What legendary beasts might we discover to be not so legendary after all?
mountain climbing
Posted inEditor's Pick
Ghosts on the Glacier
“Eight Americans set off for South America to climb Aconcagua … Things quickly went wrong. Two climbers died. Their bodies were left behind.”
Posted inNonfiction
Best Of 2023: Features
At the time of this writing, Longreads editors have created nearly 650 recommendations in 2023, and just about every one of them can be considered a feature. However, you’ll find that the stories contained herein are features in the classic sense: marriages of deep reporting and indelible prose. Some are light, others emotionally taxing. Their […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Himalayan Tragedy That Forever Changed Mountaineering
“In 1976, Nanda Devi Unsoeld, the daughter of legendary alpinist Willi Unsoeld, died while climbing the massive Indian peak for which she was named.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Controversial King of Hardcore Climbing
“Nims Purja has become the first celebrity mountaineer of the social media age—and the most controversial figure in the global climbing community.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Three Falls in The Alps
“I was tethered to my partner when we fell 200m, beginning an almost unbelievable new chapter in my life.”
Posted inCuration, Nonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, our editors recommend longreads by Kelsey Vlamis, Brian Feldman, Skip Hollandsworth, Tessa Somberg, and Alison Espach.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Disaster at 18,200 Feet
The U.S. has seen an increase in National Parks visitors in recent years, as well as an outdoor climbing boom. At Denali National Park, that also means a surge in less experienced climbers: “more summit chasers, fewer wilderness seekers.” In this story for Insider, Kelsey Vlamis recounts the experience of four climbers attempting to summit […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
Rules of Ascent
For mountaineers, it’s not enough to get to the top – it must be done a certain way. But why is the harder way better?
Posted inEditor's Pick
After Summiting Mt. Everest, He Returned Home to Face His Demons
Outdoor explorer and photographer Cory Richards describes his personal struggles with PTSD, alcoholism, and infidelity.