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

The world-renowned alpinist Michael Gardner guided Brendan Jones up the Grand Teton in 2022. The two kept in touch with plans for Jones to write a magazine profile about Gardner’s wild and unusual life. Meanwhile, Gardner continued to climb new lines, ski first descents and set speed records on Denali’s hardest routes. Tragically, he fell to his death and disappeared while attempting to complete the first ascent of Jannu East (7460m) in Nepal with Sam Hennessey last October. Jones’ story has become a reflection that looks into the lives of the Gardner family.

The Russians

In 2005, Didier Berthod was emerging as one of the top rock climbers of his generation. The Swiss phenom had never known defeat until he arrived in Squamish and faced the then-unclimbed Cobra Crack (5.14b). In the midst of failure, he learns his romantic partner is pregnant. A “mystical experience” entices him to abandon her and the child to join a Catholic monastery, where he cuts off contact with the outside world for thirteen years. Somehow, he finds his way back to confront the snake that has plagued him for two decades.

Lessons from the Photographs I Never Shared

Mary Catherine Eden writes about growing up “land rich and money poor” with her parents and older sister in rural Kentucky. While helping to raise her sister’s three children through a string of devastating family setbacks, Eden discovers rock climbing one summer in Moab, Utah, after graduating high school. She soon finds herself on top of Castleton Tower realizing she doesn’t know how to rappel. She improvises, correctly, and continues on a gritty path that leads to her becoming one of the best crack climbers on the planet.

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.