The Line is the monthly newsletter of the American Alpine Journal.
EIGHT-PITCH CLIMB IN…MISSOURI
Jarod Sickler leads pitch six of The Osage Party Barge (550’, 5.11b). Photo by Matt Nation.
“Yes, that’s right: You are seeing a climb in Missouri in the AAJ for the first time ever—and perhaps the last.” That’s the start of Jeremy Collins’ report on The Osage Party Barge, an unusual new line at Monegaw Springs Crag in western Missouri. Over a number of years, Collins and other climbers developed the sport climbing at the sandstone crag, and one day, just for the heck of it, he and Jarod Sickler traversed sideways across the Burnside sector at Monegaw. After that 35-meter traverse, Collins thought, We could keep going. The result was an eight-pitch girdle traverse of the 50- to 65-foot-high crag, “a sideways big wall shining in the Osage sun.” Read all about it in Collins’ report for the 2023 AAJ, now online.
The original party barge, a tourist vessel on the Osage River, in 1909. The photo appears in the book "Damming the Osage," by Leland Payton and Crystal Payton.
UNCLIMBED: EAST KARAKORAM
The peaks labeled A, B and C rise above the South Shukpa Kunchang glacier. They range from about 6,260 meters to 6,600 meters, and all are likely unclimbed. Photo by Steve Kempley.
The Rassa Glacier in far northern India’s East Karakoram mountains has seen only three climbing expeditions, starting in 2014. The most recent was in September 2022, when a British team made the first ascent of a 6,365-meter mountain they called Dagarpheth Kangri (Ladakhi for “Halfmoon Peak”). Although the logistics and permissions for expeditions in this area are challenging, there are many attractive unclimbed 6,000m mountains, writes Derek Buckle in his 2023 AAJ report. Three of the unclimbed summits are seen in this photo, taken during the recent ascent of Dagarpheth Kangri.
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AT THE MOVIES: MOROCCAN ICE
Moroccan climber Faiçal Bourkiba dreamed of attempting a 500-meter mixed climb on the north face of Tazarhart in the High Atlas mountains, but the line seemed too daunting for his limited experience. An invitation to French ice master Jeff Mercier resulted in the partner of a lifetime. This charming and eye-opening film about their climbs reveals some of the winter climbing potential of the High Atlas.
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The Line is the newsletter of the American Alpine Journal (AAJ), emailed to more than 75,000 climbers each month. Find the archive of past editions here. Interested in supporting this online publication? Contact Billy Dixon for opportunities. Suggestions? Email us: aaj@americanalpineclub.org.