This is the first issue in a new Too Much series about work. The series will focus on a individuals and how they work upon the landscape and extract its resources, whether mineral, biological, psychological or social. As things in the world become increasingly anthropogenic, the way we view "work" must change — we are producing a new Earth.
We begin with photographer and traveler Naoki Ishikawa and his work over the past decade of climbing the highest peaks of the Himalayas. The work of ascending is slow and difficult, and involves more than physical training. To successfully climb Everest, K2, Lhotse or any other "eight-thousander" requires untangling a mess of Nepalese cultural politics, Asian geopolitics, unpredictable weather, emerging technology, fear and doubt. In this issue Naoki presents photographs and climbing diaries from his ascents in the Himalayas. He also speaks with New Zealand mountaineer Russell Brice in an extended interview about the modern experience of commercial climbing.
The first issue of our Work series is a view of a jagged and transparent landscape, one which does not care for humans.
