When Jamie Logan and Mugs Stump first ascended Mount Robson's Emperor Face in July 1978, it was hailed as one of North America's greatest alpine climbs.  Since then, the face has continued luring some of the world's best climbers, maintaining it's reputation as one of North America's most enduring alpine walls. Written and produced by Evan Phillips Music by Evan Phillips Additional music curated using Artlist. Artists include: Andrew Word T Asco Yehezkel Raz Marshall Usinger Evert Z Steven Beddall Support The Firn Line: Patreon Merch Music Sponsors: The Hoarding Marmot Alaska Rock Gym ..read more

The Canadian Rockies are home to some of the most iconic alpine peaks in North America. Mountains like Alberta, Columbia, Edith Cavell and North Twin (to name a few) are synonymous with classic rockies alpine climbing: variable rock quality ranging from total choss, to flint hard quartzite - hanging glaciers and double cornices, veins of pristine alpine and water ice - and the classic sandbag grade of 5.9 A2. • But if there’s one mountain that stands out from the rest (Literally) - it’s Mount Robson. Topping out at nearly 13,000’ in height, and with huge relief on all sides, Robson is truly a ..read more

Begguya - Mount hunter - at 14,537 feet tall - a massif that is dominated in scale by its neighbors Sultana and Denali - but a mountain that dominates the minds and hearts of many a mountaineer. And this was the case for Alaskan alpinist Clint Helander in the spring of 2021 when on a hunch, he called August Franzen - a young Alaskan climber who’d been making a name for himself on the frozen waterfalls of Valdez - with a proposition.  To attempt a monolithic line on the unclimbed West Buttress of Mount Hunter.   Franzen agreed instantly, and in May of 2021, the duo flew into Dena ..read more

In the summer of 1995, John Climaco and Andrew Brash were young dirtbag alpinists looking for the adventure of a lifetime.  The duo certainly got that and more when they flew to Pakistan for an attempt on  Chogolisa (7,665 m / 25,148 ft).  Turns out, the climb was only a small part of the journey. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Notes Special thanks to John Climaco Learn more about John and Andrew's 1995 expedition to Chogolisa: Dangerous Liaisons Produced by Evan Phillips Editing & Sound Design by Pod Peak Support The Firn Line Patreon PayPal Merch Spo ..read more

For mountaineers and adventurers, there’s a rich history of exploration in and around Alaska's Denali National Park.  And although the park is mostly known for the hordes of people who attempt to climb Denali each season - few have ever thought about circumnavigating the Denali, Foraker (Sultana) and Hunter (Begguya)  massifs - let alone in winter. The first circumnavigation-like explorations, of non-indiginous people, came around the turn of the century, around the 1900’s.  These trips were fueled mostly by the hunt for scientific knowledge or, of course, gold.   In 1 ..read more

You know that saying - “they just don’t make em’ the way they used to”.  I guess you could call it a quintessential American expression.  In the climbing world, It conjures up icons like Lynn Hill, Jim Bridwell, Catherine Freer, and Royal Robbins - just to name a few. You know you have someone like that in your life.  It’s someone who’s tough.  They have a determination and resolve that’s made of granite.  There’s something about them - maybe you can’t quite put it into words - but they just have an aura or presence around them - that’s larger than life.   Wh ..read more

Today we head into the Kichatna Spires - a compact subrange of monolithic granite towers located just south of Denali. In early June, North American climbers Graham Zimmerman, Dave Allfrey and Whit Magro, headed into the Kichatna’s - their sites set on a new line up the beautiful northwest face of the ranges namesake - Kichatna Spire. Although many parties attempting lines in the Kichatna’s get hammered by bad weather and poor conditions, the trio was blessed by the mountain gods - which allowed them to make a first ascent in an enjoyable and safe manner. The climb, which the team named ‘The P ..read more

Notes Produced by Evan Phillips Editing & Sound Design by Pod Peak Support The Firn Line Patreon PayPal Merch Sponsors Alaska Rock Gym The Hoarding Marmot ..read more

The western Chugach - the mountains surrounding Anchorage and the Mat-su valley to the east, are a veritable playground for hikers and climbers.  Although the rock is predominantly poor in quality, the peaks are striking, sometimes rising 5,000 from the valley floor, with a variety of snow and ice lines penetrating their faces.  Historically, these peaks have been scaled by mountaineers of all skill levels.  But in recent years, skiers have started exploring some of the larger objectives - and one of the most sought after lines, is the north couloir of Mount Rumble. Resembling a ..read more

Call me old school, but nothing gets me more fired up than adding a new adventure, climbing or mountaineering book to the collection.  So I was excited last month, when Valley Of Giants: Stories From Women at The Heart of Yosemite Climbing, arrived at my doorstep.  This anthology, edited and curated by Lauren DeLaunay Miller, is a collection of 29 stories - written and told by the trailblazing, often-times under the radar, women who have been at the center of Yosemite climbing over the past century. While the book of course features stories by well-known valley climbers such as Lynn ..read more