Alpinist Magazine Issue 52 – Winter 2015-2016
In addition to the regular columns, feature articles this winter include:-
A MYSTERIOUS, LONELY PATH: THE LIFE OF FRANCEK KNEZ
The reclusive Slovenian alpinist Francek Knez has no car, computer or phone.
Over the decades, he has completed some 5,000 international climbs, including
the first ascent of Hell’s Direttissima on Cerro Torre. Bernadette McDonald
seeks to learn more about the sources of his unique vision. BERNADETTE
MCDONALD
AVAILABLE LIGHT
With the constant shifts of clouds and sun, darkness and light, the mountains
as we perceive them are in perpetual flux. Photographer Emily Polar travels
from the Cordillera Blanca to the Himalaya, exploring alpine landscapes on the
edge of change. EMILY POLAR
BEFORE NIGHTFALL
In 1978 Johnny Waterman’s 145-day first ascent of the Southeast Spur on Mt.
Hunter (Begguya in Dena’ina) became one of the most astonishing solos in
history. Thirty-seven years later, fellow New Englander Michael Wejchert
examines the accumulation of stories that made Waterman’s life and mysterious
death an enduring part of mountain lore. MICHAEL WEJCHERT
FREEDOM IN THE HILLS
For decades, female alpinists have made extraordinary ascents from remote big
walls to storm-swept peaks, yet their numbers have remained relatively low.
Charlotte Austin explores some of the barriers of the past and the potential
for the future. Silvia Vidal, Jarmila Tyrril, Pat Deavoll, Ines Papert, Jewell
Lund, Lee Myoung-hee, Kei Taniguchi and Natalia Martinez share ascents and
ideas that have inspired them in recent years. CHARLOTTE AUSTIN