Alpinist Magazine

07/11/2025

At the end of June, David Göttler (Germany) and Tiphaine Duperier and Boris Langenstein (France), climbed Nanga Parbat (8125m) via the Schell Route on the Rupal Face in alpine style and descended by paraglider (Göttler) and skis after down climbing a few hundred meters from the windy summit. The trio launched from Base Camp at 3600 meters on June 21 and summited on June 24 at approximately 3:30 p.m. It was Göttler’s fifth attempt to reach the summit since 2013, including two tries in winter.

Read the story here: https://alpinist.com/newswire/alpine-style-ascent-of-nanga-parbat-with-paraglide-and-ski-descents/

David Göttler paragliding down to base camp on June 24 after summiting Nanga Parbat (8125m). [Photo] Courtesy David Göttler

06/20/2025

In this Sharp End story from Alpinist 90—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Derek Franz writes about finding stimulating experiences close to home and appreciates our access to public lands. He writes:

“I’m incredibly lucky to live in the heart of the Rocky Mountains…. I have backcountry skiing, ice climbing, Class V+ whitewater, 5.15 sport climbs (yes, plural), sandstone splitters and untold nooks and crannies to explore at the drop of a laptop. Still, I know a part of me to complain: ‘BORING!’ ...

“At the end of the day, though, it’s only lack of imagination that dulls my vision....

“The good news is that we live in a nation with public lands and natural wonders in pretty much every direction. That is, assuming our public lands aren’t auctioned off by the Trump administration, which appears to be a real threat at the time of this writing, when thousands of employees critical for managing these lands are being laid off. In this age of global warming and short-term exploitation of our environment, I say it’s high time for us to better advocate for what we have close to home.”

You can now read the story online: https://alpinist.com/the-sharp-end/close-to-home/

Did you know—only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up Alpinist 90 for all the goodness: Alpinist.com/90

The author hangs out to assess the moves prior to completing the first free ascent of Roofus Do**us (5.12) in Colorado’s Sawatch Range in 2022. The offwidth crack was first aid climbed by Cam Burns in 1998. [Photo] Mandi Franz
8000

06/17/2025

Issue 90 features a story by Pete Whittaker about a sailing expedition to Greenland with Seán Villanueva O’Driscoll, Sean Warren and Julia Cassou, in which they completed a new route on Greenland’s 1200-meter Mirror Wall. The bold and prolific Japanese climber Keita Kurakami was supposed to be part of the team, but he died of a heart condition weeks before the scheduled departure. Whittaker writes about how they carried on in a style that honored the legacy of their departed friend, naming the route Ryu-shin (5.13d R A2+).

Elsewhere in the magazine, Russian journalist Anna Piunova reflects on Russia’s complicated climbing history and the losses that accompany it. National Geographic photographer Jayce Kolinski writes about meeting a friend named Dustin Sutton who changed their perspective on the big picture. Confronting the realities of climate change, Christian Kiefer grapples with the age-old question: Am I the as***le? That is, is his lifestyle as a climber making climate change worse?

Meanwhile, Derek Franz writes about finding adventure close to home. Paula LaRochelle, Katie Ives and Franz share reading recommendations. Abbey Collins interviews Julia Cassou. And Carolyn Tillie looks into the eccentric expeditions of Aleister Crowley. Fay Manners ventures across fast rivers, through dense forests and up dirty granite to get closer to the unknown. Matt Samet considers the futuristic influence of light-up training boards. Lauren DeLaunay Miller makes the case for truth. Laura Case Larson reflects on her path to copy editing. Rosie Bates shares a poem. Chris Deuto rope solos the Diamond in winter. Sara Frenning analyzes the impacts of Western worldviews and the commercial tourism industry on Nepal. Eliza Nelson recognizes the strength and character of Venezuelan climbing guide Jaseh Munelo. Holly Yu Tung Chen draws inspiration from a painting in Taiwan’s National Palace Museum. And much more.

