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Alan Rousseau
/ April 13
Maurice Isserman
/ May 25
To honor the life of Tom Hornbein, who died on May 6, 2023, at his home in Estes Park, Colorado, at age 92, we are sharing this feature story from Alpinist 73 (2021) by mountaineering historian Maurice Isserman. Hornbein was one of America's greatest climbers, best known for completing the first ascent of Mt. Everest's West Ridge with Willi Unsoeld in 1963. He also earned distinction in his long career as an anesthesiologist and advanced research on the effects of altitude on the human body. The American Alpine Club awarded him the AAC President's Gold Medal twice and bestowed him with an honorary membership and special recognition for service to the club. In this story, Isserman interviews Hornbein about the youthful adventures that led him to the world's highest peak and the meanings that he still sought in the mountains at age 90.
Derek Franz
/ March 10
In this Sharp End story from Alpinist 81--which is now on newsstands and in our online store--Derek Franz seeks a balance between safety and boldness. He writes: "Climbing...is full of duality, encompassing a range of contradictory values.... There is a continual tightrope walk between the opposing values of safety and boldness, and the search for optimal balance between the two has always shaped the evolution of our pastime. Questions that seem to have been settled at various times in the past reemerge. There is now a fast-growing population of climbers, with increasing numbers of them going into the mountains strong from gym training but short on outdoor experience. The mindset in which people approach the wild places is changing, and the duality of our values is becoming more pronounced."
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Miya Tsudome
/ July 28
If you want to fantasize about snow in the middle of summer, check out Miya Tsudome's review of the Patagonia Dual Aspect Jacket and Bibs. She reports that the company's proprietary H2No performance standard for waterproofing is lightweight and passed "the hose test," but it does give up some durability compared to Gore-Tex. Added pluses are that the garments are made from recycled materials and do not contain any perfluorinated chemicals in their waterproof finish, and the bibs are "bathroom compatible" for women. Tsudome writes: "I would recommend this kit to the serious alpinist who sees herself spending a lot of time climbing or skiing in mountain environments where water resistance and maneuverability from a hard shell are paramount." Five stars.
5 out of 5 stars
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Meg O'Neill
From October 24-30, 2016, Meg O'Neill shared some stories and photos with the #AlpinistCommunityProject about her path to alpinism. O'Neill died tragically on April 2, 2023, while ice climbing with two friends on Raven Falls in northeastern Utah when an ice pillar collapsed. On April 4 the Duchesne County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a 34-year-old male was climbing when the ice fell, and that O'Neill, 41, pushed the 21-year-old female belayer out of harm's way, saving a life at the cost of her own. The 21-year-old was then able to escape and call for help. The male climber was air-lifted off the mountain with serious injuries, according to the sheriff's press release. O'Neill was Assistant Director of Embark Outdoors, where she passionately carried out the nonprofit's mission of "empowering refugee young women through outdoor education and sports." @embark.outdoors posted on Instagram: "Most of our girls have known Meg for half their life. She'd been a mentor to them since 7th grade. She was the heart and soul of this program, as you all well know." In memory of O'Neill's vibrant personality, we are revisiting the stories she shared with us in 2016.
From March 19-25, 2017, Mike Libecki shared some stories and photos with the #AlpinistCommunityProject about an expedition to Greenland in 2015 to climb a remote, unclimbed peak, which he'd named the Polar Bear Fang after finding it on maps and reconnoitering the approach by boat on different trips through the years. He had tried to reach the Fang--which he is certain is in a never-before visited area--on several occasions, but he had been shut down nearly every time because of sea ice, and once because there were too many polar bears to get off the boat. On this last attempt, he'd planned to go alone, but that quickly changed.
From October 1-6, 2018, Nina Glazunov-Neverov shared some stories and photos with the #AlpinistCommunityProject about the life of her husband Sergey Glazunov, who reached a historic highpoint with Alexander Gukov on the North Ridge of Latok I (7145m) in Pakistan. During their descent, on July 25, Sergey Glazunov fell to his death. He was only 26 years old. Gukov was subsequently stranded for a week at 6200 meters before he was rescued by a dramatic helicopter operation, flown by Pakistani pilots Major Qazi Muhammad Mazhar-ud-Din, Major Abid Rafique, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Anjum Rafique and Major Fakhar-e-Abbas. Sergey Glazunov had often climbed with his brother Evgeniy. Glazunov-Neverov said she may take some time before she pursues serious mountaineering again. "I want to continue Sergey's hobby but I need to think about this," she said. Meanwhile, she said that Evgeniy wants to keep supporting young mountaineers in memory of his brother.
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