Alpinist 56

Inside the cover of Alpinist 56 are more than 112 pages of stories that examine a wide variety of relevant issues to today's climbing world. In a 12-page article on the fiftieth anniversary of the 1966 Eiger Direct, German historian Jochen Hemmleb recounts his quest - with authors Peter and Leni Gillman - to uncover some of the forgotten stories about the German climbers involved in the first ascent. Along the way, he examines the "various forces in society [that] have long shaped the ways that people tell and interpret stories about climbing."

In other parts of the magazine, Romanian alpinist Cosmin Andron recounts both humorous and dramatic moments in his expeditions as he seeks to understand his own ethos of alpinism. Japanese climber Keita Kurakami establishes the hardest multipitch trad route in his country, a means for him to explore the intersections of culture, spirituality and climbing styles. Writers Paula Wright, Peter Haan, Peter Croft, Libby Sauter and Chris Kalman - with artists Craig Muderlak, Alex Nabaum, Jeremy Collins and Jamie Givens - create a series of maps documenting a few of the many layers of Yosemite lore. Ranger Shelton Johnson recalls lesser-known adventures of Buffalo Soldiers in the same national park. Award-winning author John Porter remembers his stint working for the late Ken Wilson at Britain's Mountain, one of the most influential magazines in climbing history. Vanessa Beucher showcases the work of Pakistani activist Hanniah Tariq, founder of High Altitude Sustainability Pakistan, an organization dedicated to the well-being of expedition workers, their families and the mountain environment. Among much more...