List Of Climbers And Mountaineers
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This is a list of climbers and mountaineers who are notable for their activities in
mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...
(including
alpine climbing Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
),
rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...
(including
aid climbing Aid climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses mechanical devices and equipment, such as aiders (or ladders), for upward momentum. Aid climbing is contrasted with free climbing (in both its traditional or sport free climbing formats), whi ...
,
free climbing Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use climbing equipment for climbing protection but not as an artificial aid to help them in ascending the route. Free climbing, therefore, cannot use any of the tools that ...
,
bouldering Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or Climbing wall, artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or Climbing harness, harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers ...
,
speed climbing Speed climbing is a climbing discipline in which speed is the ultimate goal. Speed climbing is done on rocks, walls and poles and is only recommended for highly skilled and experienced climbers. Competition speed climbing, which takes place on a ...
and
competition climbing Competition climbing is a form of regulated rock climbing, rock-climbing competition held indoor climbing, indoors on purpose-built artificial climbing walls (earlier versions were held on external natural rock surfaces). The three competition ...
) or in
ice climbing Ice climbing is a climbing discipline that involves ascending routes consisting entirely of frozen water. To ascend, the ice climber uses specialist equipment, particularly double ice axes (or the more modern ice tools) and rigid crampons. ...
(including
mixed climbing Mixed climbing is an ice climbing discipline used on climbing routes that do not have enough ice to be regular ice climbs, but are also not dry enough to be regular rock climbing, rock climbs. To ascend the route, the mixed-climber uses ice-cli ...
).


A

*
Vitaly Abalakov Vitaly Mikhaylovich Abalakov () ( – 26 May 1986Great Russian Encyclopedia (2006), Moscow: Bol'shaya Rossiyskaya Enciklopediya Publisher, vol. 1, p. 9) was a Soviet chemical engineer, mountaineer and inventor. Brother of Yevgeniy Abalakov, a ...
(1906–1992) Russia, climbed
Lenin Peak Lenin Peak or Ibn Sina (Avicenna) Peak (, ; ; , renamed () in July 2006
(Tajik); for Russian tex
Khan Tengri Khan Tengri is a mountain of the Tian Shan mountain range in Central Asia. It is on the China—Kyrgyzstan—Kazakhstan tripoint, east of lake Issyk-Kul, Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan. Its geologic elevation is , but its glacial icecap rises to ...
(1936) *
Yevgeniy Abalakov Yevgeniy Mikhaylovich Abalakov (; 23 March 1948Great Russian Encyclopedia (2006), Moscow: Bol'shaya Rossiyskaya Enciklopediya Publisher, vol. 1, p. 9) was a Soviet mountaineer and sculptor. Abalakov was born in Yeniseysk. He is noted for making ...
(1907–1948) Russia, climbed Communism Peak (1933) * Premlata Agarwal (born 1963) India, first Indian woman to complete all
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
* H. P. S. Ahluwalia (fl. 1965) India, climbed
Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...
in 1965 *
Pierre Allain Pierre Allain (7 January 1904 – 19 December 2000) was a French alpinist who began climbing in the 1920s. In the 1930s he was joined by several others at Fontainebleau, where his group of "'Bleausards" developed a love of bouldering that went bey ...
(1904–2000) France, developed bouldering at
Fontainebleau Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the Kilometre zero#France, centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a Subprefectures in Franc ...
, and rubber rock-climbing shoes * Rick Allen (1954–2021) UK, first ascent of Mazeno Ridge,
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
*
Christian Almer 220px, Christian Almer Christian Almer (29 March 1826 – 17 May 1898) was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascensionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism. Almer was born and di ...
(1826–1898) Switzerland, numerous first ascents, including
Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...
* Ashraf Aman (born 1943) Pakistan, first Pakistani ascent of K2 * Luigi Amedeo, Duke of Abruzzi (1873–1933) Italy, first ascent of
Mount Saint Elias Mount Saint Elias (Was'eitushaa also designated Boundary Peak 186), the second-highest mountain in both Canada and the United States, stands on the Yukon and Alaska border about southwest of Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada. The Cana ...
,
Rwenzori Mountains The Rwenzori (also known as the Ruwenzori, Rwenzururu or Rwenjura) are a range of mountains in eastern equatorial Africa, located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The highest peak of the Ruwenzori reaches ...
*
Pat Ament Pat Ament (born September 3, 1946) is an American rock climber, filmmaker, musician, and artist who lives in Elko, Nevada. Noted for first ascents in the 1960s and 1970s, he is the author of many articles and books. Climbing career Ament began ...
(born 1946) US, rock climber, and pioneer boulderer *
Melchior Anderegg Melchior Anderegg (28 March 1828 – 8 December 1914), from Zaun, Meiringen, was a Switzerland, Swiss mountain guide and the first ascent, first ascensionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the Golden age of alpinism, golden ...
(1827–1912) Switzerland, guide, with numerous first ascents, including on
Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...
*
Conrad Anker Conrad Anker (born November 27, 1962) is an American rock climber, mountaineer, and author. He was the team leader of The North Face climbing team for 26 years until 2018. In 1999, he located George Mallory's body on Everest as a member of a sea ...
(born 1963) US, discovered Mallory's body on Everest in 1999 *
Tyler Armstrong Tyler Robert Armstrong (born January 22, 2004) is an American mountain climber who became the youngest person to climb Aconcagua in Argentina at the age of 9. Mountaineering career Beginning Armstrong started his career as mountain climber at t ...
(born 2004) US, in 2013, at age 9, the youngest to climb
Aconcagua Aconcagua () is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the ...
* Melissa Arnot (born 1983) US, six ascents of Everest *
Bernd Arnold Bernd Arnold (born 28 February 1947) is a German rock climber and mountaineer. He is known for more than 900 first ascents in the East German Saxon Switzerland climbing region. During the 1970s and 1980s, he established most of the hardest routes ...
(born 1947) Germany, more than 900 first ascents in
Saxon Switzerland Saxon Switzerland (, ) is a hilly climbing area and national park in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It is located around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany, adjoining Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic. Toge ...
* Armando Aste (1926–2017) Italy, first Italian ascent of the
Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...
north face *
Peter Athans Peter Athans (born March 1, 1957) is one of the world's foremost high-altitude mountaineers. In 2008 he was celebrated for summiting Mount Everest seven times, and was given the moniker "Mr. Everest". His first attempt to climb Everest in 1985 vi ...
(born 1957) US, seven ascents of Mount Everest * Peter Aufschnaiter (1899–1973) Austria, mountaineer; friend of
Heinrich Harrer Heinrich Harrer (; 6 July 1912 – 7 January 2006) was an Austrian mountaineer, explorer, writer, sportsman, geographer, and briefly SS sergeant. He was a member of the four-man climbing team that made the first ascent of the North Face of the ...
(per '' Seven Years in Tibet'') *
Abdul Jabbar Bhatti Abdul Jabbar Bhatti is a Pakistani mountaineer and paraglider. He served in the Pakistani Army until he retired as lieutenant colonel. In 1985, he climbed Broad Peak, in 1986 Gasherbrum II, and later in 2012, he climbed Spantik. In 2017, he ...
, Pakistani mountaineer and the former military officer of the
Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
*
Nelly Attar Nelly Attar () is a mountaineer from Lebanon/Saudi Arabia who in 2022, became the first Arab woman to summit K2. Attar is a former psychologist. She has an MRes in psychology and has worked four years as a therapist, prior to shifting into sport ...
(born 1990) Saudi/Lebanese, was the first Arab woman to summit K2 (2022). *
Cecilia Llusco Alaña Cecilia Llusco Alaña (born 1985), an Indigenous Bolivian mountaineer, founder of the ''Cholitas Escaladoras Bolivianas'' or Cholita Climbers of Bolivia, has scaled mountains in South America, including '' Huayna Potosi'', a 6,088 meter high peak i ...
(born 1985) Bolivian, Cholita Cimber, climbed
Aconcagua Aconcagua () is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the ...
in Indigenous costume.


