Aim For the Bushes (AI6 M6 X, 5,250') on the east face of Mt. Dickey, Ruth Gorge, Alaska. [Photo] Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau collection

"You thinkin what I'm thinkin?"

"Yeah, aim for the bushes."

One of our favorite movie lines from The Other Guys with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg was playing through my head on our recon mission as I chopped out faceted snow in vertical terrain about 80 feet up the first pitch without any solid gear to be found. I contemplated my options. For a moment, jumping off the pitch and "aiming" for the non-existent bushes at the bottom of the Ruth Gorge seemed as good a plan as any. Fortunately, after much hesitation, I found just enough to get through the overhanging exit. This opening AI6 M6 X pitch was time consuming and slightly discouraging, but above we were greeted by more consistent neve that lured us into a cleft on Mt. Dickey that had been tried by various parties over the years.

[Photo] Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau collection

[Photo] Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau collection

When Matt and Jackson picked me up from the airport it was hard to believe another year had already gone by since my last Alaska trip. As is usually the case, we entered the Alaska Range surreally fast. Twenty-four hours after I left my house in Salt Lake City I was standing in the Ruth Gorge, just a 20-minute skin from the nearly mile-tall east face of Dickey. This time, instead of having a specific set goal for the trip, we arrived with a handful of ideas and decided we would try whatever route looked like it had the best conditions. It was a refreshing change from my past few years in the range.

Our first day on the glacier we climbed about 800 feet of our intended route and returned to base camp without leaving any fixed ropes. There were still a lot of question marks on the route. Mainly a few gigantic mushrooms and a very large chockstone feature high on the route made us wonder if we had what it took to add another new line to the ever intimidating east face.

[Photo] Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau collection

Two days after arriving on the Ruth, we left camp early on March 31 with two days of food to see what challenges awaited in the unclimbed chimney system of Dickey. We made quick progress reclimbing the portion of the route we had explored a couple days prior. Then we hit a bit of a roadblock at a massive overhung mushroom. Jackson went to battle on a serious and complicated three-hour lead that had some hard climbing coupled with a lot of snow excavation. This pitch got us to the top of the mushroom and onto easier ground. When I got to him at the belay, he was understandably frozen from chopping his way through overhung snow for hours in zero-degree Fahrenheit temps.

[Photo] Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau collection

Matt took over the lead and we started a large block of simul-climbing that was mostly 60-degree neve with many 30- to 40-foot steps of vertical snice. This rambly section ended with a couple of the best ice pitches on the route. Including an exciting AI6 overhang we called "Matty's Mushroom." Negotiating the topout required some committing moves a ways above his last piece of protection, which was a vertically placed snow picket.

Shortly after that we found a nice, protected spot to stomp out a small two-person tent platform for the night. Although we were only halfway up the wall we hoped the climbing would be faster the next day. We wanted to finish the route without another cold wet bivy. The first few hundred feet went fast on Day Two until I found myself back in mushroom land. I had two back-to-back 80-meter pitches that each took a couple of hours to lead. They required a lot of snow tunneling while climbing runout M5 AI5/6 terrain. I was completely soaked when I emerged from the chimneys and was lucky enough to have a small patch of sun to stand in while Matt and Jackson followed the rope on Micro Traxions. I was able to warm myself up to a functional state by the time Jackson arrived at the anchor.

[Photo] Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau collection

It was already 1 p.m. and we had a lot of complex terrain above. We discussed our options, then Jackson took over the lead as I kept swinging my arms and stomping around trying to warm up.

To our surprise the next few ropelengths climbed quickly despite their intimidating appearance. Now we found ourselves below the huge chockstone we had scoped from the ground. We had been getting ourselves excited to give it our all on what looked like a full on 20-foot offwidth roof crack.

This obstacle was a little more than 4,000 feet up the vertical face, and we were all feeling a bit nervous about the prospect of having to rappel our route if we didn't find a passage through the chockstone.

Find the climber. [Photo] Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau collection

"Oh my god, we are psyched!" Jackson exclaimed when he climbed up to it. Turns out there was a perfect WI4 pitch behind the chockstone. From there we could see our exit.

Matt fired one more pitch of AI5+ M5 and we were back to simul-climbing. We traversed left about 100 feet to join in with the upper snow bowl of the route Snowpatrol. We likely shared about 200 feet of terrain with that route before cutting back right to a ridge that looked easier to us.

We ran out of daylight about 600 feet vertical below the summit. We stomped in one more tent platform, settled in for another wet, cold night, and finished our last food bars. The energy was a strange mix of trepidation for the unpleasant night ahead, coupled with the levity of knowing we had a major new route in the bag.

[Photo] Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau collection

The next morning, without firing up the stoves, we broke down the tent and Matt led us through the final shale bands to the summit. From the top, two hours and 45 minutes of snow walking down the west face brought us back into base camp, three days after we left.

After establishing Ruth Gorge Grinder (AI6+ M7, 5,000') with Jackson in 2019 I did not know if I would return to Dickey again. I consider Dickey's east face to be one of the most fascinating walls in the world and its allure was a bit too much to stay away from. Once again, climbing this feature proved to be an incredible experience, and I was happy to live it with Matt and Jackson. I'm sure there is plenty more adventure to be had on this peak for anyone ready and willing to experience it.

[Tino Villanueva wrote a feature story for Alpinist 81 about the long journey that he and Alan Rousseau endured to achieve the first alpine-style ascent of Tengi Ragi Tau (6938m) in 2019. Alpinist 81 is currently on newsstands and in our online store.--Ed.]

One of climbing's great Renaissance figures, Ed Webster, 66, died of natural causes at his Maine home on November 22. He is survived by his daughter Joyelle and his wife Lisa.

Born March 21, 1956, in Boston, Edward Russell Webster was one of American climbing's great seekers. He completed first ascents of now-classic climbs on rock and ice, from single-pitch climbs to big walls and high peaks, and published inspiring writings. His comradeship commanded devotion, and he demonstrated a broad philosophical sense of the mountains of the world.

I met Ed only three times, but each time has become a gemstone in the calendar of my days. To be honest, like most desert climbers, I got to know Ed through his routes that often reflect his courageous wild spirit and love for adventure.

Webster leading on the first ascent of Poseidon Adventure (5.10 R) on Lighthouse Tower, Utah, 1984. [Photo] Jeff Achey

Webster on the summit of King of Pain after the first ascent of Vision Quest (5.10+), 1984. [Photo] Jeff Achey

"Ed was one of the most important rock climbers of his era, on par, in his unique way, with John Bachar, Henry Barber and Jimmy Dunn," Jeff Achey, a longtime friend and climbing partner of Webster, and a former editor of Climbing magazine and the author of Climb! The History of Rock Climbing in Colorado (2002), told Alpinist. "He was not nearly as talented of a free climber as many others in his generation--he focused more on exploring new terrain than on being the first to succeed on some well-known prize. But he was certainly no slouch--climbs like the FFA of Pendulum (5.11+) and Women in Love (5.12a) on Cathedral Ledge, for example, were among the hardest of their type there at the time. [A video of Webster telling the story of the first free ascents of Women in Love can be found here.--Ed.] He was a very bold rock explorer and traveled widely. He also wrote a ton of articles back in the days when Climbing magazine was a tiny black-and-white thing, and he typically climbed with a full-sized SLR camera, no matter how hard the route!"

Indeed, Webster would lose eight fingertips to frostbite after handling his heavy metal camera with thin liner gloves on Chomolungma (Everest) to capture a sunrise during the first ascent of the risky Kangshung Face with Stephen Venables, Paul Teare and Robert Anderson, which they climbed in self-supported style above base camp and without bottled oxygen in 1988. "It's a very expensive photo," Webster said of the famous "Frostbite Sunrise" image at a 2020 slide show. "The good news is, it turned out really, really well."

On the Kangshung expedition, only Venables summited. Cerebral edema forced Teare to descend from the South Col. Webster and Anderson reached the South Summit but turned around while Venables pressed on, reaching the top at 3:40 p.m. He bivouacked on the descent near 8600 meters before rejoining the group at an abandoned tent around 8400 meters the next morning. The three men were lucky to return to base camp alive: they ran out of food, lost their climbing rope and dropped two ice axes during falls on the descent. With the only remaining ice tool and no rope, Webster led the way down in a whiteout. Sir Chris Bonington described the epic as "one of the greatest survival stories in the history of Himalayan mountaineering."

