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[Photo] Paul Zizka

Totality from a Mountaintop

In this letter to the editor from Alpinist 60, Christopher Elliott describes the solar eclipse that occurred on August 21, 2017, and the fleeting “moment of totality” that he and his fellow observers experienced from the top of a mountain.

Billy Westbay, Jim Bridwell and John Long after the first one-day ascent of the Nose in 1975. [Photo] Courtesy of StoneMastersPress

Climbing legend Jim ‘the Bird’ Bridwell dies at age 73

Jim Bridwell died this morning, February 16, in Palm Springs, California, after months of suffering from illness. He was 73. Nicknamed “the Bird,” Bridwell has been an icon of American climbing for decades. He arrived in Yosemite as a wide-eyed 17-year-old and learned from the foremost climbers of the day, including Royal Robbins, Layton Kor (for whom he later named his son), Chuck Pratt and Frank Sacherer. He eventually mentored the next generation of climbing legends such as John Long, John Bachar, Ron Kauk, Billy Westbay and countless others. Bridwell was known for ingenuity as well as climbing prowess.

The Grit and Rock First Ascent Award recipients this year, in alphabetical order, from top left-to-right, are: Katie Bono, Cecilia Buil, Whitney Clark, Ixchel Foord, Ilana Jesse, Josie McKee, Nina Neverov, Caro North, Alena Panova and Anna Torretta. [Image] Derek Franz

2018 Grit and Rock First Ascent Award recipients announced

Grit and Rock recently announced the recipients of its 2018 First Ascent Award, a grant that is dedicated to promoting mountain exploration and first ascents by women. The recipients this year, in alphabetical order, are Katie Bono, Cecilia Buil, Whitney Clark, Ixchel Foord, Ilana Jesse, Josie McKee, Nina Neverov, Caro North, Alena Panova and Anna Torretta. The teams plan to attempt new routes in Alaska, India, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal.

Viewing the sunrise on Mt. Baker with the MSR Advance Pro 2 Ultralight tent. [Photo] Mallorie Estenson

MSR Advance Pro 2 Ultralight: a single-wall, four-season tent that is simple and convenient

Mallorie Estenson, an alpine guide and climber based in the Pacific Northwest, has been using the MSR Advance Pro 2 Ultralight–a single-wall, four-season tent–on some ski-mountaineering trips in Washington this winter. The tent is intended to be simple and compact so that it can fit onto narrow ledges found on the side of a mountain. Estenson reports that it was light, easy to set up, and comfortable enough for her to give it four stars.

The author with the Blue Ice Yeti 50L backpack in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. [Photo] Chris Wood

The Blue Ice Yeti 50L Pack: Small innovations that make an impact

Blue Ice is a small, relatively new company that started in a garage in Europe and now has a presence in North America. IFMGA/AMGA guide Mike Lewis has been using the Blue Ice Yeti 50L backpack, and aside from a few details that didn’t comply with his exact personal preferences, he liked it well enough to award it five stars.

Elizabeth Hawley. [Photo] Courtesy of the Michael and Meg Leonard collection

Elizabeth Hawley Remembered

Bernadette McDonald recounts the life of Elizabeth Hawley, who died January 26, 2018. Hawley was a prolific and esteemed journalist who lived in Kathmandu, Nepal, and documented Himalayan mountaineering from 1959 until 2015. McDonald, who authored a biography about Hawley, describes the 94-year-old as “a feminist before her time, a pillar of society in Kathmandu, an icon in the mountaineering community, a fiercely independent woman, and a dear friend to many.”

[Illustration] Andreas Schmidt

Auden in the Brooks Range

In 1969, a young David Roberts buzzes the doorbell at the apartment of W. H. Auden, his literary hero, in hopes of inspiring the aging poet to journey with him to Alaska’s Brooks Range.

Hugues Beauzile and Lucien Lulu Berardini climbing at the crag they helped develop in Claret, France. [Photo] Pascal Tournaire

The Force of the Soul: Hugues Beauzile

In this feature from Alpinist 60, James Edward Mills recounts the story of Hugues Beauzile, the son of a Haitian immigrant who became one of the most promising young alpinists in France before his death on the South Face of Aconcagua 1995.