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Human Dimensions of Climate Change in the Himalaya: An interview with anthropologist Pasang Yangjee Sherpa
Alpinist Managing Editor Paula Wright interviewed Pasang Yangjee Sherpa for the Alpinist Podcast in 2017 and followed up with her again this month. Born in Kathmandu, Yangjee Sherpa is an anthropologist who specializes in the human dimensions of climate change in the Himalaya. She says that “mountaineers are really well equipped to be advocates for…
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Climbers join activists worldwide in demand for action on climate crisis
Climbers and activists are meeting this week in Washington, DC, to lobby Congress on a host of issues, including the climate crisis, energy development and leasing reform, recreation access and enhancement, and public land management agency funding, in addition to recreation and conservation land designations such as the ongoing legal battle over national monuments that…
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Mystery Ranch Scepter 50: a comfortable pack for hauling loads in the mountains
Whitney Clark tested the Mystery Ranch Scepter 50 backpack in Patagonia and in the Sierra Nevada Range. She reports that the pack provides a comfortable suspension system and is great for hauling loads. “I think that the Scepter 50 does really well if you have just the perfect amount of gear, but it does not…
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Jean (Jene) Crenshaw, cofounder of Summit magazine, dies at 95
Jean (Jene) Crenshaw–the cofounder of Summit magazine, the first monthly publication dedicated to climbing in the US–died September 2 in Big Bear, California, at age 95. She was preceded in death by her close friend and Summit cofounder Helen Kilness, who died at age 96 in 2018.
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Two Alpinist stories included on the longlist for Banff Mountain Book Competition; Boardman Tasker shortlist also announced
Two stories from Alpinist 66 are on the longlist for Best Mountaineering Article in the 2019 Banff competition: “13 Feet Under” By Jayme Moye, and “Magic Line,” by Lonnie Kauk with Paula Wright. The shortlist for the Boardman Tasker Award is also announced.
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Scarpa Maestro Mid: A worthy all-around shoe that rivals the TC Pro
Chris Kalman put the Scarpa Maestro Mid through the paces on different styles of climbs to see how they compared to his La Sportiva TC Pros, which have set the standard for this type of shoe for several years. Kalman notes some differences between the shoes, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and concludes…
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Friends complete Hayden Kennedy’s vision on Mt. Hooker: Gambling in the Winds (V 5.12+)
In 2015, Hayden Kennedy and Whit Magro spent a week in Wyoming’s Wind River Range establishing a route over new terrain over halfway up the northeast face of Mt. Hooker. On the last day of their trip, they free climbed to Der Minor Ledge, 800 feet from the top of the wall, where they traversed…
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Sea to Summit Alpha Pot Cookset 2.1: Light, compact, self-contained and user friendly
Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz tested the Sea to Summit Alpha Pot Cookset and awarded it five stars for its “lightweight, compact, self-contained and user friendly” design.
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Simon Richardson and Ian Welsted complete first ascent of Waddington’s West Ridge
On August 3-7, the Scottish alpinist Simon Richardson and Canadian alpinist Ian Welsted made what is likely the first complete ascent of the West Ridge of Mt. Waddington in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and possibly the first traverse of the mountain (from Fury Gap to Rainy Knob) as well. “The crenellated upper west…
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Benjamin Billet and John Kelley complete first ascent of Chhopa Bamare (6109m)
This past winter, from February 9 through March 3, Benjamin Billet, of France, and John Kelley, of Alaska, completed the first ascent of Chhopa Bamare (6109m) in Nepal. They summited on February 28 and named their route Seto Hi’um (TD: M4 WI4 1150m), which translates as “white snow” in Nepali. Kelley had made two previous…
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Fall during ski descent on Gasherbrum VII results in dramatic rescue from 6300m
On July 20 Cala Cimenti, of Italy, became the first person to stand on top of 6955-meter Gasherbrum VII. Cimenti’s elation, however, was soon cut short. His partner Francesco Cassardo–who had decided not to continue to the top in order to save strength for their ski descent–was injured in a massive fall shortly after putting…
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Namesake: Izumi (“The Spring”)
In this Namesake story from Alpinist 48 (2014), Katsutaka “Jumbo” Yokoyama–an original member of Japan’s famous Giri-Giri Boys, who have become known for their bold and visionary ascents–writes about the first ascent of a route he named Izumi (“The Spring”) on Mt. Mizugaki.
