Table of Contents

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The Matterhorn

So archetypical it's nearly a cliche, the Matterhorn has retained its power over the imagination for more than a century. Herve Barmasse and Luca Maspes spin Cervino's tale, while Alessandro Gogna, Marco Barmasse, Catherine Destivelle and Patrick Gabarrou recount their adventures on the world's most iconic peak.

climbing notes

FITZ ROY MASSIF

Fitz Roy, Poincenot, and other activity.

FITZ ROY

FITZ ROY

CERRO MURALLON

KYAZO RI

DRONNING MAUD LAND

CERRO TORRE MASSIF

CANADIAN ROCKIES

BERNESE OBERLAND

ARGENTINE PATAGONIA

ZION NATIONAL PARK

editors note

The Perfect Turn

contributors

Contributors

Ladies and gentlemen, the talent.

letters

Letters

Irate Italians, bellicose Bulgarians, a pissed-off Brit: impassioned readers sound off from around the world.

faces

Alexander Ruchkin

Russian climber Alexander Ruchkin seeks out untouched rock from the Himalaya to the Arctic, yet the peaks of Central Asia remain to him a perpetually unknown country—and the home to which he always returns.

climbing life

first ascent

Irene's Arete

In 1957 a pioneering physicist teamed up with a bookish medical student to establish a Teton classic. But Irene's Arete is more than a route; its a testimony to a woman's transormation.

sharp end

The Sharp End

Ueli Steck's first lead gave him an appreciation for self-reliance and autonomy. Good thing: the solos that followed would demand both.

off belay

Off Belay

features content

Passion and Beauty

Over thirty years, a photographer's quest for the perfect image has led to encounters with climbing's most striking places and people. Herein, some of the results.

Killing Legends

When a writer discovers one of climbing's legendary historical figures still getting after it, his research turns into an unplanned-for adventure. But what if he kills his own subject.

Victors of the Unwinnable

Mountaineering awards have existed for hundreds of years, but in the past decade one attempt to reward the essence of climbing has dominated the stage: the Piolet d'Or. A three-time nominee explores the reality of this quixotic, and controversial, award.

The Ark of the Winds

To the climbing media, the enduring controversy of Cerro Torre's 1959 "first ascent" represented the point of the north face. For three of Patagonia's most devoted aficionados, however, it was simply the most beautiful line they could imagine.

Sum Equals Zero

Nanga Parbat's Rupal Face offered one man the chance to push beyond his limits. The danger would come if he failed to emerge from his own success.