![Chris Kalman placing a #6 (purple) DMM Dragonfly on a steep new route in Arizona. [Photo] Nelson Klein](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/dmm-dragonfly-micro-cams-1-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
The DMM Dragonfly Micro Cams are among the smallest and strongest cams ever made. Chris Kalman tested them on the thin cracks near his home in northern Arizona. He reports that there are some aspects of the design that he absolutely loves, but ultimately he was disappointed with the narrow size range of the cams compared to other brands. The narrow range required much more careful selection for placements. Three stars
![Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell can be seen standing on the summit of the Sharkstooth (12,630') in Rocky Mountain National Park at sunrise on Saturday, July 18, during their Continental Divide Ultimate Linkup (CDUL). [Photo] Adam Stack](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rmnp-cdul-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold have completed a linkup of staggering proportions in Rocky Mountain National Park. The duo dubbed their route the Continental Divide Ultimate Linkup (CDUL). They stood atop 17 summits and completed 11 technical climbing routes (totaling approximately 65 pitches varying in difficulty from 5.6 to 5.11) and covered about 35 miles and 20,000 feet of vertical gain in roughly 36 hours. “We’re both slightly injured and hobbling around,” Honnold told Alpinist.
![A storm settles over the Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range, Wyoming. [Photo] Derek Franz](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/a70-tcl-wringing-it-out-1.jpeg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
In this story from The Climbing Life section of Alpinist 70, Spencer Gray experiences an unusual turn of events when he gets caught in the rain on a multipitch route while climbing with a less-experienced experienced partner.
![The author wearing the La Sportiva Testarossa climbing shoes at a crag near Redstone, Colorado. [Photo] Nat Gustafson](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/la-sportiva-testarossa-1-2.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz has been using the slightly redesigned La Sportiva Testarossa climbing shoes for the past several months and discovered what he’s been missing in his collection. He writes, “I only recently came to realize why so many of my climbing partners have been rocking the La Sportiva Testarossa for the last 17 years. I get it now!” Five stars.
![A climber displays their worn tape gloves. [Photo] Andrew Burr](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/a70-tool-users-crack-gloves-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
In this Tool Users story that first appeared in Alpinist 70–which is now available on some newsstands and in our online store–Mailee Hung considers the history, and the perceived absurdity, of crack climbing gloves.
![Clint Helander using the Mystery Ranch Tower 47 backpack in Alaska. [Photo] Clint Helander collection](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/mystery-ranch-tower-47-1-2.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Alaskan alpinist Clint Helander tested the Mystery Ranch Tower 47 backpack for all sorts of activities. The pack is designed as a crag pack for rock climbing—for which it shines—but Helander also used it for ice climbing and skiing. The pack is big and bulky, he reports, but its durability and functionality make it worth the extra grams. Four stars.
Today marks the release of the long-anticipated film, “A Thousand Ways to Kiss the Ground,” directed by Henna Taylor. The film release is in conjunction with a fundraiser for the Climbing Grief Fund (CGF)–from now until July 20, people who donate $15 or more to the CGF will receive access to the film. There is also an online auction from July 7 through July 20, and discussion panels on July 9 and July 14. The film includes interviews with prominent climbers such as Alex Honnold, Lynn Hill and many more. The project’s aim was “to capture the climbing community’s collective experience of grief and loss, and the nuanced wisdom inherent in each individual’s relationship with grief.”
![This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. [Image] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.gov)](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/cdc-coronavirus-graphic.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
While the number of COVID-19 cases is declining in some areas of the US, allowing more people to venture outside their homes, some other places are seeing dramatic increases in the number of infections. Meanwhile, gyms have been reopening, restless climbers are venturing out of their home bouldering caves, and many people have been asking how they can start climbing responsibly to avoid the risk of spreading the highly contagious coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a potentially fatal illness. Here is the latest information from doctors who are involved with climbing communities.
![Derek Franz sets up his Zenbivy bed during a backpack trip in Colorado's Elk Range. [Photo] Mandi Franz](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/zenbivy-light-1-2.jpeg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
Alpinist digital editor Derek Franz has been using the Zenbivy Light bed system for the past year. As a guy who prefers to avoid the constriction of mummy sleeping bags, he sleeps comfortably with the Zenbivy in a variety of environments. His only critique is that the setup can be a little tedious. Four stars.
![Mitsu Iwasaki will assume duties as the new Chief Executive Officer of the American Alpine Club on August 3. [Photo] Courtesy of the American Alpine Club](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/new-aac-ceo-mitsu-iwasaki.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
The American Alpine Club announced yesterday that Mitsu Iwasaki will take over as its Chief Executive Officer on August 3. Iwasaki is replacing CEO Phil Powers, who announced last October that he would be stepping down this summer after serving for 15 years. Iwasaki is has been working as the Executive Director of the Mazamas in Portland, Oregon, since August 2019.
