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Colin Haley solos North Buttress of Begguya (Mt. Hunter) round-trip in 17 hours
Colin Haley completed one of his longstanding projects on May 12 with the first solo ascent of the North Buttress of Begguya (Mt. Hunter) which he climbed round-trip from base camp in 17 hours, 13 minutes. He’d soloed the North Buttress before but never summited, coming as close as 100 meters to the top.
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One Flashy Hoody: Ortovox Merino Fleece Light
Chris Van Leuven wears hoodies often and has tested his share of them. His latest review awards the Ortovox Merino Fleece Light Hoody four stars. Van Leuven reports that the Ortovox is lighter than many other tops, but in terms of loft and warmth it’s similar to heavier ones.
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Climber delegation lobbies Congress on behalf of public lands
Approximately 50 climbers lobbied Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, as part of the Access Fund and American Alpine Club’s Climb the Hill event on May 11. Those in attendance included Quinn Brett, Tommy Caldwell, Peter Croft, Sasha DiGiulian, Caroline Gleich, Alex Honnold, Shelma Jun, Kai Lightner, Mikhail Martin and Libby Sauter. Virginia Senator and former…
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NW Alpine Eyebright Jacket: Burly and ultralight
Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz tested the NW Alpine Eyebright ultralight shell jacket, one of the lightest and most durable in its class because of its Dyneema construction. The jacket was structurally and functionally sound but it left some things to be desired when considering the hefty price tag.
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Interior Secretary arrives in Utah for tour of national monuments under review
US Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s visit to Utah is underway as he begins his review of national monuments following President Donald Trump’s recent executive order. Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are his first tours on a list that now includes 28 monuments.
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The ‘Gauntlet’: Two Americans make first ascent of Huntington’s Complete South Ridge
Clint Helander and Jess Roskelley stepped off the plane on Alaska’s Tokositna Glacier April 18 and immediately committed to Mt. Huntington’s South Ridge, which had never been climbed in its entirety until they summited April 23. The ridge is long and extremely committing because of hazards that make retreat a dangerous option. A storm pinned…
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American Alpine Club presents its second annual Excellence in Climbing Awards
Tickets are now available for the American Alpine Club’s second annual Excellence in Climbing Awards celebration in Denver on June 3. The event will honor several climbers for their contributions to social and environmental causes around the world. In addition, a Cutting Edge Award will recognize an ascent performed in upstanding style. Scott Bennett and…
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Ueli Steck found dead after an apparent fall on Nuptse while acclimatizing
Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck was found dead on April 30 near Camp 2 on Mt. Everest (8848m) after he apparently fell while climbing 7861-meter Nuptse to acclimatize for a linkup of Everest’s Hornbein Route with Lohtse (8516m).
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Arc’teryx Procline: One boot for skiing and ice climbing
An ice climbing boot that handles skis as well? Jess Roskelley tested the Arc’teryx Procline Carbon Lite boots and enjoyed their versatility for approaching and climbing routes in the snowy backcountry. He used the boots on mixed pitches and WI 6, and cruised out in full control of his skis on the way down–no more…
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Trump signs executive order to review Bears Ears and all national monuments designated in the last 21 years
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to review Bears Ears and all national monuments designated in the last 21 years. The order was issued with the promise of “no predetermined outcome,” but his accompanying remarks suggest that his administration expects to make changes to the monuments’ status. The Access Fund, Friends of Cedar Mesa…
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A foray into the ‘Never-Never Land’ of Cordillera Sarmiento, Chile
Last March Americans Whitney Clark, Jon Griffin and Tad McCrea ventured into a notoriously wet and seldom-visited coastal region of South America–Patagonia’s Cordillera Sarmiento–in hopes of climbing a peak called Alas de Angel Sur. The approach to their main objective proved too difficult to decipher in the time and weather that they had, but the…
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Keita Kurakami sees The Votive Light (5.13d/14a R trad) in Yukawa, Japan
Keita Kurakami endures a ground fall before succeeding on the first ascent of another new trad route in Japan. He linked a previously existing 5.13d R called Hakuhatsuki (Gray Haired Demon), which ended at a bolted anchor, to the top of the cliff, calling the new route The Votive Light (5.13d/14a R).
