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Alex Honnold reenacts his Moonlight Buttress (5.12+, 1,200') free solo in Zion. [Photo] Celin Serbo

Less and Less Alone: Alex Honnold

This profile of Alex Honnold first appeared in Alpinist 35 (Summer 2011). In this piece, Alex Lowther cover’s Honnold’s sudden rise to fame, from his childhood and the death of his father, to how he balances the demands of his professional climbing career with his personal priorities.

[Photo] Nick Aiello-Popeo

#Alpinistcommunityproject Flashback: Nick Aiello-Popeo

From September 11-17, Nick Aiello-Popeo shared some photos and stories with the #alpinistcommunityproject. Aiello-Popeo made his first trip to Talkeetna, Alaska, at the age of 20. The trip catalyzed him to become a full-time climber. He now lives with his wife in New Hampshire, where he guides in North Conway. He returns to the Alaska Range for two to three months every year.

Katie Bono trains at 13,500 feet on Denali, June 1, to prepare for her speed ascent on June 13-14 in which she set a probable female round-trip record of 21 hours, 6 minutes. That time is the third or fourth fastest time overall. [Photo] Savannah Cummins

Katie Bono sets probable women’s speed record on Denali at 21 hours, 6 minutes

On June 13-14, Katie Bono completed a round-trip ascent of Denali’s West Buttress in 21 hours, 6 minutes. This is likely a female speed record, and it is the third or fourth fastest known time overall. Bono made the ascent in difficult conditions with heavy wind and drifting snow that forced her to break trail on the way up and down, sometimes navigating in a whiteout. She sustained mild frostbite to her face.

Kilian Jornet points to Mt. Everest's shrouded summit while acclimatizing for his first speed ascent of the North Col route. [Photo] Sebastien Montaz-Rosset/Kilian Jornet collection

Kilian Jornet completes two fast and light ascents of Everest in one week

Spanish climber and ultra-runner Kilian Jornet completed two rapid Everest ascents without using fixed ropes or bottled oxygen on the North Col route in one week, on May 21 and 27. He pushed on through illness and windy weather, summiting in 17 hours and returning to advanced base camp in 28:30 on his fastest attempt. This story includes an interview with Jornet and a look back at some of the history of rare fast and light Everest ascents.

[Illustration] Andreas Schmidt

Pulled Apart

In this Full Value story from Alpinist 58, Rick Accomazzo tells the story of a mission he participated in as a member of Yosemite Search and Rescue in July 1975 that has haunted him ever since–its memory compounded by the loss of his friend and climbing partner Tobin Sorenson in 1980. Illustrations by Andreas Schmidt.

[Photo] Cristina Pogacean

#alpinistcommunityproject: Cosmin Andron and Cristina Pogacean

From November 13-19, Cosmin Andron and Cristina Pogacean shared some photos and stories with the #alpinistcommunityproject. They are two Romanian alpinists. Cosmin is a former philosophy professor turned full-time mountain guide while Cristina, the saner half of the family, is a civil engineer who also moonlights as a certified mountain guide.

The book cover

Tommy Caldwell is honest and vulnerable in his autobiography ‘The Push’

Tommy Caldwell’s autobiography, The Push, is as daring as his multitude of world-class climbing accomplishments, which range from 5.14 and 5.15 sport routes around the world, and towering free ascents on Yosemite’s El Capitan–including the first free ascent of the Dawn Wall (VI 5.14d) in January 2015 with Kevin Jorgeson–to the first completion of the Fitz Roy Traverse in Patagonia with Alex Honnold in 2014. Caldwell’s writing is honest and vulnerable, which makes his moments of triumph even more inspiring.