The Cutting Edge

Dec 28 2023 64 ep. 48 mins 1.1k

The Cutting Edge Podcast artwork

The Cutting Edge presents in-depth interviews with the world's best climbers, just back from great new climbs. This podcast is hosted by Jim Aikman and produced by the editors of the American Alpine Journal.

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Christian Black, Vitaliy Musiyenko and Hayden Wyatt: A First Ascent in India

Dec 28 2023 56 mins

For our final episode of the 2023 season, we’re heading to Kishtwar in northern India, an area of very dramatic granite peaks, most of which have only been climbed by one or two routes. One of these mountains is White Sapphire, a peak of 6,040 meters or just under 20,000 feet, that had only been climbed twice. Pete Takeda, the interviewer for this episode, had shared photos of an

Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau: Jannu North Face

Dec 03 2023 56 mins

On October 12, climbers Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell and Alan Rousseau summited 7,710-meter Jannu, or Khumbakarna, by a new route up the north face, climbed in alpine style. Jannu’s main north face had only been climbed once, in 2004, by a 12-man team that spent nearly two months on the face and fixed over 10,000 feet of rope. The American trio carried a single lead rope and too

Connor Herson and Fan Yang: 5.13+ on Mt. Whitney

Nov 20 2023 36 mins

In late September, Connor Herson and Fan Yang free climbed Hairline on the east face of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the Lower 48. Hairline is a very steep, 13-pitch route originally climbed in 1987. The 55-meter crux pitch went at 5.13+ or 8b, at over 13,000 feet in elevation. The two other hard pitches go at 5.12 and 5.13-. Connor climbed 5.14c/8c+ at age 14 and became famo

Kazyua Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima: The Secret Line in the Hindu Kush

Oct 31 2023 51 mins

This episode is all about Tirich Mir in Pakistan’s High Hindu Kush. This past summer, two Japanese climbers completed an ascent of the secretive north face of this 7,708-meter mountain—an isolated wall that probably had never been attempted before. For the last decade, Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima have formed one of the most successful partnerships in the world for lightwe

Sarah McNair-Landry and Erik Boomer: Fun Hogs for the 21st Century

Oct 16 2023 53 mins

Sarah McNair-Landry and Erik Boomer only started climbing a few years ago, and their technical level maxes out around 5.11. Yet their extended, multi-sport expeditions all over Baffin Island are without a doubt cutting edge. This year, they made three separate trips: one for climbing, skiing, and kiting on Baffin Island’s remote east coast; one to explore a new zone of beautiful

The Cowboy Direct on Trango Tower: Jordan Cannon, Jesse Huey and Matt Segal

Sep 26 2023 71 mins

This summer, Matt Segal recruited his old friend Jesse Huey and an alpine newbie, Jordan Cannon, for an attempt on Trango Tower in Pakistan. And not just by any route: Segal dreamed of free climbing the unrepeated Cowboy Direct, first climbed way back in 1995. The El Cap–size wall route goes at 5.13a and summits at over 20,000 feet. The trio made a powerful combo: Matt, a solid

Mark Richey and Will Carey: An Enormous Rock Climb in Africa

Aug 28 2023 42 mins

In July 2023, four climbers from New England—Will Carey, Taki Miyamoto, Ray Rice, and Mark Richey—completed what just might be the longest pure rock climb in Africa. Their 800-meter route climbs straight up the middle of the upper face of Chambe, a huge granite monolith in Malawi. For this episode, AAJ assistant editor Michael Levy (who climbed on Chambe himself for several wee

A Beautiful New Route on Mt. Huntington: Zac Colbran, Dane Steadman and Grant Stewart

Jul 26 2023 45 mins

Often described as one of the most beautiful mountains in North America, Mt. Huntington has been drawing top alpinists to the Alaska Range ever since the peak's first ascent in 1964, led by the great French climber Lionel Terray. In April 2023, Dane Steadman (USA), Zac Colbran and Grant Stewart (both from Canada) flew to the Tokositna Glacier for their own adventures. The three of

Jackson Marvell: New Route on Mt. Dickey in Alaska

Jun 28 2023 37 mins

The Cutting Edge returns for season five with Jackson Marvell, a 27-year-old alpinist from Utah who just completed his second new route up the mile-high east face of Mt. Dickey in Alaska's Ruth Gorge. Along with Matt Cornell and Alan Rousseau, Jackson climbed the AI6 M6 X route, Aim for the Bushes, over three days in late March. The AAJ's Michael Levy spoke with Jackson to get all

A Bold Way Down Denali: Cutting-Edge Ski Alpinism with Tiphaine Duperier

Dec 29 2022 56 mins

Tiphaine Duperier and Boris Langenstein from France have made first ski descents in many parts of Asia. But until 2022, Tiphaine had never been to North America. In May, she flew to Alaska with Boris to pursue a crazy dream: a ski descent of the Cassin Ridge on Denali. The two quickly realized this wouldn’t be possible (at least this year), but an alternate vision soon appeared: