"When men climb on a great mountain together, the rope between them is more than a mere physical aid to the ascent; it is a symbol of men banded together in a common effort of will and strength - not against this or that foeman of the instant, but against their only true enemies: inertia, cowardice, greed, ignorance, and all weaknesses of the spirit..." (K2: The Savage Mountain, Charles Houston and Bob Bates) With this quote closes one of the greatest articles I can recall having the pleasure to read. In his two-issue encyclopedic 'Mountain Profile' of K2: The Mountaineers Mountain, Steve Swenson has masterfully weaved a history lesson, a catalog of events, a series of archival images and a personal trip journal into a seamless tale of triumph and tragedy on one of the great theaters in the world of adventure.
As we step ever more surely toward the end of print media, I celebrate and hold as an example, the mastery of the medium that is Alpinist Magazine. Epitomized by this piece; 59 pages across two issues devoted to the epic tale of mountaineering on K2; an immersive journey beginning with the first surveys of the area in 1856 and ending with stories of present day modern alpinism allowing always bolder and faster forays into the world's wildest places.
In reading this story and reflecting on the effort and commitment required to create it, I am glad that it came to me in a tangible format, and am gratified to know that we are still in a time where a publication like this can live in my home as a piece of art. I will continue to support this magazine and others like it and I encourage others to celebrate permanence and artful publication by doing the same.
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