•	Features
•	Departments
	• Journal
	• Columns
	• Gear
•	Also in the April 2003 issue

Features

The Five Breakthrough Climbs
Nowhere else on Earth do ambition, folly, risk, and heroism collide as they do on Mount Everest. Now, five decades after the first ascent, we revisit the boldest climbs, the continuing controversies, and the mountaineers who made history. BY DAVID ROBERTS

Plus: The Three Faces of Everest: Foldout Mega-Map

Central America's Hot News
Nicaragua's name once meant revolution. Now it's synonymous with cutting-edge adventure travel. Step right this way for a guided tour of jungle zip lines, volcano climbs, and laid-back surfing towns. BY RANDY WAYNE WHITE Plus: The best of the rest-Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. BY McKENZIE FUNK

The Seven-Day Sierra-thon
John Muir spent years roaming California's Sierra Nevada, discovering natural wonders on every outing. Only got a week? No problem. Jump-start your own spring love affair with Muir's "Range of Light" by biking, hiking, and bouldering along the asphalt base camp of Highway 395. BY DAN KOEPPEL

A Woman Against the World
Johnny Waterman sealed his reputation as the "crazy genius" of Alaskan climbing with his audacious solo ascent of Mount Hunter in 1978. But instead of satisfaction, it brought him sorrow, which would ultimately drive him to the slopes of Mount McKinley, alone in winter, on a "suicide line" for the summit. BY CHIP BROWN

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Departments

JOURNAL

American Wilds
Even a rookie can achieve white-water glory deep in the massive canyons of Utah's spirited San Juan River. BY JAMES VLAHOS

World on the Cheap
Solitary snorkeling, paddling, and camping—just a few of the secrets to be unlocked amid the Bahamas' innumerable Exuma Cays.

Bringing It Home
Java, but no jive: buying potent coffee abroad. Plus: Multilingual haggling, Youssou N'Dour's acoustic Senegalese pop, and more.

Sports
How to prep yourself-and your bike-for a weeklong summer tour. Plus: The combat rolls, boat tackles, and paddle passes of kayak polo.

Fast Breaks
Five days on scenic West Texas roads: towering dunes, weird lights, taco-scarfing with James Dean's diner pals.

New! The Essentials
This month: backpacking. What to bring, how to do it, and three top American trails to hike.

Hot Zones
When Contributing Editor Robert Young Pelton was kidnapped by paramilitaries while hiking along the Colombia-Panama border, no one was sure he would come back alive. In this exclusive interview, he recounts his ten-day ordeal.

Adventure on the Web
A virtual Everest-palooza; trekking the Lewis and Clark Trail. Plus: Reader feedback on protecting America's border parks.

Books
Paul Theroux roams authentic Africa in Dark Star Safari, James Tobin chronicles the race To Conquer the Air, and more. BY ANTHONY BRANDT

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COLUMNS

The Adventures of Tim Cahill
Don't forget to mind your manners in the Congo jungle. Because Pygmies keep score.

Special Report: Killer Avalanches
Fourteen skiers died when two avalanches struck British Columbia within two weeks. What happened? Why did no one see danger coming? BY McKENZIE FUNK Read excerpt >>

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GEAR

Waterproof Shells
No need to buy a big, expensive parka to stay dry in the rain. Here are five jackets that are light in your pack—and on your wallet. BY JERRY BEILINSON

The Leading Edge
Vastly improved software can now generate a library of custom topos, fast and cheap. BY STEVE CASIMIRO

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Also in the April Issue

From the Editor
Contributors
Letters
Travel Directory
Wild Angle: Botswana

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