Though Webster also lost three toes on the Kangshung expedition, that didn't stop him from climbing. He went on to author the acclaimed book, Snow in the Kingdom: My Storm Years on Everest (2000) and wrote a two-part Mountain Profile for Alpinist Issues 26 and 27 (2009).

The Kangshung Face Route, Mt. Everest (Chomolungma), 1988. [Photo] Stephen Venables

Reinhold Messner ultimately endorsed the Kangshung climb as "the best ascent of Everest in terms and [sic] style of pure adventure," as Webster recounted in a four-part series that he wrote for Alpinist.com in 2015, titled "Big Reinhold, Little Reinhold."

An example of Webster's typical self-effacing humor can be found in the first chapter of the series; he writes:

My 1970s Colorado rock-climbing partners, especially, Bryan Becker and Peter Gallagher, were the first to notice, I recall, my "family resemblance" to Messner--and to rib me ceaselessly about it.... According to my jocular climbing partners, Messner was "Big Reinhold," and I was "Little Reinhold"--or even on some days, "Tiny Reinie."

In the second chapter, Ed writes of a social encounter with the legend:

As our party broke up, I turned to Reinhold, and with my bravery obviously boosted by alcohol, I blurted: "All of my girlfriends have actually told me that I am much more handsome than you are."

"Some day," he replied without missing a beat, "you must come visit me at my castle." [Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 are here.--Ed.]

Like Messner, Webster focused his climbing talents on the rocks before he found his way to the supremely high, snowy peaks. Webster's desert routes in the late 1970s and early 1980s sat between two generations: the 1960s first-wave tower baggers and the 1990s and 2000s-era "Every-Line" climbers (those who scratch out every available line on the more prominent formations in the desert).

The routes he established are classic, a tick list for aspiring desert adventurers. Webster's name is affiliated with first ascents and first free ascents that include Primrose Dihedrals (5.11+) on Moses, the first free ascent of the North Face (5.11-) of Castleton Tower, Lightning Bolt Cracks (5.11-) on North Six-Shooter Peak, and, of course, Luxury Liner (aka Super Crack of the Desert, 5.10); the stuff of Wingate-fed dreams.

Webster and Pete Williams on the summit of North Six Shooter after the first ascent of Lightning Bolt Cracks, 1979. Williams recalled: "When I reminisce about the route these days, what I remember most was how little either of us knew about what we were getting into, then how difficult the climbing appeared as we were approaching the base, and finally, how friendly the route ultimately turned out to be when we ventured up on it." [Photo] Peter Williams collection

Climbing trees

At a young age, Webster started climbing trees in his native Lexington, Massachusetts. His mother, Dorothea, noticed his affinity for the vertical realm and went to the library. She borrowed a book for her son about Mt. Everest, Lute Jerstad's Everest Diary.

"I think she had a feeling," Webster told the Harpswell, Maine, Press-Herald in 2018. "Maybe she was slightly clairvoyant."

In 1974 he moved to Colorado Springs to study anthropology at Colorado College (with minors in geology and photography). From there he began exploring Colorado's Front Range climbing areas as well as the vast red rock country to the west.

His first trip to the desert, in November 1976, was a doozy. He and partners Earl Wiggins and Bryan Becker made the first ascent of Luxury Liner. Webster's longtime friend Stewart Green, who was filming that day, noted that the route "redefined the possibilities of sandstone crack climbing." While they mostly relied on widely spaced Hex nuts, Green told Alpinist that they carried a few prototype "Lowe cams"--predecessors to the spring-loaded devices we know today.

"Looking at the photos I shot of the first ascent," Green said, "Earl is carrying at least one of the Lowe cams on the first pitch. And Ed used the two that they carried on the second pitch.... It was the first time that camming devices were used at Indian Creek as far as I know. Earl did not place any on the first pitch, only Hexes." [A short video with original footage can be found here.--Ed.]

During his time out West, Webster also started visiting the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. He explored the deep recesses of the gorge and established gems like Scenic Cruise (5.10+), Journey Home (5.10), Escape Artist (5.10-) and Checkerboard Wall (5.10+). Of the latter, guidebook author Vic Zeilman cautions climbers to "expect some vintage spice factor" (especially if the bolt added after Webster's first ascent is no longer in place). Of course, this abbreviated list wouldn't be complete without mentioning Webster's famous first ascent of the Hallucinogen Wall (originally rated A5 and completed in two pushes over 17 days) in 1980 with Becker, Bruce Lella and Jimmy Newberry. In Alpinist 65 (2019), Webster wrote of an impactful moment on the climb: "As I hand-drilled a bolt on the smooth headwall, a tiny, hot fleck of metal flew into the pupil of my right eye. Although a doctor removed the metal days later, the resulting scar tissue impaired my ability to focus with that eye for the rest of my life. (Recommendation: Always wear sunglasses!)"

In an article in the 1981 American Alpine Journal titled "The Atmosphere of Discovery," Ed wrote: "The climbing in the Canyonlands and the Black Canyon may not be convenient, accessible or safe, but that's where all the excitement and depth of the experience come."

Webster with Jeff Achey before the first ascent of Iron Maiden (5.12) on Lighthouse Tower (center right), River Road, Utah, 1985. "[This is] my only picture of the two of us--and Ed's trusty pickup Picante," Achey wrote on Facebook. [Photo] Jeff Achey

Webster leading on the first ascent of Iron Maiden. [Photo] Jeff Achey

Ed Webster: Tenor of the Towers

One of Webster's desert tower lines that stands out is Brer Rabbit on Cottontail Tower in the Fisher Towers north of Moab, Utah. He had heard about the unclimbed western edge of Cottontail from his Colorado Springs friend Jimmie Dunn. In the spring of 1978, Webster climbed the first two pitches while Green belayed and took photos.

One night, Dunn recalled, while Webster was on the route, it rained particularly hard and Webster "jumped up and down and sang loudly all night to stay warm. Next morning, after rapping back down, two tourists walked up to him and asked what he was doing. He told them. Then they asked if he'd heard the wild screeching animals all night."

Sure, he had. It was him.

The tourists drove him to Crescent Junction, and he hitchhiked home. A weekend later, Colorado Springs climber Don Doucette drove him back to the Fisher Towers and waited while Webster finished the route. Webster later suggested in Mountain magazine that Brer Rabbit was the first grade VI in Utah, which I researched and confirmed in the early 1990s.

In 1984, Ed soloed a notable new aid route on the Diamond of Longs Peak in Colorado. Nearby routes have names like Black Dagger and Black Death--Webster gave his route an upbeat, positive name: Bright Star (V 5.9 A3). It was a tribute to his beloved partner Lauren Husted who died while scrambling with him in the Black Canyon a few months earlier. Today it's considered a classic free climb. Why? If the goal of a first ascensionist is a route that's true to its grade--that is, maintains the same level of difficulty throughout the climb--Bright Star is one of the greatest. Since its first free ascent by Roger Briggs and Topher Donahue in 2001, the pitches are rated: 5.11+, 5.11, 5.11+, 5.11+, 5.11+, 5.10. 5.11+, and 5.11.

Webster climbing on Remnants Tower in Colorado National Monument, 2008. [Photo] Stewart M. Green

Mightier than the camming unit

Webster started writing early, and he was prolific, writing for numerous publications on both sides of the Atlantic. He also published climbing guidebooks to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Lofoten Islands of Norway, and his photography was featured in numerous magazines.

"Ed's first article in Climbing--and I believe the first article he had published--was in the July-August 1974 issue of the magazine," noted Michael Kennedy, longtime owner and editor of Climbing magazine. "He would have been 18! That was the third issue of Climbing for me. I don't remember if he sent it in or if I solicited it, most probably he sent it in.... I was psyched, as was he, and his second article was in the September-October 1974 issue: 'Wallface in the Adirondacks, climbing with Ken Nichols.'"