B

* Samina Baig (born 1990) Pakistan, third Pakistani, and the first Pakistani woman, to climb
Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...
*
John Bachar John Bachar (March 23, 1957 – July 5, 2009) was an American rock climber. Noted for his skill at free soloing, he ultimately died during a free solo climb. A fitness fanatic, he was the creator of the climbing training device known as the Bac ...
(1957–2009) US, leading Yosemite-based rock climber and free soloist in the 1970s * John Ball (1818–1889)
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
alpinist Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
,
climbing guidebook Climbing guidebooks are used by mountaineers, alpinists, ice climbers, and rock climbers to locate, grade, and navigate climbing routes on mountains, climbing crags, or bouldering areas. Modern route guidebooks include detailed information o ...
author, first president of
Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...
(1857) *
Jacques Balmat Jacques Balmat (), called ''Balmat du Mont Blanc'' (1762–1834) was a mountaineer, a Savoyard mountain guide, born in the Chamonix valley in Savoy. He is known for the first ascent of Mont Blanc with physician Michel-Gabriel Paccard on 8 August ...
(1762–1834)
Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy (; ) was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy f ...
, Chamonix-based guide, first ascent Mont Blanc (1786) *
George Band George Christopher Band (2 February 1929 – 26 August 2011) was an English mountaineer. He was the youngest climber on the 1953 British expedition to Mount Everest on which Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to ascend the mou ...
(1929–2011) UK, first ascent of
Kangchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
on the 1955 British expedition *
Kinga Baranowska Kinga Baranowska (born 17 November 1975 in Wejherowo) is a Polish mountaineer. She made ascents of nine eight-thousanders and is the first Polish woman to have climbed Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Kangchenjunga. She has also climbed the seven summit ...
(born 1975) Poland, first Polish woman to climb
Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri, located in Nepal, is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country. It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapur ...
,
Manaslu Manaslu (; , also known as Kutang) is the List of highest mountains#List, eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the ...
and
Kangchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
* Anna Barańska (born 1976) Poland, first Polish woman to climb the North Face of
Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...
* Henry Barber (born 1953) US, leading US rock climber in the 1970s *
Andrzej Bargiel Andrzej Leszek Bargiel (; born April 18, 1988, in Rabka, Poland) is a Polish ski mountaineer, backcountry skier, mountain runner and climber. Raised in Łętownia, he is a three-time Polish ski mountaineering champion and held third place in ...
(born 1988) Poland,
Snow Leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') is a species of large cat in the genus ''Panthera'' of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because ...
record holder, several first
ski mountaineering Ski mountaineering (abbreviated to skimo) is a skiing discipline that involves climbing mountains either on skis or carrying them, depending on the steepness of the ascent, and then descending on skis. There are two major categories of equipment ...
descents of
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s * Lilliane and Maurice Barrard (1948–1986 and 1941?–1986) France, Nanga Parbat (1984, first female), both killed on K2 * Charles Barrington (1834–1901) UK, first ascent of the
Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...
(1858) *
Richard Bass Richard Daniel Bass (December 21, 1929 – July 26, 2015) was an American businessman, rancher and mountaineer. He was the owner of Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah and the first man to climb the "Seven Summits", the tallest mountain on each continen ...
(1929–2015) US, businessman and amateur mountaineer, first to complete the
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
(1985) * Robert Hicks Bates (1911–2007) US, first ascent of
Mount Lucania __NOTOC__ Mount Lucania is a mountain in the Yukon territory, Canada. At , it is the third-highest mountain in both Canada and the Saint Elias Mountains. A long ridge connects Mount Lucania with Mount Steele (), the fifth-highest in Canada. Lucan ...
(1937), part of US attempts on K2 in
1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...
and
1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
*
Mark Beaufoy Colonel Mark Beaufoy FRS (4 March 1764 – 4 May 1827) was an English astronomer and physicist, mountaineer, explorer and British Army officer. His father, Mark Beaufoy (1718–1782), who was originally from Evesham, established a vinegar facto ...
(1764–1827) UK, fourth ascent
Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...
(1787) *
Fred Beckey Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey (14 January 1923 – 30 October 2017), known as Fred Beckey, was an American rock climber, mountaineer and book author, who in seven decades of climbing achieved hundreds of first ascents of some of the tallest peaks and ...
(Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey) (1923–2017) Germany/US, many
first ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...
s of North American peaks *
Bentley Beetham Bentley Beetham (1 May 1886 – 5 April 1963) was an English mountaineer, ornithologist and photographer, and a member of the 1924 British Mount Everest expedition.1924 Everest expedition; pioneer rock climber in
Borrowdale Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland, England. It is in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, and is sometimes referred to as ''Cumberland Borrowdale'' to distinguis ...
*
George Irving Bell George Irving Bell (August 4, 1926 – May 28, 2000) was an American physicist, biologist and mountaineer, and a grandson of John Joseph Seerley.physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
,
biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
and mountaineer, first ascent
Masherbrum Masherbrum, formerly known as K1, is a mountain located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of the Karakoram mountain range. It has an elevation of 7,821 metres (25,659 feet), ranking as the 22nd highest mountain in the world and the 9th highest ...
(1960), rescued on K2 (1953) *
Gertrude Bell Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell (14 July 1868 – 12 July 1926) was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist. She spent much of her life exploring and mapping the Middle East, and became highly inf ...
(1868–1926) UK, many ascents in the Alps; the Swiss peak Gertrudspitze was named in her honor *
Maciej Berbeka Maciej Berbeka (17 October 1954 – 6 March 2013) was a Polish mountaineer and mountain guide. Berbeka made the first-ever winter ascent of three eight-thousanders: Manaslu, on 12 January 1984 with Ryszard Gajewski, and Cho Oyu, on 12 Fe ...
(1954–2013) Poland, first winter ascents of 3
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s:
Manaslu Manaslu (; , also known as Kutang) is the List of highest mountains#List, eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the ...
,
Cho Oyu Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means " Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the '' Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalangur Him ...
, and
Broad Peak Broad Peak (; ) is one of the eight-thousanders, and is located in the Karakoram range spanning Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. It is the 12th highest mountain in the world with elevation above sea level. The first ascent of t ...
*
Josune Bereziartu Josune Bereziartu (born January 19, 1972), also known as Josune Bereciartu Urruzola, is a Basque rock climber. For a decade starting in the late 1990s, she was considered the strongest female sport climber in the world and is regarded as one of t ...
(born 1972)
Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
(Spain),
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
female to climb
grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...
, , and *
Patrick Berhault Patrick Berhault (19 July 1957 – 28 April 2004) was a French professional rock climber and mountaineer, who specialized in sport climbing and alpine climbing. He died climbing the Dom ridge, Switzerland, during his attempt to do an enchainm ...
(1957–2004) France, several first free ascents of major
sport climbing Sport climbing (or bolted climbing) is a type of free climbing in the sport of rock climbing where the Lead climbing, lead climber clips their climbing rope, rope — via a quickdraw — into pre-drilled in-situ bolt (climbing), bolts for their ...
and
alpine climbing Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
routes *
Didier Berthod Didier Berthod (born 1981) is a Swiss rock climber and priest. He specializes in traditional climbing, and crack climbing in particular. Climbing career In 2003, Berthod came to international prominence when he pinkpointed the unfinished sport ...
(born 1981) Switzerland, leading traditional climber who quit after failing on ''
Cobra Crack Cobra Crack is a long traditional climbing route on a thin crack up an overhanging granite rock face on Stawamus Chief, in Squamish, British Columbia. The route was first ascended by Peter Croft and Tami Knight in 1981 as an aid climb. Afte ...
'' * Adam Bielecki (born 1983) Poland, first winter ascents of 2 eight-thousanders:
Gasherbrum I Gasherbrum I, originally surveyed as K5, and also known as Hidden Peak, is the 11th highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is located between Shigar District in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan and Tashkurgan in the Xi ...
and
Broad Peak Broad Peak (; ) is one of the eight-thousanders, and is located in the Karakoram range spanning Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. It is the 12th highest mountain in the world with elevation above sea level. The first ascent of t ...
* John Biggar (born 1964) Scotland, several first ascents in the
Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
* Isabella Bird (1831–1904) UK, traveler, writer, and natural historian; first female fellow of the
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
*
Barry Blanchard Barry Kenneth Blanchard (born March 29, 1959) is one of North America's top alpine climbers, noted for pushing the standards of highly technical, high-risk alpine climbing, ice climbing, and mixed climbing in the Canadian Rockies and the Himalay ...
(born 1959) Canada, mountain guide; first ascents in the Saint Elias range of Alaska * Smoke Blanchard (1915–1989) US, developed
The Buttermilks The Buttermilks, or Buttermilk Country, is a well-known bouldering destination near Bishop, California. It comprises the western edge of the Owens Valley, in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Buttermilk Country is renowned for its large ...
bouldering Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or Climbing wall, artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or Climbing harness, harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers ...
area in
Bishop, California Bishop (formerly Bishop Creek) is the only incorporated city in Inyo County, California, United States. It is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley within the Mojave Desert, at an elevation of . The city was named after Bishop Creek ...
* Karl Blodig (1859–1956) Austria, mountaineer,
optician An optician is an individual who fits glasses or contact lenses by filling a refractive prescription from an optometrist or ophthalmologist. They are able to translate and adapt ophthalmic prescriptions, dispense products, and work with acces ...
and
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
; first to climb all 4,000 metre peaks in the Alps *
Arlene Blum Arlene Blum (born March 1, 1945Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life, page 34Chapter 24 /ref>) is an American mountaineer, writer, and environmental health scientist. She is best known for leading the first successful American ascent of Annapurna (I ...
(born 1945) US, part of the first US female attempt on
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
, led the first all-woman ascent of Annapurna *
Peter Boardman Peter Boardman (25 December 1950 – 17 May 1982) was an English mountaineer and author. He is best known for a series of bold and lightweight expeditions to the Himalayas, often in partnership with Joe Tasker, and for his contribution to mount ...
(1950–1982) UK, Everest 1975,
Changabang Changabang is a mountain in the Garhwal Division, Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India. It is part of a group of peaks that form the northeast wall of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It is a particularly steep and rocky peak, and all routes on it ...
1976,
Kanchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
1979, died on Everest with
Joe Tasker Joe Tasker (12 May 1948 – 17 May 1982) was a British Climbing, climber, active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He died while climbing Mount Everest. Early life Born into a Roman Catholic family in 1948, Tasker was the second of ten ...
*
Emmanuel Boileau de Castelnau Jules Henri Emmanuel Boileau, baron de Castelnau (; 1857-1923) was a French people, French alpinist and sportsman who took part in the first ascent of the Meije. After his career as an alpinist he competed as an amateur cyclist. Biography Boil ...
(1857–1923) France, first ascent
La Meije La Meije is a mountain in the Massif des Écrins range, located at the border of the Hautes-Alpes and Isère '' départements''. It overlooks the nearby village of La Grave, a mountaineering centre and ski resort, well known for its off-pis ...
with father and son Pierre Gaspard (1877) *
Jean-Marc Boivin Jean-Marc Boivin (6 April 1951 – 17 February 1990) was a French mountaineer, extreme skier, hang glider and paraglider pilot, speleologist, BASE jumper, film maker and author. The holder of several altitude records for hang gliding and paragl ...
(1951–1990) France, first ascents of extreme alpine routes, pioneer of
extreme skiing Extreme skiing is a form of skiing performed on long, steep (typically from 45 to 60+ degrees, or grades of 100 to 170 percent) slopes in mountainous terrain. The French coined the term 'Le Ski Extreme' in the 1970s. The first practitioners incl ...
and
BASE jumping BASE jumping () is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antenna (radio), antenna ...
*
Walter Bonatti Walter Bonatti (; 22 June 1930 – 13 September 2011) was an Italian people, Italian mountaineer, alpinist, explorer and journalist. He was noted for many climbing achievements, including a Solo climbing, solo climb of a new alpine climbing route ...
(1930–2011) Italy, mountaineer and writer, solo new routes on
Aiguille du Dru The Aiguille du Dru (also the Dru or the Drus; French, Les Drus) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. It is situated to the east of the village of Les Praz in the Chamonix valley. "Aiguille" means "needle" in French. The ...
and
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
* Sir
Chris Bonington Sir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL (born 6 August 1934) is a British mountaineer. His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest. Early life and expeditions Bonington's father, ...
(born 1934) UK, first ascent of Freney Pillar (1961), Tower of Paine (1962–3); ascent of 3
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s *
Thomas George Bonney Thomas George Bonney (27 July 1833 – 10 December 1923) was an English geologist, president of the Geological Society of London. Career Bonney was born in Rugeley, Staffordshire, England, the eldest son of the Reverend Thomas Bonney, headm ...
(1833–1923) UK, geologist and mountaineer, president of the
Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...
* Jack Borgenicht (1911–2005) US, garment manufacturer, philanthropist, the oldest person to climb
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
at age 81 * Alastair Borthwick (1913–2003) Scotland, climber and author of ''Always a Little Further'' *
Christine Boskoff Christine Boskoff (September 7, 1967 – November 14, 2006 (estimated)) was an American mountaineer. Early life Christine Joyce Feld (her maiden name) was the youngest of four children (with three older brothers) of Robin and Joyce Feld. She was ...
(1967–2006) US, 6
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s, including Everest twice, died on Genyen Peak *
Sébastien Bouin Sébastien Bouin (born 7 April 1993) is a French rock climber born in Draguignan. By 2022, Bouin is regarded as one of the strongest sport climbers in the world, being only the second-ever climber to establish a route graded , with ' in 2022, ...
(born 1993) France, first ascent of ''DNA'' (2022), the world's second-ever route *
Anatoli Boukreev Anatoli Nikolaevich Boukreev (; January 16, 1958 – December 25, 1997) was a Kazakh mountaineer who made ascents of 10 of the 14 eight-thousander peaks—those above —without supplemental oxygen. From 1989 through 1997, he made 18 successful as ...
(1958–1997) Russia, 7
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s without oxygen, part of
1996 Everest disaster The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight expedition climbing, climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach ...
, died on
Annapurna Annapurna (; ) is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world at above sea level and is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its as ...
*
Loulou Boulaz Louise "Loulou" Boulaz (6 February 1908 – 13 June 1991) was a Switzerland, Swiss Mountaineering, mountain climber and alpine skier who made numerous first ascents in the Alps. Biography Boulaz was born in Avenches, Switzerland. She attended ...
(1908–1991) Switzerland, several first ascents and first female ascents in the Alps *
Tom Bourdillon Thomas Duncan Bourdillon ( ; 16 March 1924 – 29 July 1956) was an English mountaineer and member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition which made the first ascent of Mount Everest. He died in Valais, Switzerland, on 29 July 1956 aged 32 ...
(1924–1956) UK,
Cho Oyu Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means " Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the '' Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalangur Him ...
(1952), part of
1953 British Everest expedition The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. ...
, first to Everest South Summit (1953) *
Stipe Božić Stipe Božić (born 2 January 1951) is a Croatian mountaineer, documentary filmmaker and photographer. He is the most successful Croatian Himalayan climber. Božić completed the Seven Summits and is the second European, after Reinhold Messner ...
(born 1951) FPR Yugoslavia, completed the
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
, second European to climb
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
twice *
Lydia Bradey Lydia Pounamu Bradey (born 9 October 1961) is a New Zealand mountaineer. She became the first woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1988. She has climbed Mount Everest a total of six times. Early life Lydia Bradey was bo ...
(born 1961) New Zealand, first woman to climb
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
without supplementary oxygen 1988 * Samuel Brawand (1898–2001) Switzerland, politician, and mountain guide; first ascent of Mittellegigrat (1921) * David Breashears (born 1956) US, Everest twice, directed
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
film ''
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
'' *
Meta Brevoort Marguerite "Meta" Claudia Brevoort (November 8, 1825 – December 19, 1876) was an American mountain climber and pioneer in alpine history, known for her many first ascents and as a trailblazer in winter mountaineering. In the Dauphiné Alps, Ha ...
(1825–1876) US, alpinist of
Victorian period In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed th ...
, aunt of W. A. B. Coolidge * Russell Brice (born 1952) New Zealand, set record for fastest solo ascent without oxygen of
Cho Oyu Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means " Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the '' Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalangur Him ...
and
Ama Dablam Ama Dablam is a mountain in the Eastern Himalayas range of Koshi Province, Nepal. The main peak is , the lower western peak is . Ama Dablam means "mother's necklace"; the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother (''ama'') protecting he ...
*
Jim Bridwell Jim Bridwell (July 29, 1944 – February 16, 2018) was an American rock climber and mountaineer, active from 1965 in Yosemite Valley, but later in Patagonia and Alaska. He was noted for pushing the standards of both aid climbing and big wall ...
(1944–2018) US, first ascents of major aid routes on
El Capitan El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...
; first one-day ascent of '' The Nose'' (1975) *
David Brower David Ross Brower ( ; July 1, 1912 – November 5, 2000) was a prominent environmentalist and the founder of many environmental organizations, including the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies (1997), Friends of the Earth (1969), Ear ...
(1912–2000) US, executive director of
Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...
and
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
climber * Joe Brown (1930–2020) UK, first ascent of '' Cenotaph Corner'', the
Aiguille de Blaitière The Aiguille de Blaitière (3,522 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc Massif in Haute-Savoie, France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territor ...
west face, and
Kanchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
(1955) * Katie Brown (born 1981) US, pioneer female
competition climber Competition climbing is a form of regulated rock-climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly ...
and
big wall climber Big wall climbing is a form of rock climbing that takes place on long and sheer multi-pitch routes (of ''at least'' 6–10 pitches or 300–500 metres) that require a full day, if not several days, to ascend. Big wall routes are sustained and ...
* Adriana Brownlee (born 2001) UK, youngest woman to climb all 14
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s. * Geoffrey Bruce (1896–1972) UK, first to reach on
Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...
(1922). *
Hermann Buhl Hermann Buhl (21 September 1924 – 27 June 1957) was an Austrian mountaineer. His accomplishments include the first ascents of Nanga Parbat in 1953 and Broad Peak in 1957. Buhl is the father of Austrian-German writer, publisher, and freelan ...
(1924–1957) Austria, first ascent
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
(1953) and of
Broad Peak Broad Peak (; ) is one of the eight-thousanders, and is located in the Karakoram range spanning Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. It is the 12th highest mountain in the world with elevation above sea level. The first ascent of t ...
(1957), died on Chogolisa *
Alexander Burgener Alexander Burgener Alexander Burgener (10 January 1845, Saas Fee – 8 July 1910, near the Berglihütte) was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascentionist of many mountains and new routes in the western Alps during the silver age of alpini ...
(1845–1910) Switzerland, first ascent Zmuttgrat, Grands Charmoz, Aiguille du Grépon, Lenzspitze, and Grand Dru *
Jean Buridan Jean Buridan (; ; Latin: ''Johannes Buridanus''; – ) was an influential 14thcentury French scholastic philosopher. Buridan taught in the faculty of arts at the University of Paris for his entire career and focused in particular on logic and ...
(c. 1300–1358) France, climbed
Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux (; ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At , it is the highest mountain in the region and h ...
for the view, before
Petrarch Francis Petrarch (; 20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374; ; modern ), born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest Renaissance humanism, humanists. Petrarch's redis ...


