“Because of the rugged terrain, the Picket Range has remained the wildest and most unexplored region in the North Cascades. It is not an area for the wilderness novice; its isolated bushy valleys and jagged ridges are a test for the most seasoned mountaineers. The length of climbs, combined with steep mixed terrain and variable conditions demands all-around competence and fitness.”
Tag Archives: mountaineering
Welcome to Alaska (aka Crevasse Whip)
The fall stopped just as quickly as it had started and I found myself slumped over, hanging in my harness deep inside a crevasse. I thought to myself: that’s quite the welcome to Alaska.
When climbing breaks your heart
Climbing, I love you. But you’re bringing me down.
Beckey Tattoo
Fred Beckey wouldn’t post a picture of himself to the internet. But I’m not Fred Beckey. I’m just a fangirl.
My Job
“So you take people hiking?” Yeah, something like that.
The Edge
You know that feeling when you’re standing beneath a climb, when you’re trying to puzzle out the movements, when you start to wonder: Can I actually pull this off? Maybe it’s a project you’ve attempted several times before. Maybe it’s a string of long, strenuous pitches. Maybe it’s at your grade limit. Maybe it’s yourContinue reading “The Edge”
Climb for love
I felt the need to document the moment so strongly that I couldn’t bring myself to take my phone out for a photo. I know that sounds ridiculous. But I couldn’t put a screen between myself and my surroundings for even a moment to take a lousy iPhone photo.
Loss
It finally happened. I lost my first climbing friend. A little over a year ago, I wrote a piece for a magazine about accidents in the alpine. I asked a few climber friends for sources on the subject, and eventually got directed to a couple of climbers that had a boulder pull on them whileContinue reading “Loss”
mallorie estenson 