Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
The Candlestick, West Face California, Sierra Nevada, Sequoia National Park

The steep upper reaches of the Candlestick’s west face. The first ascent route is not visibile but is near the left skyline. Photo by Daniel Jeffcoach In my years of exploring the Great Western Divide and Monarch Divide in the Sierra Nevada, ...

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| Published 2025 | Author Daniel Jeffcoach


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Four Gables, Southeast Face, Shits and Glitters California, Sierra Nevada, Eastern Sierra

Zach Lovell on one of the crux 5.10a pitches on Shits and Glitters, near the summit of Four Gables. Photo by Sara Green “Zach, we already thought of a name,” said my fiancée, Syd Knadler, as she manteled onto the summit plateau of Four Ga...

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| Published 2025 | Author Zach Lovell


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Lake Basin, Hershey’s Kiss, Three New Routes California, Sierra Nevada, Kings Canyon National Park

Jake Whisenant onsighting the 5.11c Glass Elevator roof, the third pitch of Wonka’s Way (7 pitches, 5.11c) on Hershey’s Kiss. Photo by Leo Franch Over the long Fourth of July weekend, Matt Allen and I made the soul-crushing trek over Taboose ...

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| Published 2025 | Author Thomas Sicilian


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Merriam Peak and Granite Park, Dr. Bear Love Free and Other Routes California, Sierra Nevada, Eastern Sierra

Japhy Dhungana on the 5.13a crux pitch of Dr. Bear Love Free (800’, 4 pitches, 5.13a), on the north buttress of Merriam Peak, Granite Park area, Sierra Nevada, California. Photo by Zach Lovell Sometimes you don’t have to pick between quality ...

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| Published 2025 | Author Zach Lovell


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Castle Mountain, Northwest Headwall, Confessions of a Choss Gobbler Canada, Alberta, Rocky Mountains

Approximate route line on the northwest headwall of Castle Mountain. Photo by Greg Barrett The striking northwest headwall of Castle Mountain jumps out in the setting sun while you’re driving south on Highway 1. I texted my extremely dialed f...

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| Published 2025 | Author Gavin McNamara


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Red Alert Wall, Time Canada, British Columbia, Coast Mountains, Daniels River Valley

The line of Time (24 pitches, VI 5.10 A2) on the west-facing Red Alert Wall. Photo by Cameron Jackson  Since first learning about the Daniels River Valley (DRV) and Red Alert Wall (50.37517, -124.35519), I’ve spent countless hours on CalTopo,...

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| Published 2025 | Author Cameron Jackson


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Mt. Robson, South Face, Ski Descent Canada, British Columbia, Rocky Mountains

Mt. Robson from the south, showing the The Great Couloir in February 2023. Photo by Alex Buisse / Mont Blanc Lines I’m so relieved to be on the other side of this project. Skiing the south face of Mt. Robson (3,959m) had been a dream for year...

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| Published 2025 | Author Christina Lustenberger


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
The Rimwall, Iron Tears Canada, Alberta, Canadian Rockies

Pitch four (5.10+) on Iron Tears. Photo by Gabs Clark On August 17, 2025, Gabs Clark and I set out to repeat Murder by Numbers (5.11, Ruddy-Slawinski, 2007) on the east face of the Rimwall, but on our way to the route, a striking dihedral cau...

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| Published 2025 | Author Greg Barrett


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Middle Huey Spire, L’oro dello Yukon Canada, Northwest Territories, Cirque of the Unclimbables

Giacomo Meliffi climbing pitch six of L’oro dello Yukon. Photo by Dario Eynard  Visiting the Cirque of the Unclimbables and climbing a new route has always been one of my dreams. Doing it together with three friends—Enrico Bittelli, Dario Eyn...

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| Published 2025 | Author David Bacci


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Gilt Peak from the South, The Cedar Room Canada, British Columbia, Coast Mountains, Foch-Gilttoyees Provincial Park

The view up the southeast side of Gilt Peak from Frodo’s Knob. Team Photo Gilt Peak (1,893m/6,211’, 53.942523, -129.222608) is deep in the Coast Mountains, within Foch-Gilttoyees Provincial Park. It’s one of the most visible mountains in the ...

