Table of Contents

profile

Area Profile: Valle Cochamo

Tales of Chile's untouched, 1000-meter granite walls have quietly circulated among the cognoscenti for a decade. But as many have found, you might have to go through fire and water to get there. Daniel Seeliger delves into the exploration of Chile's El Dorado, while Crispin Waddy, Thomas Tivadar, Sabine Tittel, Cole Taylor and Boguslaw Kowalski relate their adventures in South America's promised land.

sharp end

Booty

Short Pitches

Cragging News.

Editor's Note

Of Men and Mobilekind.

Namesake

How CS Concerto got its name.

The Big Bro

The Big Bro's rise to power.

contributors

letters

Letters

Causes celebrares, a few admonishments and a mythical send.

climbing life

The Climbing Life

Observations from the field.

wired

Escape Route

Summertime blues? Fortunately for Salt Lake City climbers, one of the coolest escapes is right in their backyard.

First Ascent

Nutcracker Suite represented one of the first steps in a new, all-clean revolution, but it was also an elegant pas de deux for one of climbing's most committed couples.

Full Value

Peru's Cordillera Vilocanota range promised unclimbed peaks and full adventure. The travel catalogue hadn't mentioned bandits.

Off Belay

An alpine bijou.

Wired

Enchainments are new again.

features content

Going Square

People like their mind-bending addictions in a variety of ways. The question for one young alpinist is: Which one is strongest?

K2—The Russian Route

To many alpinists, K2 is the world's hardest mountain. What to make of a team, then, that climbed its hardest route with two grandfathers and no oxygen? Siege style in the Death Zone with Grandpa Shabalin.

Life Is Lilac

The world's best big-wall soloist finds that color, like every other sensation, feels more intense when you're alone.

Stripped

When the bottom fell out for one climber, she decided to confront her fears full-on. The results surprised even her.

Vertical Vision

It was his signature European big-wall free climb—until someone desecrated it. Redemption with a view in Italy's Dolomites. With photographs by Michael Meisl.

local heroes

Local Hero

If you had to spend weeks committed to a seriously desperate objective, whom would you choose as your climbing partner? Conrad Anker selects one of America's greatest underfunded, overcommitted alpinists: Doug Chabot. With pictures by Gordon Wiltsie.