The two main magazines dedicated to climbing are Climbing and Rock and Ice, but the first thing to consider about climbing magazines is this: remember how people used to say they just bought Playboy to read the articles? This is equally true about climbing magazine. Even the ads aren't offensive, because they show awesome climbing pictues.
Climbing's editorial policy is that anyone who isn't willing to on-sight a poorly protected 5.12- in bad weather is a pussy. It says so on their cover. It is written for people who are truly excellent climbers or want to pose as such. It has no interest in those who are moderate climbers trying to become excellent climbers. And if you are a moderate climber who is happy remaining a moderate climber, Master Beta spits on your copy before they mail it. The magazine also tends to be gossipy, focussing more on the personal lives of the climbers and less on the climbing than it should.
But back to what I was saying earlier. The articles in Playboy probably suck, too, but who remembers? The pictures in Climbing are better than Playboy.
Rock and Ice has all the cool pictures that Climbing does, but without the attitude. They even have a section every month about good moderate climbing spots. It's like they really don't object to having to share the planet with lesser humans. They're probably faking it, but it's certainly a refreshing break. If you can only afford one of the big two, this is the one to grab.
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