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Osprey Mutant 52: A worthy pack for just about any pursuit in any season
Drew Thayer tested the Osprey Mutant 52 backpack on ski tours, cragging days and even a three-week packraft trip in the Amazon rainforest. While the pack isn’t the most ideal option for serious alpine climbing, he found that it works well for a variety of missions. Four stars.
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Tico Gangulee solos the first ascent and first ski descent of Chashkin I (6035m)
On June 20, in a round-trip from his advanced base camp that took approximately 11 hours, Tico Gangulee free soloed the first ascent–and first ski descent–of Chashkin I (6035m) in Pakistan. He named his route Steeze Matters (ED: 5.11c M4+, 85 degrees, 900m).
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Ines Papert, Luka Lindic and Brette Harrington complete The Sound of Silence on Mt. Fay
Luka Lindic writes about a new route he completed on the east face of Mt. Fay (3234m) in British Columbia, Canada, with Brette Harrington and Ines Papert on April 2-3. After getting lucky with weather and snow conditions they managed to find a thin line of passage up through the heart of the wall. They…
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Beal Escaper: A scary but handy tool for when you need to rappel with one rope
Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz tested the Beal Escaper, which the company describes as a “detachable abseil system” that enables climbers to rappel on a single strand of rope and then still be able to retrieve the rope from below. Franz reports that if used properly the Escaper can be a handy tool to facilitate…
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Zdenek Hak and Marek Holecek complete the first ascent of Chamlang’s northwest face
Czech climbers Marek Holecek and Zdenek Hak teamed up for another huge, demanding route on May 16-23, this time on the northwest face of Chamlang (7321m) in Nepal. They named their route UFO Line (ABO: M6, WI5, 2500m). Holecek initially declined to give a technical rating. “We have agreed on difficulty of the climb as…
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Mountaineering in reverse: Tales from the Underland
“A peak can exercise the same irresistible power as an abyss,” Theophile Gautier wrote in 1868. Robert Macfarlane’s new book Underland explores the landscapes below our feet where, as Sarah Boon writes in her review, “people appear to find something similar in caves to what they experience in the mountains–clarity of thought and vision.”
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Outdoor Media Landscape: A Note from the Editors
As they praise the publication of She Explores–a 2019 anthology of women’s outdoor stories and photos–Alpinist editors Katie Ives, Paula Wright and Derek Franz write, “We felt struck by two thoughts: how rare outdoor publications like this book, with such a variety of women’s images and voices, were in the past; and how much the…
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10-year-old Selah Schneiter climbs the Nose of El Capitan
Ten-year-old Selah Schneiter of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, climbed the Nose of El Capitan (VI 5.8 C2, 2,900′) on June 13 after a casual five-day ascent with her dad Mike Schneiter and their close family friend Mark Regier. Selah appears to have the youngest documented ascent of the Big Stone, but the age record wasn’t part…
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D4 Octapod: A unique portaledge that is lightweight, low-profile and easy to set up
Chris Kalman details his experience with the D4 Octapod, a unique portaledge designed by the legendary big-wall gear inventor John Middendorf. Kalman tells the story of his early frustrations with the D4 ledge and how he ultimately came to love it, awarding it five stars.
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The Story of Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
The following story is an Ahwahneechee creation story of Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La (El Capitan) as told by Julia Parker, an Ahwahneechee descendant of Yosemite Valley, mother of climbing legend Ron Kauk and the grandmother of Ron’s son, Lonnie Kauk. This story originally appeared as a sidebar to a feature about the Kauk family, Lonnie’s childhood in Yosemite…
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Five bodies found in avalanche debris on the flanks of Nanda Devi East / Sunanda Devi; three others presumed dead
Eight climbers are presumed to have been killed in a large avalanche on the flanks of Nanda Devi East / Sunanda Devi in the Indian Himalaya while attempting an unclimbed satellite peak referred to by its elevation as Peak 6477. Photos from a helicopter search conducted by the Indian military on June 3 showed evidence…
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Cnoc Vecto and Versa Flow Gravity Water Filtering System is light, efficient, compact
Tad McCrea used the Cnoc Vecto and Versa Flow Gravity Water Filtering System on an expedition to Aconcagua where the rivers ran thick and brown with sediment. The simple, lightweight Vecto-Versa system worked well and kept Tad healthy. He awards it four stars.
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