"He was one of the kindest and most genuine people I've ever known," said Kennedy. "Super easy to be around. And fun! Lots of laughs, never took things too seriously, very open and always interested in what you were thinking. He was obviously driven but wasn't prickly about it. I'm sure he had a competitive side, but in my experience, he was always super supportive of his partners and really wanted them to do well."

Green wrote on Facebook, "Since Ed's passing to the other side of the mountain, I've thought a lot about my longtime friend, our shared adventures on cliffs and in the backcountry, and the rich and varied conversations that we had. For me and lots of other folks, the world just isn't going to be as good a place as it was when Ed was part of our merry-go-round."

Ed Webster spreads his wings with Castleton Tower and the Rectory in the background, Utah, 2018. [Photo] Stewart M. Green

An obituary by Stewart M. Green for Climbing.com can be found here, and an obituary by Seth Boster for the Colorado Springs Gazette is here.

[Derek Franz contributed additional reporting to this article.--Ed.]

Alpinist is delighted to welcome Abbey Collins to its team as an assistant editor. She returns to the East Coast from Alaska to work from the magazine's headquarters in Jeffersonville, Vermont. Editor-in-Chief Derek Franz and Deputy Editor Paula LaRochelle will continue to work remotely.

"Abbey brings a broad skillset to us, from radio to print journalism, and I'm excited about the possibilities she brings to Alpinist, and what this means for the Alpinist Podcast as well as the magazine," says Franz. "She has reported on difficult stories in her previous jobs, is connected to the Alaskan mountaineering scene, and she is clearly the type of person who embraces challenges with enthusiasm. We are very happy to have her with us!"

Growing up in the flatlands of Massachusetts, Collins has always loved the outdoors but didn't discover the joys of the alpine world until she moved to Alaska.

A year after graduating from journalism school at Emerson College, she left Boston for a summer internship as a public radio reporter in a small island town in Southeast Alaska. Those four months stretched into nearly seven years, three towns, a handful of radio and writing jobs, and a deep love for climbing mountains.

Her favorite mountain days involve backcountry navigation, rocky ridges, campsites next to alpine lakes, and warm alpenglow. Collins is excited to rediscover New England as a climber, while helping tell the stories of climbers all over the world.

"Stories from the mountains help us understand our greatest joys, deepest fears, and so much more about the human experience," says Collins. "I'm so excited to help tell those stories at Alpinist."

Alpinist has named Derek Franz as the new editor-in-chief.

Franz began freelancing for the magazine in 2011 and published his first story in The Climbing Life of Alpinist 36.

Franz joined the Alpinist staff in September 2016 as the digital editor. While learning the crafts of HTML coding for the website and managing social media, he assisted with editing and continued to write for the print magazine. He began hosting the Alpinist Podcast in 2019.

"I'm truly humbled and honored to start this new chapter for the magazine," Franz says. "As the new editor-in-chief I will do my best to uphold the tradition of excellence that has been ingrained with the brand since Alpinist 0 was published in 2002."

Outgoing editor-in-chief Katie Ives left in mid-August to begin working on a second climbing-related book. Her first book, Imaginary Peaks: The Riesenstein Hoax and Other Mountain Dreams, was published in 2021 and has achieved critical acclaim.

Ives joined Alpinist as an intern in 2004 and ascended to the top spot in May 2012. Christian Beckwith and Michael Kennedy preceded her in the esteemed role.

"I'm grateful beyond words for my nearly eighteen years at Alpinist," Ives says. "I have learned so much from every staff member and writer who has worked with me and from every community member and reader who has corresponded with me."

"Ives brought a new level of excellence to the magazine during her career," says Height of Land Publications President and CEO Adam Howard. "Her work ethic and talent is unparalleled in outdoor journalism and she truly helped raise our quality standards with every brand. But, while we're sad to see her go, we're equally excited for Derek to reimagine Alpinist."

Paula LaRochelle will stay on as Deputy Editor and Alpinist will be hiring an assistant editor in the coming months.

When Franz joined Alpinist in 2016, he brought with him a long history of climbing and writing experience. He started climbing at age 11 and led his first route on the Diamond of Longs Peak at 15. Franz graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005. He interned at Rock and Ice before working as a copy editor, columnist and reporter for various newspapers that were owned by Colorado Mountain News Media from 2005 to 2013.

"I've always been captivated by climbing stories because there is usually so much more happening beyond the physical act itself," Franz says. "Every person brings their unique history and perspective to the mountains. Two partners can have two very different experiences on the same climb. And climbers in general tend to be thoughtful with broad worldviews. It is an absolute thrill to have the opportunity to shepherd these people's stories into print for the global community of Alpinist readers!"

Alpinist 79, Ives' last issue, is on sale now. Alpinist 80 comes out in November.

You can read more about Franz's climbing background in a recent story he wrote for Alpinist 76 (2021), titled "Yosemite Dreams."

On August 10, Madaleine Sorkin, 40, enjoyed a no-falls day on the Dunn-Westbay Direct (IV 5.14-, 4 pitches, 1,000') on the Diamond of Longs Peak (Neniisotoyou'u, 14,255') in Rocky Mountain National Park. This makes her the first woman and fifth person overall to free climb the route on lead. The crux pitch is about 270 feet long and requires an 80-meter rope, and the route from Broadway Ledge sits above 13,000 feet in elevation.

Madaleine Sorkin during her free ascent of the Dunn-Westbay Direct (IV 5.14-, 4 pitches, 1,000') on the Diamond of Longs Peak (Neniisotoyou'u, 14,255') on August 10. [Photo] Henna Taylor

The Dunn-Westbay Direct was first free climbed by Tommy Caldwell in 2013. Joe Mills supported Caldwell's ascent and also sent the route on toprope during their no-falls day. Jonathan Seigrist completed the second free ascent on lead in 2016. Josh Wharton was the next person to redpoint, then John Ebers sent the route in 2020.

Sorkin was also the first woman and fifth person to free climb the Honeymoon is Over (V 5.13c) on the Diamond in 2016.

The following is a Q&A with Sorkin about her process and the day she sent:

Who did you end up partnering with?

I mainly worked on the route toprope solo. I led the route quickly on my second lead attempt ever. Both of my lead efforts were supported by my friend Jeff Hansen. My wife Henna Taylor filmed much of my projecting process with the route and her support has been the bee-knees! I can't overstate how much work it is to be up there and I have tremendous gratitude for partners who actually show up to support efforts like this.

How many days do you think you invested up on the wall?

I spent 11 or 12 days up there this summer between June 24 and August 10. Some days were much more productive because I was acclimated or the rock was less wet. While this has been a tough alpine season with wet conditions and storms, thankfully there was only one day that the crux pitch was so soaked that I couldn't put my climbing shoes on.

I also got on the route three times in August 2021 to see if I thought I had a chance at freeing the line and to get a sense of what would be required for summer 2022. Additionally I think this preview helped me know how to train mentally and physically for the route.

What was your strategy, both on and off the wall? As recently as a year ago you were recovering from some medical treatments/surgeries on your finger tendons, right?

Yeah thankfully my finger arthritis has been much more manageable for a year and a half now!

My main strategy was to let this pursuit matter to me. To honor this time as a deeply personal and mysterious process alongside a simple climbing goal. I felt healthy mentally and physically and wanted to have an experience of giving myself wholeheartedly and transparently to a dream. The experience of simply being a desiring, loving body on this mountain and leaning into the work required was very present throughout working towards this goal.

Practically, this was the first project that I employed consistent visualization. There are so many intricate moves for that long pitch and I could eventually perform the moves on my back before bed, practice my breathing and get so invigorated by the power moving through me as I imagined myself sending the pitch. The ritual also demanded my attention and helped focus my mind and avoid anxious thoughts that might distract me from the physical task at hand.

Describe the day you sent...