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Riding the Storm on Torre Central, Patagonia
Mayan Smith-Gobat returns to the Torres del Paine in Patagonia to attempt a complete free ascent of Riders on the Storm (VI 5.12d/5.13 A3, 1300m) on the Torre Central, which she came close to accomplishing with Ines Papert in 2016. This year the weather dashed all hopes for a complete ascent, but Smith-Gobat and Brette…
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The redesigned Five Ten Quantum: Versatile, high performance climbing shoes
The Five Ten Quantum rock shoes were designed to be an all-around, high performance shoe. Chris Van Leuven tested them on slabs, cracks and steeps, and on a variety of rock types: he scampered up them all, and was so pleased he awarded the redesigned Quantums five stars.
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Jury selects two teams for Piolets d’Or awards this year for 2016 ascents
The Piolets d’Or jury is giving awards to two climbing teams this year for the 2016 first ascents on North Buttress of Nyainqentangla South East in Tibet by Nick Bullock and Paul Ramsden of Britain, and the North Buttress of Thalay Sagar in the Indian Gangotri by Dmitry Golovchenko, Dmitry Grigoriev and Sergey Nilov of…
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Two climbers send Switzerland’s longstanding Gondo Crack project (5.14b R) on trad gear
Barbara Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher made the first ascents of Switzerland’s Gondo Crack (5.14b R) in early April. The 17-meter line was a 15-year project that thwarted more than one talented suitor, including British trad ace Tom Randall.
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Good news and bad news for public land, and an in-depth look at the politics surrounding Bears Ears National Monument
April is likely to be a pivotal time for the future of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is poised to visit the state soon and make a recommendation to President Donald Trump on whether to rescind the monument as Utah lawmakers are requesting. Meanwhile the Access Fund reports an…
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Julbo Explorer 2.0: A worthy new member to a long, proud lineage of sunglasses
Julbo sunglasses continue to stand the test of time and perform as well as ever with modern technology. The Explorer 2.0, which is complete with photochromic lenses that rarely fog up. Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz would have awarded them a perfect five stars if it weren’t for one shortcoming. Four stars.
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The Emperor Jacket: so lightweight and breathable, you’ll hardly know it’s there
Alpinist Fashion Editor Paula Rumpelshorts reviews the latest in alpine outerwear: the Emperor Jacket (so lightweight and breathable, you’ll hardly know it’s there).
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Three Belgian climbers free 1200-meter route on Central Tower of Torres del Paine
Belgian climbers Nico Favresse, Siebe Vanhee and Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll managed to squeak out a 19-day free ascent of the 1200-meter route El Regalo de Mwono–originally VI 5.10 A4 when first climbed in 1991-’92, now 5.13b–on the Central Tower in the Torres del Paine, Patagonia. They had 15 days of rations. The climb is one…
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The Patagonia Hybrid Sleeping Bag: unconventional and efficient
Patagonia introduces a modern version of an old idea for an unconventional alpine sleeping bag–the Hybrid, which is intended to be used with an insulated jacket to avoid redundant layers and save precious space in your alpine kit. Ryan Wichelns awards it four stars.
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On Belay: A Thousand Days of Lapis Lazuli
After ten years as a boulderer, Keita Kurakami attempts what some other local climbers called impossible: a new free route on the daunting 110-meter Moai Face of Mt. Mizugaki. When he succeeded in July of last year, it turned out to be the hardest multipitch trad climb in Japan at 5.14a R/X.
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Wired: Rethinking Mountain Gloom
Dawn L. Hollis challenges the belief in academia that people did not care for mountains until they began climbing them at the end of the eighteenth century. Further, she studies why an institution such as the British Alpine Club would react so strongly against the premise that the love people have for mountains is nothing…
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1935-2017: Big-wall pioneer and world explorer Royal Robbins remembered
Royal Robbins (1935-2017) is remembered as a courageous visionary, from climbing the walls of Yosemite and the Alps, to kayaking raging rivers, and navigating his business, he embodied many lives in the span of his time on Earth and inspired generations, as evidenced by the numerous stories shared by his friends and admirers. Climbing shaped…
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