C

*
Tommy Caldwell Tommy Caldwell (born August 11, 1978) is an American rock climber who has set records in sport climbing, traditional climbing, and in big-wall climbing. Caldwell made the first free ascents of several major routes on El Capitan in Yosemite Na ...
(born 1978) US, first free ascents of big wall routes on
El Capitan El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...
, including ''Dawn Wall'',
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
at * Una Cameron (1904–1987) UK, ascents in the Alps, Caucasus, and Africa *
Louis Ramond de Carbonnières Louis François Élisabeth Ramond, baron de Carbonnières (4 January 1755 Strasbourg – 14 May 1827), was a French politician, geologist and botanist. He is regarded as one of the first explorers of the high mountains of the Pyrenees who can be d ...
(1755–1827) France, scientist and Pyrenean pioneer * Kim Carrigan (born 1958) Australia, first ascents of the first Ewbank grade 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, routes. * Carlos Carsolio (born 1962) Mexico, the
fourth person Within linguistics, obviative (abbreviated ) third person is a grammatical-person marking that distinguishes a referent that is less important to the discourse from one that is more important (proximate). The obviative is sometimes referred to a ...
to summit all 14
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s (1985–1996) *
Riccardo Cassin Riccardo Cassin (2 January 19096 August 2009) was an Italian Mountaineering, mountaineer, developer of Climbing equipment, mountaineering equipment and author, and an important figure in the history of rock climbing, alpine climbing and big wall ...
(1909–2009) Italy, equipment manufacturer and pioneer alpinist; first ascent of the north face of
Piz Badile Piz Badile (3,308 m) is a mountain of the Bregaglia range in the Swiss canton of Graubünden and the Italian region of Lombardy. The border between the two countries runs along the summit ridge. Its north-east face, overlooking the Swiss Val B ...
(1937), and the north face of the
Grandes Jorasses The Grandes Jorasses (; 4,208 m; 13,806 ft) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif, on the boundary between Haute-Savoie in France and Aosta Valley in Italy. The first ascent of the highest peak of the mountain (''Pointe Walker'') was by H ...
('' Walker Spur'', 1938) *
Cristina Castagna Cristina "El Grio" Castagna (23 December 1977 – 18 July 2009) was an Italian mountaineer and the first Italian woman to climb Makalu. She died in 2009 on Broad Peak, after reaching the summit. Early life Castagna was born near San Quiri ...
(1977–2009) Italy, first Italian female ascent of
Makalu Makalu (; ) is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth, with a summit at an elevation of AMSL. It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas southeast of Mount Everest, on the China–Nepal border. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolat ...
, ascent of several other
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s *
Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz (1942 – 17 October 1978) was a British mountaineer, painter, and lithography lecturer. She made the first ascent of Gasherbrum III, at the time the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz di ...
(1942–1978) Britain, first ascent of
Gasherbrum III Gasherbrum III (); ), surveyed as K3a, is a summit in the Gasherbrum massif of the Baltoro Muztagh, a subrange of the Karakoram on the border between Xinjiang, China and Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is situated between Gasherbrum II and IV. ...
* Ludwik Chałubiński (1860–1933) Poland, first ascent of Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki *
Armand Charlet Armand Charlet (9 February 1900, Argentière – December 1975) was a French mountaineer and mountain guide. Alpinism Charlet was amongst the most celebrated mountaineers and guides of his era. Alain de Chatellus regarded him as the "undisp ...
(1900–1975) France, many first ascents in the Mont Blanc massif * Isabella Charlet-Straton (1838–1918) UK, first ascents in
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
, first winter ascent of
Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...
(1876) * Maxime Chaya (born 1961) Lebanon, climbed
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
(2006),
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
and
Three Poles Challenge The Three Poles is an adventurer’s challenge to reach the North Pole, the South Pole, and the summit of Mount Everest. The first person to reach all three locations was Edmund Hillary. Hillary summited Everest in May 1953, reached the South Pol ...
* Chhurim (born 1984) Nepal, the first woman to summit
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
twice in a week * Chang Yuan-Chih (1988 – 2024), Taiwanese first ascentionist, second from Taiwan to climb an
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
* Renata Chlumska (born 1973) Sweden, first Swedish female ascent of
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
(1999) *
Yvon Chouinard Yvon Chouinard (born November 9, 1938) is an American rock climber, environmentalist, and businessman. His company, Patagonia, sells outdoor products, outerwear, and food. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by '' ...
(born 1938) US, pioneer of big wall and aid climbing in
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
, founder of Chouinard Equipment and
Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
*
Leszek Cichy Leszek Roman Cichy (born 14 November 1951), () is a Polish climber, financier, and entrepreneur. He was born in Pruszków, Poland on 14 November 1951. He achieved the first winter ascent of Mount Everest together with Krzysztof Wielicki in 1980 w ...
(born 1951) Poland,
first winter ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers and climbers focused ...
of
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
with
Krzysztof Wielicki Krzysztof Jerzy Wielicki (Polish pronunciation: ; born 5 January 1950) is a Polish mountaineer, regarded as one of the greatest Polish climbers in history. He is the 5th man to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders and the first ever to climb Mount ...
* John Clarke (1945–2003) Ireland-Canada, explorer with over 600 first ascents in Coast Range of
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
* Vern Clevenger (born 1955) US, first ascent
Cholatse Cholatse (), also known as Jobo Lhaptshan, is a mountain in the Khumbu region of the Nepalese Himalaya. Cholatse is connected to Taboche (6,501m) by a long ridge, with the Chola glacier descending from the mountain's east face. The north and e ...
(1982), numerous first routes ascents in
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
*
Ian Clough Ian Clough (1937–1970) was a British mountaineer who was killed on the 1970 British Annapurna expedition led by Sir Chris Bonington to climb the south face of the Himalayan massif. He was later described by Bonington as "the most modest man ...
(1939–1970) UK, first ascent Am Buachaille (1968), first UK ascent
Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...
north face (1962), died on
Annapurna Annapurna (; ) is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world at above sea level and is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its as ...
*
Norman Clyde Norman Clyde (April 8, 1885 – December 23, 1972) was a mountaineer, mountain guide, freelance writer, nature photographer, and self-trained naturalist. He is well known for achieving over 130 first ascents, many in California's Sierra Nevada ...
(1886–1972) US, pioneer of California's
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
* Johann Coaz (1822–1918) Switzerland, first ascent of
Piz Bernina Piz Bernina (Romansh language, Romansh, , ) is the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps, the highest point of the Bernina Range, and the highest peak in the Rhaetian Alps. It rises and is located south of Pontresina in the Bernina Region and ne ...
* J. Norman Collie (1859–1942) UK, first ascent
Ben Nevis Ben Nevis ( ; , ) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles. Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Highland region of Lochaber, close to the town of Fort William. The mount ...
Tower Ridge,
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
expedition (1895) * Emilio Comici (1901–1940) Italy, pioneer of
big wall climbing Big wall climbing is a form of rock climbing that takes place on long and sheer multi-pitch climbing, multi-pitch climbing routes, routes (of ''at least'' 6–10 pitches or 300–500 metres) that require a full day, if not several days, to ascen ...
and
aid climbing Aid climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses mechanical devices and equipment, such as aiders (or ladders), for upward momentum. Aid climbing is contrasted with free climbing (in both its traditional or sport free climbing formats), whi ...
; first ascent Cima Grande north face (1933) *
Achille Compagnoni Achille Compagnoni (26 September 1914 – 13 May 2009) was an Italian mountaineer and skier. Together with Lino Lacedelli on 31 July 1954 he was in the first party to reach the summit of K2. Biography Compagnoni was born in Santa Caterina d ...
(1914–2009) Italy, first ascent of K2 with
Lino Lacedelli Lino Lacedelli (4 December 1925 – 20 November 2009) was an Italian mountaineer. Together with Achille Compagnoni, on 31 July 1954 he was the first to reach the summit of K2. Early life Lacedelli was born in Cortina d'Ampezzo. His climbing c ...
on the 1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2 *
Kyra Condie Kyra Condie (born June 5, 1996) is a rock climber who specializes in competition climbing and was one of four American rock climbers selected to represent Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. She placed 11th in the Women's Co ...
(born 1996) US, member of the 2020 US Olympic climbing team *
Herb and Jan Conn Jan H. Conn (April 22, 1924 – May 13, 2023) and Herbert William Conn (April 16, 1920 – February 1, 2012) were climbing and caving pioneers. They are credited with establishing many classic climbs in areas like Carderock Recreation Area, ...
(Herb: 1921–2012) US, early pioneers of climbing and caving in Carderock,
Seneca Rocks Seneca Rocks is a large cliff, crag and local landmark in Pendleton County, West Virginia, Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. The south peak is the only peak inaccessible except by technical rock climbing ...
, and the
Black Hills The Black Hills is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk Peak, which rises to , is the range's highest summit. The name of the range ...
*
William Martin Conway William Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, (12 April 1856 – 19 April 1937), known between 1895 and 1931 as Sir Martin Conway, was an English art critic, politician, cartographer and mountaineer, who made expeditions in Europe as w ...
(1856–1937) UK, surveyor and explorer (Karakoram, Spitsbergen, Andes & Alps) *
Kenton Cool Kenton Edward Cool (born 30 July 1973, ) is an English climber and mountain guide. He is one of Britain's leading alpine and high altitude climbers. He has reached the summit of Mount Everest 19 times—the most of any non-Nepali. His ascents ...
(born 1973) UK, several
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s (
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
over seventeen times); ski descents of
Cho Oyu Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means " Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the '' Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalangur Him ...
and
Manaslu Manaslu (; , also known as Kutang) is the List of highest mountains#List, eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the ...
* W. A. B. Coolidge (1850–1926) US, over 1,700 expeditions in the Alps with numerous first ascents, Alpine historian * Janne Corax (born 1967) Sweden, cycled across the Tibetan plateau and claimed several first ascents of Tibetan mountains *
Henri Cordier Henri Cordier (8 August 184916 March 1925) was a French linguist, historian, ethnographer, author, editor and Orientalist. He was President of the Société de Géographie ( French, "Geographical Society") in Paris.Aiguille du Plat de la Selle The Aiguille du Plat de la Selle, 3,596 m, is a mountain of the Massif des Écrins in the Dauphiné Alps in south-eastern France. Ascents of the mountain are via Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans or the Soreiller hut. References See also * ...
,
Les Droites Les Droites () is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps and is the lowest of the 4000-metre peaks in the Alps. The mountain has two summits: * West summit (3,984 m), first ascent by W. A. B. Coolidge, Christian Almer and Ulri ...
(east summit) (1876) * Patrick Cordier (1947–1996) France, first and solo ascents in the Alps; French Direct
Troll Wall The or is part of the mountain massif Trolltindene () in the Romsdalen valley in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located to the south of the towns of Åndalsnes and Molde inside the Reinheimen National Park. Th ...
(1967) and '' The Nose'' solo (1973) * Jean Couzy (1923–1958) France, first ascent of
Makalu Makalu (; ) is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth, with a summit at an elevation of AMSL. It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas southeast of Mount Everest, on the China–Nepal border. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolat ...
with Terray on the
1955 French Makalu expedition The 1955 French Makalu expedition was the first to successfully climb Makalu, the Himalayan mountain to the southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. At Makalu is the fifth-highest mountain in the world and an eight-t ...
* Lucy Creamer (born 1971) UK, early British female
competition climber Competition climbing is a form of regulated rock-climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly ...
, and alpine and ice climber. * Peter Croft (born 1958) Canada,
free soloing Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs solo (or alone) without ropes or other protective equipment, using only their climbing shoes and their climbing chalk. Free soloing ...
pioneer (''Astroman'', ''Rostrum''); many first ascents in the Sierra Nevada *
Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley ( ; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...
(1875–1947) UK, occultist, writer, and rock climber, led early expeditions on K2 and on
Kanchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
*
Michel Croz Michel Auguste Croz (22 April 1830 in Le Tour, Chamonix valley – 14 July 1865, on the Matterhorn) was a Chamoniard mountain guide of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the first ascentionist of many mountains in the western Alps during the golden ag ...
(1830–1865) France, mountain guide with numerous first ascents, died on the first ascent of the
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
* John Cunningham (1927–1980) Scotland, pioneered new
climbing technique Climbing technique refers to a broad range of physical movements used in the activity or sport of climbing. Notable sub-groups of climbing technique include: *Aid climbing technique as is used in aid climbing *Big wall climbing technique as is ...
s in
ice climbing Ice climbing is a climbing discipline that involves ascending routes consisting entirely of frozen water. To ascend, the ice climber uses specialist equipment, particularly double ice axes (or the more modern ice tools) and rigid crampons. ...
*
Bronisław Czech Bronisław "Bronek" Czech (; 25 July 1908 – 4 June 1944) was a Polish sportsman and artist. A gifted skier, he won championships of Poland 24 times in various skiing disciplines, including Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and ski jumping. A m ...
(1908–1944) Poland, a mountain rescue pioneer in the Tatra Mountains * Anna Czerwińska (born 1949) Poland, first woman over age 50 to ascend
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
, first Polish female to climb
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
*
Andrzej Czok Andrzej Czok (11 November 1948 – 11 January 1986) was a Polish mountaineer best known for making the first winter ascent of Dhaulagiri on 21 January 1985 with Jerzy Kukuczka, and for the first ascent of the South Pillar route on Mount Everest ...
(1948–1986) Poland, first winter ascent of
Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri, located in Nepal, is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country. It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapur ...
, and first ascent of
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
via the South Pillar


D

*
Kalpana Dash Kalpana Dash (; 7 July 1966 – 23 May 2019) was an Indian mountaineer and the first Odia climber to scale Mount Everest. She scaled Mount Everest on 21 May 2008, along with a team of five members from the United States, Canada and Nepal. She h ...
(born 1966) India, first from
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
, India to climb
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
(2008) * Sophia Danenberg (born 1972) US, first African American and first black woman to ascend
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
(2006) * Steph Davis (born 1973) US, second female one-day free climb
El Capitan El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...
and first female to free climb the
Salathé Wall The ''Salathé Wall'' is one of the original big wall climbing routes up El Capitan, a high granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. The ''Salathé Wall'' was named by Yvon Chouinard in honor of John Salathé, a pioneer of rock climbing in Y ...
(2005) *
Johnny Dawes Johnny Dawes (born 9 May 1964) is a British rock climber and author, known for his dynamic climbing style and bold traditional climbing routes. This included the first ascent of '' Indian Face'', the first-ever route at the E9-grade. His influe ...
(born 1964) UK, the first free ascent of E9 (''
Indian Face ''Indian Face'' is a traditional climbing route on the rhyolite "Great Wall" of the East Buttress of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, in Wales. When English climber Johnny Dawes completed the first free ascent of the route on 4 October 1986, it was grade ...
'', 1986), and E8 (''
Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; , a poetic form of ('), meaning 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea (), is the personification of Earth. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenogenic—of all life. She is the mother of Uranus (S ...
'', 1985)
traditional climbing Traditional climbing (or trad climbing) is a type of free climbing in rock climbing where the lead climber places removable protection while simultaneously ascending the route; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber ...
routes * José Antonio Delgado (1965–2006) Venezuela, five
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s (1994–2006), died on
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
*
Clinton Thomas Dent Clinton Thomas Dent FRCS (7 December 1850 – 26 August 1912) was an English surgeon, author and mountaineer. Early life The fourth surviving son of Thomas Dent, he was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. Alpinism Alongsi ...
(1850–1912) UK, first ascent Lenzspitze (1870),
Aiguille du Dru The Aiguille du Dru (also the Dru or the Drus; French, Les Drus) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. It is situated to the east of the village of Les Praz in the Chamonix valley. "Aiguille" means "needle" in French. The ...
(1878); expeditions to the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
* Ardito Desio (1897–2001) Italy, geologist and leader of successful 1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2 *
Catherine Destivelle Catherine Destivelle (born 24 July 1960) is a French rock climbing, rock climber and Mountaineering, mountaineer who is considered one of the greatest and most important female climbers in the history of rock climbing, history of the sport. She c ...
(born 1960) France,
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
female to climb , first female to winter solo of the " north face trilogy" * Kurt Diemberger (born 1932) Austria, first ascent of
Broad Peak Broad Peak (; ) is one of the eight-thousanders, and is located in the Karakoram range spanning Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. It is the 12th highest mountain in the world with elevation above sea level. The first ascent of t ...
(1957) and
Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri, located in Nepal, is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country. It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapur ...
(1960), climbed K2 (
1986 K2 disaster The 1986 K2 disaster refers to a period from 6 August to 10 August 1986, when five mountaineers died on the eight-thousander K2, in the Karakoram during a severe storm. Eight other climbers were killed in the weeks preceding, bringing the total n ...
) * Sasha DiGiulian (born 1992) US, the first female to free climb ''Magic Mushroom'' on the
Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...
north face *
Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...
(1929–1962) Poland, numerous alpine ascents in the Tatras and Alps; first ascent of the Central Pillar of Frêney * Sarah Doherty (1959–2023) US, the first amputee to reach the summit of
Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
without a
prosthetic limb In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (congenital disorder). Prosthe ...
*
Jim Donini James "Jim" Donini (born July 23, 1943) is an American rock climber and alpinist, noted for a long history of cutting-edge climbs in Alaska and Patagonia. He was president of the American Alpine Club from 2006 to 2009, and a 1999 recipient of the ...
(born 1943) US, first ascent of
Torre Egger Torre Egger is one of the peaks in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America, located between Argentina and Chile,From Rodrigo Jordan, "Cerro Torre", in ''World Mountaineering'', Audrey Salkeld, editor, Bulfinch Press, , p. 156: Cerro Tor ...
(1976), president of the
American Alpine Club The American Alpine Club (AAC) is a non-profit member organization with more than 26,000 members. The club is housed in the American Mountaineering Center (AMC) in Golden, Colorado. Through its members, the AAC advocates for American climbers d ...
(2006–2009) *
Hans Christian Doseth Hans Christian Doseth (December 10, 1958 in Romsdal, Norway – August 6, 1984 in Pakistan) was a Norwegian mountaineer. Stein P. Aasheim, Fabio Palma ''Senza ritorno. Hans Christian Doseth'', Italian, Alpine Studio, June 2010, Achievements Am ...
(1958–1984) Norway, first ascent of the East Face of Great Trango Tower (1984), died during the descent *
Lord Francis Douglas Lord Francis William Bouverie Douglas (8 February 1847 – 14 July 1865) was a novice British mountaineering, mountaineer. After sharing in the first ascent of the Matterhorn, he died in a fall on the way down from the summit. Early life Born ...
(1847–1865) Scotland, died on the descent after the first ascent of the
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
(1965) * Lonnie Dupre (born 1961) US, Arctic explorer, made a rare solo winter ascent of
Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
* Hans Dülfer (1892–1915) Germany, pioneer free climber, inventor of the
Dülfersitz The Dülfersitz (named after mountaineer Hans Dülfer who had developed a different but related technique), also known as body rappel, is a classical, or non-mechanical abseiling technique, used in rock climbing and mountaineering. It is not us ...
abseil technique; killed in World War I *
Hayatullah Khan Durrani Hayatullah Khan Durrani, PP (Pashto language, Pashto: ; born 22 April 1962) is a Pakistani people, Pakistani caving, caver, mountaineering, mountaineer, environmentalist, organizer, and a rescuer. He is also a part-time sports anchor actor on ...
(born 1962) Pakistan, mountaineer, and rock climber *
Günther Dyhrenfurth Günther, Guenther, Ginther, Gunther, and the variants Günter, Guenter, Guenther, Ginter, and Gunter, are Germanic names derived from ''Gunthere, Gunthari'', composed of '' *gunþiz'' "battle" (Old Norse '' gunnr'') and ''heri, hari'' "army". Gu ...
(1886–1975) German/Swiss, Himalayan explorer, led German expeditions to
Kanchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
(1930, 1931)


