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  • C.A.M.P.’s Ikon Nova Helmet: A ponytail-friendly workhorse that comes in two sizes

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    MSRP: $74.95 After almost every approach, I find myself redoing my hair before racking up. Adjusting my high ponytail to a low braid that fits under my helmet has become part of my pre-climb ritual. With the new Ikon Nova, C.A.M.P. offers a solution to the long-haired climber’s struggle. It creates extra space between the…

  • The La Sportiva TX4 EVO Approach Shoes: Stable Footing That Adds Security in Risky Terrain

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    IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide Ian Fowler tested the La Sportiva TX4 Evos over a three-week trip to the Italian Dolomites. Ian emphasizes the importance of viewing approach shoes as a safety tool and having the right tool for the right situation. The TX4 Evos excelled in stability, durability, and moving through loose and sketchy alpine terrain.

  • Black Diamond Technician Pro Approach Shoes are built for Climbers

    If I were heading out the door to spend a summer day scampering in mountains like the Tetons, the Black Diamond Technician Pro approach shoes would be the first kicks to go on my feet. While the Tetons typically feature easier technical grades, the length and complexity of the routes test an alpinist’s ability to…

  • Julbo Edge Cover Reactiv Sunglasses: Peripheral Protection with Photochromic Adjusting

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    IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide Ryan Huetter tested the Julbo Edge Cover Reactiv sunglasses in the Mont Blanc range recently on glaciers, rock, mountain biking, and trail running. With lenses that adjust to the entire light spectrum, a wide peripheral, and removable side shields and a nose cover, these sunglasses performed well in all environments.

  • The La Sportiva Machina Tech Pants: Low Profile Adjusting in a Skinny Softshell

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    MSRP: $149-165 (depending on color) Onboarding to new fashions and tech trends takes me a hot minute, or several years to be honest, but eventually I make my way. In my 30-plus years of alpinism, climbing pants have gone through phases of tightening and loosening—and tightening again—at least a few times. I recently pulled a…

  • Alpine-style ascent of Nanga Parbat with paraglide and ski descents

    At the end of June, David Göttler (Germany) and Tiphaine Duperier and Boris Langenstein (France), climbed Nanga Parbat (8125m) via the Schell Route on the Rupal Face in alpine style and descended by paraglider (Göttler) and skis after down climbing a few hundred meters from the windy summit. The trio launched from Base Camp at…

  • Close to Home

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    [This Sharp End story originally appeared in Alpinist 90 (Summer 2025), which is now available on newsstands and in our online store. Only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up the hard copies of Alpinist for all the goodness!–Ed.] I’M INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO…

  • 2025 Grit&Rock Award recipients announced

    The 2025 Grit & Rock grant winners were announced in early May.

  • In the Shadow of the Grand: A Reflection on the Life of Michael Gardner

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    [The following is an excerpt from a much longer feature story that originally appeared in Alpinist 89 (Spring 2025), which is available in our online store. Only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up the hard copies of Alpinist for…

  • ​​Update: Public Land Sell-Offs Removed from House Bill, But Major Environmental Threats Remain

    Thanks to community pressure lawmakers removed an amendment to sell off more than 500,000 acres of public land in Utah and Nevada. However, the final bill still poses serious threats.

  • Statement from Height of Land Publications Opposing the Sale of Public Lands in Utah and Nevada

    As the publisher of Alpinist, Backcountry, Cross Country Skier and Mountain Flyer, Height of Land Publications represents a broad and passionate community of climbers, skiers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts whose lives, livelihoods, and identities are deeply rooted in public lands. We stand in firm opposition to the provisions in the House Natural Resources committee…

  • A discussion of mixed reactions to a mixed winter ascent of the Diamond

    Whenever there is an ascent that breaks away from expected norms in terms of tactics, style, difficulty, whatever—it is usually worth a second look, if for no other reason than to better understand its implications. A recent example came across my desk on March 21, regarding an odd “mixed-style” (my words) free ascent of D7…

