Ali Criscitiello

Ali loves the cold. She is an ice core scientist, which involves long months of living in a tent and drilling ice cores in places like Antarctica, Alaska, Ellesmere Island, and Greenland. When she’s not busy shivering for science she seeks out the cold for fun, guiding expeditions to major peaks in the Andes, Alaska, and the Himalaya. She led the first all-women’s ascent of Pinnacle Peak (6955m) in the Indian Himalaya, led pioneering first all-female ascents on mixed routes in the Central Alaska Range, and recently skied Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan, China, and Kyrgyzstan (yup, in winter). The recipient of AAC climbing awards, most recently the Mugs Stump and John Lauchlan Awards, she has only just begun cold mountain exploration by bike. When skis aren’t on her feet, axes not in hand, Ali races in Ironmans, catches lobsters, plays the mirror game with her identical twin sister, and generally makes the rest of us feel equal parts inspired and lazy.