Alpinist.com/90


Alpinist 90 Cover: Seán Villanueva O’Driscoll confronts the “impassable” corner that had ended his previous Mirror Wall expedition in 2023. Last summer, he proved the dihedral was, in fact, passable. [Photo] Julia Cassou

06/13/2025

The 2025 Grit&Rock grant winners have been announced!

This year’s grant recipients are taking their skills to high-reaches of our world: from Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island to Cerro Steffen on the southern Patagonian Icefield, White Sapphire in the Indian Kishtwar and more.

Read the rest of the story online here: https://alpinist.com/newswire/2025-gritrock-award-recipients-announced/

Shira Biner leading a pitch while her belayer stands on a floating ice sheet. [Photo] Courtesy Grit&Rock, James Klemmensen

✍️ Max Miller

With comments from .prados

06/12/2025

In honor of Father’s Day on June 15, we’re sharing an excerpt from a feature story by Brendan Jones in Issue 89 (Spring 2025), titled “In the Shadow of the Grand: A Reflection on the Life of Michael Gardner.” Jones befriended Gardner during a guided trip on the Grand Teton in July 2022 and came to learn more about Gardner’s tangled emotions from losing his father, George, when he was sixteen years old. Having also grown up without a father, Jones could relate and Michael agreed to participate in a profile story. Sadly, the piece was to become a tribute when the world-renowned alpinist and extreme sports athlete died on October 7, 2024, while attempting to climb Jannu East (7460m) in Nepal with Sam Hennessey. You can find the complete story in Alpinist 89, which is available in our online store

The excerpt from the nearly 13,000-word story can be read online here: https://alpinist.com/features/in-the-shadow-of-the-grand-a-reflection-on-the-life-of-michael-gardner/

Did you know—only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up Alpinist 89 for all the goodness: Alpinist.com/89

1) Gardner in the Lupine Meadows cabin where he often spent summers with his family in his early years. [Photo] Eric Bissell

2) The Gardner family in autumn of 1992. [Photo] Courtesy Colleen Gardner

3) Gardner looks out from the summit of Teewinot Mountain while leading a trip on the Grand Traverse with Dan Corn. [Photo] Dan Corn

05/20/2025

04/04/2025

Whenever there is an ascent that breaks away from expected norms in terms of tactics, style, difficulty, whatever—it is usually worth a second look, if for no other reason than to better understand its implications.

The news and images of Jesse Huey, Matt Segal and Quentin Roberts using ice axes to drytool the thin cracks of a classic summer free climbing route on the Diamond of Longs Peak sparked a range of opinions. Ice tools are generally expected to be used on winter ascents of alpine routes, but clearly there are some places where this style might not be a good idea, such as a popular cliff located on the edge of a major population. That means there is all the more reason to talk about it and clarify things sooner than later, while we can make active choices as we face a future of rapid growth and change.

In this story, Derek Franz interviews Huey, Roberts, Glassberg and Chris Deuto as well as respected alpinists Josh Wharton, Topher Donahue and Nick Aiello-Popeo. Wharton and Donahue have been climbing on the Diamond most of their lives; Aiello-Popeo has first-hand perspective about the impacts of mixed climbing at Cathedral Ledge, a popular summer-winter crag in New Hampshire.

Read the rest of the story here: https://alpinist.com/features/a-discussion-of-mixed-reactions-to-a-mixed-winter-ascent-of-the-diamond/

[Photos] Courtesy of Arc’teryx/Jon Glassberg

.donahue .8000

03/22/2025

Colorado climbers Jesse Huey, Matt Segal and their Canadian friend Quentin Roberts recently completed a winter, mixed-style free ascent of D7 on the Diamond of Longs Peak (Neniisoteyou’u, 14,255’). Though they used ice axes to dry tool the thin cracks of the 5.11+ route, they did not use crampons to avoid leaving scratch marks on one of the state’s most classic alpine climbs. There were also short sections that required bare hands to climb. All three climbed the ca. 600-foot route without jumaring to clean and follow the pitches.

