Climbing Magazines

Warning, this is a rant...

I just got the latest Rock and Ice mag a couple of days ago after tossing out the gear issue the week before and I just don't get it.

Tucked away towards the back of the magazine is one of the most inspirational and significant climbs of the century, that being Andersen's and House's climb of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat. Why wasn't this the lead story for the magazine? It's well written and totally inspirational to all climbers not just alpinists.

Instead the magazine is once again devoted page after page to pulling on insignificant pieces of rock by the same crew that shows up in every issue. The writing is getting very old. You just have to substitute the name of the boulders, the towns, etc. and you have a new article for next month. Maybe I'm showing my age, but it just seems so damn superficial to me.

But the crux is that the next issue is going to be totally dedicated to bouldering again. I boulder, I trad climb and I even do some sport climbing from time to time, but I don't want a whole bloody magazine dedicated to it. If I wanted that I would go and buy a magazine called Bouldering and not Rock and Ice.

So, on the way home last night I bought a copy of Alpinist, which I have been avoiding because of the sticker price (46 a year). But, what a breath of fresh air. My subscriptions will soon end for both Climbing and Rock and Ice and I'll combine that wasted money into Alpinist. It's a shame it's taken me this long to figure that out.

I agree completely.

Climbing and Rock & Ice used to be much better, or at least it feels that way to me. Every aspect of those magazines has gone downhill, from the writing to the photography. In fact, the last straw for me with Climbing was one of their "Reader's photography contest" issues where the top pictures were absolute crap-- uninspired, not technically interesting, standard run-of-the-mill snapshots.

I haven't shelled out the money yet for a subscription to Alpinist (I don't subscribe to any of them at the moment) but I'm considering it. The format and pictures alone are worth it.

Alpinist seems to be very high in quality. Definitely focuses on bigger stuff, though. You can even get back issues (no 13 :) ). Note, issue 0 is quite thin and probably only for those who want every issue. There may be a discount for AAC members. Neptune's & EP Mtn Shop sells individual issues. IMHO, seems to be worth the $, maybe a few less beers.

Rock & Ice used to be really good. I was hooked when they came out with the first issue (back in the eighties?).
The entire magazine was totally biased towards the Boulder, CO area, which suited me just fine.
Now they have gone mainstream and it is hard to tell Rock & Ice apart from Climbing.
Urban Climber is a relatively new mag with a fresh look. It won't be long before they feel that they will have to imitate the big two, and then they will lose the quality that made them interesting as well.

Alpinist is definitely the way to go. Rumor has it that there is a new bc-ski mag in the works with a similar format to Alpinist. Hope so. As far as I'm concerned the current crop of ski mags - powder, teleskier, couloir, backcountry are as bad R&I and Climbing.

The mags are only as good as the content that is submitted to them.

I suppose since you all are making these comments, you have submitted superior articles and photos in the past and been turned down?

The mags have a big problem: We are no longer living in a world where someone like Mike Kennedy can run a mag at a loss because he loves the sport. The mags need to make money now, and climbers are a poor market segment to tap for that purpose. Face it: we are all cheap bastards.

Case in point, many of you have complained about crappy mags, yet admitted that you are too cheap to buy Alpinist. You can't have it both ways...either fork over the dough, or expect to read cheaply produced mags that have a chance at making a profit.

Part of that "crazy scheme to make a profit" means appealing to as many different people as possible...to some of us old hacks, that has the effect of not appealing to us at all, but guess what, we aren't the target audience! The mags make money by selling ads to companies who hope to sell gear. Us old guys don't buy gear, we either already have it, or we get a bro-deal from our buddy who works at such-and-such shop. The noobs are the one who buy gear and most of them wouldn't know the difference between a good and bad mag if it was used to slap them in the face.

Rant aside, I think there are a few photographers doing excellent work these days, but the photo editors seem to have very different tastes than me.

Actually, I wasn't complaining about the quality of the writing just the content and I know that they have a limited pool from which to draw there content. They probably pay next to nothing as well.

Regardless, the quality has really gone down in recent years. Take a look at the gear review issue. It is absolute crap. Where is the input from people, the review of items. I realize it is directed at me, but more the x generation, but I still spend a couple thousand dollars a year on gear.

I have also put my money where my mouth is and I'm not spending another cent on Climbing or Rock and Ice. The money I save from those mags now goes to Alpinist.

I would like to know what the current subscriptions are for these mags as I suspect it has tumbled.

I have heard that since the magazine was sold, Climbing Mag's paid circulation has fallen from 50,000 to 30,000 - despite the fact that the climbing population has grown.

There was also a big shakeup with staff when it was sold - most the staff from Climbing went to R&I - in fact, R&I moved from Boulder to Carbondale (Climbing's old location) because of the new staff.

Rumors anyways....

I don't like either Climbing or R&I anymore. Their articles have gone down hill, and usually lack lots of crucial information - like when talking about an area, how about mentioning a guidebook for the area or at least what shop is good for route beta, besides just how great of a time the author had there. The articles seem superfluous and lack content, but that's just me ranting. I have not submitted any of my own articles, so I guess I can't complain too much.