E

*
James Eccles James Eccles FGS (1838 – 6 June 1915) was an English mountaineer and geologist who is noted for making a number of first ascents in the Alps during the silver age of alpinism. Life Eccles was born in Blackburn in 1838, the eldest son of E ...
(1838–1915) UK, first ascents in the Mont Blanc massif *
Oscar Eckenstein Oscar Johannes Ludwig Eckenstein (9 September 1859 – 8 April 1921) was an English rock climber and mountaineer, and a pioneer in the sport of bouldering. Inventor of the modern crampon, he was an innovator in climbing technique and mountai ...
(1859–1921) UK, alpinist, rock climber, and pioneer of
bouldering Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or Climbing wall, artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or Climbing harness, harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers ...
; inventor of modern
crampon A crampon is a traction device attached to footwear to improve mobility on snow and ice during ice climbing. Besides ice climbing, crampons are also used for secure travel on snow and ice, such as crossing glaciers, snowfields and icefields, as ...
*
Patrick Edlinger Patrick Edlinger (15 June 1960 – 16 November 2012) was a professional French rock climber. Edlinger is considered a pioneer and a legend of sport climbing. He was the second-ever climber in history to ascend routes of grade with ''Nymphodal ...
(1960–2012) France,
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
person to onsight , and second-ever person to redpoint ; prolific free soloist * Angela Eiter (born 1986) Austria,
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
female to redpoint – and to make an FFA – at ; successful
competition climber Competition climbing is a form of regulated rock-climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly ...
* Albert R. Ellingwood (22 June 1887 – 12 May 1934) pioneer of climbing peaks in the Rocky Mountains and Colorado in particular *
Zsolt Erőss Zsolt Erőss (March 7, 1968 – May 21, 2013) was the most successful Hungary, Hungarian high-altitude mountaineer, summiting 10 of the 14 eight-thousanders. He was also the first Hungarian citizen to have climbed Mount Everest. In 2010, he los ...
(1968–2013) Hungary, ten
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s, two with a prosthetic leg, died on descent from
Kangchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
* Susan Ershler (born 1956) US, climbed
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
* Leila Esfandyari (1970–2011) Iran, first Iranian woman to climb
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
; died on
Gasherbrum II Gasherbrum II (; ; ); surveyed as K4, is the 13th highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is the third-highest peak of the Gasherbrum massif, and is located in the Karakoram, on the border between Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan and ...
*
Jens Esmark Jens Esmark (31 January 1763 – 26 January 1839) was a Danish-Norwegian professor of mineralogy who contributed to many of the initial discoveries and conceptual analyses of glaciers, specifically the concept that glaciers had covered larger ...
(1763–1839) Norway, first ascent
Snøhetta Snøhetta is the highest mountain in the Dovrefjell mountain range in Norway. At , it is the highest mountain in Norway outside the Jotunheimen range, making it the 24th highest peak in Norway, based on a topographic prominence cutoff. At , i ...
(1798) and
Gaustatoppen Gaustatoppen is a mountain in the county of Telemark, Norway. The tall mountain is located on the south side of the town of Rjukan and is the highest mountain in Telemark. The summit lies in Tinn Municipality, but there is a lower plateau that c ...
, led first expedition to Bitihorn *
Nick Estcourt Nicholas John Estcourt (1942 – 12 June 1978) was a British mountaineer and alpinist who was killed in an avalanche on the West Ridge of K2. Early life and education Estcourt spent his childhood on the south coast of England, in Eastbourne a ...
(1942–1978) UK, alpinist; killed on K2 by
avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...
on the 1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition * Charles Evans (1918–1995) UK, deputy leader of
1953 British Mount Everest expedition The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. ...
, and leader of
1955 British Kangchenjunga expedition The 1955 British Kangchenjunga expedition succeeded in climbing the Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, for the first time. The expedition complied with a request from the Sikkim authorities that the summit should not be tr ...
* John Ewbank (1948–2013) Australia, pioneer of Australian rock climbing, invented Ewbank grading system


F

*
Freda du Faur Emmeline Freda Du Faur (16 September 188213 September 1935) was an Australian mountaineer, credited as the first woman to climb New Zealand's tallest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook. Du Faur was a leading amateur climber of her day. She was the f ...
(1882–1935) Australia, first female ascent of
Aoraki / Mount Cook Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, , is listed as . It is situated in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite ch ...
*
Ron Fawcett Ron Fawcett (born 6 May 1955) is a British rock climber and rock climbing author who is credited with pushing the technical standards of British rock climbing in traditional, sport, bouldering and free soloing disciplines, in the decade from the ...
(born 1955) UK, pioneer professional rock climber, first ascent of '' Master's Edge'' E7 6c * Sue Fear (1963–2006) Australia, five
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s, killed in crevasse fall on
Manaslu Manaslu (; , also known as Kutang) is the List of highest mountains#List, eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the ...
*
Rudolf Fehrmann Rudolf Fehrmann (22 June 1886 – 1947) was a German climber. He was a pioneer rock climber at the Elbe Sandstone Mountains near Dresden. Climbing career He began climbing at the age of 17 and was soon at the leading edge of the fledgling sport. ...
(1886–1947) Germany, pioneer rock climber in the
Elbe Sandstone Mountains The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (, ; , ), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, with about three-q ...
* Darby Field (1610–1649) UK, first European to climb
Mount Washington (New Hampshire) Mount Washington is an ultra-prominent peak, ultra-prominent mountain in the state of New Hampshire. It is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most Topographic prominence, topographically prominent mountain east of the ...
(1642) * George Ingle Finch (1888–1970) Australia, reached 8,300 m on 1922 British Everest expedition; north face of
Dent d'Hérens The Dent d'Hérens (4,173 m) is a mountain in the Pennine Alps, lying on the border between Italy and Switzerland. The mountain lies a few kilometres west of the Matterhorn. Notable summits along the east ridge are Punta Bianca (3917 m), th ...
* Hazel Findlay (born 1989) UK, first British female to ascend a
traditional climbing Traditional climbing (or trad climbing) is a type of free climbing in rock climbing where the lead climber places removable protection while simultaneously ascending the route; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber ...
route at grade E9 *
Scott Fischer Scott Eugene Fischer (December 24, 1955 – May 11, 1996) was an American mountaineer and mountain guide. He was renowned for ascending the world's highest mountains without supplemental oxygen. Fischer and Wally Berg were the first Americans ...
(1955–1996) US, ascents of
Lhotse Lhotse ( ; ; ) is the List of highest mountains#List, fourth-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. At an elevation of above sea level, the main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of Chin ...
(1990), K2 (1992),
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
(1994); died in
1996 Mount Everest disaster The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making i ...
*
Hans Florine Hans Florine (born June 18, 1964) is an American rock climber, who holds the record for the number of ascents of Yosemite Valley's El Capitan and is known for holding the speed record on '' The Nose'' of Yosemite’s El Capitan 8 different times ...
(born 1964) US, won first world speed championships in 1991, set a speed record on '' The Nose'' of 2:36:45 (2012) *
James David Forbes James David Forbes (1809–1868) was a Scottish physicist and glaciologist who worked extensively on the conduction of heat and seismology. Forbes was a resident of Edinburgh for most of his life, educated at its University and a professor ...
(1809–1868) UK, first British ascent of the
Jungfrau The Jungfrau (, , , "maiden, virgin"), at is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger and Mönc ...
*
Charlie Fowler Charlie Fowler (February 18, 1954 – November 14, 2006) was an American mountain climber, writer, and photographer. He was one of North America's most experienced mountain climbers, and successfully climbed many of the world's highest peaks. ...
(1954–2006) US, free soloist and high-altitude mountaineer *
Mick Fowler Michael Fowler (born 1956) is a British rock climber, ice climber, mountaineer and climbing author. He is internationally noted for his alpine climbing and was awarded the Piolet d'Or three times, with Paul Ramsden (climber), Paul Ramsden, in 2 ...
(born 1956) UK, leading traditional climber,
ice climber is a 1985 Platformer, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for both the arcade Nintendo VS. System, VS. System and the Famicom / Nintendo Entertainment System console. The main protagonists, Popo and Nana, col ...
and
alpinist Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
; winner of three
Piolet d'Or An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow or ice covered (e.g. ice climbing or mixed climbing) conditions. Its use depends on the terrain: in its sim ...
s (2003, 2013, 2016) *
Douglas Freshfield Douglas William Freshfield (27 April 1845 – 9 February 1934) was a British lawyer, mountaineer and author, who edited the ''Alpine Journal ''from 1872 to 1880. He was president of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club. He was ...
(1845–1934) UK, ascents in the Alps,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
,
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
, and
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
; president of
Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...
*
Tom Frost Thomas "Tom" M. Frost (June 30, 1936 – August 24, 2018) was an American rock climbing, rock climber known for big wall climbing first ascents in Yosemite Valley. He was also a photographer and Rock-climbing equipment, climbing equipment manufa ...
US, first ascents of
big wall Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a ...
routes on
El Capitan El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...
including ''
Salathé Wall The ''Salathé Wall'' is one of the original big wall climbing routes up El Capitan, a high granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. The ''Salathé Wall'' was named by Yvon Chouinard in honor of John Salathé, a pioneer of rock climbing in Y ...
'' (1961) and ''North American Wall'' (1964) * Fritiof Fryxell (1900–1986) US, geologist, and park ranger, first ascents in the
Teton Range The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. It extends for approximately in a north–south direction through the U.S. state of Wyoming, east of the Idaho state line. It is south of Yellowstone National Park, ...
* Wang Fuzhou (1935–2015) China, first ascent of the north face of
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
, first ascent of
Shishapangma Shishapangma, or Shishasbangma or Xixiabangma ( zh, s=希夏邦马, p=Xī xià bāng mǎ), is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at above sea level. The lowest 8,000 metre peak, it is located entirely within Tibet. Name Geologist Toni H ...


G

*
Patrick Gabarrou Patrick Gabarrou a.k.a. "Le Gab" (born 19 July 1951 in Évreux), is a French mountaineer and mountain guide who is credited with more than 300 first ascents, most of them in the Mont Blanc massif. He has been the president of the international ...
(born 1951) France, first ascents of extreme
alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...
routes in Mont Blanc massif (''Hypercouloir'', ''Supercouloir'') * Will Gadd (born 1967) Canada, pioneer mixed climber ( first M9 and M12), and pioneer of Helmcken extreme ice routes *
Ryszard Gajewski Ryszard Gajewski (born 5 October 1954 in Zakopane) is a Polish mountaineer best known for the first winter ascent of Manaslu on 12 January 1984 together with Maciej Berbeka. Eight-thousanders * Manaslu Manaslu (; , also known as Kutang) is ...
(born 1954) Poland,
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
winter ascent of
Manaslu Manaslu (; , also known as Kutang) is the List of highest mountains#List, eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the ...
* Lene Gammelgaard Denmark, part of the
1996 Mount Everest disaster The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making i ...
; first Scandinavian female ascent of
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
* João Garcia (born 1967) Portugal, 10th person to climb all 14
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s without oxygen (1993–2010) *
Rolando Garibotti Rolando Garibotti is an Argentinian and American professional climber, writer, and mountain guide. He is from Bariloche, Argentina. These days he splits his time between the town of El Chaltén, Argentina, and the Dolomites in Italy. Notable clim ...
(born 1971) Argentina/US, first ascents on
Fitz Roy Monte Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitz Roy, or simply Mount Fitz Roy) is a mountain in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile.Cerro Torre Cerro Torre is one of the mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America. It is located on the border dividing Argentina and Chile, west of Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén). At , the peak is the highest of a four mountai ...
including the ''Torre Traverse'' (2008) * Janja Garnbret (born 1999) Slovenia, the most successful
competition climber Competition climbing is a form of regulated rock-climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly ...
in history;
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
female to onsight * Pierre Gaspard (1834–1915) France, first ascent
La Meije La Meije is a mountain in the Massif des Écrins range, located at the border of the Hautes-Alpes and Isère '' départements''. It overlooks the nearby village of La Grave, a mountaineering centre and ski resort, well known for its off-pis ...
with his son and
Emmanuel Boileau de Castelnau Jules Henri Emmanuel Boileau, baron de Castelnau (; 1857-1923) was a French people, French alpinist and sportsman who took part in the first ascent of the Meije. After his career as an alpinist he competed as an amateur cyclist. Biography Boil ...
* Chanda Gayen (1979–2014) India, the first woman from West Bengal to climb
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
; killed on
Kanchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
* Lakpa Gelu (born 1967) Nepal, mountain guide who summitted
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
over 12 times; set one-day speed records on Everest *
Lester Germer Lester Halbert Germer (October 10, 1896 – October 3, 1971) was an American physicist. With Clinton Davisson, he proved the wave-particle duality of matter in the Davisson–Germer experiment, which was important to the development of the e ...
(1896–1971) US,
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
,
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
fighter pilot A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...
and prominent rock climber in the
Gunks The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of the border with New Jersey ...
*
Conrad Gessner Conrad Gessner (; ; 26 March 1516 – 13 December 1565) was a Swiss physician, naturalist, bibliographer, and philologist. Born into a poor family in Zürich, Switzerland, his father and teachers quickly realised his talents and supported him t ...
(1516–1565) Switzerland,
naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
and early mountaineer in the Alps * Azim Gheychisaz (born 1981) Iran, 18th person to climb all 14
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s without oxygen (2008–2017) * John Gill (born 1937) US, "father" of modern bouldering, and
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
to climb and ; introduced
chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...
to climbing *
Stefan Glowacz Stefan Glowacz (born March 22, 1965, in Tittmoning) is a German professional rock climber and adventurer. He started climbing at the age of 12 and advanced to one of the world's strongest competition climbers and sport climber a few years late ...
(born 1965) Germany, second-ever onsight at , and second-ever multi-pitch ascent * Alessandro Gogna (born 1946) Italy, several first winter (and solo) ascents of major Alpine north faces *
Dan Goodwin Daniel Goodwin (born November 7, 1955, in Kennebunkport, Maine) is an American climber best known for performing gymnastic-like flag maneuvers and one-arm flyoffs while free soloing difficult rock climbs on national TV and for scaling towering ...
(born 1955) US, known for
buildering Buildering (also known as edificeering, urban climbing, structuring, skywalking, boulding, or stegophily) describes the act of climbing on the outside of buildings and other artificial structures. If done without ropes or protection far off the ...
(
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...
,
Sears Tower The Willis Tower, formerly and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110- story, skyscraper in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan ...
,
John Hancock Center 875 North Michigan Avenue (officially known until 2018 as the John Hancock Center and still commonly referred to under that name) is a 100- story, supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the ...
and
CN Tower The CN Tower () is a communications and observation tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Completed in 1976, it is located in downtown Toronto, built on the former Railway Lands. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway co ...
) *
Alec and Peter Graham Alexander Carter Graham (1881–1957) and Peter Graham (1878–1961) were mountaineers Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities in ...
, New Zealand mountaineers, mountain guides and hotel operators * Dave Graham (born 1981) US, leading boulderer of his generation, first ascent of '' The Story of Two Worlds'' * Tormod Granheim (born 1974) Norway, first ski mountaineering descent the north face of
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
(2006) * Chloé Graftiaux (1987–2010) Belgium, rock climber (sport and bouldering) and
alpinist Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
; bronze in
2010 World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
for bouldering *
William Spotswood Green William Spotswood Green (10 September 1847 – 22 April 1919) was an Irish naturalist, who specialised in marine biology. Born at Youghal and educated at Trinity College Dublin,Fallon, N.: ''The Armada in Ireland'', Wesleyan University Pr ...
(1847–1919) New Zealand, ascents in the Selkirks, and Mount Green is named in his honor *
Paul Grohmann Paul Grohmann (12 June 1838 – 29 July 1908) was an Austrian mountaineer and writer. Biography Grohmann was a pioneer in exploring technically challenging mountains and is thought to have made more first ascents of Eastern Alps summits than an ...
(1838–1908) Austria, numerous first ascents in the
Eastern Alps The Eastern Alps are usually defined as the area east of a line from Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine valley, up to the Splügen Pass at the Main chain of the Alps, Alpine divide, and down the Liro (Como), Liro River to Lake Como in the south. ...
in the 19th century * Michael Groom (born 1959) Australia, ascents of
Lhotse Lhotse ( ; ; ) is the List of highest mountains#List, fourth-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. At an elevation of above sea level, the main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of Chin ...
,
Kangchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
, K2, and
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
without bottled oxygen *
Bear Grylls Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls (; born 7 June 1974) is a British adventurer, writer, television presenter and former Special Air Service, SAS trooper who is also a survival expert. He first drew attention after embarking on a number of notable ...
(born 1974) in 1998, youngest Briton to summit
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
(age 23) *
Wolfgang Güllich Wolfgang Güllich (24 October 1960 – 31 August 1992) was a German rock climber, who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. Güllich dominated sport climbing after his 1984 ascent of ''Kan ...
(1960–1992) Germany,
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
to redpoint grade , , , and ;
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
to
free solo Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...
at (and to free solo '' Separate Reality''); co-inventor of the
campus board A campus board (or pan Güllich) is a training tool that has been widely adopted by sport climbing, sport climbers to improve their plyometric performance and led to dramatic improvements in climbing technique in all rock climbing disciplines. The ...
*
Paul Güssfeldt Dr Paul Güssfeldt (spelled Güßfeldt in German) (14 October 1840 – 18 January 1920) was a German geologist, mountaineer and explorer. Biography Güssfeldt was born in Berlin, where he also died almost 80 years later. After attending the C ...
(1840–1920) Germany, first ascent Peuterey ridge and
Piz Scerscen Piz Scerscen ( Romansh, , formerly ''Monte Rosso di Scerscen''), culminating at 3,970 m above sea level, is one of the highest peaks in the Bernina Range, straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a satellite peak of Piz Bernina ...
, first European attempt on
Aconcagua Aconcagua () is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the ...
(1883) *
Veikka Gustafsson Eero Veikka Juhani Gustafsson, known as Veikka Gustafsson (born 14 January 1968) is a Finnish people, Finnish Climber (climbing), climber who has ascended all 14 eight-thousanders without using supplemental oxygen. He is also known for presentin ...
(born 1968) Finland, 9th person to climb all 14
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s without oxygen (1993–2009)