Oh. It was beautiful. I felt like a rock climber in love with climbing. I had a mantra for that day along the lines of "you can find a way right now." I said this to myself at the base of the 80-meter crux pitch and a few times throughout the hour and 15 minutes I was leading the pitch. Two memorable moments stick out to me on that lead. First was in the section that I consider the redpoint crux. I paused to place a piece and realized that would be too inefficient and I needed to keep climbing. The next moves are intricate foot placements and liebacking, and I began shaking as I tried to arrive at the first hand jam rest. What I remember is my complete commitment to finding a way. This energy carried me through those moves. The other moment was in the last 10 meters of the pitch, where there is this sharp, off-balance traverse sequence. I slightly bobbled the placement of my right big toe and responded perfectly. I thought "this is no big deal, just fix it," and I remember smirking and feeling kind of smug. I immediately re-situated the toe and moved through. When I grabbed the big hold following those difficult moves, I screamed with such a release of power. At the top of the crux pitch I was cycling in joyful disbelief for a while.

The remaining pitches to the summit are up to 5.13- and had been soaking wet and seemingly unclimbable until that week. I didn't know how to climb them precisely but they were dry and the wind was at my back! I felt a floaty, upward energy even as I fumbled a little figuring out gear and sequence. I enjoyed a "no fall day" to the summit!

[Sorkin shared the following information about the style of her ascent after this article was first published.]

I also want to mention that on the day I sent, we accessed the route by climbing the North Face of Longs Peak via the Cables Route [5.4] to the top of the Diamond [ca. 14,000'] and rappelled [down] the Dunn-Westbay Direct, to the top of the Green Pillar, the start of the crux pitch on the DunnWestbay Direct. I didn't climb the first 300 feet from Broadway Ledge, which has climbing up to 5.10, to get to that point. This decision hinged on witnessing repeated rockfall coming down the Chasm View rappels and into the North Chimney, and not wanting to repeatedly expose myself and partner to this risk. To access Broadway Ledge where many routes begin, the two common access points are the North Chimney or the Chasm View rappels. While I don't think the style of my ascent significantly alters the difficulty of the route, it is important for me to share the pertinent ascent details as best I can and role model transparency to other climbers self-reporting their ascents.

Additionally, for future climbers, there is a cleaner ascent of the crux pitch waiting to happen. It currently has a number of fixed stoppers and pins. I imagine there is a cleaner ascent waiting for someone if they were motivated to bang out all the fixed gear, which might be easier in colder temperatures when the metal is more contracted.

What do you think made the final difference for success?

Thankfully, sending this route was straightforward once I sorted my beta and figured out how to rest and manage my heart rate up the pitch. For me, the art of the send was taking the time to learn the details of how my body wanted to climb the rock and keep a rhythm to my progress alongside storm cycles and resting and training appropriately between days up high.

I think I'm very good at performing quickly once I see I can do the route. I find the pressure to perform to be an uncomfortable feeling and sometimes I wonder if I increase this sensation to get myself to perform quicker.

Earlier this spring you pulled off a free ascent of the Hallucinogen Wall in a day--I imagine that helped prepare you to climb long hard pitches above 13,000'?

I chose two performance goals this past year that inspired me and that I thought would contribute to my drive and focus for the Dunn-Westbay Direct. They were challenging goals but ones that I thought I might complete quickly and would translate to my capacity on the Dunn-Westbay Direct.

In October 2021 I redpointed Yellow Wolf 5.13d (a brilliant granite 1,000' wall in northwestern Wyoming; five of the nine pitches are 5.13). I believe I completed the fourth free ascent (first female) of the route. In April 2022 I climbed the Hallucinogen Wall in a day after replacing the old bolts over the winter (I'd free climbed the route in 2012 with Brad Gobright over two days). The "in-a-day" objective was a reasonable for me, however, I put the added pressure on myself to do it the first time I tried. I bobbled the crux pitch that day, so I had to repeat it and was so pumped that I was barely staying on the rock. I kept thinking what perfect practice that was for the Dunn-Westbay Direct.

Are you finished with the Diamond for a while?

This is an interesting question. I cried earlier today thinking about saying goodbye to the route and the mountain. I think that is a good sign that I am beginning to feel complete with the goal. The send happened and there is a deeper process I've been in that I'm slowly unraveling. This morning I wrote a poem to the mountain.

[Sorkin wrote a poem about her experience on the Hallucinogen Wall for Alpinist 79, which was recently sent to press and will be available by the end of August.]

What are you looking forward to next?

So much :)

How are things going with the Climbing Grief Fund?

CGF awarded our 25 therapy grants before the end of the annual cycle. I hope the American Alpine Club can secure more funding for 2023 and offer more community services for grief and trauma.

In late June and early July, a group of climbing guides from Italy's Aosta Valley completed a variation to Camp 2 and a speed ascent on Nanga Parbat (8125m).

On June 26, Francois "Franz" Cazzanelli and Pietro Picco established a 1400-meter variation up to Camp 2 on the Kinshofer Route (ca. 6000m) in alpine style in a single push from Base Camp. They called the variation the Aosta Valley Express (AI 90� M6 85�). The Kinshofer Route is the mountain's normal route and the two climbers used that line to return to Base Camp.

On July 4, Cazzanelli summited the Kinshofer Route from Base Camp (4200m) without bottled oxygen in 20 hours, 20 minutes, including a four-hour rest in a prepared tent at Camp 3 (6850m) where met up with his teammates for the summit push. They used fixed ropes up to Camp 3, but there were no fixed lines for the team to use above that point.

A series of press releases indicate that the team waited out a week of heavy snowfall that deposited 1.5 meters of snow at base camp after they first arrived.

A release reads:

As the weather and the conditions of the mountain improved, [Cazzanelli] identified a line for which there was no record, but which looked climbable, leading up to 6000m (Camp 2) where it joins with the more classic Kinshofer Route.

This photo shows the detail of the terrain on the lower third of Nanga Parbat with the distant summit visible near the top of the frame. The Kinshofer Route is drawn in red to the left of the prominent rib and the Aosta Valley Express follows a weakness to the right. [Photo] Courtesy of Yodel press agency

A climbable route on this kind of mountain is a route that minimizes the danger of serac fall to a tolerable level. This and the snow conditions were the main variables considered, before deciding to commit to the attempt.

The route involves climbing the vertical serac at the base of the route then follows steepening snowfields up to a mixed section that leads onto the ridge that joins with the Kinshofer route, totaling 1800 [meters] of climbing at an altitude where lack of oxygen forced very slow climbing.

Aosta Valley Express. [Photo] Courtesy of Yodel press agency

Aosta Valley Express. [Photo] Courtesy of Yodel press agency

Aosta Valley Express. [Photo] Courtesy of Yodel press agency

Aosta Valley Express. [Photo] Courtesy of Yodel press agency

Alpinist asked for more detail about the objective hazards and Cazzanelli responded through a press agent via email:

"Aosta Valley Express: we think no one considered the route in the past as the serac at the base was more dangerous. It is a direct route to Camp 2 and potentially up to Camp 3. The route climbs the serac for the first 150 meters then moves onto steepening ice-snow slopes. We found the slopes to be safe early in the morning on the day of the climb, [then] they became icier the following days with more potential for rocks falling. So it is a route that is safe in early morning and snowy conditions."

Cazzanelli on the summit of Nanga Parbat on July 4, 20 hours and 20 minutes after leaving base camp. [Photo] Courtesy of Yodel press agency

Another press release describes Cazzanelli's speed ascent:

Franz set off alone, on July 3 at 11:30 a.m..... After 8 hours he had made it to Camp 3 (6,850m), where he rested for four hours in a pre-prepared tent with the rest of his team. The tent had been left there by Franz a few days earlier on his final acclimatization round.

At [11:30 p.m.] on July 3, Franz began his summit push from C3, together with Jerome Perruquet and Cesar Rosales. After 8 hours and 20 minutes, at 7:50 a.m. on the morning of July 4, they stood on the summit together.

They were joined a short time later by Pietro Picco and then the remaining members of the expedition team--Roger Bovard, Emrik Favre and Marco Camandona--all reached the summit at 10.30am. The whole team climbed without supplemental oxygen.

