Alpinist Magazine

Alpinist 87 features Ethan Berman’s story about his path to the vertical life after moving back and forth between the United States and India while growing up. Though climbing suited his restless spirit, he realized something was still missing. “I go up to get to the bottom of myself,” he writes.

Elsewhere in the magazine, Hayden Jamieson recounts a brush with mortality while attempting a new route in Pakistan and the subsequent journey of self-discovery through his efforts to complete the first free ascent of Picaflor (VI 5.13+) in Cochamó, Chile. And Laura Yale begins a journey to untangle a web of grief after being involved in an avalanche that killed a beloved member of her community in Colorado’s Elk Range in 2020.

Meanwhile, Derek Franz observes the legacies of Stewart M. Green, John Middendorf and Keita Kurakami. Franz, Christian Kiefer and Abbey Collins share reading recommendations. Plus, Franz interviews Will Sharp.

Aidan Multhauf writes about his effort with David Katzenmeyer to climb twenty of the Fifty Classic Climbs of North America in twenty days. Hannah Provost looks into some innovative tools that never took off. Ben Davis depicts a mostly silent conversation between military veterans. Rosie Bates considers how she’s influenced by the opinions of anonymous people on the internet. Lani Chapko opens up about a fear of falling. Chloe Anderson finds family in a Kansas rock climbing club. Katherine Indermaur gleans insight from watching her toddler read Alpinist. Karen McDiarmid reflects on loss—and on living. Kaoru Wada celebrates Shiori Hashimoto, the first woman to chair the Japanese Alpine Club. Jan Novak shares words and photos from Madagascar’s Tsaranoro Valley. And much, much more.