Imaginary Peaks: Katie Ives in conversation with Pete Takeda (virtual)

In 1962 Summit magazine readers were astonished to see a photo of an allegedly unknown range: the “Riesenstein” peaks of British Columbia. The main summit, the mysterious author claimed, remained tantalizingly unclimbed. The editors printed the article, as if missing the clues that its creators had planted to hint that the story was a hoax. During this talk hosted by the American Alpine Club and based on the new book Imaginary Peaks: The Riesenstein Hoax and Other Mountain Dreams, author Katie Ives will be exploring some of the richly varied tales behind the Riesenstein, from the long history of climbers’ obsessions with supposed blanks on maps to the complex motivations of the local pranksters who plotted the hoax—and the collective fascination with wild places and mythic mountains that the Riesenstein reveals.

December 9th, 5pm Pacific Time (6pm Mountain Time)

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KATIE IVES is editor in chief at Alpinist magazine, and her writing has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, Outside, The Rumpus, and Adventure Journal, as well as the anthologies Rock, Paper, Fire: The Best of Mountain and Wilderness Writing and Waymaking: An Anthology of Women’s Adventure Writing, Poetry, and Art. In 2016 she received the H. Adams Carter Literary Award from the American Alpine Club. She has participated in the Banff Mountain and Wilderness Writing Program and served as a judge for the Boardman-Tasker Award, and a jury member, panelist, and panel moderator at the Banff Mountain Book Festival. She lives in Cambridge, Vermont. Imaginary Peaks is her first book.

PETER TAKEDA is a writer, filmmaker, and climber. He has penned stories for Alpinist, Rock and Ice, Outside, and Backpacker. Takeda is author of National Geographic: Climb! and An Eye At The Top Of The World. He is a long-time ambassador for Marmot. Takeda has climbed in the Himalayas, Alaska, the Andes, Scotland, Iceland, the Alps, Australia, and China. He’s led twelve expeditions to the Himalayas, competed in the X-Games and appears in national television and print ads. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

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Alpinist is an archival-quality, quarterly publication dedicated to the art of ascent in its most powerful manifestations, presenting a vision of climbing and its lifestyle that matches the intensity of the pursuit itself.

The Alpine Club of Canada promotes alpine experiences, knowledge and culture; responsible access; and excellence in mountain skills and leadership.