The expedition team. [Photo] Courtesy of Yodel press agency

Annapurna (8091m). [Photo] Wolfgang Beyer, Wikimedia

A team of researchers has been working for the past several years analyzing climbers' summit photos from the world's highest peaks--particularly on Dhaulagiri (8167m), Manaslu (8163m) and Annapurna (8091m). On July 8, one of them, Eberhard Jurgalski, announced in a report on 8000ers.com that they could only find evidence to confirm ascents to the actual apex of all 14* 8000-meter peaks by three people: Ed Viesturs (USA), Veikka Gustafsson (Finland) and Nirmal Purja (Nepal/UK). [*There is a tradition of stopping just below the very summit of Kangchenjunga out of respect for local religious beliefs, and the researchers are not discounting ascents of climbers who did so.]

The person who has been credited since 1986 as the first to collect all 14 summits (and without bottled oxygen)--Reinhold Messner--does not appear on the researchers' list of their 14 confirmed summits. A story by John Branch published in the New York Times in May 2021 quoted Messner's response to earlier, less-specific reports of the researchers' work: "If they say maybe on Annapurna I got five meters below the summit, somewhere on this long ridge, I feel totally OK. I will not even defend myself. If somebody would come and say, this is all bullshit what you did? Think what you want... There is only the knowledge of what was yesterday, and the enthusiasm for what you are doing. I cannot say the line that Hillary did on Everest is wrong. It's his line, it's his piece of art. He expressed himself."

Regarding "Nims" Purja's speed record of topping all 14 peaks in six months and six days, Jurgalski's report reads: "During his big 2019 journey he also stopped, for whatever reason, at the [West Rocky Foresummit of Dhaulagiri] and later also at the ridge point on Manaslu.... He corrected it in autumn 2021, when he went to the true summits of both mountains. The six months, six days record must be deleted...but he still will own other records." (Norwegian climber Kristin Harila is currently poised to try to climb all 14 peaks in fewer than six months and six days.)

Purja had not responded to an email by the time this article was posted but Alpinist will update the story if he responds to us later.

8000ers.com is operated by Eberhard Jurgalski, who has been working with researchers for the past several years, including Rodolphe Popier and Tobias Pantel of the Himalayan Database, Damien Gildea, Federico Bernardi, Bob Schelfhout Aubertijn, and Thaneswar Guragai (of Seven Summit Treks). They have shared occasional articles leading up to this moment, so Jurgalski's latest report doesn't come as a complete surprise. Their research continues and decisions remain about how to handle long-established records.

Billi Bierling, who is the managing director of the Himalayan Database but not directly involved with the research, told Alpinist in an email:

We are facing something interesting. I really appreciate Eberhard Jurgalski's work as he is very precise, and together with his colleagues he has defined new parameters for Himalayan climbing. The Himalayan Database team will look into it and discuss what changes can be made. It will be very difficult to get 100% evidence for past ascents and a lot is unclear and even though I don't think we can rewrite history, we may be able to make some adjustments in the future.

In a Sharp End column titled "The Measure of a Mountain," published in Alpinist 69 (2020), Katie Ives quoted Jurgalski as saying "This is history. Why not tell the truth to people."

A July 2019 report, with a set of downloadable pdfs, had included the researchers' photo analysis of summit topographies for Manaslu, Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri I and suggested how many climbers, often simply by mistake, might have stopped at the wrong points, believing they were on the apex.

In "The Measure of a Mountain," Ives summarized the 2019 reports:

On Jurgalski's website, 8000ers.com, a report by [Tobias] Pantel notes a "hazy summit topography" on Manaslu where a ridge rises and falls over a series of fore-summits, and a ninety-degree bend hides the highest point from view. When there's little snow, the final tower is mainly rock, a crisp silhouette against the sky. But the wind and heavy drifts of summer monsoons can sculpt wild cornices along the ridge, creating seemingly impassable obstacles. During recent autumns, many commercial expeditions have ended at one of the fore-summits. In another report by Popier, a satellite photo of Annapurna's immense summit ridge shows numerous bumps, the lowest of which is 26.8 meters below the tallest. And on Dhaulagiri I, a similarly confusing summit landscape includes a metal pole stuck in the wrong place.

Jurgalski has suggested that a "tolerance zone" could be determined for any past ascents that ended, unbeknownst to the climbers, within a certain distance of the apexes and an "elite list" for those who truly reached the top. Nonetheless, he concludes, given the potentially large number of inaccurate summit claims, "the whole 8000ers history should be rewritten."

In the July 8, 2022 post on 8000ers.com, Jurgalski writes:

When I found that some climbers were stopping quite a distance from the true top of Annapurna I back in 2012, I asked Rodolphe Popier to check the summit photos because he is fastidious about identifying all the features in summit areas. It seems he can identify every rock from all directions. Then he compared and compared and we needed help to confirm what he found out. The DLR [satellite photos from the German Aerospace Center] helped us with detailed digital data from the whole Annapurna I ridge....

The 2020 American Alpine Journal published an article by Gildea titled, "The 8000-er Mess: The history of climbing the world's highest peaks is not what it seems," in which Gildea writes of the 2019 reports:

The summit is the highest point on the mountain and there is usually only one.... You might feel that you can stop 30 meters away and 10 meters below the very highest point and still say that you have "climbed the mountain," but you have not been to the summit.

The questions that have arisen in recent years are not the well-known issues with climbers stopping at the rocky foresummit of Broad Peak or the central peak of Xixabangma (Shishapangma). They involve three other 8,000ers....

It must be stated that in the vast majority of cases the research group believes these non-summits are due to honest mistakes or justifiable ignorance, rather than willful dishonesty....

These issues have surfaced only recently for several reasons. The last decade has seen a proliferation of self-propagated photos and other media from the 8,000ers, available online. This new material and other information has made it easier for researchers to compare ascents and claims, and to shed new light on the ascents of decades past. This wealth of information was not available to researchers, publishers, or climbers until very recently, a factor the research group takes into account when judging what anyone could have known previously about the summit locations....

Can any list ever be "final"? Revision is common and ongoing in all forms of history, including the history of alpinism--facts are rarely final, and there are many aspects to stories. A definitive list for this particular matter is likely an illusion--an illusion of precision that does not exist, an illusion of control over history that can never exist....

The research group has tried to come to conclusions that are topographically accurate, ethically fair, and socially acceptable, but this has proven extremely difficult. The group is reluctant to impose contrived rules on others or shine a harsh light on the minor missteps of inspiring climbers of the past. But they feel strongly that lines need to be drawn somewhere to clarify the historical record, to make the future chronicling of ascents workable, and to respect the efforts of those who have made the effort to go to the summits--particularly those who have returned to a mountain after realizing an earlier mistake, with all the risk, expense, and effort this requires....

The summit is the summit, but climbing is more than summits.

A July 13 Explorer's Web article by Angela Benavides delves into the specifics of some of the most high-profile disputes. "Many of those whose summit resume has been diminished are unfortunately not alive to object or explain," she notes.

"When we climbed, we climbed to what we considered the summit, the highest possible point, as far as we knew," Edurne Pasaban told her. "Each of us climbed according to our individual preferences and style, and we respected each other. We climbed out of love for the mountains and adventure.... But I do honestly believe...that I summited all the 14 8,000'ers."

In one section of her article, Benavides asks Jurgalski about questioning past records without interviewing all of the living people involved: "Jurgalski insists that the work they are doing is so huge that they simply cannot contact everyone personally, since they lack the resources. In his opinion, the photographic evidence is enough in many cases, removing the need to speak to climbers."

Later, Benavides writes:

We also asked Rodolphe Popier...what they mean by "no summit by body of proof or clue."

He explained: "We eventually chose to sort the ascents into two categories to make things simple: NO SUMMIT is the result for the ascents for which accounts and/or summit pictures eventually led to a negative body of clues/proofs; NO EVIDENCE is the result for ascents where we either haven't been able to access the summit pictures or when the pictures are impossible to analyze (because of the time of night, bad weather, etc.). But no evidence doesn't mean no summit!"

As Jurgalski observes, after the release of earlier reports, some climbers have already reclimbed certain 8000-meter peaks to "correct" their past expeditions and reach the actual apexes.

