{"product_id":"backcountry-magazine-169","title":"Backcountry Magazine 169 | The Elevated Issue","description":"\u003ch2\u003eTHE ELEVATED ISSUE\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn the Cover:\u003c\/strong\u003e Everest, Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel summited the peak on September 22, 2025. Perched on top of the world, Bargiel looked down on a ridgeline known as much for its neon conga line of springtime climbers as for leading to the highest point on Earth. In the fall, Everest’s off- season, there were only two tracks–his own and his climbing partner’s, Dawa Sherpa–to follow into the mist en route to Bargiel making the first continuous descent of Everest without supplemental oxygen. \u003cstrong\u003eBartłomiej Pawlikowski\/Red Bull Content Pool\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page\" title=\"Page 8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"layoutArea\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"column\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFEATURES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Curious Face of Artesonraju\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThough many are familiar with the iconic mountain in the Paramount Pictures logo, few know the peak itself: Peru’s Artesonraju. Located in the Cordillera Blanca, Artesonraju is a glacier-draped, 19,767-foot mountain that’s considered one of the most challenging ski descents in South America. The Southwest Face was first skied 46 years ago and, this summer, Marco Malcangi and Elias Ejderhamn made the second descent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eValley of Plenty\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBetween the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc is a river-carved valley ringed\u003cbr\u003eby glaciated peaks. This is the Aosta Valley, or Valle d’Aosta, as the locals call it. In the winter, it’s easier to access on skis than via car. The isolation and high-alpine terrain have created a unique mountain culture that welcomes visitors, from the merchants who used the historic trade routes hundreds\u003cbr\u003eof years ago to modern-day skiers seeking a quiet corner of the Alps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContours: Mount Everest\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1970, Yuichiro Miura carved the first pair of ski tracks down Mount Everest. The race to pioneer new lines on the mountain and to ski them in their purest, most complete form, has continued for half a century. The raw difficulty of surviving, let alone skiing, at 29,032 feet has made Everest a battleground for the most daring ski mountaineers. And just last year, three groundbreaking firsts raised the bar of what’s possible on the highest arena on Earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDEPARTMENTS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerspective\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJordan Reichman lives his Hokkaido ski dreams.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEditor’s Note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBetsy Manero knits a hat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLetters\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOff Grid 20 Spectacle\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStraight Lines\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCarolyn Highland skis when she wants to, and Ethan Daly follows a cross-generational friendship up the bootpack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlown In: Rogers Pass Permits\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn one of Canada’s most storied and popular backcountry destinations, the Winter Permit system seeks to manage recreationists in a critical avalanche mitigation zone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlown In: A Skimo Spectacle\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSkimo’s inaugural Olympics put the sport on display but in a singular, manufactured discipline. That will change when France hosts in 2030.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWisdom: Craig Gordon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDynamic forecaster and snow safety visionary Craig Gordon considers his decadeslong career with the Utah Avalanche Center.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMountain Skills: Clothing Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a PFAS-free age, caring for mountain apparel is increasingly important for longevity and performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn Location: The Eklutna Traverse\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSometimes home is the destination. Anchorage resident Emily Sullivan finds renewed challenge, escape and respite on Alaska’s Eklutna Traverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFaces: Sarah Carriere\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSarah Carriere fell in love with skiing at an early age. She has spent her life chasing that passion and trying to find ways to build a more diverse community around her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBoundary Lines: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGearbox\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBiff America\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBiff takes an old friend for his last run.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor over three decades, \u003cem\u003eBackcountry Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e has been dedicated to the pursuit of fresh lines and the people who live for them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Backcountry","offers":[{"title":"Print Issue","offer_id":52895241076952,"sku":"BCMI1692026","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital Issue (Downloadable PDF)","offer_id":52895241109720,"sku":"BCMI1692026D","price":8.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0740\/8383\/files\/169-Cover-Store.jpg?v=1793804917","url":"https:\/\/shop.holpublications.com\/products\/backcountry-magazine-169","provider":"Height of Land Publications","version":"1.0","type":"link"}