It’s a funny thing how much the human animal is a creature of habit. People tend to say the same things, watch the same movies, hangout with the same people, go to the same bars, set the same goals and make the same mistakes over and over, day after day and year after year, throughout the trajectory of experience that we call life. Climbers are no different, although I suspect the arch of the pendulum swings a degree wider for us than it does for most other folk, ranging from the extreme masochism to unchecked indulgence in equal time. Read More
Behind the Scenes: Kathmandu
The world first heard of Ueli Steck in the inaugural issue of Alpinist Magazine, back in 2002. Ueli, with Canadian badass Sean Easton, had pulled off an incredible ascent on East Face of Mount Dickey, a mixed horror show they dubbed “Blood From Stone”. In only three days, the pair merged big-wall climbing with cutting edge mixed-techniques – the equivalent of ascending a face half-again as big as El Cap with ice tools and crampons. Because the ascent was so startling, and occurred on a relatively low-altitude peak lacking big-name stature, it escaped attention for many mainstream adventure media outlets. Only the true alpine crazies recognized the achievement for what it was: a ground-breaking achievement that heralded the arrival of a world class talent. Read More »