The Cutting Edge

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.

On their second attempt in two years, in April 2025, Anna Pfaff and Andres Marin completed a direct new route up the south face of Mt. Providence in the Alaska Range, this time with Tad McCrea as their climbing partner. The nearly 1,000-meter climb had difficulties on rock, ice and snow. For Pfaff, who lost six toes to frostbite on a nearby mountain in 2022, the summit was a form of redemption. And on Mt. Providence, all three climbers found large doses of good fortune and serendipity. Host Jim Aikman interviewed each of the climbers to capture this compelling story of the power of friendship, belief and kismet in the Alaska Range.

Three climbers from the U.S. spent nearly two months last summer in Baffin Island's Auyuittuq National Park, and they came away with three long new routes climbed in remarkable style. The trio went ultra-light (by Baffin standards) and packed only a double set of cams, one large cam, a fistful of hooks, 30 beak pitons, and a few bolts to climb more than 10,000 vertical feet of granite. In this episode, Jim Aikman talks with ace wall climbers Brandon Adams, Miles Fullman, and Sam Stuckey to learn all about their wilderness adventures, the meaning of modern aid, and what it's like to achieve a flow state while beaking and hooking.