Cerro Capicua is a 1,000m wall whose name derives from a Catalan phrase meaning “head and tail.” In early 2017, during my first trip to Cochamó, a new aid route on Capicua called Picaflor (Spanish for “hummingbird”) caught hold of my imagination ...
In January 2024, I led a team of six aboard the yacht Icebird to make a number of ski ascents in the Grandidier Channel and Crystal Sound areas. After an ascent of frequently climbed Mt. Scott (880m), the team summited a 530m peak on Lahille Islan...
Fanny Schmutz, Maud Vanpoulle, and I all came to El Chaltén for the first time around ten years ago. When I first saw Cerro Torre (3,128m), I knew that one day I’d stand on top of that mountain. Cerro Torre is quite intimidating, but our previous...
The austral summer of 2022/2023 started off with the first ascent of a route 30 years in the making. Situated on a sun-drenched north-facing wall in the Wilkin Valley near Wanaka, The Dark Side of the Moon (305m, 26/5.12c) climbs 13 pitches of com...
Please click here to download the trip report (PDF) from Nikhil Bhandari and Suraj Kushwaha's October 2023 expedition to Rathan Thadi Dome.
The town of Bella Coola rests in a deep, shadowed fjord along the central coast of British Columbia, amid the Great Bear Rainforest. Similar to Squamish, which is far to the south, Bella Coola is surrounded by 1,000m granite cliffs, many of which ...
Various perspectives on the second pitch of Good from Far, Far from Good (400m, IV 6b) on the southeast face of Jebel Shamm. Photo by Marius Rølland | @unrealmarius From our campsite at the edge of the Khor Ash-Sham (Ash-Sham Fjord), on yet a...
In early March, Seth Classen, Keagan Walker, and I made a rare winter ascent of the Main Tower (6,910’) in the Mendenhall Towers massif, via the standard Mountaineer’s Route (1,600’, III 5.6 in summer). Prior to that, the last people to be up ther...
From October 22 to November 5, Oswaldo “Ossy” Freire and I, both IFMGA guides from Ecuador, were based at Kyanjin Gompa in the Langtang Valley. The weather was good, and we were able to complete two ascents. Our first goal was Dragpoche (a.k.a. Y...
The Slovak Direct is among North America’s greatest mountain climbs—unparalleled for length, sustained difficulty, quality, and beauty. After an unprecedented three ascents of the route in one year—all in single-push style—the AAJ is taking a clos...
Photo by Jake Holland Mountains and clouds are intrinsically connected: Steep mountain faces create thermals of rising air, and thermals create clouds. For the alpine climber engulfed in ethereal whiteness, rapidly forming clouds may bring mo...
Bivouac at 5,700 meters below one of the ice barriers on the east buttress of Jirishanca. Photo by Drew Smith. I’ve been home from Peru for several months—plenty of time to reflect on my experience on Jirishanca in July with Josh Wharton. Whi...
A rickety cart lurches down cobbled streets toward the Huaraz indoor market, its driver hidden behind a heaping payload of dead pigs and chickens. Iodine-yellow snouts poke skyward, and waxy bird-bushels sway on display. I step behind the cart a...
The inspiration for this “Know the Ropes” article originated from a recent change in my professional life. I’ve had the privilege of working in the National Park Service as a climbing ranger for almost two decades. After a couple of seasons on M...
This is my second year of editing Accidents. I haven’t been involved with this book long enough to grasp all the larger trends, but I did see some emerging patterns in 2022. Climbing is becoming ever more popular, and with that comes accidents rel...
The AAC and Rocky Talkie partnered again in 2023 to solicit nominations for the annual Rocky Talkie Search and Rescue Awards. These awards recognize standout rescues performed by volunteer SAR teams in the previous year, with the goal of driving g...
On April 13, a group of ski tourers was on a multi-day traverse on the Wapta Icefields and had planned to climb the southeast side of Mt. Des Poilus (3,161m/10,370’). In clear and calm weather, they ski-toured up the glacier and then bootpacked up...
On April 12, Parks Canada visitor safety responded to an SOS activation on the north face of Mt. Walker (3,303m/10,837’) above the Freshfield Icefield. A group of four ski mountaineers had camped and skied in the area for several days. On the 12th...
At about 7:30 p.m. on March 31, Jenny Lake rangers received a cell phone call from a solo backcountry skier. The skier said he was on top of the East Prong (just east of Mt. Owen) and could not continue due to white-out conditions and the technica...
On July 9, Eric Richtmyre (35) and Shiona Martin (23) summited Sahale Mountain and Boston Peak under clear skies. As they descended, Richtmyre was on a splitboard and Martin on skis. Martin, a mountaineering guide and former EMT, wrote ANAC, “Afte...