Alpinist magazine, worth it?

[Dr_Crash]

The R&I (and climbing) sucks thread made me wonder if you guys have some feedback about subscribing to Alpinist magazine. Who has, and is happy or unhappy with it, and why?

 

drC

[lummox]

when the first issue heavily featured a crybaby whinger i said 'no way'. it is enough like the old 'summit' to make me just miss the old 'summit'.

[olyclimber]

It is expensive. The stories are generally pretty good, and the photography is great. I noticed more adverts in the latest issue (7), but I don't know there are more or I just noticed them more this time.

[willstrickland]

I get it and I will renew when the sub runs out. Less hype, less ads, exceptional photography and amazing climbs. The mountain profile in each issue and the personality profile of a climbing lifer type in each issue are a welcome change from the 17 year old kids profiled elsewhere.

 

It's expensive, but I think it is worth it and an increasing subscription base will help keep ads to the bare minimum.

[lummox]

i mean if you like mountain porn and all that be the mag to get.

[Dru]

I like Alpinist but I find the mag kind of schizophrenic. The news and title are all about the big hard alpine climbs but the "climbing lifestyle" part seems to be about Eastern Europeans and the same old Colorado/Utah scene to date. I mean they have Steve Seats as a major contributor and I bet the guy has never swung an ice axe in his life. Or take the profile of some aged dirtbag boulderer in issue 3. I mean it was well written but didnt have anything to do with alpinism. It's like the mag has two different focusses that have little or nothing to do with each other and are uneasily cohabiting.

 

The lack of the bullshit "tech tips" "How to sport belay" type articles and gear reviews that clog the pages of the other mags with the same old shit every issue is the most notable difference between Alpinist and the other mags. I mean just how many rock shoe/approach pack/stick clip reviews do you need anyways? Everyone know the advertisers pay the mags to run those things anyway.

 

I really like the peak features every issue in alpinist and the new climbs notes although the latter feature is duplicated by High Mtn Sports MOUNTAIN INFO feature, and also by the AAJ etc.

 

The continuing fiction piece is kinda dumb especially with Steve Seats writing it. It wasn't much better with Jeff Achey or whoever penning it. I mean it's kind of amusing but not all that new or original. Some tired boy meets girl shit and now gangsters!

 

I did like the Dumpster Diaries recently.

 

Speaking of Steve Seats there is an amusing story in the latest Gripped of Steve Seats trying to pick up this chick he was climbing with, narrated by her as part of her quest for a regular climbing partner.

[cj001f]

I subscribed for the 1st 4 issues, and let it lapse. Not because it's not good - it's excellent. I just didn't find myself sitting down regularly to read it - but I don't read many magazines anymore period (gear reviews/beta are better on the web, mountain porn is better in book form) The AAJ is yearly - but has more routes, pictures, and things to dream about than anything else.

[miller]

dr crash,

 

alpinist is the bomb! (although im heartbroken now because i spent a bunch of time translating and writing letters to/from robert sennelier in france, just got #7 in the mail yesterday, and they gave credit to the other french translator for my work!)

 

it aint the tightest ship, but i have been impressed with every issue theyve put out so far. i renewed my subscription.

 

cheers, todd

[fleblebleb]

You should buy it, so it sticks around, so I can keep buying it.

[Ryan]

I really enjoy Alpinist. I find the articles to be top notch, along with the photography and every other aspect of the magazine. It lacks bullshit, which is nice to see. The title is a bit misleading, though- they should almost consider changing the title to "The Climbing Life" (or something of that nature) seeing as how that's what the magazine encompasses. For those of you who don't enjoy Alpinist, don't buy it. I do enjoy and appreciate it, and will continue to buy it for as long as it's around.

[Chad_A]

Not perfect, but it's the best that's out there, IMHO. The photography is excellent, and even if the advertisements are increasing, they're still less than others. Paying bills is a way of life, and there isn't a magazine out there that is exempt from that.

[Terminal_Gravity]

See Will's post above.

[chris]

Completely worth every penny. I stopped subscribing to Climbing and R & I years ago. This is the first and only magazine that I've bought the maximum subscription for. The large format photos are awesome, and if you go online you can easily find their criteria for submissions.

