Cover: Seán Villanueva O’Driscoll confronts the “impassable” corner that had ended his previous Mirror Wall expedition in 2023. Last summer, he proved the dihedral was, in fact, passable. Julia Cassou

Features

Silent Reflections

Last June, Japanese climber Keita Kurakami died of a heart condition while hiking on Mt. Fuji. His death came just before he was due to join an expedition to Greenland’s Mirror Wall. Pete Whittaker shares the story of seeing that trip through, and of the route the team named in honor of their late friend.

The Russians

Russian journalist Anna Piunova grew up climbing in, as she puts it, “a world that no longer exists.” Through political and cultural changes, she saw a once robust system of government support for alpinism fade away. Herein, Piunova reflects on Russia’s complicated climbing history and the losses that accompany it.

Lessons from the Photographs I Never Shared

Jayce Kolinski arrived in Bishop, California, uncertain about the future. They soon met Dustin Sutton, a climber who was battling brain cancer, and who changed the National Geographic photog’s perspective on the big picture. Kolinksi writes: “We had come ... to search the boulderfields for what we had lost ... and found each other.”

Am I the Asshole?

Confronting the realities of climate change, Christian Kiefer grapples with the age-old question: Am I the asshole? That is, is his lifestyle as a climber making climate change worse? To find his answer, Kiefer wades through the complexities of emissions calculators and carbon footprints to understand his own personal responsibility.

Departments

Sharp End

Derek Franz finds adventure close to his home in Colorado.

Escape Route

Paula LaRochelle, Katie Ives and Derek Franz share reading recommendations. Abbey Collins interviews Julia Cassou. And Carolyn Tillie looks into the eccentric expeditions of Aleister Crowley.

On Belay

Fay Manners ventures across fast rivers, through dense forests and up dirty granite to get closer to the unknown.

Tool Users

Matt Samet considers the futuristic influence of light-up training boards.

The Climbing Life

Lauren DeLaunay Miller makes the case for truth. Laura Case Larson reflects on her path to copy editing. Rosie Bates shares a poem. And Chris Deuto rope solos the Diamond in winter.

Wired

Sara Frenning analyzes the impacts of Western worldviews and the commercial tourism industry on Nepal.

Local Hero

Eliza Nelson recognizes the strength and character of Venezuelan climbing guide Jaseh Munelo.

Off Belay

Holly Yu Tung Chen draws inspiration from a painting in Taiwan’s National Palace Museum.