Weekly Feature Archives

Muhammad Ali of Sadpara

Posted May 2, 2019

In this Climbing Life story from Alpinist 62 (2018), Amanda Padoan profiles Muhammad Ali of Sadpara, Pakistan, after he completed the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat with Simone Moro (Italy) and Alex Txikon (Spain) in February 2016. Padoan writes: "Sponsorship never materialized for Ali, however, as it did for his European companions. He doesn't question why, not out loud. Back in Sadpara, he says he has too much to occupy him: wheat to thresh, potatoes to dig, cattle to feed, walls to mend, roofs to patch and children to educate."

"Unfinished Sympathy": An interview with Dmitry Golovchenko and Sergey Nilov about their new line on Kumbhakarna's east face

Posted April 25, 2019

Eliza Kubarska is an alpinist and filmmaker who accompanied Dmitry Golovchenko and Sergey Nilov to base camp during their recent ascent of a new line on the east face of Kumbhakarna (Jannu, 7710m) on March 16 to April 2. The men completed their 18-day round-trip on 14 days of rations and without completing a formal acclimatization period beforehand. Kurbarska conducted the following interview with them as they made their way back to Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 6.

1997: Homecoming

Posted April 5, 2019

In this Mountain Profile essay from Alpinist 65, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Amanda Tarr Forrest recounts an aid-solo ascent of the Hallucinogen Wall on the North Chasm View Wall in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in 1997.

1980: Granola and Champagne

Posted March 29, 2019

In this Mountain Profile essay from Alpinist 65, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Ed Webster documents some humorous, behind-the-scenes moments that occurred during the first ascent of the Hallucinogen Wall on the North Chasm View Wall in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

1972: The Excellent Adventure

Posted March 25, 2019

In this Mountain Profile essay from Alpinist 65, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store, Jamie Logan revisits the 1972 first ascent of the Goss-Logan Route (now rated IV/V 5.11 R) on North Chasm View Wall in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado.

Local Hero: Anna Piunova

Posted March 19, 2019

Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz profiles Anna Piunova, editor-in-chief of Mountain.ru. Piunova was instrumental in coordinating the helicopter rescue of Alex Gukov from 6200 meters on Latok I (7145m) in July 2018.

Catching Ludwig

Posted March 13, 2019

In this Climbing Life story from Alpinist 65, Cameron M. Burns learns to belay from an eccentric mentor before braving his way up Castleton Tower with a couple of friends and a few hexes.

The Ice Mirror

Posted March 8, 2019

In recognition of International Women's Day, we're now sharing this Sharp End story by Alpinist Editor-in-Chief Katie Ives that first appeared in Alpinist 65, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store. Ives writes, "I became fascinated by recurring myths and images in the ways that climbers interpret fragments of existence. And as I looked for more examples, I grew absorbed by the sheer volume of alpine fiction written by and about women.... For authors [during the turn of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries], alpine settings seemed to offer their heroines a level of empowerment that they rarely found in cities.... 'Why do we want to have alternate worlds?' asked the fantasy writer Joan Aiken in Locus Magazine (1998), 'You have to imagine something before you do it.'"

An Astonishing Plentitude

Posted March 5, 2019

This poem first appeared in Alpinist 65, which is now available on newsstands and in our online store. Sarah Audsley is a climber and poet living in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire. In January 2019, she completed an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College. She has received support for her creative work from the Rona Jaffe Foundation and the Vermont Studio Center. In this feature, we asked her to tell us a little about the inspiration for "An Astonishing Plentitude."

The End of the Beginning

Posted January 25, 2019

In this 2016 Full Value story from Alpinist 55, Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz peers into the dark side of the dirtbag dream.