H

*
Peter Habeler Peter Habeler (born 22 July 1942) is an Austrian mountaineer. He was born in Mayrhofen, Austria. He developed an interest in mountain climbing at age six.http://www.everesthistory.com/climbers/habeler Among his accomplishments as a mountaineer a ...
(born 1942) Austria, first ascent without supplementary oxygen Everest (1978) with
Reinhold Messner Reinhold Andreas Messner (; born 17 September 1944) is an Italian climber, explorer, and author from the German-speaking province of South Tyrol. He made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest and, along with Peter Habeler, the first ascent o ...
*
Douglas Robert Hadow Douglas Robert Hadow (30 May 1846 – 14 July 1865) was a British novice mountaineer who died on the descent after the first ascent of the Matterhorn. Family Hadow was born in 1846 at 49 York Terrace, Regent's Park, London, the son of Patrick ...
(1846–1865) UK, died on first ascent
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
(1865) *
Dave Hahn David Allen Hahn (born November 3, 1961, Okinawa, Japan) is an American mountaineer, ski patroller and journalist. In May 2013, he reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 15th time—at the time, this was the most summits for a non- Sherpa ...
(born 1961) US, 11 Everest ascents, 26
Vinson Massif Vinson Massif () is a large mountain massif in Antarctica that is long and wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located ab ...
ascents, 19
Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
ascents * Christoph Hainz (born 1962), South Tyrol, Italy, allrounder mountaineer, 40 first ascents * Artur Hajzer (1962–2013) Poland, first winter ascent of
Annapurna Annapurna (; ) is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world at above sea level and is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its as ...
with
Jerzy Kukuczka Józef Jerzy Kukuczka (; 24 March 1948 – 24 October 1989) was a Polish mountaineer, regarded as one of the greatest high-altitude climbers in history. In 1987, he became the second man (after Reinhold Messner) to climb all 14 eight-thousand ...
(1987) * Colin Haley (born 1984) US, traverses and speed solo ascents in
Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
and the
Alaska Range The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, mountain range in the Southcentral Alaska, southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoard on G ...
* Lincoln Hall (1956–2012) Australia, rescued at 8,700m on descent from Everest (2006) *
Rob Hall Robert Edwin Hall (14 January 1961 – 11 May 1996) was a New Zealand mountaineer. He was the head guide of a 1996 Mount Everest expedition during which he, a fellow guide, and two clients died. A best-selling account of the expedition was ...
(1960–1996) New Zealand, Seven Summits in seven months, died in
1996 Mount Everest disaster The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making i ...
* Peter Harding (1924–2007) UK, leading British
traditional climbing Traditional climbing (or trad climbing) is a type of free climbing in rock climbing where the lead climber places removable protection while simultaneously ascending the route; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber ...
pioneer of the 1940s * Warren J. Harding (1924–2002) US, first ascents of
big wall Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a ...
aid climbing Aid climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses mechanical devices and equipment, such as aiders (or ladders), for upward momentum. Aid climbing is contrasted with free climbing (in both its traditional or sport free climbing formats), whi ...
routes on
El Capitan El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...
, first ascent '' The Nose'' (1958) *
Alison Hargreaves Alison Jane Hargreaves (17 February 1962 – 13 August 1995) was a British mountaineer. Her accomplishments included scaling Mount Everest alone, without supplementary oxygen or support from a Sherpa team, in 1995. She soloed all the great nort ...
(1963–1995) UK, first solo of the 6 great north faces in one season; first female solo of Everest (1995) * John Harlin (1934–1966) US, leading American
alpinist Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
of the 1960s, killed creating the ''Harlin Route'' on the
Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...
north face *
Heinrich Harrer Heinrich Harrer (; 6 July 1912 – 7 January 2006) was an Austrian mountaineer, explorer, writer, sportsman, geographer, and briefly SS sergeant. He was a member of the four-man climbing team that made the first ascent of the North Face of the ...
(1912–2006) Austria, first ascent of the
Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...
north face (1938), and the
Carstensz Pyramid Puncak Jaya (; literally "Victorious Peak", Amungme: ''Nemangkawi Ninggok'') or Carstensz Pyramid (, , ) on the island of New Guinea, with an elevation of , is the highest mountain peak of an island on Earth, and the highest peak in Indones ...
(1962), author of ''
The White Spider ''The White Spider'' (1959; with chapters added in 1964; original title: ''Die Weisse Spinne'') is a non-fiction book by Heinrich Harrer that describes the first successful ascent of the infamous north face (''Nordwand'') of the Eiger, a mountai ...
'' (1959) and '' Seven Years in Tibet'' (1952) * Brette Harrington (born 1992) US, first free solo of big wall route, ''Chiaro di Luna'', in
Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
; partner of
Marc-André Leclerc Marc-André Leclerc (October 10, 1992 – March 5, 2018) was a Canadian rock climber, ice and mixed climber, and alpinist. He is known for his solo ascents–often in winter–of major ice and alpine climbing routes. In 2016, he completed the fir ...
* Ginette Harrison (1958–1999) UK, Seven Summits, first female ascent
Kangchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
(1998), killed on
Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri, located in Nepal, is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country. It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapur ...
*
Dougal Haston Duncan "''Dougal"'' Curdy MacSporran Haston (19 April 1940 – 17 January 1977) was a Scottish mountaineer noted for his exploits in the British Isles, Alps, and the Himalayas. From 1967 he was the director of the International School of Mountai ...
(1940–1977)
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, first ascent Annapurna south face (1970), killed in avalanche near
Leysin Leysin is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in the Aigle (district), Aigle district of Switzerland. It is first mentioned around 1231–32 as ''Leissins'', in 1352 as ''Leisins''. Located ...
* Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed (1860–1934) UK, pioneer of mountaineering, mountain photographer, author * Margo Hayes (born 1998) US, first female to climb ; first female to complete the "9a+ trilogy" * Andreas Heckmair (1906–2005) Germany, first ascent of the
Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...
north face (known as the '' 1938 Heckmair Route'') *
Zygmunt Andrzej Heinrich Zygmunt Andrzej Heinrich (21 July 1937 in Łbowo, central Poland – 27 May 1989 on Mount Everest) was a Polish mountaineer who made several ascents of eight-thousanders. He died in an avalanche on the northwest slopes of Mount Everest in 1989. ...
(1937–1989) Poland, several first ascents of new routes (and some in winter) on
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s * Gary Hemming (1934–1969) US, first ascent south face Aiguille du Fou *
Siegfried Herford Siegfried Wedgwood Herford (29 July 1891 – 28 January 1916) was a British climber who was active in the years immediately before World War I. He and John Laycock and Stanley Jeffcoat initiated what is referred to as "gritstone climbing" in En ...
(1891–1916) UK, first ascent
Scafell Scafell ( or ; also spelled Sca Fell, previously Scawfell) is a mountain in the Lake District region of Cumbria, England. It has a height of , making it the second-highest mountain in England after its neighbour, Scafell Pike, from which i ...
Central Buttress (1914) * Derek Hersey (1956–1993) UK, prominent free soloist in Britain and America; died unroped on the '' Steck-Salathé Route'' *
Maurice Herzog Maurice André Raymond Herzog (; 15 January 191913 December 2012) was a French mountaineer and administrator who was born in Lyon, France. He led the 1950 French Annapurna expedition that first climbed a peak over 8000m, Annapurna, in 1950, ...
(1919–2012) France, leader of the
1950 French Annapurna expedition The 1950 French Annapurna expedition, led by Maurice Herzog, reached the summit of Annapurna I at , the highest peak in the Annapurna (mountain range), Annapurna Massif. The mountain is in Nepal and the government had given permission for the ex ...
, and
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
ascent of
Annapurna Annapurna (; ) is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world at above sea level and is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its as ...
(1950) * Tom Higgins (1944–2018) US, first and first free ascents in US, also in France outside Chamonix *
Lynn Hill Carolynn Marie Hill (born January 3, 1961) is an American rock climber. Widely regarded as one of the leading competition climbers, traditional climbers (and particularly big wall climbers), sport climbers, and boulderers in the world during ...
(born 1961) US, first free ascent The Nose on El Capitan,
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
(1993) * Sandy Hill (born 1955) US, ascended
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
during the
1996 Mount Everest disaster The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making i ...
; completed the
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
*
Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineering, mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa people, Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the Timeline of M ...
(1919–2008) New Zealand,
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
ascent of
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
with Norgay on the
1953 British Mount Everest expedition The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. ...
*
Alan Hinkes Alan Hinkes OBE (born 26 April 1954) is an English Himalayan high-altitude mountaineer from Northallerton in North Yorkshire. He is the first British mountaineer to claim all 14 Himalayan eight-thousanders (mountains above in height), a fe ...
OBE (born 1954) UK, first Briton to climb all 14
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s but his claim was
disputed Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an oppo ...
regarding
Cho Oyu Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means " Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the '' Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalangur Him ...
*
Andreas Hinterstoisser Andreas Hinterstoisser (3 October 1914 – 21 July 1936) was a German mountain climber active in the 1930s. He was killed in the 1936 Eiger north face climbing disaster during an attempted summit via that route with his partner Toni Kurz. A sectio ...
(1914–1936) Germany, killed in the 1936 Eiger climbing disaster, first to climb the ''Hinterstoisser Traverse'' *
Yuji Hirayama Yuji Hirayama (平山ユージ; born February 23, 1969) is a Japanese rock climber specializing in lead climbing competitions. He won two Lead World Cups, in 1998 (becoming the first Asian climber to win the title) and in 2000. He is notable for ...
(born 1969) Japan,
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
winner in lead (1998, 2000),
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
to onsight at , and speed records on '' The Nose'' *
Grace Hoeman Grace Jansen Hoeman (1921– April 12, 1971) was an American mountaineer and pioneering female mountain climber. A doctor, she made a number of first ascents in Alaska. Hoeman led the first all-female expedition to Denali in 1970. She died in an ...
(1921–1971) US, led first all-female expedition to Denali, 1970 *
Marty Hoey Marty Hoey (1951 – May 15, 1982) was a mountaineer and mountain guide who took part in a 1982 expedition to Mount Everest. During an attempted ascent that would have made her the first American woman to summit Everest, she plunged over the edge o ...
(1951–1982) US, mountain guide and ski patroller, died on
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
attempting to become the first US woman to ascend it * Charles F. Hoffmann (1838–1913) US, surveyor and mountaineer, several first ascents in
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
* Jim Holloway (born 1954) US, bouldering pioneer, and
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
to ascend a boulder at the grade of with ''Trice''. *
Alex Honnold Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his Free solo climbing, free solo ascents of Big wall climbing, big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a f ...
(born 1985) US, prolific free soloist *
Tom Hornbein Thomas Frederic Hornbein (November 6, 1930 – May 6, 2023) was an American mountaineer and anesthesiologist who made the first ascent of Mount Everest via the west ridge; the Hornbein Couloir on Everest was named in his honor. On top of his m ...
(born 1930) US, first ascent of Everest via the West Ridge (1963) * Steve House (born 1970) US, solo ascent K7 (2004), first ascent of Rupal Face of
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
(2005) * Charles Houston (1913–2009) US, first ascent
Mount Foraker Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...
(1934), leader of US American to K2 in 1950s *
Alexander Huber Alexander Huber (born 30 December 1968) is a German rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of rock climbing. Huber came to prominence in the early 1990s as the world's strongest sport c ...
(born 1968) Germany, first ascents of hardest rock climbing grades * Thomas Huber (born 1966) Germany, big wall ascents in
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
and
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
* Charles Hudson (1828–1865) UK, first ascents of
Monte Rosa Monte Rosa (; ; ; or ; ) is a mountain massif in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps, on the border between Italy (Piedmont and Aosta Valley) and Switzerland (Valais). The highest peak of the massif, amongst several peaks of over , is the D ...
(1855) and the
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
(1865) *
Tomaž Humar Tomaž Humar (February 18, 1969 – ), nicknamed Gozdni Joža (akin to Hillbilly), was a Slovenian mountaineer. A father of two, Humar lived in Kamnik, Slovenia. He completed over 1500 ascents, and won a number of mountaineering and other awards, ...
(1969–2009) Slovenia, solo ascent of
Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri, located in Nepal, is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country. It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapur ...
south wall (1999), northwest face of
Ama Dablam Ama Dablam is a mountain in the Eastern Himalayas range of Koshi Province, Nepal. The main peak is , the lower western peak is . Ama Dablam means "mother's necklace"; the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother (''ama'') protecting he ...
(1996) *
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...
(1769–1859) Germany, set a European altitude record on
Chimborazo Chimborazo () is a stratovolcano situated in Ecuador in the Cordillera Occidental (Ecuador), Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known Types of volcanic eruptions, eruption is believed to have occurred around AD 550. Although not ...
(1802) * John Hunt (1910–1998) UK, leader of successful
1953 British Mount Everest expedition The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. ...
* Mala Honnatti, Indian mountain climber.