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| Published 2024 | Author Anna Feldman


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Mt. Chephren, East Face, Snafflehound Spine Canada, Alberta, Canadian Rockies

Morning light on Howse Peak (3,295m), seen from high on Mt. Chephren. Photo by Nic Houser On August 4, 2024, at 4 p.m., Greg Barrett and I left Waterfowl Lakes Campground, eyes set again on the east face of Mt. Chephren (3,274m). We had prev...

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| Published 2025 | Author Nic Houser


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Four New Routes Canada, Nunavut, Baffin Island, Auyuittuq National Park

Julie Beauchemin on pitch nine of Follow the Sun (520m, 5.10) on the east/southeast face of an unnamed tower 1.85 km west of Mt. Northumbria. Photo by Bruno-Pierre Couture On July 19, 2025, Julie Beauchemin, Trigg Sharp, and I hiked through a...

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| Published 2025 | Author Bruno-Pierre Couture


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
The Rimwall, On the Wings of Maybe Canada, Alberta, Canadian Rockies

Ines Papert on the crux pitch of On the Wings of Maybe during the first free ascent. Photo by John Price On the Wings of Maybe (400m, 5.12+/5.13-) is an alpine rock climb on the Rimwall, a 2,680-meter summit of high-quality Palliser limestone...

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| Published 2025 | Author Jon Walsh


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Aegir Peak, Aegir Sanction Canada, Nunavut, Baffin Island, Auyuittuq National Park

In August, Cynthia Chung, Alec Cooper, Mark Hurst, and Laura Woodall climbed an eight-pitch route up east-facing slabs at the foot of Aegir Peak, behind the Ulu emergency shelter in the Weasel River Valley: Aegir Sanction (400m, 5.8 R A0). Details...

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| Published 2025 | Author The Editors


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pedra Riscada, Northwest Face, Folia do Divino Brazil, Minas Gerais

The new route Folia do Divino on the north face of Pedra Riscada. Photo by Ed Padilha On August 16, 2025, Willian Lacerda, Valdesir Machado, Elcio Muliki, and I departed from Curitiba, in the Brazilian state of Paraná, bound for Minas Gerais,...

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| Published 2025 | Author Ed Padilha


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pic Dondy, East Face, Regicide Madagascar, Andringitra Massif

Mark Elton Photo-topo of Regicide, the first route up the east face of Pic Dondy in the Andringitra Massif. Photo by Mark Elton In October, Mark Elton (USA), Thibau Grandjean (France), and I (USA) established Regicide, a 12-pitch route on th...

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| Published 2025 | Author Spencer Gray


Book Reviews AAJ
The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering By Daniel Light

The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering. By Daniel Light (W.W. Norton). Over the years, I’ve enjoyed many of the original mountaineering stories written by the explorers and athletes. I’ve also been drawn to accounts b...

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| Published 2025 | Author Steve Swenson


Book Reviews AAJ
Enough: Climbing Toward a True Self on Mount Everest By Melissa Arnot Reid

Enough: Climbing Toward a True Self on Mount Everest. By Melissa Arnot Reid (Crown). Ten years ago, Melissa Arnot Reid, a Rainier guide who’d clocked over 100 ascents of that peak as well as five previous Everest summits, became the first America...

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| Published 2025 | Author Alison Osius


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pedra Riscada, East Face, Brasiliana Brazil, Minas Gerais

The new route Brasiliana (1,000m, 8a+), on the east face of Pedra Riscada. The route is now the leftmost of four lines in this sector. Photo by Rafael Gomes In early August 2025, our team of Brazilian climbers—Felipe Alvares, Vitor Barbosa, G...

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| Published 2025 | Author Rafael Gomes


Climbs And Expeditions AAJ
Pedra da Fortaleza, A Resistência, Free Ascent Brazil, Espírito Santo

In September 2025, climbers Chris Deuto (USA), Ben Sotero (Brazil), Andre “Zóio” Junior (Brazil), and Dan Teitelbaum (USA) made the first free ascent of A Resistência (750m, 8a+) on Pedra da Fortaleza, a 965-meter monolith in the state of Espírito...

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| Published 2025 | Author The Editors