The Alpine Journal 2019 Vol 123

Shocking images of climbers queuing to reach the summit of Everest this Spring made headlines around the world, begging the question where alpinism is heading in an overcrowded and overheating world. the year's Alpine Journal looks at issues around climate breakdown and the commercialisation of the Himalaya but there are also plenty of inspiring climbs done in the best traditions of alpinism, including Tom Livingstone on Latok I, and Malcolm Bass on Janukhot.

For those wanting to escape the crowds, this year's Alpine Journal has a comprehensive guide to the unexplored peaks of west Nepal along the border with Tibet where there are still plenty of unclimbed peaks and magnificent lines waiting to be discovered. And there's a reminder from Simon Richardson and Ben Tibbetts that there are still exciting new challenges in the most familiar places, like the Mont Blanc range.

Mountain historian Eric Vola looksback on more than 60 years to the suffering of Jean Vincedon and Francois Henry on Mont Blanc, a tragedy that galvanised French public opinion and changed mountain rescue for good. Italian art historian Angelo Recalcati reflects on the mountain genius of Leonardo da Vinci, as the world commemorates the five hundredth anniversary of his death and John Harding looks at the mountain adventures of newly discovered icon Anne Lister.