F E A T U R E S

RETURN TO THIN AIR
OVER THE TOP
Ten years after Outside's landmark publication of "Into Thin Air," a milder climbing season produced the highest death toll on Everest in a decade. What happened? ED DOUGLAS investigates allegations of careless guides and ill-equipped clients and weighs in on the circuslike atmosphere on the world's tallest peak.

EVEREST '96 REVISITED
MARK JENKINS, ED VIESTURS, DAVE HAHN, NEAL BEIDLEMAN, and GUY COTTER debate whether the mountain is out of control. // An exclusive interview with Rob Hall's widow, JAN ARNOLD. // How BECK WEATHERS and other survivors have rebuilt their lives. // SANDY HILL talks back. // PHILIP ARMOUR learns the corporate lessons of Everest '96. // And BRAD WETZLER recalls fearing he'd sent writer Jon Krakauer to his doom.

DESTINATIONS
LAND OF THE RISING FUN
Get hip to the wild side of Japan, an overlooked (and affordable) treasure trove of world-class paddling, surfing, skiing, and all-around pleasure. By John Bradley

SPECIES
ITCHY
The world's deadliest creature has no fangs or claws. Buzz along with JENNIFER KAHN as she hunts the dreaded mosquito from Florida's swamps to Senegal's hinterland—and learns why this wispy killer keeps coming back to bite us.

ADVENTURE
IT'S THRILLER TIME!
A long haul sure makes a man thirsty, as Eric Hansen discovers on a quest to reach the bar at the edge of the world, where the ice-cold beer isn't just tasty; it's sublime. PLUS: A guide to the world's most far-flung watering holes.

D E P A R T M E N T S

DISPATCHES

» THE O ZONE: Rock climbing's first film fest, jazz at Snowmass, a go-anywhere hot tub, and more.

» ADVENTURE: Around the globe and across the country, four nomads travel by human power.

» TRAVEL: After the uprising, tourism rebounds in Nepal. PLUS: Five exotic whitewater expeditions take you hither and yon.

» MEDIA: A new Imax movie, Hurricane on the Bayou, looks at post-Katrina life in New Orleans. New books from David Quammen and Edward O. Wilson tackle intelligent design. PLUS: The letters of Edward Abbey come together in Postcards from Ed.

» SPORTS: What's French skier Philippe Gardent doing in the NFL?

» THE WILD FILE: Does anything live in outer space? What happens when planes get struck by lightning?

REVIEW
Transitioning into fall weather is easy with high-tech layering pieces from Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, The North Face, and others.

BODYWORK
For a lifetime of mogul skiing and pavement pounding, you need injury-free knees. We've got the definitive owner's manual for the most finicky of joints.

THE HARD WAY
What happened to elite alpinists Sue Nott and Karen McNeill on Alaska's Mount Foraker? Mark Jenkins goes looking for answers.