Cover: Michael Reardon gets in touch with his Irish roots, pioneering a 5.10 free solo on the sea cliffs of the Emerald Isle. Photo: Mark Niles

FEATURES

FEAR IS RULING HERE
A bloody civil war has turned once-peaceful Nepal into a political and military chaos that has killed more than 13,000 people. Yet, those who tackle the country’s high peaks climb safely above it all — or do they?
By Jordan Campbell

PSICOBLOC: MALLORCA
How high — and how hard — are you willing to push it ropeless above the waves? Chris Sharma and friends visit Mallorca, Spain, the world’s deep-water soloing paradise, in search of an answer. Plus: Es Pontas arch, Sharma’s ultimate Psicobloc project
Story and Photos by Boone Speed

CEASE FIRE
With Afghanistan open to climbing, former mujahidin and others have put down their guns, realizing their future lies in guiding the Hindu Kush, not in killing.
By Brian Calvert • Photos by Ash Sweeting

DO NOT ENTER: THE WORLD’S SKETCHIEST CLIMBING AREAS
The lowdown on the six continents’ travel trouble spots, where kidnappings, drug wars, terrorist attacks, and a host of exotic maladies (ever had Ebola?) might take you down before you even reach the climbing.
By Ted Callahan

DEPARTMENTS

EDITORIAL - GETTING GREENER
Climbing switches to recycled paper.

LETTERS
Timmy shouts back in “Angry Letter of the Month,” trouble in City Park, more skytripping tips, another Saab story, and Master Beta rails on pole-toters.

HOT FLASHES
Ines Papert redpoints Pellisier, 11 pitches of overhanging madness in the Dolomites; McNeely, Ninov, and Potter blitz El Cap’s hardest aid route, the Reticent Wall; Uli Biaho, 7,200 feet of Slovakian big-walling in Pakistan; and Michael Reardon free solos a 5.12+ Suicide testpiece.

OFF THE WALL
The dark art of bunker climbing in Berlin, Germany; innovative new techniques for rehabbing landings from across the Pond; HERA goes big; 140-foot whipper; Overheard; hide your daisy chains — they just made the Not list; more …

CLASSIC CLIMBS
Take The Line up one of California’s premier moderate crags, Lover’s Leap, via 400 feet of sublime splitters and granodiorite sills.
By Andrew Burr

ROADKILL
How much bleach does it take to kill a houseful of cockroaches?
By Joe Kinder, with Colette McInerney

GALLERY
Highballing in J-Tree, Rolo going solo in Eldo, crucified at Squamish, big air in Arizona, and some Euro guy about ready to explode

TECH TIPS
Trad: Rig this: uncamming an auto-block belay device
Sport: Push and pull: how to recover from a wicked flash pump

EQUIPMENT
Nine belay devices — five auto-blockers and four mechanical-assists — for advanced rope management

JUST OUT
Tame the alpine zone with Kahtoola cramps, Montrail approach boots, OR insulation, and a Mountainsmith women’s pack. Also, Evolv’s new women’s shoe, and a top-notch bouldering DVD from Europe

GEAR YOU NEED
No going home tonight — de rigeur gear for suffering in style at an open bivy
By Mark Synnott

10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT …
Rifle Mountain Park saunters into our crosshairs as we revisit tales of gluing, chipping, hangdogging, red tags, spats, murder,
and all-out insanity at America’s most famous — and infamous — sport-climbing venue.