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Mountain & Outdoor industry news

Advanced Skills

For more than fifteen years, the AAI Blog has kept the mountain community up to date on news, events, and developments in the outdoor industry, leavened with a bit of humor.

Technical Lower with a Munter-Hitch

American Alpine Institute
May 8, 2026

In Defense of Soloing

American Alpine Institute
December 20, 2025

Lowering with a Plaquette/Auto-blocking Device

American Alpine Institute
October 23, 2025

Fixed Lines: A Primer

American Alpine Institute
October 20, 2025

Fixed-Point Belay Techniques

American Alpine Institute
November 15, 2021

Fixed Lines for Cragging

American Alpine Institute
September 7, 2021

The Kiwi Coil

American Alpine Institute
August 31, 2021

Adaptive Climbing Techniques

American Alpine Institute
October 28, 2019

Climbing as a Party of Three on Technical Glaciated Climbs

American Alpine Institute
September 6, 2019

Retrievable Fixed Line

American Alpine Institute
June 18, 2018

Ascending Systems

American Alpine Institute
November 10, 2017

Institutional Anchors: The Backside System

American Alpine Institute
February 6, 2017