The August Issue is LIVE!

Our big mountain issue is back! This August, we have the scoop on how to stay safe on the crag, tips and tricks for tackling the big climbs and summiting 14,000-foot peaks, and the top climbing gear that you’ll need for all of your climbing adventures this season. Plus we catch up with Quinn Brett, get to know the women behind Brown Girls Climb, and pay tribute to one of Colorado’s most-loved climbing pioneers. Dig into the issue online, or grab a copy on stands now!

Editor’s Letter: Bring the Crowds

Colorado’s mountains just keep getting more popular. That may be frustrating—but is it really such a bad thing after all?

Custom Kicks 

Feet are weird—and everyone’s are different. Why suffer through the pains of a factory-created cruel shoe when you can customize the fit of the most important gear you own.

The Bikes of Wrath

Want to suffer like Steinbeck? Don’t miss this cycling documentary that dives deep into the heart of America.

Eat, Sleep, Play: Taos, New Mexico 

With the Sangre de Christos on one side and the Rio Grande Gorge on the other, this bustling Land of Enchantment town lives up to the hype when it comes to its repuation as a place where magic (oh and lots of outdoor adventure) is sure to happen.

Local Hero: Stephen Szoradi

The head of Aspen Alpine Guides puts in overtime to ensure that people stay safe in the mountains.

CMC Raises Up Teens

A new scholarship aims to bridge the mentorship gap in memoriam of a teen who fell to his death in Boulder’s Flatirons.

The Deadly Elks

Climbers are fatally underestimating the challenge of Aspen’s Elk Mountains. How can we stop people from perishing in this risky range?

Hot Spot: Bailey Bound

Need a quick getaway? Take a short drive from the Front Range up to this rocking pocket of singletrack and secluded hikes.

Straight Talk: Quinn Brett

The speed climber took a 140-foot fall that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She talks about highs and lows and the fight to adapt to a new life.

Role Models

Meet Brown Girls Climb. This multi-faceted organization is getting out on the rock and in the peaks and not just getting more women of color and other under-represented groups participating (and having fun)—they are changing the perception of the sport.

Libations Celebration

Beer, wine, whiskey cider… Colorado craft brewers, vinters and distillers have been winning awards and pleasing palates with all of these libations. But who wins when you square them all off?

Into the Wind

In 1963, on a harrowing first ascent of the Diagonal Direct route on Longs Peak’s Diamond, a 20-year-old climber named Tex Bossier almost lost his life. Decades later, his son returned to the mighty mountain to pay tribute to his father’s life and spread his ashes in the place that made him feel the most alive.

Sleep Your Way to the Top

How sleep science can help you perform your best on summit day.

Ryan Zinke: The Deflection Meetings

The guy can’t wear a cowboy hat properly, but Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke’s a survivor. What follows are the notes of an exiled undersecretary on a man who likes to axe national monuments.

The Peakbagging Packing List

Want to summit a few fourteeners and other Colorado summits while there’s still time left this summer and fall? We have you covered with all the gear to get you through that big day.

Best Summer Alpine Climbing Gear

Specialization is key when it comes to technical alpine climbining. Here’s the right gear for the job when it comes to rock, ice, dry tooling and mixed pursuits. 

Beat the Heat

You won’t want to miss these five essential acts who will be performing at this month’s Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, Colorado.

The Slowest Are First

What’s the best way to escape the crowds and find some type of new, authentic experience on Colorado’s over-loved Fourteeners? Spend the night on top and bring a kite.

ELWAYVILLE: Lost in Place

Rocky Mountain sunsets are the reason I will never leave the West.