The Dispatch.
Intelligence from altitude. Gear breakdowns, altitude science, expedition reports, and the mental architecture of extreme alpinism.
The Karakoram Question: Why K2 Remains the Savage Mountain
K2 has been summited fewer times than Everest despite being 237 meters shorter. Here is the unvarnished truth about what makes the world's second-highest peak so categorically different.
The Summit & Slate Gear Manifesto: What Goes On the Mountain and What Stays Home
After 312 expeditions and more gear failures than we care to admit, here is our definitive guide to alpine kit selection for serious high-altitude mountaineering.
Reading the Mountain: A Field Guide to Alpine Weather Interpretation
Lenticular clouds, banner clouds, jet stream windows, and the deadly 24-hour trap. Our lead guides explain how they read weather on expedition and when to move.
The Mental Game: Why Turning Back Is the Hardest Summit You Will Ever Make
Summit fever kills experienced mountaineers. Our guides explore the psychology of high-altitude decision-making, the sunk-cost trap, and the discipline it takes to descend.