April 2001

He Ain't Your Sherpa
He's short, fat, semiliterate--and truly phenomenal. He's fast becoming the best Himalayan alpinist of this or any generation. He holds the mark for the quickest ascent and the longest visit to the highest point on earth. And this season, he could break the record for the most summits of Everest ever. With daring and flair, he defies the myth of Sherpas as silent types--the all-but-invisible iron men who've been saving Western mountaineers in the Death Zone for decades. His name is Babu Chiri Sherpa. By Eric Hagerman

Base Camp Confidential
An utterly unofficial oral history of Everest Base Camp, from Sir Edmund Hillary and Jim Whittaker to ShoSho the man-eating dog. By Brad Wetzler

The Toddfather
There are larger-than-life figures, and then there's Henry Todd, the industrious 56-year-old Scotsman who runs Himalayan Guides, Everest's cut-rate expedition service. But don't look for Todd on the mountain this season. Nepal has banned him from Everest— and therein lies our tale. By Bruce Barcott

In The Shadow of Galeras
In January 1993, the Colombian volcano Galeras seemed primed for closer inspection--active, but peaceful. But when an international team of scientists ascended the volcano's cone, she blew, killing nine. A survivor's eyewitness account. By Fen Montaigne and Stanley Williams

Annual Camping Special: Don't Fence Me In
You need a taste of freedom—now. Might we make a suggestion? Skip the sufferfest of bushwhacking an overgrown trail with a two-ton pack and nothing to eat but freeze-dried "ravioli," and check out these 16 prime locales to pitch your tent and establish a deluxe multisport base of operations. (To wit, hiking, climbing, rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing). We're sure you'll agree, there's no place like base camp.

		At Home in the Wild By Bob Shacochis
		Just Do It All By Bryan Di Salvatore
		Plus: Essential Gear. A new super-roomy three-person tent from The North Face; Mystery Ranch's latest pack, with detachable frame; and four backcountry kitchen essentials.

D E P A R T M E N T S Dispatches Inspired by the half-pipe theatrics of their skateboard brethren, a new breed of surfer is using shortboards to launch explosive eight-foot aerials. George Bush and crew say they have a plan to protect the environment. Now all they need to do is convince the country they mean it. From dams to wildfires to grizzlies, we examine the hot-button issues. Introducing the world's first battery-powered jacket. The Wild File Which animal migrates the farthest? Why do 90 percent of tornados target the United States? How much rain is required for a rainbow? What's teh better body type for doing pull-ups, tall or short? Stephanie Gregory. Field Notes Each year, thousands of pilgris add a layer of history to the legendary headwall in New Hampshire's Tuckerman Ravine — birthplace of American extreme skiing. By Charles McGrath The Hard Way Has hitching gone the way of the dodo? With 600 miles to cover in the dead of winter, the author puts his long-held theory to the ultimate test. By Mark Jenkins Destinations Aegean Adventure: On a mysterious tip fron an Icelandic wanderer, Patrick Symmes searches for Olympos—Turkey's modern-day Shangri-La, where backpackers live in trees, ancient oracles haunt, and miles of vacant beches meet the wild Mediterranean Sea. Can't find Olympos? Don't worry. The Aegean region is packed with out-of-the-way places to bike, climb, raft, trek, windsurf, and sea kayak. Surf a website for ecotourist vigilantes: take a safari combining rhinosand rhinoplasty: and revel in spring runoff on California's raging Kern river. Bodywork Free Your Mind: Using cutting edge neuroscience, sports psychologists are cracking the code of what athletes call "the zone." Is brain-wave training the grail of athletic performance? PLUS: Get rewired: Our guide to five new brain-training home units. Review Digitize Me, Baby: For fast results on teh run, you need a digital camera or camcorcer—now. We test teh best from Canon, JVC, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, and Sony. Cobra's new expeditionworthy sit-on-top kayak. Four bombproof backcountry shelters from Black Diamond, Dana Design, Integral Designs, and Mountain Hardwear. Books: Death of a River Guide, by Richard Flanagan; Walking the Bible, by Bruce Feiler; The Immortal Class, by Travis Hugh Culley; and In Search of Captain Zero, by Allan C. Weisbecker. Letters Between the Lines Active Traveler Directory

Cover photo by Ken Redding
The joy of camping at Canyonlands National Park, Utah