“Did an experienced alpinist leave his girlfriend to die at the top of a mountain?”
mountain climbing
Posted inEditor's Pick
She Vanished on a Colorado Mountain. 19 Years Later, a Mysterious Dream Helped Rescuers Find Her.
“Michelle Vanek disappeared on Mt. of the Holy Cross in 2005, setting off the largest search for a missing hiker in state history.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Crushing Wave of Snow
Thirty-five years ago this July, an avalanche killed forty-three climbers on a mountain called Lenin Peak. I witnessed the disaster and have lived with the memories ever since.”
Posted inReading List
A Hunger for Strangeness: A Cryptids Reading List
What legendary beasts might we discover to be not so legendary after all?
Posted inEditor's Pick
Ghosts on the Glacier
“Eight Americans set off for South America to climb Aconcagua … Things quickly went wrong. Two climbers died. Their bodies were left behind.”
Posted inNonfiction
Best Of 2023: Features
At the time of this writing, Longreads editors have created nearly 650 recommendations in 2023, and just about every one of them can be considered a feature. However, you’ll find that the stories contained herein are features in the classic sense: marriages of deep reporting and indelible prose. Some are light, others emotionally taxing. Their […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Himalayan Tragedy That Forever Changed Mountaineering
“In 1976, Nanda Devi Unsoeld, the daughter of legendary alpinist Willi Unsoeld, died while climbing the massive Indian peak for which she was named.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Controversial King of Hardcore Climbing
“Nims Purja has become the first celebrity mountaineer of the social media age—and the most controversial figure in the global climbing community.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Three Falls in The Alps
“I was tethered to my partner when we fell 200m, beginning an almost unbelievable new chapter in my life.”
Posted inCuration, Nonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, our editors recommend longreads by Kelsey Vlamis, Brian Feldman, Skip Hollandsworth, Tessa Somberg, and Alison Espach.