“A team free ascent was really important to all of us,” Huey told Alpinist over the phone. He said that style was much slower than having a dedicated supporter following on jumars. “Transitioning from freezing at the belay to climbing took time,” he said. A key strategy was carrying down booties on their harnesses to change into at belays, rather than lugging up heavy boots.

Read the rest of the story here: https://alpinist.com/newswire/a-mixed-style-free-ascent-of-the-diamond-in-winter-sans-crampons/

[Photos] Courtesy of Arc’teryx/Jon Glassberg

03/20/2025

In this Sharp End story from Alpinist 89—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Derek Franz writes about thirty-one-year-old Séb Berthe becoming the fourth person to free climb the Dawn Wall, a thirty-two-pitch 5.14d route on El Capitan, after a fourteen-day push in January. Beyond that, Franz contemplates what else might be accomplished with the willpower and dedication of a climber’s mindset; he writes:

“Dawn Wall free in a day. There, I thought it, said it, wrote it. Someday it’s sure to happen, yes? Séb Berthe agrees…. Saying, speaking, believing—these all make a thing that much closer to reality. Or, potentially, they only lead one deeper into rabbit holes of delusion. Fanciful, futuristic things are generally assumed to be delusion until they are made real by alchemists—people who maybe have to be at least a little bit mad to believe such possibilities in the first place. Climbers constantly test themselves against delusion.”

You can now read the story online: https://alpinist.com/the-sharp-end/impossible-things/

Did you know—only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up Alpinist 89 for all the goodness: Alpinist.com/89

1) Berthe assesses his skin on January 29, Day 13 of a successful fourteen-day push to free climb El Capitan’s Dawn Wall (VI 5.14d). With a storm bearing down, he would press on through the night of January 30, climbing two pitches of 5.13, five of 5.12 and five of 5.11 to top out at 8 a.m. on January 31. [Photo] Chris Natalie

2) Berthe fights through snow and wind to send Pitch 14 (5.14d). [Photo] Chris Natalie


8000

03/19/2025

ALPINIST 89 | SPRING 2025 | JANNU EAST | ST. KILDA | SQUAMISH | CAYONLANDS | MAPACHE STYLE

Issue 89 features a story by Brendan Jones about the life of Michael Gardner, a world-renowned alpinist and extreme sports athlete. Gardner guided Jones up the Grand Teton in 2022 and the two kept in touch with plans for Jones to write a magazine profile about Gardner’s wild and unusual life. Tragically, he fell to his death and disappeared while attempting to complete the first ascent of Jannu East (7460m) in Nepal with Sam Hennessey last October. Jones’ story has become a reflection that looks into the lives of the Gardner family.

Elsewhere in the magazine, Didier Berthod writes about his life’s journey that revolved around his efforts to send Cobra Crack (5.14b) in Squamish. The Swiss phenom was 23 years old at the time and had yet to be tested by deep failure and uncertainty. Plus, Mary Catherine Eden writes about growing up “land rich and money poor” with her parents and older sister in rural Kentucky, and the unlikely routes that led to her becoming one of the best crack climbers on the planet.

Meanwhile, Derek Franz writes about Séb Berthe’s free ascent of the Dawn Wall. Katie Ives, Andrew Szalay and Abbey Collins share reading recommendations. Collins interviews some of the researchers behind the new collection Other Everests. And Hannah Provost cracks open a very old book.

Robbie Phillips sails to the historic seacliffs of St. Kilda. Chris Schulte measures a day. Collins gets engaged in the Red River Gorge. Franz sends a poetry problem. Lauren Fox sees the consequences of climate change in the Himalaya close-up. Jill Wheatley finds solace in the mountains after a traumatic brain injury. Kapil Bisht celebrates Maya Sherpa’s insistence on revolting against traditional gender roles. Leo Gambella finds a bit of clarity during a cloudy day in Patagonia at the start of his career. And much, much more.

Find Alpinist 89 on newsstands, in our online store or subscribe at Alpinist.com/89


Alpinist 89 Cover: Mary Eden () squeezes up Gabriel (5.13), an offwidth route in Zion National Park. [Photo] Keisuke Mizuno