The Eiger Part II - Martin Gutmann continues his detailed history of one of the world's most iconic peaks in The Eiger Mountain Profile, Part II; Freddie Wilkinson and Renan Ozturk traverse the Mooses Tooth; and John Hessler tries to map the third dimension.

Features

Mountain Profile: The Eiger Part II (1939–2012)

Since the first ascent in 1938, the story of the Eiger North Face has haunted generations of alpinists. In The White Spider, Heinrich Harrer defined its legacy as the "the eternal longing of every truly creative man to push on into unexplored country, to discover something entirely new—if only about himself." For the conclusion of our two-part Eiger series, Martin Gutmann unfolds layers of facts and legends to see how the history of the peak still serves as an archetypical narrative for our community, reflecting the contradictions within our identities, values and dreams. Rainer Rettner, Jeff Lowe, Daniel H. Anker and Ueli Steck offer their own versions of the enduring Eiger myth.

Verticality: A Short History of the Other Blank on a Map

For centuries, mountaineers have fantasized about "blanks on the map." Gazing at the empty spaces between contour lines, John Hessler explores a more elusive quest: the struggle of cartographers to capture actual, multi- sided mountains on two-dimensional sheets of paper.

The Sanctity of Space:

In May 2012, Freddie Wilkinson and Renan Ozturk traversed the five- mile skyline of the Mooses Tooth massif in the Ruth Gorge of Alaska. Along the way, Wilkinson found a bird's-eye view of the otherworldly simplicity of alpinism and the complex realities of human friendships.

Departments

The Sharp End

In search of terra cognita.

On Belay

Bored with Salt Lake City life, Jonathan Thesenga became entranced by a description of a desert tower in an old French guidebook. In February 2011, he and his wife traveled to Algeria to climb a new route on the spire—only to find themselves on the edge of vast, historic change.

Tool Users

Our managing editor looks for a Terrordactyl and meets the Fox of Glencoe.

The Climbing Life

Chris Kalman defends the art of soloing. Derek Franz has nightmares of bones.

Wired

In 1962, without sponsors, permits or much experience, four renegade climbers slipped across the Nepalese-Tibetan border to attempt the North Ridge of Everest in lightweight style. Fifty years later, historian Maurice Isserman revisits the story of what some call the real "First American Everest Expedition."

Local Hero

At a time when many still view cutting-edge alpinism as a "male-dominated" pursuit, Pat Deavoll has established routes in Afghanistan, India, China, Tibet and Pakistan. Anna Keeling presents one of New Zealand's top mountaineers (who happens to be a woman).

Off Belay

Jeremy Collins illustrates the most classic Yosemite enchainment.