On the Cover: Taking a break from shooting his new climbing film, Higher Ground, Chris Alstrin throws down a late-night lap on Grandma's Glass (WI5+), Ouray, Colorado.
Photo by Keith Ladzinski

Features

Behind the Photos
Five top photographers select the images that have inspired them, and we hear from the masters who took the shots.
Compiled by Dan Dewell

Globetrotters
What happens when a crew of top climbers travels halfway around the world to visit the boulders of South Africa’s famed Rocklands? Read on. …
By Cedar Wright • Photos by Keith Ladzinski

Canada is Better
A photographer’s-eye view of the unrivaled cracks and walls of magical Squamish, British Columbia.
Story and photos by Jim Thornburg

Annot
Better than Fontainebleau? With 1,500 problems done and thousands left to do, the newly developed sandstone blocs near Annot, in the South of France, just might be Europe’s next bouldering mecca.
Story and photos by Aaron Black

Departments

Editorial
Digital Takeover For better and worse, megapixels and memory cards are eclipsing the world of slide-film photography.

Photo Tech Tips
Slides Rule: Taking the time to learn the lost art of film photography will give you stronger climbing shots.
By Simon Carter

Tweaker: How to bring style and pizzazz into your climbing photos — before and while you process them.
By Boone Speed

Just Out
Stoke the fires with these three large-format photo books showcasing the work of Simon Carter, Gordon Wiltsie, and Galen Rowell.

Gear You Need
For a digital photo shoot. By Jim Thornburg

10 Things You Didn't Know About …
Climbing covers, 37 years’ worth of wild and wacky images, to be exact