![Roland with his rack in 2010, when Ross Taylor interviewed him at his home where he made his famous brass nuts. [Photo] Craig Ingram](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/pauligk-obit-2-scaled.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Ross Taylor grew up as a family friend of Roland Pauligk, the man who created the brass “RP” micronuts that revolutionized rock climbing in the 1970s and are still essential gear at many cliffs today. Taylor recounts an influential life well lived since Pauligk died of cancer January 22.
![Mike Lewis climbs Hidden Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park with the calf snaps closed on the Dynafit Yotei pants. Lewis reports that he liked the calf snaps because they adapted the fit of the cuffs better for ice climbing after he used the pants for ski touring. [Photo] Eric Stoutenburg](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/dynafit-yotei-pants-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
The Dynafit Yotei GTX Pants proved to be a versatile piece of outerwear for Mike Lewis, an AMGA-certified alpine guide, who reports that the pants work well for ski-touring and ice climbing while accommodating comfortable space for avalanche beacons and field books. The pants became his go-to option after testing them in Chile, Wyoming’s Grand Tetons and Canada. He awards them five stars.
![Marek Raganowicz soloing Suser gjennom Harryland (VI 5.10b A3, 650m) on Norway's Troll Wall (1742m). He spent 16 days on the wall with only two ropes and no fixed lines. [Photo] Marek Raganowicz](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/troll-wall-winter-solo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Polish climber Marek Raganowicz spent 16 days soloing Suser gjennom Harryland (VI 5.10b A3, 650m) on Norway’s Troll Wall from January 11 to 26. The route finishes far short of the true summit, but the ascent is one of the best solo efforts on the Troll in winter so far.
![The jury panel recently announced the first recipients for the Grit and Rock First Ascent Expedition Award. [Photo] Grit and Rock Foundation](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/grit-and-rock-panel.jpg?resize=640%2C410&ssl=1)
The inaugural First Ascent Expedition Award is giving grants to four teams across three categories. The Grit and Rock Foundation created the award last September to “encourage female participation in pioneering alpine ascents and to further the understanding and exploration of the unclimbed peaks.”
![David Roberts on south ridge of the Angel, Revelation Mountains, Alaska, 1967. Roberts wrote about the eventful expedition in the 1968 American Alpine Journal. [Photo] Matt Hale](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/david-roberts-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Now facing Stage IV throat cancer, David Roberts reflects on his climbing and writing careers in this interview with Michael Wejchert. Roberts is one of the most prolific American climbing authors and has a climbing resume to match his list of titles.
![A climber nears the top of Rim Shot (5.11-, 400'), Bridger Jack Butte, Indian Creek, Utah. The area is included in the new Bears Ears National Monument, which Utah lawmakers are asking President Donald Trump to rescind. [Photo] Derek Franz](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/bears-ears-rim-shot-2.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Arc’teryx, Ibex and Polartec join Patagonia to oppose Utah’s efforts to rescind Bears Ears National Monument. The tactics range from boycotting the Salt Lake City location of the Outdoor Retailer trade show and making financial donations to conservation efforts, to using the trade show as an opportunity to lobby Utah legislators.
![The Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, hosts the Outdoor Retailer. [Photo] hakkun, Wikimedia](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/patagonia-or-1-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
On February 3, Utah legislators moved to rescind Bears Ears National Monument. In response, Patagonia announced the company will stop attending the Outdoor Retailer trade shows hosted twice a year in Salt Lake City, Utah, but the company has no further plans to pull its business from Utah at this time.
![The Alpha-SV works well for alpine climbing; the long hem stays tucked under a harness, chest pockets are easy to access, and the long sleeves, ample hood, and high chin provide excellent coverage from the elements. In this photo Drew Thayer (the author) is wearing the jacket on the first ascent of Spearhead Peak (7,140'), Neacola Range, Alaska. [Photo Craig Muderlak]](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket-1-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
The Arc’teryx Alpha SV Jacket is a specialized piece of clothing built for the harshest climbing situations. Drew Thayer put it to the test on a month-long expedition in Alaska and awarded it five stars.
![On the Nose by Hans Florine and Jayme Moye. Falcon Books, 2016. 203 pages. Hardcover, $25. [Photo] Paula Wright](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/on-the-nose-1-scaled.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
On the Nose chronicles Hans Florine’s “lifelong obsession” with the most iconic route on El Capitan. Herein, we interview Florine and co-author Jayme Moye about their new book documenting Florine’s pursuit of the Nose speed record.
![Looking east from the summit of North Six Shooter in Indian Creek, Utah, provides a glimpse of the 1.35-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument. South Six Shooter is in the foreground and Bridger Jack Butte and pinnacles are in the middle ground. The Abajo Mountains are in the background to the right and the La Sal Mountains are just out of view to the left. Canyonlands National Park lies behind the photographer, just a few miles to the west. [Photo] Derek Franz](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/bears-ears-1-2.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Now that President Donald Trump is in office, and a new, Republican majority controls both the U.S. House and Senate, discussions about federal land management and resource extraction have intensified. This article briefly summarizes the current actions that are taking place and the political landscape, especially as it pertains to the new Bears Ears National Monument, which is near the center of the federal lands debate.
