Cover: Medhi Bidault soars over the Karakoram while scouting climbing objectives with Jake Holland and Will Sim. “The truly magical thing about this place is the sense of freedom,” Holland says in his film The Magic of Freedom. “It’s really just a case of how far your imagination can stretch and what risks you’re willing to take.” Jake Holland

Features

Mountain Profile: The Tiedemann Group

Tucked deep within British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, the Tiedemann Group is far less famous than its taller neighbor to the west, Mt. Waddington, but its frozen couloirs and snow-speckled rock faces tell a captivating story of their own. The range remains almost as remote today as it was a hundred years ago when Don and Phyllis Munday first visited. Tami Knight shares its lesser-known history, from the early days of hellacious approaches and fresh summits to modern tales of helicopter access and bold new lines. All tied up in various ways with Serra V, the last major summit to be reached in the group, Glenn Woodsworth, Michael Down, Peter Croft and Ethan Berman detail their own memories and misadventures.

Where the Mountains Meet the Air

Diana Boyer interviews top alpinists from around the world who’ve been using paragliders to realize new possibilities, flying to and from remote peaks and off of 8000-meter summits and desert towers. But “para-alpinism” comes with a new set of risks and questions.

Gone with the Wind

August Franzen’s expedition to the summit of Yashkuk Sar I (6667m) with Dane Steadman and Cody Winckler last year also marked a journey through layers of complex grief. After losing his girlfriend in a climbing accident in 2020, and then his close friend Brian Teale in 2022, Franzen questioned why he still climbed at all.

Departments

Sharp End

Derek Franz climbs with The North Face team in Switzerland.

Escape Route

Derek Franz, Abbey Collins and Andrew Szalay share reading recommendations.

On Belay

Twins Marek and Petr Disman share a unique partnership that sometimes gets them in trouble.

The Climbing Life

Leath Tonino gazes into plein air and Erin Connery imagines a culture clash on private property.

Local Hero

Ryleigh Norgrove celebrates Kelsey Gray’s contributions to Alaska climbing.

Off Belay

Henry Barber (almost) gets caught in a bad way.