When asked if the team will eventually publicize the evidence it has collected, Popier told Alpinist:

Publishing a whole set of evidence for [all the] climbers involved...has indeed been a meaningful question raised since the publication. In practice writing a full report on the question is unworkable (consider that reading our sole topographic reports isn't exactly easy for casual reader), but we have already begun to answer direct respectful demands to provide evidence in private email exchanges. For now we guess that these concertations and their results might be published as the water flows, but we haven't yet decided about the best respectful form to present it.

(Alpinist will not come to any definitive conclusions about individual records before examining all the evidence about specific ascents.)

From May 23 to 27, Americans David Allfrey, Whit Magro and Graham Zimmerman opened a route on the northwest face that they named The Pace of Comfort (VI 5.10 A3+ M6 70� snow, 3,100'). Shortly after, on the east face of the spire, British climbers Mark Thomas and Mike "Twid" Turner completed a route they called Thunderstruck (VI 5.11b A3+, 3,900') on June 8 after 12 consecutive days of effort.

Red dots show the route of David Allfrey, Whit Magro and Graham Zimmerman's new route, The Pace of Comfort (VI 5.10 A3+ M6 70� snow, 3,100') on the northwest face of Kichatna Spire (8,985') in the Alaska Range. [Photo] Oliver Rye

The line shows Mark Thomas and Mike "Twid" Turner's new route Thunderstruck (VI 5.11b A3+, 3,900') on the east face of Kichatna Spire. [Photo] Mark Thomas/Mike "Twid" Turner collection

The Pace of Comfort

A lightly edited press release from Allfrey, Magro and Zimmerman describes their ascent:

The Kichatna Spires are a small clutch of exceptionally steep peaks 70 miles west of Denali. In his 1966 report on the spires, David Roberts stated, "no other area combines heavy glaciation, remoteness and bad weather with such an abundance of vertical walls, pinnacles, and obelisks." During his 1966 expedition to the area, two of his teammates made the first ascent of the highest peak in the range, the 8,985-foot peak via its East Ridge--they named the mountain Kichatna Spire.

In the years since the first ascents made on the peak have represented some of the most technical ascents in the Alaska Range, and only one of these has successfully ascended the peak's dramatic northwest face. This ascent of The Ships Prow by Andrew Embick and Jim Bridwell in 1979 was on the cutting edge of applying Yosemite big wall tactics to the big mountains.

Allfrey leading on The Pace of Comfort with Zimmerman and Magro at the belay. [Photo] Graham Zimmerman

The other routes on the north side of the peak (off the Cul-de-Sac Glacier) are The Voice of Unreason (2005), which did not reach the summit, and the Wharton-Smith Couloir [aka The Message or the Money] (2008) to reach the 1966 route, which is on the far left-hand margin of the face. Many other attempts had been made on the peak's northwestern wall, including one in 2008 by Zimmerman alongside Ian Nicholson and Ryan O'Connell.

The team, including videographer Oliver Rye, flew into the Cul-de-Sac Glacier on May 22 in clear weather with an excellent forecast. After setting up basecamp and scoping the route, they got to work on the route's initial pitches. On May 23, Magro led two 70-meter pitches of sustained rock climbing (C2 and 5.10). That evening they returned to camp with two ropes fixed on the wall. The following day, Allfrey led a 68-meter pitch of technical A3+ beaks followed by a stunning 50-meter C3 leaning corner. Above this, Zimmerman led a 45-meter mixed corner (C2, M6). At this point, they reached the snow ledge dubbed "the triple ledges." Again, they fixed lines through these initial pitches and returned to camp.

Allfrey leading the Golden Corner on pitch four. [Photo] Graham Zimmerman

Due to the arc of the arctic summer sun, they climbed late in the day, departing basecamp at noon and reaching the base of the wall at 1 p.m. to take advantage of the sunlight on the wall that lasted from 3 p.m. to 12 a.m.

After resting and packing on May 25, they launched on the route at 10 a.m. on the 26th, ascending their ropes and pulling the ropes behind. From "Triple Ledges," Magro led a sustained 230-foot A3 pitch. Allfrey then led the two 50-meter pitches of C3 to the top of the upper headwall. On the final moves stepping off the headwall, Allfrey took a 40-foot whipper when a cam placed in poor rock failed. Up to that point, the climbing was sustained vertical and overhanging terrain. Finally, after eight massive pitches of climbing, the terrain leaned back. From there, Magro was able to climb around an M6 chockstone left of the final headwall to reach a small bivy chopped in a snow field on which the team was able to sit out the bright Alaskan night.

The following morning [Friday, May 27], Zimmerman led five pitches of high-quality mixed climbing with difficulty up to M5 to reach the summit ridge under clear skies. Magro then led along the moderate and stunning summit ridge to reach the peak's T-O-P...at 4:17 p.m.

Allfrey, Magro and Zimmerman climbing on the upper ridge. [Photo] Oliver Rye

Their descent went quickly, and they arrived back at basecamp with all of their equipment just before midnight.

The route required all of the skills gained from the team's numerous expeditions around the world. In Magro's words, "this climb was a culmination of 70 years of climbing experience between the three of us."

The name "The Pace of Comfort" comes from a statement made by pilot Paul Roderick when he picked the team up on the glacier. Looking at the weather, he said, "With these kinds of conditions, we're able to fly at a pace of comfort." The climbing team felt the same way about their ascent.

Thunderstruck

Turner and Thomas. [Photo] Mark Thomas/Mike "Twid" Turner collection

In an email to Alpinist, "Twid" Turner wrote:

I had attempted this fabulous pillar in 2000 but backed off due to loose rock. We were back again and found the 30 meters [nearly 100 feet] of loose rock now on the glacier!

The climb followed a fantastic corner crack up the pillar on the right side of the east face. The second pitch took two days to climb through some blank and loose-ish rock over a huge roof to reach the corner. Once in the corner/crack it led pretty much direct up the left side of the orange pillar. This led to alpine mixed rock and snow climbing to the summit ridge.

Aiding a roof on Thunderstruck. [Photo] Mark Thomas/Mike "Twid" Turner collection

Jumaring on Thunderstruck. [Photo] Mark Thomas/Mike "Twid" Turner collection

The pureness of the top half was pretty special. The climbing was over 12 long, consecutive days of effort. Most of the climbing was challenging aid/French free [while dealing with a] mix of freezing and warm conditions. The weather was stellar the whole period except for a thunderstorm one day, which was quite spooky. Six nights were spent bivying on a small ledge. I lost 3.5kg [8 lbs.] in weight over the climb, which shows the great effort we put in! It was a truly incredible summit...and an aesthetic line.

Turner's report for PlanetMountain.com notes that they mostly protected the route "with nuts, cams and beaks, and while no pegs were placed, every now and then a bolt was added to back up the belay anchor where necessary. The 33-pitch outing [is] 'one of [Turner's] best big wall routes out of the 35 years of big walling.'"

A bivy on Thunderstruck. [Photo] Mark Thomas/Mike "Twid" Turner collection

Summit of Kichatna Spire. [Photo] Mark Thomas/Mike "Twid" Turner collection

The Riesenstein

The Kichatna Spires, called "K'its'atnu Dghelaya" by Dena'ina Dene (Athabascan) people, first attracted climbers' attention in 1962 as a result of a hoax authored by Harvey Manning, Austin Post and Edward LaChapelle. The three friends had published an anonymous article in Summit magazine describing the imposing granite peaks as "the Riesenstein" peaks of "British Columbia," accompanied by a deliberately mislabeled photo of the Kichatnas, with the intention of sending hopeful peak baggers on a wild goose chase in the wrong country. In her 2021 book, Imaginary Peaks: The Riesenstein Hoax and Other Mountain Dreams, Alpinist editor Katie Ives writes: "Few American climbers were aware of the [Kichatna] spires' existence [in Alaska] or their potential when Harvey and his friends published the Riesenstein Hoax in Summit magazine...and from 1962 to 1965, mountaineers from across the country struggled to solve the riddle of where the photographer had actually been when he snapped the picture of those enigmatic peaks."

After Don Jensen and David Roberts connected the dots between the hoax and the mysterious topo lines on a map of the Alaska Range, Roberts asked renowned aerial photographer Brad Washburn, why he didn't have any photos of the spires in his collection of Alaskan mountains. Washburn replied that he hadn't thought anyone would want to climb there: "They call that area the asshole of the Alaska Range," referring to the region's weather.