I

*
Marcel Ichac Marcel Ichac (22 October 1906 - 9 April 1994) was a French alpinist, explorer, photographer and film director. Born in Rueil, France, Ichac was one of the first people to introduce electronic music in cinema using the ondes Martenot instrument ...
(1906–1994) France, filmed the first French expedition to the
Karakoram The Karakoram () is a mountain range in the Kashmir region spanning the border of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwestern extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range is withi ...
(1936), and the successful
1950 French Annapurna expedition The 1950 French Annapurna expedition, led by Maurice Herzog, reached the summit of Annapurna I at , the highest peak in the Annapurna (mountain range), Annapurna Massif. The mountain is in Nepal and the government had given permission for the ex ...
* Dimitar Ilievski (1953–1989) Macedonia, the first Macedonian to climb
Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
, died on the descent * Ulrich Inderbinen (1900–2004) Switzerland,
mountain guide A mountain guide is a specially trained and experienced professional mountaineer who is certified by local authorities or mountain guide associations. They are considered to be high-level experts in mountaineering, and are hired to instruct or ...
with 371 ascents of the
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
, the last at 90 years old * Alberto Iñurrategi (born 1968) Basque, Spain, 10th person to climb all 14
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
s (and 4th person to do so without oxygen) * Andrew Irvine (1902–1924) UK, died on the 1924 British Everest expedition with
George Mallory George Herbert Leigh-Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English Mountaineering, mountaineer who participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions from the early to mid-1920s. He and climbing partner An ...
; unlike Mallory, his body has not been found * R. L. G. Irving (1877–1969) UK, early
alpinist Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
and climbing author; introduced
George Mallory George Herbert Leigh-Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English Mountaineering, mountaineer who participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions from the early to mid-1920s. He and climbing partner An ...
to climbing


J

* John Jackson (1921–2005) UK, member of the
1955 British Kangchenjunga expedition The 1955 British Kangchenjunga expedition succeeded in climbing the Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, for the first time. The expedition complied with a request from the Sikkim authorities that the summit should not be tr ...
; head of Britain's
Plas y Brenin Plas or Plass may refer to: People * Plas Johnson (born 1931), American saxophonist * Adrian Plass (born 1948), British author who writes primarily Christian humor * Gilbert Plass (1920–2004), Canadian-born physicist * Maria Plass (born 19 ...
centre * Margaret Jackson (1843–1906) UK, pioneer female mountaineer in the Alps *
Nicolas Jaeger Nicolas Jaeger (20 October 1946 – 28 April 1980) was a French physician, alpinist, and ski mountaineer. He made more than 100 solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, including more than a dozen first ascents. He also made several first asc ...
(1946–1980) France, first French ascent of Mount Everest, and one of the first ski descents of an
eight-thousander The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defin ...
*
Ray Jardine Ray Jardine (born in 1944) is an American rock climbing, rock climber and rock-climbing equipment innovator, who specialized in traditional climbing and big wall climbing. In 1977, Jardine made the first free ascent of ''The Phoenix'', which was ...
(born 1944) US,
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
to redpoint at ; inventor of
spring-loaded camming device A spring-loaded camming device (also SLCD, cam or friend) is a piece of rock climbing or mountaineering protection equipment. It consists of two, three, or four cams mounted on a common axle or two adjacent axles, so that pulling on the axle fo ...
s (or "friends") * Narendra Dhar Jayal (1927–1958) India, founder and first director of the
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI Darjeeling) was established in Darjeeling, India on 4 November 1954 to encourage mountaineering as an organized sport in India. History The first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and ...
* Ganesh Jena (born 1972) India, first male from the Indian state of
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
to climb
Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...
* Jimmy Jewell (1953–1987) UK, prolific free soloist of the 1970s and 1980s in Britain; died free soloing *
Konstanty Jodko-Narkiewicz Konstanty Jodko-Narkiewicz, also known as Konstanty Narkiewicz-Jodko (1901–1963), was a Polish geophysicist who specialized in studying cosmic radiation. He was also a mountaineer, Arctic explorer, and balloonist. Geophysicist Jodko-Narkiewicz ...
(1901–1963) Polish, mountaineer who led the first 1933–34 Polish Andean Expedition * Alex Johnson (born 1989) US, five-time American national bouldering champion and two-time
Bouldering World Cup The IFSC Climbing World Cup is a series of competition climbing events held during the year at various locations around the world, organized by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). At each event, the athletes compete in three d ...
stage winner * Raghav Joneja (born 1997) India, youngest Indian to climb Mount Everest * Chris Jones (1939–2024) UK–US, first ascent of north face of North Twin Peak and other routes in Rockies and Andes *
Kevin Jorgeson Kevin Jorgeson (born October 7, 1984) is an American rock climber. In 2015, with Tommy Caldwell, he successfully completed the first-ever free climb of '' The Dawn Wall'' on the southeast face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Biography ...
(born 1984) US, first free climb of the Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, US


K

*
Conrad Kain Conrad Kain (10 August 1883, Schwarzau im Gebirge, Nasswald – 2 February 1934, Cranbrook, British Columbia) was an Austrian mountain guide who guided extensively in Europe, Canada, and New Zealand, and was responsible for the first ascents of mo ...
(1883–1934) Austria/Canada, over 50 first ascents in the Canadian Rockies including
Mount Robson Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part of ...
*
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner (born 13 December 1970) is an Austrian mountaineer. In August 2011, she became the second woman to climb the fourteen eight-thousanders and the first woman to do so without using supplemental oxygen or high-altitude porters. ...
(born 1970) Austria, the first woman to climb all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen *
Bob Kamps Bob Kamps (1931 – 2 March 2005) was an American rock climber whose climbing career spanned five decades. Born in Wisconsin, he began climbing in California in 1955, and was a member of that cadre of Yosemite pioneers who first ascended many o ...
(1931–2005) US, pioneer of the golden age of Yosemite climbing and 5.10 and 5.11 routes in America *
Harish Kapadia Harish Kapadia (born 11 July 1945) is a Himalayan mountaineer, author and long-time editor of the '' Himalayan Journal'' from India. He has written numerous books and articles on the Indian Himalayas. and has been invited to many countries t ...
(born 1945) India, Himalayan veteran *
Meherban Karim Meherban Karim (21 January 1979 – 2 August 2008) was a Pakistani mountaineer. He died, along with 10 other mountaineers, in the 2008 K2 disaster, following an avalanche in what was to be one of the deadliest accidents in the history of K2 mou ...
(1979–2008) Pakistan, Gasherbrum II, Nanga Parbat, and K2 (all three without supplementary oxygen), died on descent of K2 * Silvo Karo (born 1960) Slovenia, 300+ first ascents, lifetime achievement Piolet d'Or awardee * Fritz Kasparek (1910–1954) Austria, first ascent of Eiger north face * Peter Kaufmann (1858–1924) Switzerland, guide in Alps and Canadian Rockies *
Ron Kauk Ron Kauk (born 23 September 1957) is an American rock climber. Kauk is associated with Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley, where he lived for decades, now a resident of El Portal, California. In 1975, he made the first free ascent of the east face of W ...
(born 1957) US, rock climber, many
first ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...
s in
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
, stunt work for climbing movies * Robert Kayen (born 1959) US, rock climber, professor, scientist, first solo ascent of West Buttress of El Capitan *
Dora Keen Dora Keen (June 24, 1871 – January 31, 1963) was an American traveler, Alpinist, and social worker. She was the first person to reach the summit of Mount Blackburn and would subsequently write an article for ''The Saturday Evening Post'' title ...
(1871–1963) US, ascents in Alps, member of
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
, 1914 *
Alexander Kellas Alexander Mitchell Kellas (21 June 1868 – 5 June 1921) was a British chemist, explorer, and mountaineer known for his studies of high-altitude physiology. Biography Kellas was born in Aberdeen, Scotland on 21 June 1868.Jill Neate, ''High A ...
(1868–1921) UK, altitude record in 1911 on summit of Pauhunri (7,128 m) * Pat Kelly (died 1922) UK, rock climber and founder of Pinnacle Club * E. S. Kennedy (1817–1898) UK, first ascent Monte Disgrazia,
Mont Blanc du Tacul Mont Blanc du Tacul (4,248 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif of the French Alps situated midway between the Aiguille du Midi and Mont Blanc. The official first ascent of Mont Blanc du Tacul was by a guideless party comprising Charles H ...
* Mikhail Khergiani (1932–1969) Svan mountaineer of Soviet Georgia, known as the Tiger of the Rocks *
Clarence King Clarence Rivers King (January 6, 1842 – December 24, 1901) was an American geologist, mountaineer, and author. He was the first director of the United States Geological Survey from 1879 to 1881. Nominated by Republican President Rutherford B. ...
(1842–1901) US,
geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...
and climber, first director of
USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...
, first ascent Mount Tyndall * Andy Kirkpatrick (born 1971) UK, rock and ice climber * Colin Kirkus (1910–1942) UK, rock climber and alpinist *
Christian Klucker Christian Klucker (28 September 1853 – 21 December 1928) was a Swiss mountain guide who made many first ascents in the Alps, particularly in the Bernina Range, the Bregaglia and the Pennine Alps. Amongst his first ascents were: :*''Gurgel ...
(1853–1928) Switzerland, guide, prolific first ascensionist in
Bernina Range The Bernina Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. It is considered to be part of the Rhaetian Alps within the Central Eastern Alps. It is one of the highest ranges of the Alps, covered with many glaciers ...
and
Bregaglia Bregaglia (Italian and ) is a municipality in the Maloja Region in the canton of Grisons in Switzerland. It was formed by the 2010 merger of the municipalities of Bondo, Castasegna, Soglio, Stampa and Vicosoprano, all located in the Val Br ...
* M.S. Kohli (born 1931) India, leader of the Indian Everest expedition (1965) *
Layton Kor Layton Kor (June 11, 1938 – April 21, 2013) was an American rock climber active in the 1960s, whose first ascents and drive for climbing are well known in the climbing world. His routes included many climbs in Eldorado Canyon, near Boulder ...
(1938–2013) US, rock climber and mountaineer, author of ''Beyond the Vertical'' *
Dai Koyamada Dai Koyamada (, born 23 August 1976) is a Japanese rock climber and known as one of the leading boulderers of his generation who established some of the first-ever boulder problems at . He has also established and repeated, some of the hardest ...
(born 1976) Japan, sport climber and boulderer *
Jon Krakauer Jon Krakauer (born April 12, 1954) is an American writer and mountaineer. He is the author of bestselling nonfiction books—'' Into the Wild''; '' Into Thin Air''; '' Under the Banner of Heaven''; and '' Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pa ...
(born 1954) US, author and mountaineer, Everest (1996) *
Hans Kraus Hans Kraus (November 28, 1905 in Austria-Hungary – March 6, 1996, in New York City) was a physician, physical therapist, mountaineer, and alpinist. A pioneer of modern rock climbing, he was also one of the fathers of sports medicine and physica ...
(1905–1995) Austria, rock climber,
sports medicine Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...
and
physical medicine and rehabilitation Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), also known as physiatry, and outside the United States as physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM), is a branch of medicine that aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life ...
pioneer *
Göran Kropp Lars Olof Göran Kropp (11 December 1966 – 30 September 2002) was a Swedish mountaineer, the first Scandinavian to climb Mount Everest without oxygen. He made a solo ascent of Mount Everest without bottled oxygen or Sherpa support on ...
(1966–2002) Sweden, cycled a bike from Sweden to Everest, soloed Everest without oxygen, and then cycled home (1996) *
Moriz von Kuffner Moriz von Kuffner (30 January 1854 – 5 March 1939) was a Jewish-Austrians, Austrian industrialist, art collector, mountaineer and philanthropist. From the 1880s to the early 1910s he made a fortune in the brewery business, and became a significa ...
(1854–1939) Austria, first ascents including Eiger north-east face and Mount Maudit's Kuffner Ridge *
Julius Kugy Julius Kugy (19 July 1858 – 5 February 1944) was a mountaineer, writer, botanist, humanist, lawyer and officer of Slovenian descent. He wrote mostly in German. He is renowned for his travelogues from opening up the Julian Alps, in which he refle ...
(1858–1944) Austria-Slovenia, father of modern mountaineering in the
Julian Alps The Julian Alps (, , , , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large part of the Julian Alps is inclu ...
*
Jerzy Kukuczka Józef Jerzy Kukuczka (; 24 March 1948 – 24 October 1989) was a Polish mountaineer, regarded as one of the greatest high-altitude climbers in history. In 1987, he became the second man (after Reinhold Messner) to climb all 14 eight-thousand ...
(1948–1989)
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, the second man to climb all 8,000m peaks (9 new routes), four eight-thousanders in winter, only person to climb two eight-thousanders in one winter * Colonel Narendra Kumar (1933–2020)
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Siachen Glacier The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range of the Himalayas, just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends in northeastern Kashmir. At long, it is the longest glaci ...
and Himalayan veteran *
Jaan Künnap Jaan Künnap (born 9 February 1948, in Kõue) is an Estonian mountaineer, photographer, and sports coach. Biography Künnap went to school in Kose, as well as in Tallinn, where he has lived since 1969. In 1971–1994 he worked as a deep-s ...
(born 1948) Estonia, mountaineer, and photographer * Janusz Kurczab (1937–2015) Poland, led 1976 Polish unsuccessful expedition to tackle the northeast ridge of K2 *
Wojciech Kurtyka Wojciech Kurtyka (also ''Voytek'' Kurtyka, born 25 July 1947, in Skrzynka near Kłodzko) is a Polish mountaineer and rock climber, one of the pioneers of the alpine style of climbing the biggest walls in the Greater Ranges. He lived in Wrocł ...
(born 1947) Poland, pioneer of
alpine style Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large climbing route, routes (e.g. multi-pitch climbing, ...
in high mountains *
Toni Kurz Toni Kurz (13 January 1913 – 22 July 1936) was a German mountain climber active in the 1930s. He died in 1936 during an attempt to climb the then-unclimbed north face of the Eiger with his partner Andreas Hinterstoisser. Biography Toni Kurz ...
(1913–1936) Germany, attempted Eiger north face in 1936, died during retreat


