Weekly Feature Archives

An Interview with David Roberts

Posted February 14, 2017

Now facing Stage IV throat cancer, David Roberts reflects on his climbing and writing careers in this interview with Michael Wejchert. Roberts is one of the most prolific American climbing authors and has a climbing resume to match his list of titles.

On the Nose with Hans Florine and Jayme Moye

Posted February 3, 2017

On the Nose chronicles Hans Florine's "lifelong obsession" with the most iconic route on El Capitan. Herein, we interview Florine and co-author Jayme Moye about their new book documenting Florine's pursuit of the Nose speed record.

Our Eiger Drama

Posted January 30, 2017

In a letter to the editor, longtime Alpinist reader Tad Welch examines our looming environmental crisis from the perspective of a roped team braving the odds on the Eiger Nordwand. He writes, "As we enter what may be one of the darkest times of our country's history, I feel an obligation to subject my most basic values to the utmost scrutiny.... I must never put my rope mates in harm's way because I expect the mountain to become benign—when history proves otherwise—simply because I think it will. Off the hill, I am roped to more than a close friend or two. A rope of seemingly infinite length connects me to strangers of all ethnicities, languages, and beliefs—and to generations yet unborn."

The Glass Mountain: A Fable

Posted January 27, 2017

During the nineteenth century, Jim Bridger was well known for tall tales about the ranges of the American West. Herein, the modern climbing writer Jeff Long retells Bridger's attempt on "Glass Mountain," examining the aspirations and consequences of frontier mythology.

Jeff Long: The Story Behind "The Glass Mountain"

Posted January 27, 2017

An interview with climber and New York Times best-selling author Jeff Long on his story "The Glass Mountain," published in Alpinist 54.

The Precarious World—The Sharp End, Alpinist 57

Posted January 20, 2017

At a time when the word precarious is used increasingly to describe many aspects of our current existence, Katie Ives reflects on the differences between confronting risk in the mountains and responding to much vaster political and ecological uncertainties in the US and the world. "I think now, especially with climate change, we are without a doubt living in a precarious world," climber and environmental advocate Laura Waterman tells her. "We have to make the right decisions, ethically, as best we can."

Diving into the Unknown

Posted January 17, 2017

Four friends spend 10 days doing first ascents in the Purcell Wilderness, British Columbia, and for some it was their first time doing a first ascent.

Talking Environmentalism at the Summer Outdoor Retailer 2016

Posted January 16, 2017

At the 2016 Summer Outdoor Retailer trade show, Erin Monahan wonders how far leaders in the outdoor gear industry are really willing to take their commitment to the environment.

Lives of the Volcano Poets

Posted January 6, 2017

The author climbs after the volcano poets. This piece originally appeared in Alpinist 40.

Axe of Contrition

Posted January 6, 2017

Stevenson contemplates the axe of God in this Climbing Life story from Alpinist 20.