Happy April Fools Day!


No jokes here. No crappy movies about April Fools Day either...Just a great round-up of this week's news!

Northwest:

--On March 23rd and 24th, Steph Abegg, Jason Hummel and Kyle Miller joined forces to ski the North Face of Mount Buckner. After one member of the team nearly suffered a dangerous crevasse fall, the remaining members of the group successfully climbed and skied the line. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--A bill currently moving though the California state legislature would require skiers and snowboarders under the age of 18 to wear helmets on the slopes. Assembly member Dave Jones, out of Sacramento, is pushing a bill that would require more in depth reporting of injuries at ski resorts, along with a helmet mandate for minors. The bill passed the Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday. This bill also requires regular inspections of ski lifts, requires ski resorts to post a safety plan on the ski area website, and requires quarterly reports on any serious injuries or fatalities. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is once again under serious threat. Homeowners, environmentalists, and rock climbers across Blue Diamond, Bonnie Springs and the entire western rim of the Las Vegas Valley should make no mistake: A recent deal between Clark County officials and controversial real estate mogul Jim Rhodes virtually assures a massive new housing development will crop up in Red Rock -- eventually. "He has told me he intends to develop it. He doesn't want to sell to an outside party; he does plan to try and develop this land," said Chris Kaempfer, one of the state's most respected land-use attorneys who helped Rhodes broker the recent deal with the county. To read more, click here.

--Over the last couple of weeks there has been a flurry of first ascent activity from AAI guides in Red Rock Canyon. Jason Martin, Kevin Hogan and Dyan Padagas, put up a new 5.9 four pitch line on the Disappearing Buttress. And Jason Martin and his climber, Neal Douglass, put up a new three pitch finish above the Angel Food Wall. There will be more on this activity in the coming weeks.

--A 20-year-old Bullhead City man suspected of vandalizing petroglyphs in Grapevine Canyon in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area was cited by rangers on Friday, March 19th. He and a 13-year-old boy were reported to have been shooting paintballs in the area. At least four petroglyph panels and numerous rock faces were defaced with paint. A caller to Bullhead City 911 reported that there were kids in the canyon shooting paintballs. Park rangers responded and contacted the man at the Grapevine Canyon trailhead parking lot. A preliminary investigation lead them to suspect that he was responsible for the red and green paint splatters in the canyon. The man was issued citations for defacing/disturbing an archeological resource, using and discharging a weapon, littering and vandalism. He was cited and released but will be required to appear before a federal magistrate. To read more, click here.

Himalaya:

--David Gottlieb and Joe Puryear recently summitted Takargo, a 22,215-foot peak in the Rolwaling Himalaya. They climbed the line shortly after exploring long ice climbs in the area. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Former AAI guide and world class climber Steve House, was recently injured on Mt. Temple in Canada. After taking a seventy-foot fall, Steve suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung, stable fractures of several vertebrae, and his tailbone. He was taken by helicopter off of the mountain shortly after the fall. Steve is at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary recovering for a few days. He will not need any surgery, only rest time to heal his injuries. To read more, click here.

--Noted outdoor writer, Chris Baxter died late in February after a long battle with Leukemia. Baxter, the founder of Australia's Rock and Wild magazines, died at 64. To read more, click here.

--After spending over 75 days traveling around Antarctica, a tight team of French climbers successfully climbed six new big lines on the Southern continent. To read more about these audacious ascents, click here.

--A climber who claimed he was "pushed" by security staff at the set of the latest Harry Potter film has been aqcuitted of assault. Ryan Glass, 33, from Aberfeldy, said he was pushed one way then another when he was refused access to a route to Glen Etive last April. The climbing instructor had denied assaulting the two stewards and committing a breach of the peace. He was found not guilty at Fort William Justice of the Peace Court. To read more, click here.

--Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced that all 392 national parks will have free admission during National Park Week, April 17 to 25, 2010. Parks will also offer additional family friendly activities and special offers on tours, lodging, food, and souvenirs. A listing of parks and promotions is available at www.nps.gov/npweek. To read more, click here.

--A Swedish tourist fell to his death into the crater of an active volcano Wednesday on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The 25-year-old man and two friends were on a pre-dawn hike along the rim of the crater of 5,633-foot (1,717-meter) Mount Batur when he fell in, local police chief Capt. Made Oka said. Rescuers spotted the man's body inside the dry crater at a depth of about 500 feet (150 meters), Oka said. Officials believe the man did not survive the initial impact of the fall. To read more, click here.