The Cutting Edge

After Brette Harrington's partner, Marc-André Leclerc, disappeared during a climb on Mendenhall Tower in Alaska in March, along with Ryan Johnson, Brette felt compelled to return to the Juneau Icefield in southeast Alaska repeatedly last summer and climbed numerous new routes in the Mendenhall Towers and elsewhere. In September, she and Gabe Hayden completed a difficult first ascent on the rarely climbed Devil's Paw. In this episode, Brette talks with Chris Kalman about this new route and also how her climbs above the Juneau Icefield have helped her through such a difficult time.

The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker, with additional support for this episode from Julbo Eyewear. This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club.

On August 9, four decades years after the first ascent of Latok I in Pakistan, Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar from Slovenia, along with Tom Livingstone from the U.K., completed the second ascent of this stunning peak (and the first ever from the north side). We spoke with Luka and Tom to get the full story, including their take on the great north ridge of Latok I.

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

In early June, Colin Haley set a new speed record for the Cassin Ridge on North America's highest peak, soloing the 8,000-foot route in a little over eight hours. In this episode, Colin chats with Andy Anderson about the new record on Denali, his previous speed solos of Mt. Foraker and Mt. Hunter, and the future of climbing in the Central Alaska Range.

The Cutting Edge podcast is made possible by Hilleberg the Tentmaker and is produced by the American Alpine Club.

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.