08/07/2025
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ALPINIST 90 | SUMMER 2025 | GREENLAND | RUSSIA | PATAGONIA | NEPAL | ¡HAZTELO DE COLORES!
Issue 90 features a story by Pete Whittaker about a sailing expedition to Greenland with Seán Villanueva O’Driscoll, Sean Warren and Julia Cassou, in which they completed a new route on Greenland’s 1200-meter Mirror Wall. The bold and prolific Japanese climber Keita Kurakami was supposed to be part of the team, but he died of a heart condition weeks before the scheduled departure. Whittaker writes about how they carried on in a style that honored the legacy of their departed friend, naming the route Ryu-shin (5.13d R A2+).
Elsewhere in the magazine, Russian journalist Anna Piunova reflects on Russia’s complicated
climbing history and the losses that accompany it. After growing up climbing in “a world that no longer exists,” as she puts it, through political and cultural changes, she saw a robust system of government support for alpinism fade away, resulting in a deadlier learning curve for the next generations. National Geographic photographer Jayce Kolinski writes about meeting a friend named Dustin Sutton who changed their perspective on the big picture. Confronting the realities of climate change, Christian Kiefer grapples with the age-old question: Am I the as***le? That is, is his lifestyle as a climber making climate change worse?
Meanwhile, Derek Franz writes about finding adventure close to home. Paula LaRochelle, Katie Ives and Franz share reading recommendations. Abbey Collins interviews Julia Cassou. And Carolyn Tillie looks into the eccentric expeditions of Aleister Crowley.
Fay Manners ventures across fast rivers, through dense forests and up dirty granite to get closer to the unknown. Matt Samet considers the futuristic influence of light-up training boards. Lauren DeLaunay Miller makes the case for truth. Laura Case Larson reflects on her path to copy editing. Rosie Bates shares a poem. Chris Deuto rope solos the Diamond in winter. Sara Frenning analyzes the impacts of Western worldviews and the commercial tourism industry on Nepal. Eliza Nelson recognizes the strength and character of Venezuelan climbing guide Jaseh Munelo. Holly Yu Tung Chen draws inspiration from a painting in Taiwan’s National Palace Museum. And much, much more.
Find Alpinist 90 on newsstands, in our online store or subscribe at Alpinist.com/90
Alpinist 90 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. [Photo] Julia Cassou