As for advertising, Alpinist claims and has made a commitment that only 10% of the magazine is advertising (including the covers), and each and every add is full page. So I sat down and counted. Issues 1-3 had nine adds in 100 pages, while issues 4-7 had 10 adds in 100. There was also an additional page of self-advertising for Alpinist in each issue. All of the adds are split between the first twenty pages and the last twenty pages, leaving 60 consecutive pages with no advertising -try finding that on Climbing or R&I, which average over 40% in adds. In #7, adds are on the inside of the front cover, pgs 2, 3, 7, 11, 17, 83, 93, inside of the back cover, and outside of the back cover.

This magazine is worth everyone's support - even dirt bags like me. Discounts are given to American Alpine Club and AMGA members.

[Dru]

Now one thing not already mentioned in this thread is that Dr_Crash climbs in the gym, is just starting to climb rock outside, and is thaking the Mountie Basic or BoeAlps course or something according to other threads. With that in mind the Alpinist features might seem alittle hard to understand or elitist at times. Even though R&I and Climbing are not as good magazines, they do tend to have the tech tips and articles about more moderate climbing once in a while (with pictures) that the Dr might find more relevant to his newbie existence.

[Dr_Crash]

Dru, you're pretty much right on my situation. I'm looking at Alpinist for mountain / adventure / inspiration porn, not for tips or things to do myself (yet). I used to spend about two months a year in the mountains as a kid (no climbing though, hiking) and am being drawn to them again after a long pause where sailing and skiing were my main occupations. For tips / instruction, the Web or specialized books seem better for that (feel free to recommend anything) I think. And of course, real people are even better.

 

drC

[olyclimber]

When I picked up the first issue I saw of Alpinist, it was some issue that had a picture of a couple of guys, and the caption said something like "and these fell to their death a couple of minutes later". Hardcore. And of course the article about the northface of the Devil's Thumb is a true inspiration. Unclimbed, and a very low survival percentage for those even attempting it. How many people that post on this board would think of attempting something like that?

[Dru]

um the article about the north face of devils thumb has been in R&I and the AAJ.... Alpinist only really had the eulogy, not a separate feature about the face, IIRC

[olyclimber]

Thanks for setting me straight. I didn't read it in the other sources. So they just reuse text that has already been published in other publications? At anyrate, when are you climbing it?

[Dru]

i have no desire or interest in climbing the n face of devils thumb. the south face is sunny and warm with low objective hazard. that is where you will find me.

 

not sure who "they" are that re-use material? Dieter Klose wrote an article for the AAJ and Pete Takeda interviewed Dieter and condensed his article subsequently for R&I.

[olyclimber]

I'm not talking about those who wrote the article...I'm talking about those who choose to publish something that has already been published elsewhere. Not an uncommon practice in the literary world, but maybe I just missed the 'orginally pubished in 'blah'' at the end of the feature.

[PaulB]

It is expensive.

MEC members can get a discounted subscription now. There was also a note in the CAJ that gave a discount code for a subscription.

[Jedi]

It depends on what you want. I still get R&I & Climbing just in case they have an article or pictures about a peak that would be fun to climb.

Alpinist has what the ohter 2 do not. As Ryan said, "Climbing Life".

It more in depth. geared more towards the mountains instead of all the other fluff & stuff. I do feel like the other 2 are geared towards the masses. Towards beginners wanting basic info and more generic articles. I can remember the days when much of the info in both mag's was like Latin to me.

 

It's like the AAJ except you get it more often during the year, you get big color pics & it has more personal information in the articles.

Jedi

Jedi

[randygoat]

Overall I like the mag, like said before, great photos, etc... my only real complaint is there are way too many articles that I have allready read , either the actual text or atleast the same story, in other magazines years ago. It is cool to tell yarns of past exploits, but I would like to read of more new material. Seams like many of the photos have also been previously published in Schlock And Ice ,and Whining magazines.

 

The running fiction piece was intersting for the first couple articles, now I just skip it.

[thrutch]

You can't eat it, use it for gas, wear it or burn it so I don't buy it. Just go to the library to enjoy.

[cj001f]

Just go to the library to enjoy.

What library subscribes to Alpinist?