Weekly Feature Archives

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.

Running into the Shadows

Posted March 19, 2021

In this On Belay story from Alpinist 73—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Uisdean Hawthorn writes about a new route that he and Ethan Berman climbed on the Emperor Face of Yexyexescen (Mt. Robson), which they named Running in the Shadows (VI AI5 M6 A0, 2000m). Hawthorn writes: "People will say, 'They timed it perfectly and got perfect conditions.' But in reality, we'd just stood there bleary-eyed in the dark, had a bit of confidence or perhaps a fear of failure, and we'd gone for it. It was only our curiosity that let us discover if the Emperor would be willing to accept our passage."

The End of One Beginning

Posted March 10, 2021

In this Sharp End story from Alpinist 73—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Editor-in-Chief Katie Ives writes, "By learning to see beyond one beginning [to histories of mountaineering], we might recall alternative ways to climb and to live."

Finding a new route on the Grand Teton: the North Buttress Direct (5.10+ R)

Posted February 8, 2021

Justin Bowen's dream came true this past August when his research confirmed that a potential route he'd been eyeing for years on the Grand Teton's north face had somehow remained overlooked by other climbers. He enlisted his friend Mark Jenkins to make the first ascent of the North Buttress Direct (5.10+ R, 14 pitches). Here is his story of their climb and the realization of a long-held fantasy.

The Fight for Workforce Equity on Kilimanjaro

Posted January 27, 2021

In this Wired story from Alpinist 72—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—Marinel Malvar de Jesus collects stories of local guides and porters on Kilimanjaro as they confront the inequities of the mountain tourism industry and the new challenges of a global pandemic.

Elisabeth Revol's book "To Live" is an ode to Tomasz Mackiewicz and Nanga Parbat

Posted January 6, 2021

When Elisabeth Revol and Tomasz "Tomek" Mackiewicz reached the summit of Pakistan's Nanga Parbat (8125m) on the evening of January 25, 2018, they had completed the second winter ascent of Nanga Parbat, and Revol became the first woman to summit the mountain in winter. Their ordeal was just beginning, however. Revol's new book, "To Live: Fighting for Life on the Killer Mountain," translated into English by Natalie Berry, sheds light on her dramatic rescue and the loss of Mackiewicz. Emily Hopcian reports that the book "is a deeply human account of the nightmare Revol endured.... It is a detailed exploration of that January 2018 expedition interwoven with fragments of Revol's childhood in France; her introduction to and career in mountaineering; and her climbing partnership with Mackiewicz."