Meanwhile, Brownell Bergen (husband of Jeanne Bergen, then-secretary of the American Alpine Club) had independently solved the mystery, after noticing a copy of the "Riesenstein" photo in a collection of Post's work at the American Geographical Society. Bergen shared the real location of the mountains with his friends, and Al DeMaria, Claude Suhl, Aaron Schneider, Pete Geiser, John Hudson, and George Bloom set out for the Kichatnas in June 1965 to make the first ascents of several peaks. On their way out, DeMaria and Geiser wrote in the American Alpine Journal, "clouds and storm began again to reclaim the 'Riesenstein.'"

Even with modern forecasting tools, weather patterns and difficult conditions in the region continue to challenge climbers today.

Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau at the point where the Slovak Direct joins the Cassin Ridge. [Photo] Jackson Marvell

At 2 a.m. on May 15, Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau topped out on the Slovak Direct (5.9 X M6 WI6+) on Denali (20,310'), completing the route in just 21 hours, 35 minutes. It was a staggeringly fast time, but the record didn't last long. On June 3, Michael Gardner, Sam Hennessey and Rob Smith fired the route in 17 hours, 10 minutes. All six climbers are friends and expressed happiness for everyone's success.

"The conditions this year are like nothing I've seen in 10 years," Gardner told Alpinist. "People who've been climbing there longer than I have are saying the same thing."

The south face of Denali is a tremendous prize for alpinists from around the world, towering 9,000 feet above the East Fork Glacier. It is home to the some of the biggest routes in the world, including the Cassin Ridge and the Denali Diamond, though the crown jewel might be the Slovak Direct. First climbed over 11 days in 1984 by Tony Krizo, Fran Korl and Blazej Adam, who placed 150 pitons along the way and persevered through difficult conditions, the route has seen fewer than 12 ascents. The Slovak gained notoriety in 2000 when Mark Twight, Steve House and Scott Backes climbed the route in a continuous 60-hour push, a bold climbing statement that changed the way many alpinists viewed the rulebook for big alpine faces. Their seminal ascent is memorably described in Twight's article "Justification for an Elitist Attitude."

Marvell, a welder from Salt Lake City (Provo) and a protege of the late Scott Adamson, had long dreamed of climbing the route.

Rousseau on the crux of the lower pitches on May 15. [Photo] Jackson Marvell

Michael Gardner on June 3 leading the same pitch as the previous photo. [Photo] Sam Hennessey

"Alan and I had come to the range in 2021 to single-push the big three: Foraker via the Infinite Spur, Hunter via the Moonflower and the south face of Denali," he said. "We managed two of the three."

This year, Marvell and Cornell had just come off two first ascents in the Revelations and were feeling fit and motivated. Rousseau met them in Talkeetna and the trio made the quick flight to Kahiltna base camp. A ski up to the camp at 14,000 feet on the West Buttress was fueled by a mix of heavy metal and gangster rap. They acclimatized there for a few days before quickly dispatching the Upper West Rib to the summit of Denali, completing the climb camp-to-camp in a 12-hour push, enduring -40F temps along the way. Marvell said he would have liked to have had more time to acclimatize, but with good weather in the forecast, they opted not to wait. Instead, they hoped to climb the Slovak fast enough to avoid having the effects of the altitude catch up with them, a tactic that leaves little room for error.

Marvell and Rousseau had walked away from the Slovak several times in the past, wanting it to be in good condition. This time, however, conditions were perfect, with excellent neve and ice.

Cornell following on exposed mixed terrain. [Photo] Jackson Marvell

"Skiing the eleven miles up the Northeast Fork was intimidating," Cornell said. "It's big country up there!"

A good snowpack had filled in most of the crevasses over the winter and made glacier travel relatively smooth.

"We arrived at the bivy below the wall and all three of us were feeling excited and psyched!" Cornell said.

The team arranged for a couple of young climbers to retrieve their skis and sleeping bags that they wouldn't be taking up the route.

The trio divided the route into three blocks. Carrying only a single 60-meter 9mm cord, they climbed with both followers 10 feet apart at the end of the rope. The rack included a set and half of cams, one large beak and ten ice screws, along with six Micro Traxions to add a margin of safety while simul-climbing. The team also brought a two-man tent, a down quilt and a stove for some peace of mind, Cornell said, "in case things didn't go as planned."

Rousseau, an IMFGA guide and seasoned climber from Salt Lake City, led the first block. Crossing the bergschrund under clear skies and cool temps at 4:20 a.m., Rousseau raced up 2,000 feet of technical mixed terrain.

"He was on fire," Cornell said. "An ice smear six pitches up was a question mark: if the ice wasn't in, it was going to slow us down. As we rounded the notch, (we found that) to our good fortune it was in!" The team moved up the wandering lower difficulties with efficiency and poise. Rousseau finished his block in 4 hours, 5 minutes.

Riding the team's tremendous momentum after Rousseau's quick start, Marvell racked and sized up the route's crux: 1,500 feet of steep ice and rock. He took a deep breath and set off.

"The ice pitches high on my block had some exceptional climbing that flowed quite well," Jackson later recounted. "The thing that was most frequently on my mind in this section was keeping Alan and Matt protected from the ice I was shelling while still trying to move effectively. Overall [I] felt like we completed it with reasonable safety."

Stopping only once to re-rack, Jackson climbed his block in 5 hours, 5 minutes.

The team stopped at the aid pitch to brew up and switch leaders. Cornell's block started with a steep crux that [had*] yet to be free climbed on lead. Battling up flares and offwidths with ice tools and crampons, he applied his best Yosemite wide-crack skills while trying to find the path of least resistance. Only 20 feet below the end of the section, he took a short fall. Immediately focusing on speed again, he pulled through with a few moves of aid to finish the pitch. With burning calves and building fatigue, Cornell led the final 2,000 feet of moderate mixed terrain in 7 hours. The team had reached the ridge that connects to the Cassin in great style and with blazing speed. From there they climbed the easy snow ridge to the top. [*After this story was published, Rousseau added: "A team from Slovakia climbed it about five days after we did, in around 40 hours. They told me that all members of their team free climbed the crux."]

"Those last few hours were tough and we were bonking," Marvell said. "We had to dig deep to finish strong."

Climbing the entire technical aspect of the Slovak in 16 hours is a groundbreaking step.

"The impressiveness of their ascent can't be overstated," said Mark Westman, a former Denali climbing ranger with decades of experience who has become a leading authority on Alaskan climbs. "What they achieved was the result of elite skills and fitness combined with forward thinking tactics and strategy, and a willingness to accept very high risks."

"The Twight, House and Backes ascent always intrigued me. These guys went all out and pushed it to the limit," Marvell said. "Without a mark set by others, it's hard to know where to start and stop. We figured we could get somewhere near the 30-hour mark. I'm really happy with our effort."

An even faster time

In no certain order: Rob Smith, Sam Hennessey and Michael Gardner on the summit on June 3. [Photo] Michael Gardner collection

Gardner and Hennessey are intimately familiar with Denali and the surrounding peaks.

As they have in most recent years, the two close friends spent much of the spring guiding on the mountain. This allowed them plenty of time and provisions to acclimatize before tackling their personal objectives.

"That strategy has worked really well for them several times, and has made them a couple of the most accomplished Alaska Range climbers, in my opinion," Rousseau said.

Gardner and Hennessey first approached the Slovak Direct with hopes of climbing it in 2018 but conditions were not aligned, as is the case for many who aspire to climb the route. They returned once more with the same results until now. This time, Smith traveled from his home in Chamonix, France, to join them.

"We flew in [from Talkeetna] on June 2 at 9 a.m. and skied to the base of the route," Gardner said. "We launched at midnight on June 3 and summited that afternoon."

Hennessey leading. [Photo] Michael Gardner

Hennessey leading. [Photo] Michael Gardner

Describing the conditions, he said that "it basically hadn't snowed" during the entire time he'd been in the range for the spring season. Also, the Slovak Direct joins the Cassin Ridge near the top, and a bunch of foot traffic from climbers on the Cassin created tracks that helped the trio move swiftly.

