Setting out to name America’s top-ten crags is a dubious goal. For starters, you just know that somebody is going to get all huffy puffy when their stomping ground doesn’t make the cut. And then there will be the wars over semantics. What qualifies as a crag? What doesn’t? How important is history, aesthetics, rock quality? No matter what, you’re bound to piss people off. Still, you might as well try. Because YOLO. For the purpose of this article, I am setting down some ground rules. 1 By crag, I mean an area used predominantly for single-pitch or Grade I–II routes. You know, the kind of multipitch where you don’t bring a water bottle. That means that even though Alex Honnold can climb El Cap in a cool two hours, for most of us, places like Yosemite, Zion, and Red Rocks are out. 2 By cragging, I mean not bouldering. 3 The past matters. There’s something special about climbing at an area steeped in legend and lore. Places with long and storied h...
10 Most Dangerous Mountains 1. Annapurna in Central Nepal (26,545 feet) On this mountain, the 10th highest in the world, 191 climbers have summited the avalanche-prone peak. About 63 have died climbing – making Annapurna’s fatality rate of 33 percent the highest among 8,000-meter mountains. While Annapurna was the first 8,000-meter peak to be climbed, it remains a challenge and an attraction. The region surrounding Annapurna is popular for hiking and was the site of what many call “Nepal’s worst-ever trekking disaster.” In 2014, a snowstorm struck, causing avalanches and the deaths of 43 people. Almost 6 feet of snow fell in 12 hours, and more than 500 people needed rescue. 2. Nanga Parbat in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan (26,657 feet) Known affectionately as Killer Mountain, this craggy monster in Pakistan is an enormous ridge of rock and ice. Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest in the world, and its southern side is what many call the tallest mountain face on the planet. Th...