  • A mixed-style free ascent of the Diamond in winter, sans crampons

    Colorado climbers Jesse Huey, Matt Segal and their Canadian friend Quentin Roberts recently completed a winter, mixed-style free ascent of D7 on the Diamond of Longs Peak (Neniisoteyou’u, 14,255′). Though they used ice axes to dry tool the thin cracks of the 5.11+ route, they did not use crampons to avoid leaving scratch marks on…

  • Impossible Things

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    Dawn Wall free in a day. There, I thought it, said it, wrote it. Someday it’s sure to happen, yes? Séb Berthe agrees…. Saying, speaking, believing—these all make a thing that much closer to reality. Or, potentially, they only lead one deeper into rabbit holes of delusion. Fanciful, futuristic things are generally assumed to be…

  • 1984: Sarah’s Summit

    At age thirteen, Sarah Doherty lost her right leg to a drunk driver, but the accident didn’t stop her from pursuing athletics. She became the first female amputee to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier in 1984.

  • 1792-Present: Deconstructing Rainier. Reconstructing Takhoma.

    I wanted to share these ideas because I am the Native American mountain guide who was (is) obsessed with peak-bagging and deconstructing his colonial mindset while also reconstructing a stolen Indigenous identity. The catalyst for this revolution was Takhoma, a cultural centerpiece for many tribes and a nexus of energy, one that budding mountaineers have…

  • 1988-1995: The Training and the Test

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    The mountain’s changing conditions, technical terrain and unpredictable weather make it a far more serious objective than the Lower 48’s other “Fourteeners.” It’s no wonder Mt. Rainier has been an invaluable training ground for generations of mountaineers who plan to climb higher and harder. Climbers like Ed Viesturs, the first American to climb all fourteen…

  • Navigating a Crack of Doom

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    Any climber worth their salt must understand their relationship with ego. It affects not only the individual but also those around them, even the environment and future generations, a ring of ripple effects…. More and more people are entering the ‘sport’ with a different focus and philosophy. What they are seeking on the rocks and…

  • A Preview of the 28th Annual Bozeman Ice Fest

    The annual Bozeman Ice Festival kicks off tonight, Tuesday, December 10, with a free Community Night hosted by the American Alpine Club at 6 p.m. at the Lockhorn Cider House. The festival officially starts Wednesday, December 11, and continues through Sunday, December 15, with a variety of events, ranging from ice climbing clinics in Hyalite…

  • The Green Man

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    After being involved in an avalanche that killed a beloved member of her community in Colorado’s Elk Range in 2020, Laura Yale begins a journey to untangle a web of grief. She explores the ways ancient cultures coped with the reality of loss, acknowledging the natural process of death, and brings the old wisdom to…

  • Hard to Explain

    In honor of Veterans Day, we’re sharing this story from Alpinist 87—which is currently available on newsstands and in our online store. In this short fiction story, Ben Davis depicts a mostly silent conversation between military veterans as they make their way up the east face of Longs Peak (Neniisoteyou’u, 14,255′).

  • Worth the Weight?

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    This feature story by Michael Gardner originally appeared in Alpinist 77 (Spring 2022). On October 7, 2024, Gardner fell to his death while attempting Jannu East (7648m) with his close friend and longtime partner Sam Hennessey, who made it down safely with another team of climbers. The details of the accident are still unknown and…

  • Fabulous Roman Candles

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    [This story originally appeared in Alpinist 87 (Autumn 2024), which is now available on newsstands and in our online store. Only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up the hard copies of Alpinist for all the goodness!–Ed.] Death is only…

  • A tiny portion of infinite time: The first ascent of Pumari Chhish East

    In mid-May, after a particularly chaotic start, dealing with postponed visas, plane cancellations and delayed gear shipments, we landed in Islamabad and I was heading to the most challenging climb of my life so far.