Adrien Costa contends with Lightning and Chunder’s hollow WI5 crux pitch. Photo by Lauren Smith On October 30, Lauren Smith and I made the slog up to the Giant’s Belly, a north-facing wall (45.14255, -109.66345) on 11,928-foot Mt. Inabnit, wi...
A foreshortened view of the triangular facet on the lower northeast side of Bhagirathi II. Photo by Henri Eggenweiler In 2022, we three young and ambitious alpinists planned to attempt Bhagirathi II (6,512m, 30°53’3.97”N, 79°8’6.34”E) as our ...
The Ptarmigan Towers, with Pika Kombat on Tower 4 (left) and Unoriginal Sin on Tower 2 (right). Other routes are not shown. Photo: Michael LaDue Collection During the summer of 2025, some friends and I returned to Ptarmigan Mountain (12,324’)...
The 800-meter northwest face of Peak 5,400m above the Rakcham Plateau. Photo by Ryan Griffiths In late October and early November, Ryan Griffiths and I climbed new routes on two unclimbed peaks above the Baspa Valley. We were based out of the...
Josh Wharton mixed climbing below the headwall taken by Baknnator Indirect and Wobbly Baknn Strips, partially visible in the ice dribbles left of the huge Obelisk corner. Photo by Dane Steadman In mid-October, I made my first-ever trip to the...
Seen from across the Duhangan Valley is the line of Cúrcuma on Chupa Rustam, the large rock tower on the south side of Peak 5,384m. To the right is Peak 5,605m, with the clean, sunlit Temptation Tower at its foot. The summit of Deo Tibba (6,001m...
In 1961, British climbers Jo Scarr and Barbara Spark made the first ascents of Central Peak (6,285m, 32°14’24.21”N, 77°40’31.89”E) and its southeast summit, Lion Peak (6,126m, 32°14’6.95”N, 77°40’50.64”E), from the Lion Glacier to the north of the...
The approach and ascent to the summit of Peak 5,970m (6,001m GPS). (A) Peak 5,970m. (B) Ramjak (6,318m). (D) Shingo South (6,068m GPS). (BC) Base camp. (S) Shingo La. (CI) Camp I. (C2) Camp 2. Northwest of well-known Ramjak (6,318m), at 32°5...
Close to the farthest point reached on the 2025 attempt on Munocho Chhok. Photo by Anna Soligo The self-organized expedition by the Young Alpinist Group [an informal three-year program for experienced young alpinists from the U.K. and Ireland...
Looking northwest to north from the summit of Peak 6,045m. Photo by Anindya Mukherjee Following a winter reconnaissance to the Stargyuk Valley, south of the Kang Yatze Group, our four-member team returned to this area in late May. Our plan wa...
Shawa Kangri (5,728m) with the line of Less Is More on the northwest face. Photo by Matteo De Zaiacomo This year didn’t start well. I fractured two cervical vertebrae in an ice climbing accident, and doctors were not optimistic about a speedy...
On the 400-meter headwall of Khang Chan Chemno during the first ascent. Photo by Dutch Expedition Academy The Expedition Academy of the Royal Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Association (NKBV) is a two-year program that trains already profi...
Hector Sanmiguel on the summit ridge of Peak 5,660m on the eastern rim of the Denyai Tokpo. Peaks on the far right are at the head of the glacier and are mostly unclimbed. Photo by Alberto Urtasun Alpinism, unpackaged and unpolished. Two frie...
Inayat Ullah Bhat and Laway Mudasir at base camp by Novsar Lake. Photo by Inayat Ullah Bhat The Pir Panjal Range of the Lesser Himalaya lies south and west of Srinagar and the Vale of Kashmir, which separates it from the Greater Himalaya. The...
Alex Hansen on the snow arête of the southwest ridge during the first ascent of Changla Khang West. Photo by Benny Lieber Alex Hansen and I arrived in Kathmandu in early October with the dream of going on a big adventure in an area we had not...
The northwest face of Shershon and the 2025 direct route. In October, a small group of climbers reconnoitered the area around Makalu Base Camp to acclimatize while gauging snow and ice conditions created by heavy late-monsoon precipitation. ...
High on Sharphu VI during the first ascent, via the east flank. Photo by Xtreme Climbers On March 25, a team from the company Xtreme Climbers made the first ascent of Sharphu VI (6,076m, 27°46’26.82”N, 87°55’21.81”E), the most northerly in th...
The route up the southwest ridge of Pathibhara Southeast. Photo by Xtreme Climbers After their success on Sharphu VI in March, Hernán Leal (Chile) and Lhakpa Chhiri Sherpa joined Lhakpa Chhiring Sherpa, Kunga Gyaju Sherpa, and Pema Tasi Taman...
Matic Primožič on the lower section of the northwest face of Kwangde Nup. Photo by Urh Primožič Matic Primožič and I (Urh Primožič, no relation) arrived in Nepal on September 20 to find completely dry conditions. We based ourselves in the Val...
The northeast ridge of Bijora Hiunchuli, leading directly to the summit. Photo by Bijora Hiunchuli Expedition The Himalayan Camp is an initiative to pass the Japanese Alpine Club’s strong mountaineering culture to future generations. Young a...