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Edelrid Bulletproof quickdraw: The burliness of steel with the lightness of aluminum
Alpinist Digital Editor tested the Edelrid Bulletproof quickdraw at Rifle Mountain Park, a world-famous sport crag where the volume of traffic frequently destroys carabiners. The Bulletproof showed hardly any signs of wear after hanging on one of the canyon’s most popular routes for four months, earning five stars. “Wait! This review is for Alpinist, what…
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The Less You Talk
In this Climbing Life story from Alpinist 68, our digital editor Derek Franz articulates the value of staying quiet while climbing with his wife. “I’ve learned that my enthusiasm can be a detriment,” he writes. “My impulse, ever since I was a kid, has been to try to offer guidance…. I want to encourage her;…
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Brad Gobright dies in a rappelling accident while climbing in Mexico
Brad Gobright died in a rappelling accident in El Potrero Chico, Mexico on November 27. The 31-year-old Californian was a highly accomplished free-soloist and big wall climber, former Nose speed-record holder with Jim Reynolds. He was loved and respected by many people around the world and was known to have a goofy sense of humor.
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The Thing with Feathers: On mountains, climate science and hope
In this story that was commissioned as part of the Covering Climate Now campaign, Michelle Dowd reports on her time spent observing scientists at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado last summer and considers today’s climate crisis through the lens of her deeply religious upbringing.
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Pandora’s Box: The Brief, Brilliant Life of Kei Taniguchi
In 2009 Japanese alpinist Kei Taniguchi became the first woman to receive a Piolet d’Or for her first ascent of the Southeast Face of Kamet (7756m), with Kazuya Hiraide. During the final years of her life, Taniguchi continued to explore challenging new routes, while hinting at a mysterious personal quest. Piecing together diary entries and…
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Alan Rousseau and Tino Villanueva Release the Kraken on Tengi Ragi Tau’s west face
Alan Rousseau writes about the first ascent of Tengi Ragi Tau’s west face, which he completed with Tino Villanueva in mid-October. Explaining the name of their route, he writes, “The peak had eluded us for so long, I think we had made it out to be a bit of a mythical beast. For that reason,…
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Sea to Summit Flame IV: A warm ultralight sleeping bag tailored specifically for women
Kate Erwin used Sea to Summit’s Flame IV women-specific sleeping bag in British Columbia’s Purcell Range last October and found that the mapped-baffle design was effective in keeping her warmer than other bags she’s used of comparable weight. 4 stars.
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Backcountry.com battles small businesses over trademark
The news of Backcountry.com suing smaller companies for using the word “backcountry” in their titles has led to inquiries about the status of Alpinist’s sister publication, Backcountry Magazine. Height of Land Publications Editorial Director Tyler Cohen, formerly editor-in-chief of Backcountry, wrote the following story that includes a statement from HOL CEO Adam Howard. So far,…
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Robert Paragot (1927-2019): An Old Man’s Lesson
Robert Paragot, a highly influential alpinist and Fontainebleau boulderer, passed away at his home near Paris on October 24 at age 92. French climbing journalist Claude Gardien reports that Paragot continued to be involved in the climbing community up until his death: “He was a great climber and a very nice man.” Chris Schulte, an…
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Denali, A Universe
In 1913 Walter Harper, an Irish-Athabascan climber, became the first person to stand on the summit of Denali, soon joined by teammates Harry Karstens, Robert Tatum and Archdeacon Hudson Stuck. In this Wired story from Alpinist 67, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Harper’s grandniece, Jan Harper-Haines, shares a few…
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Salewa Wildfire Edge: Technical approach shoes to keep up with the mountain goats
Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz has been wearing the Salewa Wildfire Edge approach shoes everywhere for the last several months. He reports that the shoes provide excellent support, feature very sticky rubber and are best described as “technical.” Five stars.
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The Unclimbed
In this story from The Climbing Life section of Alpinist 67, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Ana Beatriz Cholo faces a difficult choice: Following an unexpected cancer diagnosis, she must decide if she is willing to forgo her long-dreamed-of expedition to Denali to reunite with her estranged father. She…
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Peak Refuel Meals: setting a high bar for freeze-dried food
Clint Helander recently discovered a new personal standard when it comes to freeze-dried food. In this review he explains why Peak Refuel meals are in a different category from other backcountry food products that he has tried over the last 20 years. Five stars.
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David Guterson’s book “Turn Around Time” applies mountaineering themes to youth, aging
Sarah Boon reports that David Guterson’s new book Turn Around Time applies the mountaineering concept as “a metaphor for life.” The book-length series of prose poems cover “the themes of youth, aging and compassion for the elderly,” Boon writes. “It also investigates the boundaries between reality and myth, and common sense and imagination in the…
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Two Alpinist stories receive honorable mentions in Best American anthologies
Two stories from Alpinist 62 (2018) have been selected for the “Notables Lists” for Best American Essays and Best American Sports Writing, respectively: Sara Ann Aranda’s Full Value story, “Into Darkness We Go,” and Joe Whittle’s Wired story, “Adventures on the Turtle’s Back.”
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Unparallel Up Lace: A new company presents a new take on a familiar shoe
Chris Kalman checks out a little-known shoe company named Unparallel that makes climbing shoes eerily similar to the well-known designs made by Five Ten. He found that even Unparallel’s proprietary rubber is similar to the famous Stealth C4 rubber that Kalman has loved for many years. The fit and sizing of the Up Lace felt…
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American Alpine Club CEO Phil Powers to step down in summer 2020
American Alpine Club CEO Phil Powers announced yesterday, October 1, that he plans to retire after 14 years. He will remain CEO until this winter, then he will step back and continue working with the organization as a senior advisor until next summer. The goal is to transition to new leadership by summer 2020.
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Alpinist 67 Mountain Profile Essays | Mt. Hubbard, Mt. Alverstone and Mt. Kennedy
Read the essays from our Mountain Profile about Mt. Hubbard, Mt. Alverstone and Mt. Kennedy in the St. Elias Range of Alaska and Canada.
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1996: The Wall of Arctic Discipline
In this Mountain Profile essay from Alpinist 67, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Jack Tackle writes about his time on the north face and north ridge of Mt. Kennedy, which culminated in a freezing epic with Jack Roberts in 1996 when they lost a crampon and spent nine days…
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Lowa Rocket: climbing shoes made for heel/toe hooking
After extensive testing, Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz reports that the Lowa Rockets are best suited for toe- and heel-hooking, with a secure fit that ensures they won’t slide off the heel. Franz had trouble finding a size to fit his foot comfortably, however, and there is some bagginess over the top of the big…
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1967: Summer on Mt. Saskatchewan
In this Mountain Profile essay from Alpinist 67, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Andrea Rankin recounts the women’s expedition to climb Mt. Saskatchewan in 1967, which was Canada’s centennial year. Rankin writes: “The Alpine Club of Canada coordinated with local and federal governments to organize the country’s largest-ever mountaineering…
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1972: Rivers that Flow Back to Mountains
In this Mountain Profile essay from Alpinist 67, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Anna Chiburis documents some of the Indigenous cultures and stories associated with the St. Elias Range, specifically within the area of Mt. Hubbard, Mt. Alverstone and Mt. Kennedy. “Areas such as Wrangell-St. Elias were not an…
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The Shadow’s Edge
In this feature from Alpinist 67, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Claire Giordano shares stories and paintings that depict her search for hope in an era of melting ice, endangered glaciers and climate crises. After recovering from a severe childhood illness, she grew up to become a mountaineer and…
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