So far this year, we’ve gotten a glimpse into the mind of Reinhold Messner, let Jeremy Collins’ words and sketches transport us around the world and adventured with the Explorer’s Club. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to pick up a copy of Against the Wind, Eventually a Sequoia or Letters from the Edge while we’re busy at work on Alpinist 94. Happy reading!
In this Sharp End story from Alpinist 93, Derek Franz celebrates the humble value of small backwater places that can offer us much more than what meets the eye. He writes: “In recent months, a cluster of humble boulders near a small town where I grew up has given me solace. As a teenager I couldn’t wait to escape that quiet, dusty town. I was unaware of the boulders and so many other things nearby. Now, whenever I have a few hours on a clear ‘winter’ day, I drive half an hour to return to a place I once loathed…. I am searching for the line. That can be many things. On the rock, it is an enchainment of moves that flow together like music.”
In this Off Belay story from Alpinist 92, Henry Barber shares a memorable moment from his historic trip to Australia in 1975. After completing the first free ascent of the offwidth roof crack Kama Sutra, he finds himself in a pinch with the real climax of the day yet to come. Barber writes:
“I had decided to drop out of a respected business school when I boarded a plane to Australia in 1975. I’d already taken a year and a half off, which was fine with my dad, but quitting now meant that future education would be on my nickel. No screwing around this time…. On the plane, I packed a single 150-foot 9mm rope. The thin-diameter ropes weren’t rated as single ropes back then, but if my entire kit for six weeks could fit under the plane seat in front of me, it was going south.”
Tami Knight writes about the Tiedemann Group’s easternmost series of summits, known as the Stilettos. She writes:
“The Stilettos are the little siblings of the spectacular mountains right next door, but they attract attention because, once you’re in the area, access is easy and they require a shorter weather window for climbing.”
Ethan Berman writes about the two attempts he made with friends to complete the “Waddington Loop.” The first effort ended with a helicopter rescue. The second trip was significantly more fun, but they were still humbled by the mountains. Berman writes:
“Great success? Giant flop? I’m still not sure what to make of the five days I spent in the Waddington Range with Matteo Agnoloni and Seba Pelletti in early August 2023…. Peter Croft, Greg Foweraker and Don Serl completed the Waddington traverse in 1985. We planned to go in the opposite direction and loop back to where we started, as opposed to getting dropped off and picked up at opposite ends of the range.”
Peter Croft writes about “the warm deliciousness of being alive” when he traversed from Mt. Waddington to Serra V with Don Serl and Greg Foweraker in 1985: “It all started out so well. The granite was solid and straightforward, and even though the sky was still scowling at us, I started to believe we might just sneak it out before any nastiness happened. That was before we looked down the other side. If there was ever a poster child for the perils of descents, Serra V would be it for me.”
Michael Down writes about attempting to snag the second ascent of Serra V with John Howe. It was twenty-one years after the peak’s first ascent in 1964, but that didn’t make the difficulties much easier. They turned around upon finding “rotten and decomposed rock” on their intended route—only to discover more frustrations at their camp.
Glenn Woodsworth writes about the first ascent of Serra V in 1964. Woodworth writes:
“During the next day or so of bad weather, we learned that Roy was also flying a strong party into the Rainy Knob area, a quartet of Canadians and Brits who hoped to climb the unclimbed northwest ridge of Mt. Waddington and Serra V. We knew these folks by reputation, but we had only climbed with one of them. They were certainly more confident than we were, and they said, ‘You guys are strong scramblers and hill walkers, but you are out of your depth in this range. Leave the real mountains to real mountaineers.’ We didn’t say much; what was there to say? But inwardly, I felt that there was some truth to the banter. I was certain of Dick’s abilities, but I was uncertain as to mine. Years later I learned that Dick was uncertain about his abilities but had confidence in mine.”
This year, Sonnie Trotter brought us back to 2006, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), as his fingers flexed against steep granite on the first free ascent of Cobra Crack. We stood next to Mimi Zieman in a whiteout as she waited for her teammates on Chomolungma (Everest) in 1988. Lisa Roderick gave us an intimate look at Denali’s Kahiltna Basecamp. These stories represent a small piece of everything Alpinist editors and contributors read in 2025; may they bring you as much inspiration, curiosity and humor as they did us.
In this Sharp End story from Alpinist 92, Derek Franz writes of his experience climbing in the Swiss Alps with The North Face team last September and learning about everything that went into developing the Advanced Mountain Kit Summit Series 2.0.
In this On Belay story from Alpinist 91, Will Gadd shares the details of how he and Kirk Mauthner uncovered some of the best ice climbs of their lives close to their homes in Canada. The pair spent three years snowmobiling into the Kootenays, swinging tools into steep ice and skiing through complex avalanche terrain. Through it all, Gadd considered not just the quality of the climbing, but how he assesses risk in dangerous environments. He writes:
“I still struggle with the basic question: Is it worth it? I don’t honestly know. But I do know that the answer has to be not just yes, but “Fuck yes!” for it to be worthwhile.”
In this Full Value story from Alpinist 91, Christopher Elliott interrogates the history of climbing in the Brenta Dolomites, the Nazi preoccupation with mountains and the responsibility of individuals in the face of fascism. He writes:
“The history of alpinism in the Brenta Dolomites is a dramatis personae of characters who ‘achieved’ things that are very comprehensible to me as a climber. But some of these characters also lacked the will and insight to see and do the right thing when it mattered most. In other words, it was possible to both brave the odds and ‘triumph’ and be a coward at the same time…. Had I been on that balcony with Hitler beside me and a mass of marching troops below, what would I have done?”
