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Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold on the summit of the Nose, El Capitan. [Photo] REEL ROCK Film Tour, Sam Crossley

Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell set a new speed record on the Nose

Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell set a new speed record on the Nose of El Capitan this morning, May 30, climbing the approximately 3,000-foot route in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 15 seconds. The previous record of 2:19:44 was set last October by Brad Gobright and Jim Reynolds, who bested a record of 2:23:46 set by Honnold and Hans Florine that held since June 2012.

Flashback from 2017: (left to right) Sasha DiGiulian, Caroline Gleich, Libby Sauter, Quinn Brett and Katie Boue flex after a Congressional briefing in the U.S. Senate last year. All of them returned to Washington, D.C., this week for the third annual Climb the Hill event. [Photo] Derek Franz

Access Fund, Alpine Club and pro climbers return to lobby Capitol Hill

The Access Fund and American Alpine club are gathering once again in Washington, D.C., this week with a host of high-profile climbers to lobby Congress on a handful of national issues affecting public lands, the environment and outdoor recreation as part of the third annual Climb the Hill event. The list of participants expected to attend this year includes Quinn Brett, Majka Burhardt, Tommy Caldwell, Sasha DiGiulian, Caroline Gleich, Margo Hayes, Lynn Hill, Alex Honnold, Bethany Lebewitz, Mikhail Martin, Maricela Rosales, Chelsea Rude, Libby Sauter, Forrest Shearer, Geoff Unger, Jessica Yang and Alina Zagaytova

From left to right: Danika Gilbert, David Roberts, Doug Chabot and Jeff Jackson. [Image] Courtesy of the American Alpine Club

The American Alpine Club announces 2018 Excellence in Climbing award recipients

Doug Chabot, Danika Gilbert, David Roberts and Jeff Jackson are to be honored at the American Alpine Club’s Excellence in Climbing Celebration in Denver on June 2. Tickets are now on sale for the event, which includes a dinner, auctions, live music and more, with all proceeds supporting the AAC Library and the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum.

Tom Livingstone on the summit ridge of Jezebel after climbing a new route-- Fun or Fear (AI 6 R M6+, 90 degrees, ca. 1200m)--up the mountain's east face with Uisdean Hawthorn. [Photo] Uisdean Hawthorn

British climbers find ‘Fun or Fear’ in Alaska on Jezebel’s east face after attempting north face

Tom Livingstone and Uisdean Hawthorn went to Alaska’s Revelation Range at the end of March, intent on trying a new route on Jezebel’s north face. After several runout pitches on poor snow, they reached a dead end: a giant chimney filled with vertical snow that had no apparent cracks. Consequently, they abandoned their attempt and turned their attention to the mountain’s east face, where they completed a new route called Fun or Fear (AI 6 R M6+, 90 degrees, ca. 1200m) over two days in early April.

The author wearing the Patagonia Micro Puff jacket on Prodigal Sun in Zion last October. [Photo] Derek Franz

Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody: better than down

Alpinist digital editor Derek Franz tested the Patagonia Micro Puff jacket and found that the lightweight, synthetic garment outperforms those of similar weights with down feathers. “It lives up to the hype,” Franz writes. Five stars.

Summit group photo on Langdung (6357m), Nepal, December 20. [Photo] Courtesy Dawa Yangzum Sherpa

Sherpa team succeeds on first ascent of Langdung (6357m) in Nepal

A team of four Sherpa alpinists completed the first ascent of Langdung peak (6357m) in December 2017. Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, the team’s only woman and Nepal’s first IFMGA guide, was instrumental in organizing the ascent, which included Dawa Gyalje Sherpa, Pasang Kidar Sherpa and Nima Tenji Sherpa. Here is the story of their climb and an interview with Dawa Yangzum about what it’s like to be a woman in the mountains.

Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award recipients announced

Anthony Marra, Jessica Kelley and Alex Gaber are the first recipients of the inaugural Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award, which was created to honor the legacy of the revered alpinist and soloist. These three adventurers plan to climb, bike, ski and surf in New Zealand, Alaska and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.