Anne Gilbert Chase and Chantel Astorga made the first all-female ascent of one of Denali's hardest climbs, the Slovak Direct, in June. In this episode, Chris Kalman chats with Anne Gilbert about how she got hooked on Denali (she and Chantel attempted this climb two years in a row), the joys of climbing steep ice with a 30-pound pack, and how she feels about first female ascents.

The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker and produced by the American Alpine Club.

In early June, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell not only smashed the speed record for climbing the Nose of El Capitan, they also broke the four-minute mile of climbing: the Nose in under two hours. In this episode, Alex and Tommy speak with Chris Kalman about the preparation and tactics for the climb, the risks of speed climbing, and what comes next.

Thanks to Hilleberg the Tentmaker and Black Diamond Equipment for sponsoring this episode of the Cutting Edge. This show is produced by the American Alpine Club.

Photo courtesy of REEL ROCK Film Tour / Austin Siadak.

In February, Matteo Della Bordella from Italy and Silvan Schüpbach from Switzerland did the first ascent of a very remote peak in Patagonia. But what made their adventure truly exceptional was their "fair means" style, paddling sea kayaks for 100 kilometers to and from base camp, carrying all the food, expedition, and climbing gear for up to a month in the mountains. The AAJ's Chris Kalman spoke to both of them to get the story, including their close call with a tsunami!

The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker. This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club.

Marc-André Leclerc died tragically in a climbing accident in Alaska in March, along with Ryan Johnson. Eighteen months earlier, AAJ associate editor Chris Kalman had recorded a long interview with the young Canadian, in preparation for an article that appeared in AAJ 2017. To honor Marc's life and provide a window into his unique character and intelligence, we offer this edited version of the interview, covering his thoughts about bold climbs from Canada to Patagonia.

You can find the 2017 AAJ article covering these ascents here: http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214332/Two-Climbs-Alone.

The Cutting Edge Podcast is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker and produced by the American Alpine Club.

Jim Donini first climbed in Patagonia way back in 1974, and in 1976 he made the first ascent of Torre Egger. Now nearly 75 years old, he's still at it, exploring the wild mountains near his summer home on the shores of Lago General Carrera in Chile. Just back from another Patagonia season, during which he bagged yet another unclimbed peak, Jim spoke with AAJ editor Andy Anderson about the beautiful Aysén region of Patagonia, the peaks he's climbed, and his passion for exploration.

The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker and produced by the American Alpine Club.

In December, Conrad Anker led a team of North Face athletes to Queen Maud Land, an area of Antarctica filled with spectacular granite spires. In this episode, Conrad describes the big new route he put up with Jimmy Chin on Ulvetanna, the highest peak in the area, as well as dealing with the cold, the team dynamic on expeditions, and the environmental impacts of climbers.

The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker. This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club.

Swiss climber Stephan Siegrist has visited the Kishtwar area of India five times in the past seven years, making numerous first ascents. In late 2017, he returned to India with Thomas Huber and Julian Zanker to climb a direct new route up Cerro Kishtwar, an extremely difficult mountain that he had already climbed once before! In this episode, Stephan talks about Cerro Kishtwar, his climbing partners, maintaining health and motivation for extreme expeditions at age 45, and much more. The Cutting Edge podcast is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker (http://www.hilleberg.com) and produced by the American Alpine Club.

Until 2010, the spectacular mountains of India's Zanskar Range had been off-limits to climbers for generations. This fall, American climbing guides Alan Rousseau and Tino Villanueva took advantage of newly available permits and made the first ascent of a stunning, 21,309-foot peak: Rungofarka. The AAJ's Andy Anderson spoke with Alan to get all the details.

This episode of the Cutting Edge is sponsored by Cilo Gear, Grivel, and Beal. This show is produced by the American Alpine Club.

In late August, Will Stanhope and Leo Houlding linked the three biggest faces on the Howser Towers in British Columbia's Bugaboos, climbing them all free in 23 and a half hours. Will had been dreaming about this unprecedented enchainment for eight years. The AAJ's Chris Kalman spoke with Will about the planning for the linkup, how to free climb so much ground so quickly, and the primal energy boost from an alpine sunrise after 23 hours on the go.

The Cutting Edge is produced by the American Alpine Club. Special thanks to Jason Burton (www.jasontylerburton.com) for the sound effects and original music.