L

* Constantin Lăcătușu (born 1961) Romania *
Lino Lacedelli Lino Lacedelli (4 December 1925 – 20 November 2009) was an Italian mountaineer. Together with Achille Compagnoni, on 31 July 1954 he was the first to reach the summit of K2. Early life Lacedelli was born in Cortina d'Ampezzo. His climbing c ...
(1925–2009) Italy, first ascent K2 (1954) with
Achille Compagnoni Achille Compagnoni (26 September 1914 – 13 May 2009) was an Italian mountaineer and skier. Together with Lino Lacedelli on 31 July 1954 he was in the first party to reach the summit of K2. Biography Compagnoni was born in Santa Caterina d ...
*
Louis Lachenal Louis Lachenal (17 July 1921 – 25 November 1955), a French climber born in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, was one of the first two mountaineers to climb a summit of more than 8,000 meters. On 3 June 1950 on the 1950 French Annapurna expedition, along ...
(1921–1955) France, first ascent of Annapurna 1950, with
Maurice Herzog Maurice André Raymond Herzog (; 15 January 191913 December 2012) was a French mountaineer and administrator who was born in Lyon, France. He led the 1950 French Annapurna expedition that first climbed a peak over 8000m, Annapurna, in 1950, ...
; died skiing in
Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (; ; (no longer in use)), more commonly known simply as Chamonix (), is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department in the regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It was the site of the f ...
*
Jean-Christophe Lafaille Jean-Christophe Lafaille (31 March 1965 – 27 January 2006 resumed was a French climber noted for a number of difficult ascents in the Alps and Himalaya, and for what has been described as "perhaps the finest self-rescue ever performed in the ...
(1965–2006) France, 11
eight-thousanders The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defi ...
without supplementary oxygen; died on
Makalu Makalu (; ) is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth, with a summit at an elevation of AMSL. It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas southeast of Mount Everest, on the China–Nepal border. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolat ...
*
David Lama David Lama (; 4 August 1990 – 16 April 2019) was an Austrian rock climber and alpinist. He won the European Championship in competition bouldering in 2007 and the European Championship in competition lead climbing in 2006. He is known for h ...
(1990–2019) Austria, climber and alpinist, notable for the first free ascent of
Cerro Torre Cerro Torre is one of the mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America. It is located on the border dividing Argentina and Chile, west of Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén). At , the peak is the highest of a four mountai ...
* Katie Lamb (born 1997) US,
first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
female to climb an boulder with ''Box Therapy'' (2023) *
Raymond Lambert Raymond Lambert (18 October 1914 – 24 February 1997) was a Swiss mountaineer who together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached an altitude of 8611 metres (just 237 metres from the summit) of Mount Everest, as part of a Swiss Expedition in May ...
(1914–1997) Switzerland, reached 8611m, highest altitude at that time, with 1952 Swiss Everest expedition * Eric Langmuir (1931–2005), UK, climber, mountain educationalist and avalanche researcher * Samantha Larson (born 1988) US, youngest person to complete Seven Summits, at 18 in 2007 *
Marc-André Leclerc Marc-André Leclerc (October 10, 1992 – March 5, 2018) was a Canadian rock climber, ice and mixed climber, and alpinist. He is known for his solo ascents–often in winter–of major ice and alpine climbing routes. In 2016, he completed the fir ...
(1992–2018) Canada, first winter solo ascents of the Torre Egger in Patagonia and the Emperor Face of Mount Robson *
Pete Livesey Pete Livesey (12 December 1943 to 26 February 1998), was an English rock climber who raised the standard of technical difficulty in traditional climbing in Britain during the early to mid-1970s. Livesey was renowned for the intensity and competi ...
(1943–1998) UK, influential rock climber in the 1970s * John Long (born 1953) US, rock climber and writer; author of ''How to Rock Climb'' series *
Erhard Loretan Erhard Loretan (28 April 1959 – 28 April 2011) was a Swiss mountain climber. He was the third man to climb all fourteen peaks over 8,000 meters, and the second to do so without supplementary oxygen. Early life Loretan was born in Bulle in th ...
(1959–2011) Switzerland, 14 8,000m-plus summits (1982–1995) * Alex Lowe (1958–1999) US, climbed Great Trango Tower, Rakekniven in
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
and Sail Peak on
Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada, the second-largest island in the Americas (behind Greenland), and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is (slightly smal ...
; died on
Shishapangma Shishapangma, or Shishasbangma or Xixiabangma ( zh, s=希夏邦马, p=Xī xià bāng mǎ), is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at above sea level. The lowest 8,000 metre peak, it is located entirely within Tibet. Name Geologist Toni H ...
*
George Lowe George Edward Lowe (November 10, 1957 – March 2, 2025) was an American voice actor and comedian whose voice roles included Space Ghost on the animated series ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' and its spin-off, '' Cartoon Planet''. He continued ...
(1924–2013) New Zealand, member of
1953 British Mount Everest Expedition The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. ...
*
George Lowe George Edward Lowe (November 10, 1957 – March 2, 2025) was an American voice actor and comedian whose voice roles included Space Ghost on the animated series ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' and its spin-off, '' Cartoon Planet''. He continued ...
(born 1944) US, alpinist and rock climber, notable for first ascents in the US and Canadian Rockies, Alps, Andes, and Himalayas * Jeff Lowe (1950–2018) US, made over 1000 first ascents in the US and Canadian Rockies, Alps and Himalayas * Fritz Luchsinger (1921–1983) Switzerland, first ascent of
Lhotse Lhotse ( ; ; ) is the List of highest mountains#List, fourth-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. At an elevation of above sea level, the main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of Chin ...
, in 1956


M

*
Meherban Karim Meherban Karim (21 January 1979 – 2 August 2008) was a Pakistani mountaineer. He died, along with 10 other mountaineers, in the 2008 K2 disaster, following an avalanche in what was to be one of the deadliest accidents in the history of K2 mou ...
(1979–2008) Pakistan, Gasherbrum II, Nanga Parbat, K2 without supplementary oxygen * Ashish Mane (born 1990) India, Everest (2012), Lhotse (2013), Makalu (2014), Manaslu (2017) *
Tim Macartney-Snape Tim Macartney-Snape (born 5 January 1956) is an Australian mountaineer and author. On 3 October 1984 Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer were the first Australians to reach the summit of Mount Everest. They reached the summit, climbing without ...
(born 1956) Australia, Everest (1984), first to climb Everest from sea level (1990) * Tomasz Mackiewicz (1975–2018) Poland, died on winter alpine-style ascent of
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
*
Dave MacLeod Dave MacLeod (born 17 July 1978) is a Scottish rock climber, ice climber, mixed climber, and climbing author. MacLeod is known for being the second-ever person to free solo a graded route (''Darwin Dixit'' in Margalef, in 2008), and for clim ...
(born 1978)
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, made the first free ascent of the world's first E11 traditional climbing route * M. Magendran (born 1963) Malaysia, Everest (1997), first Malaysian/Tamil to reach the summit *
Nasuh Mahruki Ali Nasuh Mahruki (born 21 May 1968) is a professional mountaineer, writer, photographer and documentary film producer. He climbed to the summit of Mount Everest and was the first ever Turkish person to climb the Seven Summits. Early life He wa ...
(born 1968) Turkey, Snow Leopard, first Turkish and Muslim climber of Everest * Janusz Majer (born September 25, 1946) Poland * Maki Yūkō (1894–1989) Japan, first ascents of Mittellegigrat (Eiger northeast ridge),
Mount Alberta Mount Alberta is a mountain located in the upper Athabasca River Valley of Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. J. Norman Collie named the mountain in 1898 after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta. It is the most difficult of the 11,000ers fro ...
; first winter ascent of
Mount Yari is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains. The peak lies in the southern part of the Hida Mountains (Northern Alps) of Japan, on the border of Ōmachi and Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture and Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. The priest Banry ...
; led
Manaslu Manaslu (; , also known as Kutang) is the List of highest mountains#List, eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the ...
first ascent * Tashi and Nungshi Malik (born 1991) India, many world first female twins records *
George Mallory George Herbert Leigh-Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English Mountaineering, mountaineer who participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions from the early to mid-1920s. He and climbing partner An ...
(1886–1924) UK, initial 1921 British Reconnaissance Expedition and the
1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
and
1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...
British Mount Everest expeditions, died on Everest at 8,150+ metres *
Sergio Martini Sergio Martini (born 29 July 1949) is an Italian mountaineer. In 2000, he became the 7th person to climb the fourteen eight-thousanders (and the second Italian after Reinhold Messner Reinhold Andreas Messner (; born 17 September 1944) is an Ita ...
(born 1949) Italy, seventh ascent of all eight-thousanders (1983–2000) *
Marie Marvingt Marie Marvingt (20 February 1875 – 14 December 1963) was a French athlete, mountaineer, aviator, and journalist. She won numerous prizes for her sporting achievements including those of swimming, cycling, mountain climbing, winter sports, ballo ...
(1875–1963) France, first woman to climb most major peaks in the French and Swiss Alps (1903–7) * William Mathews (1828–1901) UK, founder of
Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...
, first ascent
Monte Viso Monte Viso or Monviso (; ; or simply ) is the highest mountain of the Cottian Alps, located in Piedmont, Italy, close to the French border. Monte Viso is well known for its pyramid-like shape. Because it is higher than all its neighbouring peak ...
,
Grande Casse The Grande Casse (3,855 m) is the highest mountain of the Vanoise Massif in the Graian Alps in the Savoie department, France. It is located in the heart of Vanoise National Park, near the village of Pralognan-la-Vanoise, which is about 25&nbs ...
*
Chantal Mauduit Chantal Mauduit (24 March 1964 – 13 May 1998) was a French alpinist. Biography Born in Paris, Mauduit arrived in the French Alps at age five and started climbing at the age of 15. After several difficult routes in the Alps, she focused her ...
(1964–1998) France, six 8,000m summits without supplementary oxygen, died on
Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri, located in Nepal, is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country. It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapur ...
*
John Oakley Maund Sir John Oakley Maund (26 May 1846 – 10 June 1902) was an English banker, stockbroker, entrepreneur, hunter and mountaineer during the silver age of alpinism. Personal life Maund was born in Laverstock, Wiltshire, the son of William Herbert ...
(died 1902) UK, first ascents in Mont Blanc massif * Eylem Elif Maviş (born 1973) Turkey, first Turkish female ascent of Everest (2006) *
Pierre Mazeaud Pierre Mazeaud (; born 24 August 1929) is a French jurist, politician and alpinist. In February 2004, he was appointed president of the Constitutional Council of France by President of France Jacques Chirac, replacing Yves Guéna, until he ...
(born 1929) France,
Walter Bonatti Walter Bonatti (; 22 June 1930 – 13 September 2011) was an Italian people, Italian mountaineer, alpinist, explorer and journalist. He was noted for many climbing achievements, including a Solo climbing, solo climb of a new alpine climbing route ...
's climbing partner, first French ascent of Everest (1978) * Daniel Mazur (born 1960) US, numerous ascents in the Himalayas and America *
Steve McClure Steve McClure (born 25 July 1970) is a British rock climber and climbing author, who is widely regarded as Britain's leading and most important sport climber for a period that extends for over two decades, starting from the late 1990s. In 2017, ...
(born 1970) UK, first Briton to climb 9a twice * Duncan McDuffie (1877–1951) US, summits in the
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
* Richard "Dick" McGowan (1933–2007) US, first US successful ascent of Everest, International Himalayan Expedition (1955) *
Ammon McNeely Ammon McNeely (June 3, 1970 – February 18, 2023) was an American rock climber who specialized in big wall climbing and aid climbing, and who set many speed climbing records and made the first "one-day ascent" for many climbing routes on El Capit ...
(born 1970) US, noteworthy first one-day ascents and speed records on El Capitan,
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
and Zion big walls *
Alex Megos Alexander "Alex" Megos (born 12 August 1993) is a German rock climber specializing in sport climbing, bouldering and competition climbing. In 2013, he became the first-ever climber to onsight a graded route. He has made the first free ascen ...
(born 1993) first climber to on-sight 5.14d/9a route * Willy Merkl (1900–1934) Germany, led two expeditions to
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
(1932, 1934), died on the mountain * Alain Mesili (born 1949) France, disputed ascent on
Fitz Roy Monte Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitz Roy, or simply Mount Fitz Roy) is a mountain in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile.Günther Messner :''This article has been translated from German into English, from the German version of Wikipedia.'' Günther Messner (18 May 1946Diary of Günther Messner, entry from May 18, 1970. In Reinhold Messner, '' Der Nackte Berg'', 2002, Piper Verlag, ...
(1946–1970) Italy, died on Nanga Parbat *
Reinhold Messner Reinhold Andreas Messner (; born 17 September 1944) is an Italian climber, explorer, and author from the German-speaking province of South Tyrol. He made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest and, along with Peter Habeler, the first ascent o ...
(born 1944) Italy, first to climb all eight-thousanders (1970–1986) and without supplementary oxygen, first ascent without supplementary oxygen of Everest with
Peter Habeler Peter Habeler (born 22 July 1942) is an Austrian mountaineer. He was born in Mayrhofen, Austria. He developed an interest in mountain climbing at age six.http://www.everesthistory.com/climbers/habeler Among his accomplishments as a mountaineer a ...
(1978) first solo Everest (1980) * Tracee Metcalfe US, only living American woman to have climbed 13 of the 14 eight-thousanders * Enid Michael (1883–1966) US, known for ropeless climbing in Yosemite in the early 1900s *
John Middendorf John William Middendorf IV (November 18, 1959 – June 21, 2024) was an American big wall climbing, big wall climber, mountaineering writer and designer of climbing equipment. In the 1980s, he climbed the hardest walls of Yosemite National Par ...
(born 1959) US, big-wall rock climber, first ascent East Wall Great Trango Tower (1992) * Thomas Middlemore (1842–1923) UK, first ascents in Mont Blanc and Bernina massifs, and Bernese Alps * Ellen Miller (born 1959) US, first American woman to summit Nupse and Everest from both sides * Gwen Moffat (born 1924) UK, author of ''Space Below My Feet'' (1961) *
Jerry Moffatt Jerry Moffatt (born 18 March 1963), is a British rock climber and climbing author who is widely considered as being the best British rock climber from the early-1980s to the early-1990s, and was arguably the best rock climber in the world in the ...
(born 1963) UK, sport climber and boulderer *
Silvio Mondinelli Silvio Mondinelli (born 24 June 1958) is an Italian climber. In 2007, he became the 13th person to climb the 14 eight-thousanders. He is the 6th person to achieve that feat without using supplemental oxygen and the first mountaineer to climb the ...
(born 1968) Italy, 13th to climb all eight-thousanders (sixth without supplementary oxygen) * Park Moo-taek (1969–2004) Korea, former Guinness World Record holder for fastest time to climb the world's three tallest mountains * Ben Moon (born 1966) UK, sport climber, and boulderer, world's first with '' Hubble'' * A. W. Moore (1841–1887) UK, first ascent
Fiescherhorn Grosses Fiescherhorn is a mountain peak of the Bernese Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Bern and Valais, halfway between the Mönch and the Finsteraarhorn. At above sea level, its summit culminates over the whole Fiescherhorn ...
,
Barre des Écrins The Barre des Écrins () is a mountain in the French Alps with a peak elevation of . It is the highest peak of the Massif des Écrins and the Dauphiné Alps and the most southerly alpine peak in Europe that is higher than 4,000 metres. It is the ...
,
Piz Roseg Piz Roseg (pronounced as ''peetse rawzech'') is a mountain of the Bernina Range, overlooking the Val Roseg in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. There are two summits on its main ridge: :*the south-east and higher summit (3,935 m) :*the north- ...
,
Ober Gabelhorn The Ober Gabelhorn (4063 m) is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland, located between Zermatt and Zinal. Geography The Ober Gabelhorn lies in the Swiss canton of Valais at the southern end of the Zinal valley (part of the Val d'Annivi ...
* Tyrhee Moore US, member of the first all-African-American team to climb Denali * Fritz Moravec (1922–1997) Austria, first ascent
Gasherbrum II Gasherbrum II (; ; ); surveyed as K4, is the 13th highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is the third-highest peak of the Gasherbrum massif, and is located in the Karakoram, on the border between Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan and ...
(1956) * Piotr Morawski (1976–2009) Poland, many 8000m summits, died on Dhaulagiri/Manasu expedition * Nea Morin (1905–1986) UK, rock climber and mountain climber * Simone Moro (born 1967) Italy, first winter ascents of
Shishapangma Shishapangma, or Shishasbangma or Xixiabangma ( zh, s=希夏邦马, p=Xī xià bāng mǎ), is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at above sea level. The lowest 8,000 metre peak, it is located entirely within Tibet. Name Geologist Toni H ...
,
Makalu Makalu (; ) is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth, with a summit at an elevation of AMSL. It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas southeast of Mount Everest, on the China–Nepal border. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolat ...
,
Gasherbrum II Gasherbrum II (; ; ); surveyed as K4, is the 13th highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is the third-highest peak of the Gasherbrum massif, and is located in the Karakoram, on the border between Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan and ...
, and
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
* Don Morrison (mountaineer), Don Morrison (1929–1977) UK, pioneer of Alpine Style, first ascents in Canada, England, and Himalayas * Patrick Morrow (born 1952) Canada, first to complete both Bass and Messner Seven Summits lists (1986) * Tomas Mrazek, Tomáš Mrázek (born 1982) Czechoslovakia, rock climber, World Champion 2003, 2005, winner of World Cup 2004 * John Muir (1838–1914) Scottish-born US conservationist and mountaineer, summits in California and Alaska * Norrie Muir (1948–2019) Scotland, prolific winter first ascentionist in Scotland * Albert F. Mummery (1855–1895) UK, Alpine and Himalayan pioneer, killed on
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
* Don Munday (1890–1950) Canada, mountaineer and explorer, husband of Phyllis Munday, explored region around Mount Waddington * Phyllis Munday (1894–1990) Canada, mountaineer and explorer, explored region around Mount Waddington * Malli Mastan Babu (1974–2015) India, mountaineer and explorer, world record in completing seven summits in 172 days


