Product Review

In the summer of 2011, National Geographic writer Gregory Crouch and photographer Stephen Alvarez spent a jaw-dropping month climbing the highest mountains in the Islamic Republic of Iran as members of a goodwill exchange between the American Alpine Club and the Alpine Club of Iran, both world-class organizations intent on doing something to improve the strained relations between the two peoples. Besides having wild adventures in gorgeous mountains, Alvarez, Crouch, and their teammates built excellent relationships with their Persian hosts, gained a better appreciation of the ancient culture of Iran, and experienced some of the tensions inherent in life in modern Iran, all at a time when the two captured American hikers were still languishing in a Tehran prison.

The Atlantic published a short version of the story in their April, 2012 issue; Rope Diplomacy: On the Steeps in Iran gives you the opportunity to read Gregory Crouch's full, detailed, and nuanced article, accompanied by more than thirty of Stephen’s brilliant photos.