2008 American Alpine Journal: The World's Most Significant Climbs

This annual publication recounts the year's important mountaineering summits and feats, both the dramatic successes and heartbreaking failures. With early 200 pages of exciting stories about the most important climbs of the year, as told by the climbers themselves, and nearly 300 pages of short reports from new routes in the world's mountains, it's the reference for everyone planning anything new in the mountains or venturing into remote ranges. Includes 350 b&w photographs and maps. This year's American Alpine Journal features Freddie Wilkinson and his all-star partners discovering still-unclimbed summits and awesome new routes in a remote corner of the Alaska Range. Pakistan's fabled Charakusa Valley keeps producing stunning long rock routes and jawdropping alpine test pieces, as revealed by Steve House, Nicolas Favresse, and partners. Even the Alps, where the sport began, keeps dishing out new challenges, including Miha Valic's tour de force: all 82 "official" 4,000-meter summits in a 102-day winter season. Peter Hackett reports on the latest knowledge in high-altitude physiology, while Roger Payne provides an overview of current activities and the future potential of new-routing in Sikkim. Plus more from Peru, Patagonia and Yosemite.