue reading
“Two Gun” Robert Limbert is probably the most interesting personality associated with Idaho Climbing History. You can read about his climbing-related accomplishments on Pages 15-16 of the book. His accomplishments and interests extended far beyond mountaineering. Robert developed Redfish Lodge and he is credited as the moving force behind the establishment of Craters of the Moon National Monument. In fact, … Continue reading
Unquestionably the leading American female alpinist of her time, Miriam O’Brien Underhill and her husband Robert brought modern mountaineering techniques to the Sawtooths in 1934 and 1935. In the process, the couple made many first ascents and wrote the first mountaineering articles on the range. Miriam’s article is available at this link: Leading a Cat by Its Tail. You can … Continue reading
Kelly Lance, a 49-year-old endurance runner from Pocatello, climbed all of Idaho’s 12,000-foot peaks in a 119-mile, 78-hour push starting on September 2, 2017. Unlike the others who have climbed the 12ers in a single push, Kelly did it without resorting to mechanized transportation, the first traverse of its kind and perhaps the most over-the-top accomplishment on these peaks to … Continue reading
I first saw the North Face of Mount Borah in the Summer of 1972 while working under contract with the U.S. Forest Service. We were flying helicopters near Horseheaven Pass in the Upper Pahsimeroi Valley, where our daily flights offered unrivaled views of the north and east sides of the Lost River Range. But one face in particular stood out … Continue reading
Fatal mountaineering accidents are rare in Idaho, but they do occur. Rarer still are fatalities from Summertime avalanches. Most people associate avalanches with Wintertime, and Winter is when most avalanches do occur. However, for climbers, it’s the Summertime avalanche that can be an overlooked risk. Stanley, Idaho resident Jared Spear died on Castle Peak in a rare Summertime avalanche. His … Continue reading