Table of Contents

profile

By Fair Means

Think the recent high jinks in the Valley are a new phenomenon? Think again. Ian Parnell presents 150 years of evolution, from Italian limestone to Patagonian granite.

climbing notes

GRANDES JORASSES

PRE DE BAR

MONT BLANC

ARGENTINE PATAGONIA

AGUJA RAFAEL JUAREZ

HOWSE PEAK

TORRE NORTE

MT. POI

LOS GIGANTES

ROC DE LA VALETTE

WOHLTHAT MASSIF

JABAL MISHT

PETIT DRU

ACONCAGUA

editors note

Editor's Note

letters

Letters

On pirates, tongue-ups and wishful thinking.

faces

Marie-Odile Meunier "Titoune" Bouchard

Climbing has not changed Titoune Meunier Bouchard's life. It's the only life she has known.

climbing life

The Climbing Life

Observations from the field.

inmemoriam

In Memoriam

Earl Wiggins, 1957-2002

off belay

Off Belay

Deep-water soloing anyone?

features content

Painted Blue

Does the climbing life stand up to analysis? One climber tries to answer the bigger questions and comes away more committed than before.

Crazy from the Heat

Vertical Dreams

Italy's Lecco Spiders are fifty-seven years into their celebrated history, but without a Cassin or Ferrari to lead them, will their future be as bright?

The Adventures of Hardy Grimper

In which we find Hardy and Hate belly-up in the Hole-'N-the-Wall brewpub, with Forrest Quinn to blame.

Under the Influence

In 1999, a trio of talented alpinists picked off M16, a new route in the Canadian Rockies that raised the standards and a few hackles as well. In December, 2002, the M-climbers fired back.