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Black Diamond nForce Ascenders: The Heavy-Duty Choice
The newly designed Black Diamond nForce ascenders were a crucial piece of gear for my main climbing project this summer. Using static and dynamic fixed lines from 8-11 millimeters, my partner and I spent about ten days working on a first ascent, free, on the east face of Snowpatch Spire in the Bugaboos. Although the…
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Mountain Hardwear Typhoon Jacket: No Water, No Weight
The search for the perfect multi-season jacket is exasperating–it has to perform well in various temperatures and conditions yet pack well, weigh nothing and (most importantly) look good. So you can imagine my excitement when I found a lightweight, durable shell that lived up to all my expectations. I found Mountain Hardwear’s Women’s Typhoon Jacket…
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Adventures in El Chorro, Spain
Dodging trains, jumping gaps, and climbing some of the best limestone cracks in the world–the first part of an adventure series on El Chorro, the “Jewel of the Mediterranean,” by photographer and writer Traveler Taj Terpening.
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Worthy of a Future Cover of Alpinist
Alpinauts? Astroneers? The Cassini probe just returned this photo of Iapetus. Let’s hope we get there someday–that ridge looks awesome.
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China-Tibet Mountaineering Association Announces Everest Rules for 2008
I am just back from an official visit to Lhasa, Tibet, where I attended the celebrations of the China Tibet all 14, 8000m peaks success in a group. The three successful summiteers of All 14, 8000m Peaks are Tshering Dorje, Pemba Tashi and Lhotse under the leadership of Samdruk. Asian Trekking sponsored one of their…
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Dean Potter: Anti-Climber
As many of us learned in high school, reputations are in large part defined by the company we keep. I am dismayed that in Issue 21, Alpinist undermined its integrity and besmirched its good name by taking a spin with anti-climber Dean Potter.
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The Sublimation Experiment: Part II
This action-packed skiing clip highlights extreme descents across North America. See the longer version for more about how this film integrates lifestyle and stewardship.
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Totally Under My Own Power
Over the 4 days I hiked and crab crawled over 25 miles and climbed over 2,000 feet. Not impressive by most standards, but for someone who contracted paralytic polio at nine months of age, has been affected by post polio syndrome since he was nineteen and has endured other major injuries, it was huge.
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MORE ROCKFALL PIX
See my recent comments in response to the rockfall photos taken Sunday, Sept. 2. We went up the next day and the Stettner was still letting loose. Had it not been for a brief break a couple of minutes before we headed to the col, we might have been pushing up daisies.
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Rab Neutrino Endurance Jacket: An Alpinist’s Dream Come True
Sometimes first impressions are hard to shake, and I tried not to let my first impression of the Rab Neutrino Endurance jacket influence this review. No luck. The jacket wowed me at first appearance. Made from a water-resistant Pertex Endurance outer fabric and packed with 850+ goose down fill, it’s an alpinist’s dream come true:…
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The Alpine Peaks of Sikkim
The Home Department of Sikkim has designated five newly opened Alpine Peaks to encourage small expeditions.
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Seneca climbers and Pete Absolon
We will gather at Seneca on November 10 to remember Pete, Howard Doyle, and Greg Smith, all of whom died suddenly this year. If you can’t make it, send pictures or stories to gregoryj@mindspring.com. We will try to read them at the event and hope to put together collections for the families.
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Sierra Aspirants: A Cartoon Story
Follow Michael McMillan’s colorful story about his glory days, from the orange orchard he called home to the (almost) top of the Sierra. This humorist, artist and climber shares his past through fifteen woodcut block prints and a touching essay.
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LABOR DAY ROCKFALL IN THE TETONS
My wife, Sally, and I spent Labor Day climbing in the Tetons. Our goal was the Complete Exum. I was supposed to be off work mid-day on Friday: we would enjoy the drive from Boise, pull into the valley as the sun was setting. We ended up leaving on Saturday, and eventually we found ourselves…
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Julbo Neve: For the Approach
I’ll admit it: I’ve got a small head. As a result, I’ve spent the past few years bouncing between glasses that slide down the bridge of my nose, frames that feel like a loose, dead handshake, and cheapos bought shamefully from the children’s aisle. So, when Julbo asked me to pick one pair of mountaineering…
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