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Carl Battreall’s Social Media Guest Postings October 12-18
Six months ago we posted a slideshow on Alpinists.com by Carl Battreall called “A Collection of Climbed and Unclimbed Alaska Peaks.” His shot of the Citadel, in the Neacola Range, was inspiration for the namesake film by Posing Productions documenting Matt Helliker and Jon Bracey’s new route up the peak’s Northwest Ridge.
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Chris Marshall’s Social Media Guest Postings October 5-11
Between October 5 and 11, 2015, AMGA Certified Ski Guide and AMGA/IFMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide Christopher Marshall posted his photos and stories on our social media pages as part of our Alpinist Community project. We noticed Marshall’s work when he started tagging us on Instagram. Marshall calls this collection of images “a reflection of the…
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Birth, Sickness, Old Age, Death: Chapter 2
Death? That wasn’t something I was ready to contemplate. Pain was forcing me out of bed at 2, 3 or 4 a.m. I couldn’t sleep. I felt like a driver in a car skidding out of control. I kept hitting the brakes, but the car just accelerated.
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Birth, Sickness, Old Age, Death: Chapter 1
MY BODY IS FALLING APART at the joints. My last surgeon peeled a frayed mess of cartilage off my left humerus as he fixed a torn labrum. The bones of my shoulder socket grind on each other every time I do thumbs-down hand jams.
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Sea to Summit UltraLight Sleeping Mats: Durable, Comfortable Innovations
Deciding on a sleeping system is a major consideration when packing for an expedition or alpine climb as a good night’s sleep can make the difference between feeling groggy and slow or energized and on-point. With so many mats on the market it can be hard to choose: Classic closed-cell foam mats are virtually indestructible,…
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Paul McSorley’s Social Media Guest Postings: September 28 to October 4
Between September 28 and October 4, 2015, Alpinist contributor Paul McSorley posted his photos and stories on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages as part of our Alpinist Community project. McSorley has been featured on our website and his image appears in A Season in Patagonia in Alpinist 0. Below is a compilation of his…
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International Team Completes Mt. Waddington Project
International team completes line on the highest mountain wholly within British Columbia, Mt. Waddington. From August 18 to 19, Paul McSorley, Ines Papert and Mayan Smith-Gobat completed a two-day ascent of Mt. Waddington’s Southwest Buttress to reach its Northwest Summit (4000m). Two parties had previously attempted their 20-pitch 800-meter route, rated 5.11+ WI3 M5 ED1.
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Searching for Light in the Dark Arts
Jeff Shapiro reflects on wingsuit flight after the death of his friends Sean “Stanley” Leary, Dean Potter and Graham Hunt. See the tribute to the three men in Alpinist 51 (on newsstands now and available online) or read the feature here–Ed.
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Clint Helander’s Social Media Guest Postings September 21-27
Between September 21 and 27, 2015, Alpinist contributor Clint Helander posted his photos and stories on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages as part of our Alpinist Community project. Helander has been featured on our website and his words appear in Alpinist 32, The Relentless Raven, Alpinist 46, Local Hero: Mark Westman, and Alpinist 49,…
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Apex 22: Reaching the Apogee of Alpine Design
The Apex 22 compact-climbing pack has a tapered shape, minimal compression straps and zero extras. I tested it on single and multi-day trips and during a nine-day AMGA Alpine Guide course in the Cascades this summer.
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Craig Muderlak’s Social Media Guest Postings September 14-20
Between September 14 and 20, 2015, Alpinist contributor Craig Muderlak posted his art, photos and stories on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages as part of our Alpinist Community project. Muderlak’s artwork has been featured on both our website and in Alpinist 50 and 51. This web feature is a compilation of his work from…
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Rab Muztag Jacket: Lightweight Armor for Alpine Weather
Alpine climbing in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia inevitably involves extended travel through wet weather. While attempting an enchainment of Mt. Waddington (13,186′) and its neighboring peaks, I wanted a lightweight shell that was waterproof and breathable enough to wear during high-output exercise. Unlike my other shells, which fall short in at least one…
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Arc’teryx Acrux FL GTX: Robust Kickers
As a guide, I’ve burned through several pairs of approach shoes hiking up rough gullies and talus fields. When the Arc’teryx Acrux FL GTX showed up at my doorstep, I hoped they would last more than most. Over spring and summer, I used them on short and long approaches, through torrential thunderstorms, on muddy trails…
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Into the Shadow Chapter 2
THE BEDROOM WAS DARK. Ten minutes, just ten more minutes. I curled the covers over my head. How do you prepare yourself? Soon I’d get up and make the daily prison commute. Ten heavy steel doors would open and close with a clunk as sharp as a cork pulled: ten inmates escorted to the gymnasium.
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Into the Shadow Chapter 1
STARS FLICKER IN A SLOW-SPINNING SKY. Old snow crackles. The moraine–a rubble-strewn lunar surface–creaks under our feet. A yellow moon lights our path. Ice gleams. Houseman and I are creeping like thieves. We’re scared the mountain might hear our approach.
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