The Cutting Edge

The enormous granite peaks of Mozambique are among Africa's most impressive rock formations, yet fewer than a dozen climbing teams have ever explored them. In 2025, a Spanish and American trio put up a 17-pitch route in Mozambique, and for this episode we spoke with American Dakota Walz about what they encountered, including a seemingly inscrutable bureaucracy and a night in detention before they could even start the climb. Following the successful ascent, they suffered debilitating illness, thanks to ill-advised celebratory ice cream. In between were some glorious days on a unique African mountain, creating a route worth repeating. Host Jim Aikman also chats with Majka Burhardt, a veteran of two expeditions to Mozambique, about navigating the cultural and logistical challenges in a country struggling with a legacy of conflict. And AAJ editor Dougald MacDonald shares insights on southern Africa's extraordinary granite climbing.

Last summer, the Women's Young Alpinist Team of the Swiss Alpine Club journeyed to East Greenland—without ever boarding a plane—and they climbed six long new rock routes, four of them in a fjord never that had never been visited by climbers. Team leader Caro North is our main guest this episode, describing the logistical difficulties of organizing such a complex exploratory trip, especially with a team of expedition novices. Just getting there and back involved trains, ferries, cars, and a voyage by sail. Yet even though she was the most experienced climber in the group, Caro deliberately stepped back from the decision-making, letting the young team members plan and lead their routes—a rewarding tactic for Caro, but also one with some emotional challenges. To round out this episode, host Jim Aikman interviewed American Mike Libecki, who has done more exploratory rock climbing in East Greenland than anyone alive, including all of the early climbs in the second fjord the Swiss team visited. Enjoy!

In November, Sasha DiGiulian free climbed The Direct Line (a.k.a. Platinum Wall), a 39-pitch 5.13d route on El Cap, in a 23-day push, including nine days trapped by a storm high on the route. For this episode, Jim Aikman explores the history and highlights of this relatively new route (first free ascent: 2017), which is becoming known as one of El Cap's best and most sustained free climbs. You'll hear DiGiulian describe the route and her climb, the long and varied trajectory of her climbing career, and the value of first female ascents. You'll also hear from Elliot Faber, co-developer of The Direct Line and Sasha's partner for most of the climb (and his cool explanation of The Direct Line name); Alex Honnold, who also free climbed the route in November, with Tommy Caldwell; and Dougald MacDonald, editor of the AAJ.

In the photo: Sasha DiGiulian leading the Platinum pitch (5.13a) on The Direct Line. Photo by Christian Pondella, courtesy of Red Bull.

On September 7, Colin Haley reached the summit of Cerro Torre all alone. This was the first winter solo of Patagonia's stunning granite needle—and the culmination of a nearly 20-year dream for the American climber. In this episode, Jim Aikman shares an in-depth interview with Haley, along with commentary by Kelly Cordes (who completed a new route with Haley on the first of his ten trips up Cerro Torre, back in 2007) and Dougald MacDonald, editor of the American Alpine Journal. It's a story of patience, perseverance, and genuine mastery in high-level alpine climbing.

In June 2025, Ethan Berman, Sebastian Pelletti and Maarten van Haeren spent ten days climbing and descending the enormous Southeast Pillar of 7,388-meter Ultar Sar in Pakistan—a route that had defied attempts for more than 30 years. Armed with knowledge gained from their expedition to the same peak in 2024—and blessed with a lengthy weather window that arrived just as they completed acclimatization—the trio quickly reached a point higher than any prior team, climbing mostly at night. They then tackled the crux pillar at the top of the route over the next two and a half days and summited on day six out of base camp. The descent of the pillar required more than 70 rappels.

To learn all about this landmark climb and the history of this difficult and dangerous mountain, Cutting Edge host Jim Aikman spoke with Ethan Berman and Maarten van Haeren, as well as Karakoram expert Steve Swenson and American Alpine Journal Editor Dougald MacDonald.