![Leading on unexplored terrain on the east face of Caliban in Alaska’s Arrigetch Range. Gus Barber, Lang Van Dommelen and Chris Williams’ new route, which they are simply referring to as the East Face for now, is a 2,500-foot Grade IV+ 5.11. [Photo] Lang Van Dommelen](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/caliban-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Gus Barber, Lang Van Dommelen and Chris Williams recently established a 2,500-foot first ascent of a Grade IV+ 5.11 on the east face of Caliban (ca. 6,400′) in Arrigetch Peaks in Gates of the Arctic National Park.
![Latok I (7145m). The North Ridge is the prominent line right of center. [Photo] Courtesy of Mountain.RU](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/latok-rescue-2.jpeg?resize=600%2C445&ssl=1)
After 40 years of thwarted attempts, the North Ridge of Latok I (7145m) has been climbed by Slovenian climbers Ales Cesen and Luka Strazar, and British climber Tom Livingstone.
Out of 58 climbs on the list of “significant ascents” in 2017, the Piolets d’Or committee has announced three climbs and two special mentions to be recognized at the upcoming 2018 award ceremony, which will be held outside of France–at the Ladek Mountain Festival in Poland–for the first time in the ceremony’s history. The event is scheduled for September 20-23. The honorees are Marek Holecek, Zdenek Hak, Kazuya Hiraide, Kenro Nakajima, Frederic Degoulet, Benjamin Guigonnet, Helias Millerioux, Chantel Astorga, Anne Gilbert Chase, Jason Thompson and Alex Honnold.
![The North Ridge of Latok I with Alexander Gukov's position marked in red, where helicopters reached him July 31. [Photo] Courtesy of Mountain.RU](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/latok-rescue-folo-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Alexander Gukov, 42, is safe after spending nearly a full seven days at 6200 meters stuck on the North Ridge of Latok I (7145m) in Pakistan. He was lifted from the mountain by a longline helicopter operation.
![Brittany Goris plugs small gear on the 5.13c/d pitch of City Park, Index, Washington. [Photo] Truc Allen](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/brittany-goris-city-park.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
On July 10, Brittany Goris became the first woman and sixth person to free climb the storied first pitch of City Park, which has a reputation as one of the hardest trad lines in the state at 5.13c/d. Goris, 25, was also the third person to place all gear on lead.
![K2 (8611m). [Photo] Piotr Pawlus / Red Bull Content Pool](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/k2-ski-descent-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
On Sunday, July 22, Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel became the first person in history to climb and ski the behemoth K2 (8611m), located on the China/Pakistan border in the Karakoram Range.
![An image from a 2018 UIAA World Cup ice climbing competition. [Photo] UIAA/Kirov/Lena Tem](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/uiaa-world-cup-ice-competition-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
The American Alpine Club is hosting the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) World Cup Ice Climbing competition at Colorado’s Denver Civic Center Park on February 23-24. This will be the first time the competition has come to Denver. The event will be free to the public.
![David Allfrey tops out Zodiac on El Capitan at the end of his solo, record-setting ascent June 2, when he finished the route in 10 hours, 52 minutes, 50 seconds. The previous solo record of 11:18 was set by Nick Fowler in 2002. [Photo] Skiy Detray](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/el-cap-speed-records-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
More El Capitan speed records have been set since May 5 when Brandon Adams and Roger Putnam climbed the Shield in 8 hours, 55 minutes; Josie McKee and Diana Wendt set a female speed record on the Salathe, climbing the route in 16:24 on June 1; David Allfrey set the solo record of 10:52:50 on Zodiac on June 2; and Alexa Flower, Jane Jackson and Gena Wood completed the fastest all-female ascent of Zodiac in 16:20 on June 15. Meanwhile, Libby Sauter, who set the female record on the Nose with Mayan Smith-Gobat in 2014, has pulled back from speed climbing and shares her thoughts about the risks people are taking.
![Anne Gilbert Chase, left, and Chantel Astorga on the summit of Denali, June 5, after climbing the Slovak Direct. [Photo] Ian McEleney](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/denali-slovak-direct-1-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Chantel Astorga and Anne Gilbert Chase made what is likely the first female ascent, and only the ninth ascent overall, of the Slovak Direct (5.9 X M6 WI6+, 9,000′) on Denali (20,310′). They summited June 5 after starting the climb June 2.
![Latok I (7145m). The North Ridge is the prominent line right of center. [Photo] Courtesy of Mountain.RU](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/latok-rescue-2-1.jpeg?resize=600%2C445&ssl=1)