Besides having such good conditions, Gardner noted that Rousseau shared photos of from their ascent to help with route finding.

"I know they would have done the same for us," Rousseau said in an email. "We have all known each other for years and are psyched we all got to climb the route in our sought-after style this year. It's been something on all of our minds for a while."

Gardner said that his team was inspired by their friends' recent success and they thought they had a chance to climb pretty fast as well, but they did not set out to break any speed records.

Smith leading. [Photo] Michael Gardner

"It was just really fun," he said. "Our primary goal was to climb fluidly in good style, which includes having margins. I feel like there's been a lot of hype about speed climbing up there recently but I want to remind people that the same principles of safe mountain travel apply. We were not redlining and we were climbing in such a way that if something came up we had the energy and the margins to deal with it. We topped out with an extra 24 hours of food and fuel."

As it turned out, they encountered a group trying to save a heart-attack victim on the descent and assisted with the rescue attempt on Pig Hill at approximately 20,000 feet. Once they got back to 14k Camp, they returned to the base of the Slovak Direct to retrieve their cached gear on June 5.

Hennessey and Smith heading back up the West Rib Cutoff to collect gear after the climb on June 5. [Photo] Michael Gardner

"I felt as acclimatized as I'd ever been," Gardner said. "This felt way more chill than other climbs I've done."

Smith posted on Instagram June 13:

This was my 14th trip to the Alaska Range in the last 20 years and never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined such amazing weather. Spending time in the mountains with Sam and "Guard Dog" is always an honor. We ate incredible amounts of food and spent most of our time making immature jokes and coming up with rap lyrics about alpine climbing.... The climbing was classic and super enjoyable. We completed the technical portion of the route in 10.5 hours, which was the easiest part. For me the crux was the 1,200 meters of snow climbing between 5,000 and 6,190 meters. I really slowed down in this section and had to try really hard. I am very proud of our ascent in that we climbed quickly but also safely....

Skiing out after collecting gear. The south face of Denali is in the background. [Photo] Michael Gardner

"Super stoked for those dudes," Marvell said in an email. "We all sat at the base of it in our tents last year waiting to see if weather would clear in order to give it a go. We joked about doing it as a four-pack. Feels proper that we all got to give it our best this year and come away with respectable times. In my opinion it doesn't feel competitive between us, overall just excited about the direction of the progression!"

"Really psyched they were able to get on route and throw down a proper time and I'll be curious to see who pushes it faster in the future!" Cornell said.

[Alpinist.com also has stories about the first female ascent of the Slovak Direct in 2018 and a groundbreaking linkup by the Giri-Giri Boys in 2008. Podcast interviews with Gardner and Chantel Astorga can be found here.--Ed.]

Jon Nicolodi has had a busy season. In March, the 30-year-old resident of Jackson, New Hampshire, notched two coveted first free ascents, putting the relatively unknown alpinist on the map.

First, on March 10, Nicolodi reached the top of Across the Great Divide (M8 R, 5 pitches, 550'), a 1975 Rick Wilcox and Peter Cole A4 aid route on New Hampshire's storied Cannon Cliff. Several other prominent local alpinists had attempted the route before; in Alpinist 21, New England first ascensionist Freddie Wilkinson called it one of the area's last significant aid routes left unfreed. Nicolodi was able to redpoint the line in two days--sending the first pitches on day one and then jugging back up to his high point on day two--after five previous days of effort across the 2021/22 season.

Then, less than two weeks later, Nicolodi freed the Shurayev-Mirkina-Dynkin Route, first established as an A2 winter aid line within Huntington Ravine on Agiocochook (Mt. Washington). He ultimately dubbed the free version "The Resistance" (M10, 5 pitches, 360')--both as a nod to nearby Star Wars-themed route names like Skywalker (M6+), and as a symbol of support for Ukrainians confronting the Russian invasion of their country.

As for style: Nicolodi made his free ascent of Across the Great Divide with both traditional gear and an array of hammered-in pieces: Spectres, Terriers, Peckers, Lost Arrows, and knifeblades. With permission from Rick Wilcox, one of the first ascensionists, he also added one bolted anchor to a belay stance to protect the belayer in case of a leader fall, but he used no bolts for protection on route. While Nicolodi did clip the odd piece of existing fixed gear during his redpoint ascent, he either placed or hammered in the bulk of his protection on lead. He and his followers (Seth Fisher on day one and Pat Cooke on day two) then removed added lead protection, including pitons, except for rare instances when Nicolodi felt removal could potentially damage the route. (Some of the seams are already littered with broken-off pieces of metal, he notes, blocking potential placements.) Nicolodi's ascent of The Resistance, on the other hand, involved only traditional protection--cams, nuts and Tricams--on lead. He also adjusted the position of two existing fixed anchors, in an effort to replace aging bolts and to protect future belayers from leader falls. Nicolodi ultimately tackled the 360-foot line in a single day, with partner Patrick Cooke, after several previous attempts dating back to 2020.

Nicolodi gazes up from the first-pitch anchor during an early attempt to free Across the Great Divide. [Photo] Luke Hampton

"It feels like a great wrap-up to the season," Nicolodi explains. "I already have a host of ideas for next winter, and it's great to wrap up the main projects so that I can focus on my next ideas."

Cooke, who accompanied Nicolodi on both The Resistance and on the upper pitches of Across the Great Divide, says he found both routes incredibly demanding.

"What I appreciate about Jon is that he kind of wears on his sleeve the fact that these pitches he's leading are very scary," Cooke says. "As a belayer, I can tell he's unsure or nervous, but he works through it, and he works through it methodically." While belaying the crux pitch of The Resistance, a 35-degree overhang split by an offwidth crack, Cooke recalls holding his breath. Nicolodi was on lead, hanging from a rattly torqued tool head, with almost nonexistent footholds. He matched on the tool, moved carefully, controlled his breathing, placed a piece--and then moved into a slippery, insecure knee lock and did it all over again.

"He was able to work through it, and he sent that pitch on his first go of the day," Cooke says. "He was hanging out on the steepest terrain there, on a tool he's very much worried is going to rip out, and he's both calm enough to stay focused and has the physical strength to hang on, find those rests, and move through. He really showed his mastery of the craft on that kind of terrain."

Nicolodi scopes out the technical M7 traverse of pitch one of Across the Great Divide from the pitch-one anchor. [Photo] Zac St. Jules

Though Nicolodi has only been mixed climbing for about three years, he exhibits the patience and analytical cool-headedness of a highly experienced alpinist, Cooke says. Rick Wilcox seems to agree. "These routes are state-of-the-art as far as difficulty goes around here," says Wilcox, who was one of the area's trailblazing climbers back in the 1960s and '70s and is now the owner of New Hampshire-based outfitter International Trekking. "[Nicolodi] came in to talk to me at work a few times and said he was working on Across the Great Divide in winter, and I thought that he was totally crazy."

That's because Cannon Cliff has held a place in New England Climbing lore for as long as it's been climbed. The wall is 1,200 feet tall and a mile wide. It holds ice late into the season, and it's home to some of New Hampshire's most notorious testpieces.

"I've climbed in Yosemite, the Alps, the Himalaya-all over the world-and I've never been kicked so bad as winter on Cannon," says Wilcox. "Throw in the Arctic-ness of the winter, and I don't think there's anything much like it in the eastern United States. When I started going to other places around the world, I felt it prepared me for just about everything except the altitude."

It should be noted that while this season's ground-breaking ascents have brought Nicolodi into the spotlight in a new way, they come after several years of focused practice and continuously building momentum. Last year, Nicolodi established an M10- variation of Dial M for Murder (WI4, M8) on Mt. Willard, which he dubbed Dial N for Nonsense. He also established four new bolted routes within New Hampshire's Pig Pen crag, the last of which he completed in late 2021: What We Do in the Shadows (M8). The route gets its name from a cult-classic Flight of the Conchords mockumentary, but it also "does a good job of reflecting the reality of drytooling in the Washington Valley," Nicolodi jokes.

As for what's next? Nicolodi has big plans for next winter, but he says he also misses crimping in the sun. "I'm ready for some rock climbing."