Weekly Feature Archives

1993: Picture on a Wall

Posted June 17, 2021

In this Mountain Profile essay from Alpinist 74—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Greg Child recounts the first ascent of the East Pillar Direct on Slesse (Selisi) with Perry Beckham in 1993. To read more history about this 2429-meter peak in British Columbia, check out Tami Knight's Mountain Profile in Issue 74.

Years of Sunsets

Posted June 4, 2021

In this Sharp End story from Alpinist 74—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Editor-in-Chief Katie Ives ponders her obsession with mountaintop sunsets, and the question posed to her by a college professor years ago: "How many more sunsets will you see?"

No Room for Hate: Building a Community to Help End Asian and AAPI Invisibility in the Outdoor Industry

Posted April 30, 2021

During the pandemic, as hate crimes have risen against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the US, Marinel Malvar de Jesus examines ways to build a safer and more inclusive community in the climbing world, the outdoor industry, and beyond.

Remembering Karen Stolz (1955-2021)

Posted April 23, 2021

A bright light in the Adirondacks went out on April 1 with the passing of Karen Stolz from pancreatic cancer. She was 65. Karen co-owned Adirondack Alpine Guides with her husband R.L., and she was one of the earliest and longest-serving female guides in the region. "All told, she guided 37 years and around 5,000 days," said R.L.

Call It Dreaming

Posted April 17, 2021

In this Climbing Life story from Alpinist 73—which is now on newsstands and in our online store—Suzana EL Massri reexamines her dreams during years of conflict and pandemic. She writes: "A multitude of decisions, chaos and chance forms our existence. Any sense to it is created by us, and it requires a daring belief in the future. We don't get to carry a map for every corridor we enter. Sometimes the close-up reality of attaining visions requires the repetition of simple tasks. Doing a lot of almost nothing until it becomes something. Until we make it into something more, something worth hoping for."

Local Hero: Chevon Powell

Posted April 8, 2021

In this Local Hero story from Alpinist 73—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Anaheed Saatchi celebrates the work of Chevon Powell, organizer of the Refuge Outdoor Festival, to create spaces for "healing and belonging" in nature and " to advocate for a broader picture of who recreates outside."

Remembering Evelio A. Echevarria (1926-2020)

Posted March 30, 2021

One of the greatest South American mountain scholars has passed. Evelio Echevarria died in October 2020 of colon cancer. Echevarria stands out in the mountaineering world for the massive amount of exploration and research of the Andes he did over the course of his life. He wrote more than 90 reports for the American Alpine Journal and sent a similar amount of information to the British Alpine Journal. "He was one of a small, select handful of mountain writers who were worth their weight in gold, in terms of their depth of interest and rigorous approach," said Alpine Journal editor Ed Douglas. "His loss might go unremarked by many climbers but those operating in South America will have benefited from his effort and attention to detail."

Make It Real

Posted March 25, 2021

In this story from The Climbing Life section of Alpinist 73—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Lim Joel and his friends train for Himalayan peaks in their tropical Singapore home.

Peter Zabrok and Fabio Elli's "Hooking Up" big wall aid climbing manual is fun as well as informative

Posted March 24, 2021

Of Peter Zabrok and Fabio Elli's recent book "Hooking Up: The Ultimate Big Wall and Aid Climbing Manual," John Climaco writes: "Until recently and despite 40 years of climbing, I knew almost nothing about big walls. Oh sure, I've managed to drag myself up Leaning Tower, Half Dome and even an El Cap route.... But my real big wall skills? By the standards of 'Pass the Pitons' Peter Zabrok, aka Dr. Piton...they might as well have been non-existent.... Like any good teachers, the authors go to great lengths throughout the book to break up what are often extremely technical (and necessary) discussions with fun and funny stories and anecdotes."

Remembering George Whitmore (1931-2021)

Posted March 23, 2021

George Whitmore, one of the first ascensionists of the Nose of El Capitan (Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La) in 1958, passed away on New Year's Day in Fresno, California, from complications of COVID-19 at age 89. Steve Grossman recounts his influential life.