I've been a subscriber to Alpinist since they started and feel they are the best thing going, especially for checking details and really having deep content. Alpinist though has also started trying to branch out because of $ reasons, including the new ones talking about the Needles. While they are trying to branch out from just alpinism, they have done so well with an article that is rich in history, well written, and good coffee table book type photos. I wouldn't say I'm an old timer (I'm only 25), but my philosophies and ethics coincide more with the older climbers than the new ones. I'm not their target audience either I suppose.

If you think I'm ranting you should check out this thread over on supertopo

I echo Jason Haas.

I have been a subscriber since Issue 0 and I covet each and every one of them. Everyone needs to do themselves a favor and subscribe to this mag.

Truly exceptional...

Somebody mentioned the new magazine called Urban Climber. I thought it was a joke until I saw an issue in Barnes and Noble where I go to read (never buy) Climbing and R&I.

Isn't urban climbing an oxymoron? Don't we climb to get away from the city and out into the hills? Is the whole world crazy?

I didn't read the magazine, and the only reason I would is to see what advertisers I won't be buying anything from.

Whoo-boy that Lee Smith guy is a jerk. Criticizing a rag he won't even read!

Literally judging a book by its cover.

Other mags I won't read: Urban Backcountry, Urban Whitewater, Urban Backpacking, Urban Spelunking, Urban Mountaineering, etc.

Okay, here's adding gasoline to the fire...other oxymorons...safe climbing, safe climber, smart climber, intelligent climber, climbing humor, intelligent climber who pays $10+ for a single issue of a climbing mag...from a climber with degrees including B.S.

I just subscribed to She Sends magazine only to find out my first copy will be my last because they are moving to a web-only 'zine. Frustrating.

It was low budget and had typos but I find that charming in a mag.

Has anyone ever found that bolt gun? I'm still looking...I figured someone would have gear reviewed it by now.

I think I'm with just about everyone when it comes to the Alpinist. I don't even think they are making any money doing it either? I've really liked the history on some areas - it's cool to read about.

i think anyone out there teen to early twenty's is not in the target range anymore. i guess it is fine to interview leading climbers to get folk psyched, but the daniel woods interview was drivel. and an interview can have direction from the interviewee. i t was refreshing to hear a kid with something real to say (nepali ex pat) in the last issue.

but whatever, the truth is we buy the mags for the photos. nothing gets a climber more excited then glossy photos of beautiful rock and others cranking. but these centerfold shots have largely been replaced. the only good photos are the ones ad companies put in. and some of those are marginal or covered by text.

i have been subscribing to the alpinist for three years now. though i will never climb in AK or run up nanga parbat, it makes me want to climb reading about others adventures and motivations. and....the photos are sexy in that mag!

Mike --

I am less than thrilled with both Climbing and Rock&Ice, but I did my best to support them with something other than cash. First, I sent in a detailed article about climbing in Croatia, along with quality pictures from Boris C., the guy who wrote the Croatian guidebook. Response: Our readers are not interested in places like Croatia. Oh.

Second, I sent in a parody last year titled "Hot Flashes," documenting a first ascent of a virtual no-name route at Lumpy. Funny, good pics. Response: not interested. No space for this kind of thing.

Both pieces were sent to both magazines. Both were well written -- I teach English -- and both were rejected. No problem -- I have a healthy ego and can deal with rejection.

But I don't find much in these mags compelling. It takes me 10 minutes to thumb through them.

pcogan

"The mags are only as good as the content that is submitted to them".

But Mike, the real truth is that Climbing and R&I are rife with cronyism. The same old hackneyed stories by the same old hackneyed writers. You might be surprised how many people have been rejected, not because their stories were dull or poorly written, but because they weren't on the inside. To tell a submittee that readers are not interested in exotic destinations (like Croatia) is absurd! Almost as absurd as crapping out another bouldering extravaganza. The important part to them is keeping it in the family. It is not specifically a dollars & cents situation but a lack of imagination. Well-produced magazines will sell. The publishers of these climbmags are shallowly observing the retail market and convincing themselves that since bouldering pads are selling well now that must be what the climbers are all about. What do you really think inspires climbers more: Houses' new ascent on Nanga Parbat or Pud Knuckles flog point of some obscure 12' boulder? Do they really think many readers are interested in drivel like interviews with social pathetics such as that Bonet putz? As long as it is written by the same four or five folks it's good stuff. Any other submissions from unknown outsiders are of course not interesting to their readers. Rather than striving for and inspiring excellence both of these once-decent mags have tumbled into mediocrity driven by pop/fad culture, the lowest common denominator. But that's just my shizizzle beeotch braaa.

This is 14 years later. I was only a few months old when this thread took place, and I was wondering how it's changed in the past 14 years. I, an almost exclusively gym climber, have Gym Climber, and Climbing Magazine, though I enjoy articles about climbing outdoors much more than the indoors. Can anyone tell me what it was like before?

I miss Urban Climber.  They had some great photography.  
I can't believe Gym Climber is a real thing, but that's what the youth are into.