American Alpine Institute

In the spring and summer of 2026, with support of guides from the American Alpine Institute and volunteers from the Washington Climbers Coalition, Caden Martin led an Eagle Scout project to restore this long-forgotten crag on Mt. Baker Highway. Once buried beneath years of 30-years worth of moss and vegetation, the climbing area was brought back to life through nearly 100 hou...

One of the most challenging aspects of climbing isn’t solving a crux sequence or building an anchor—it’s interacting respectfully with other climbers. Nearly everyone who spends enough time at the crag will eventually witness another party doing something they wouldn’t do themselves. The question becomes: when should you say something, and when is it better to stay silent?

If you’ve climbed at an established crag in North America, there’s a good chance you’ve clipped a Leeper hanger—whether you realized it or not. These thin, stamped-steel bolt hangers were among the most widely used climbing anchors throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Designed by climbing pioneer Greg Leeper, they protected thousands of classic sport and traditional routes and hel...

–After a successful season in Alaska, AAI is currently booking trips for the 2027 Denali (Mt. McKinley) season. Find discounts on select trips here.

The fastest and most efficient crevasse rescue for many teams is the 2:1 Drop C system.

The rescue begins with the fallen climber’s rope team holding the fall in self-arrest. Once the situation is stable, a second rope team carefully approaches the crevasse, taking care not to overload or collapse the snow at the lip.

The lead rescuer move...