N

* Kenro Nakajima (1984–2024) Japan, three time Piolets d'Or, Piolet d'Or winner, died on K2 * Yasuko Namba (1949–1996) Japan, oldest woman at the time to climb Everest at 47 (1996), died on descent * Wasfia Nazreen (born 1982) Bangladesh, only Bengali person to climb K2 (2022) and first Bengali and Bangladeshi to finish the Seven Summits (2012). * Vitor Negrete (1967–2006) Brazil, first Brazilian to climb Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen * Hilaree Nelson (1972–2022) United States, first female to summit two 8000-meter peaks in one 24 hour push (2012). First ski descent Lhotse Couloir from the summit (2018); died on Manaslu * Fred Nicole Switzerland, numerous
first ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...
s of Sport climbing, sport routes and boulders * Eleonore Noll-Hasenclever (1880–1925) Germany, first woman to climb eastern wall of
Monte Rosa Monte Rosa (; ; ; or ; ) is a mountain massif in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps, on the border between Italy (Piedmont and Aosta Valley) and Switzerland (Valais). The highest peak of the massif, amongst several peaks of over , is the D ...
(1919); killed by avalanche on the Bishorn * Jamling Tenzing Norgay (born 1965) Nepal, son of Tenzing Norgay, climbed Everest with Edmund Hillary's son, Peter Hillary (2003) * Tenzing Norgay (1914–1986) Sherpa (people), Sherpa, first ascent Everest (1953) with
Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineering, mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa people, Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the Timeline of M ...
* Edward F. Norton (1884–1954) leader of 1924 British Mount Everest Expedition with Mallory and Irvine * Sue Nott (1969–2006) US, ice climber and first American woman to climb the Eiger north face in winter (2003) * Wilfrid Noyce (1917–1962) UK, on Everest expedition (1953), reaching South Col, killed in Pamirs (1962) * Arne Næss (1912–2009) Norway, philosopher and mountaineer, leader of expedition on first ascent Tirich Mir (1950) * Arne Næss jr. (1937–2004) Norway, leader, Norwegian Everest expedition (1985)


O

* Vanessa O'Brien (born 1964) First British-American woman to summit K2 * Cathy O'Dowd (born 1968) South Africa, first female ascent of Everest from both north and south (1999), fourth female ascent
Lhotse Lhotse ( ; ; ) is the List of highest mountains#List, fourth-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. At an elevation of above sea level, the main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of Chin ...
(2000) * Oh Eun-Sun (born 1966) South Korea, first Korean woman to climb Seven Summits, controversy over eight-thousanders claim * Juanito Oiarzabal (born 1956) Basque (Spain), all
eight-thousanders The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defi ...
without supplementary oxygen, record 24 ascents of eight-thousanders * Clare O'Leary (born 1972) Ireland, first Irish woman to climb Mount Everest (2004) * Adam Ondra (born 1993) Czech Republic, first to redpoint a 9c * Dan Osman (1963–1998) US, rock climber, soloist, killed whilst attempting his new sport of rope jumping * James Outram (mountaineer), James Outram (1864–1925) Canada, first ascent of Mount Assiniboine


P

* Michel-Gabriel Paccard (1757–1827) France, first ascent Mont Blanc (1786) * Bachendri Pal (born 1954) first Indian female ascent (and fifth female ascent) Everest * Tsewang Paljor (1968–1996) India, died on Everest in
1996 Mount Everest disaster The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making i ...
* Ines Papert (born 1974) German ice climber, apinist and author * Marie Paradis (1757–1827) France, first female ascent Mont Blanc (1809) * Park Young Seok, Young-seok Park (1963–2011) South Korea, first true Explorers Grand Slam (2005), died on Annapurna * Elizabeth Parker (journalist), Elizabeth Parker (1856–1944) Canada, journalist and mountaineer * Edurne Pasaban (born 1973) Basque, Spain, first woman to climb all eight-thousanders * Pasang Lhamu Sherpa (1961–1993) first Nepali woman to summit Everest, died on descent (1993) * Tom Patey (1932–1970) UK, first ascent Muztagh Tower (1956), Am Buachaille (1968), killed in abseiling accident, author of ''One Man's Mountains'' * Krushnaa Patil (born 1989) India, second youngest Indian girl to climb Mount Everest * Maciej Pawlikowski (born 1951) Poland, first winter ascent of
Cho Oyu Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means " Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the '' Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalangur Him ...
* Ryszard Pawłowski * Julius Payer (1841–1915) Czech-Austrian polar explorer who made many first ascents in the Adamello and Ortler mountains in the 1860s * Annie Smith Peck (1850–1935) US, mountaineer * William Penhall (1858–1882) UK, first ascent
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
west face * Jim Perrin (born 1947) UK, over 200 first/free ascents in Britain * Oliver Perry-Smith (1884–1969) US, a rock climber in Saxon Switzerland and the Dolomites *
Petrarch Francis Petrarch (; 20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374; ; modern ), born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest Renaissance humanism, humanists. Petrarch's redis ...
(1304–1374) Italy, climbed
Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux (; ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At , it is the highest mountain in the region and h ...
(1336) * Elfrida Pigou (1911–1960) Canadian female climber, discovered crash site of Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810, died on Mount Waddington * Tadeusz Piotrowski (mountaineer), Tadeusz Piotrowski mountaineer * Burçak Özoğlu Poçan (born 1970) Turkey, first Turkish female over 8,000 m (2005) * Klára Poláčková (born 1978) first Czech female to ascent Everest * Dean Potter (1972–2015) US, speed soloed El Cap in 4:17; speed soloed El Cap and Half Dome in one day * Paul Preuss (climber), Paul Preuss (1886–1913) Austria, an early promoter of
free climbing Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use climbing equipment for climbing protection but not as an artificial aid to help them in ascending the route. Free climbing, therefore, cannot use any of the tools that ...
, climbed 1200 peaks in his short life * Marko Prezelj, Slovenian mountaineer and winner of 4
Piolet d'Or An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow or ice covered (e.g. ice climbing or mixed climbing) conditions. Its use depends on the terrain: in its sim ...
s (1992, 2007, 2015, 2016) * Paul Pritchard (born 1967) UK, rock climber * Hristo Prodanov (1943–1984) Bulgaria, soloed
Lhotse Lhotse ( ; ; ) is the List of highest mountains#List, fourth-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. At an elevation of above sea level, the main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of Chin ...
(1981) and Everest (1984), died on the descent * Bonnie Prudden (1914–2011) pioneering US rock climber and exercise advocate, 30 documented first ascents in the Gunks * Karl Prusik (1896–1961) Austria, introduced widely used Prusik knot * Ramón Julián Puigblanque (born 1981) Spain, rock climber * Nirmal Purja (born 1982) Nepal, first to climb all fourteen 8000 meter mountains in one season (6 months, 6 days, with supplemental oxygen) * Ludwig Purtscheller (1849–1900) first ascent Kilimanjaro (1889) * Piotr Pustelnik (born 1951) Poland, 20th person to climb all 14 eight thousanders * Boyan Petrov (born 1973) Bulgaria, climbed 10 out of 14
eight-thousanders The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise defi ...
, all without supplementary oxygen


R

* Brooke Raboutou (born 2001) US, member of the 2020 American Olympic climbing team * Aron Ralston (born 1975) US, gained fame after amputating his right arm to free himself after a canyoneering incident * Paul Ramsden (climber), Paul Ramsden (born 1969), England, first alpinist to win the
Piolet d'Or An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow or ice covered (e.g. ice climbing or mixed climbing) conditions. Its use depends on the terrain: in its sim ...
five times * Tom Randall (climber), Tom Randall UK, first free ascent of ''Century Crack'' * Lisa Rands (born 1975) US, rock climber and boulderer * Michael Reardon (climber), Michael Reardon (1974–2007) US, prolific free solo climbing, free solo climber and film producer * Dave Rearick (born 1934) US, rock climber, first ascent of Diamond on Longs Peak (1960) * Gaston Rébuffat (1921–1985) France, 1950 French Annapurna expedition, 1950 Annapurna expedition, first to climb all six great north faces of the Alps, Alpine guide and author * Ernst Reiss (1920–2010) Swiss, first ascent of
Lhotse Lhotse ( ; ; ) is the List of highest mountains#List, fourth-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. At an elevation of above sea level, the main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of Chin ...
(1956) * Monique Richard (alpinist), Monique Richard (born 1975) Canada, first woman to solo climb Mount Logan, first Canadian woman to summit Mt
Makalu Makalu (; ) is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth, with a summit at an elevation of AMSL. It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas southeast of Mount Everest, on the China–Nepal border. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolat ...
,
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
in 32 months * Dorothy Pilley Richards (1894–1986) UK, wrote ''Climbing Days'' (1935) * Katharine Richardson (1854–1927) UK, a mountaineer in the Alps in the 1880s * Mark Richey (born 1958) US, two-time winner of the
Piolet d'Or An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow or ice covered (e.g. ice climbing or mixed climbing) conditions. Its use depends on the terrain: in its sim ...
in 2012 and 2020 * Rick Ridgeway (born 1950) US, member of the first American team to summit K2''American Alpine Journal'', 1979, pp. 1–18 * Leni Riefenstahl (1902–2003) Germany, filmmaker, actress, and mountaineer * Ang Rita (1948–2020) Sherpa people, Sherpa, climbed Everest ten times without supplemental oxygen * Royal Robbins (1935–2017) US, rock climber, pioneer of modern
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
climbing in the 1950s * Alain Robert (born 1962) France, climber and Buildering, builderer * David Roberts (climber), David Roberts (1943–2021) US, author, first ascents of Wickersham Wall (
Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
) and other Alaskan peaks * Paul Robinson (climber), Paul Robinson (born 1987) US, rock climber and boulderer * André Roch (1906–2002) Switzerland, Everest 1952 attempt, many first ascents in Alps and Asia * Beth Rodden (born 1980) US, rock climber and first female to match the highest male grades in traditional climbing with ''Meltdown'' * Jordan Romero (born 1996) US, became the youngest person to climb Everest on May 22, 2010, aged 13 years, 10 months, 10 days * Steve Roper guidebook writer, editor of ''Ascent (journal), Ascent'', first ascent of West Buttress of El Capitan. * John Roskelley (born 1948) US, author, alpinist, Himalayan climber notable for technical first ascents of 7000 and 8000 m peaks * Fred Rouhling (born 1970) France, rock climber, notable for the world's fourth rock climb (and first in France), and the controversy over ''Akira'' * Alan Rouse (1951–1986) UK, soloed many of hardest routes of day, died on descent from K2 (1986) * Galen Rowell (1940–2002) US, photographer and mountaineer, first one-day ascents of Denali and Kilimanjaro, first ascent Great Trango Tower * Henry Russell (explorer), Henry Russell (1834–1909) France/Ireland, prolific first ascensionist in Pyrenees * Wanda Rutkiewicz (1943–1992) Poland, first woman on K2, 8,000m-peak veteran, died attempting
Kanchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...


S

* Rosemary Saal (born 1990s), American mountaineer * Nazir Sabir Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan, first Pakistani to climb Mount Everest * Hassan Sadpara (born 1963) Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan, starting as a high altitude porter, he climbed 5xPakistani 8000ers and Everest, without supplementary oxygen * Mostafa Salameh (born 1970) Jordan, first Jordanian to summit Everest, and Seven Summits * John Salathé (1900–1993) Switzerland/US, pioneering Yosemite, Yosemite National Park, inventor of modern piton * Horace-Bénédict de Saussure (1740–1799) France, third ascent Mont Blanc (1787), funded first ascent * Marcus Schmuck (1925–2005) Austria, first ascent
Broad Peak Broad Peak (; ) is one of the eight-thousanders, and is located in the Karakoram range spanning Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. It is the 12th highest mountain in the world with elevation above sea level. The first ascent of t ...
, first ascent Skil Brum * Peter Schoening (1927–2004) US, first ascent
Gasherbrum I Gasherbrum I, originally surveyed as K5, and also known as Hidden Peak, is the 11th highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is located between Shigar District in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan and Tashkurgan in the Xi ...
and
Vinson Massif Vinson Massif () is a large mountain massif in Antarctica that is long and wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located ab ...
, saved five climbers on K2 (1953) * Peter Sprenger (1953–2018), Liechtenstein, first Liechtensteiner to reach the summit of Mount Everest * Jakob Schubert (born 1990) Austria, one of the most successful competition climbing, competition climbers in history * Doug Scott (1941–2020) UK, Seven Summits, first ascent Everest south-west face, Baintha Brakk (descent with broken ankles), Kangchenjunga, Nuptse * Vittorio Sella (1859–1943) Italy, mountaineer and pioneer photographer * Nalini Sengupta India, educationist and mountaineer, namesake of Mount Nalini, originally peak 5260 in the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
, near the Hamta Pass region of Manali, Himachal Pradesh * Chris Sharma (born 1981) US, first to climb consensus with ''Realization (climb), Realization/Biographie'' (2001), and with ''Jumbo Love'' (2008). * John Sherman (climber), John Sherman (born 1959) US, inventor of "V" grading system * Apa Sherpa (born early 1960s) Nepal, record for most ascents of Everest (20 as of 2010) * Lhakpa Sherpa (born 1973) Nepal, first woman to summit Everest ten times (2022) * Pasang Lhamu Sherpa (1961–1993) Nepal, first Nepali woman to climb Everest, died during descent * Pemba Doma Sherpa (1970–2007) Nepal, first Nepali female mountaineer to climb Everest north face, died on Lhotse * Pemba Dorjie Sherpa Nepal, fastest ascent of Everest (2003) * Eric Shipton (1907–1977) UK, first ascent Kamet, pioneered route across the Khumbu Glacier * Ashima Shiraishi (born 2001) US, first female to climb V15 (Horizon, Mount Hiei, Japan) * William Shockley (1910–1989) US, Nobel Prize-winning
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
, proponent of eugenics, first ascent Shockleys Ceiling in the Gunks (1953) * Joe Simpson (mountaineer), Joe Simpson (born 1960) UK, survived a fall on Siula Grande, wrote ''Touching the Void (book), Touching the Void'' * Arunima Sinha India, first Indian people, Indian amputee to climb Everest * Todd Skinner (1958–2006) US, rock climber, first free ascent Salathe Wall, died on Leaning Tower * Cecilie Skog (born 1974) Norway, first female to climb Seven Summits and both Poles, Everest and K2 * Laurie Skreslet (born 1949) Canada, first Canadian to summit Everest (1982) * William Cecil Slingsby (1849–1929) UK, first ascent Store Skagastølstind (1876), pioneer of Norwegian mountaineering * Frank Smythe (1900–1949) UK, first ascent Kamet (1931) with Eric Shipton, Shipton, R. Holdsworth and Lewa Sherpa, reached 8565m on Everest in 1933 without supplementary oxygen * Dermot Somers Ireland, climber, author and broadcaster * Carlos Soria Fontán (born 1939) Spain, the only mountaineer to have ascended nine mountains of more than 8,000 meters after turning 60 years old * Jaahnavi Sriperambuduru (born 2001) India. * William Grant Stairs (1863–1892) Canada, first non-African to climb in the Rwenzori Mountains, Ruwenzoris * Allen Steck (1926–2023) US, mountaineer and rock climber * Ueli Steck (1976–2017) Switzerland, soloed Eiger north face in 2:22:50 hours (2015) * Leslie Stephen (1832–1904) UK, author and alpinist, first ascent Schreckhorn, Monte Disgrazia, Zinalrothorn * Fritz Steuri (1879–1950) Switzerland, skier and mountain guide; first ascent of Mittellegigrat (northeast ridge of Eiger) (1921) * Edward Lisle Strutt (1874–1948) UK, deputy leader on 1922 Everest expedition, outspoken ''Alpine Journal'' editor, 1927–37 * Gottlieb Samuel Studer (1804–1890) Switzerland, first ascent Wildhorn (1843), founding member of Swiss Alpine Club * Satyarup Siddhanta (born 1983) India, climbed Mont Blanc, climbed 6 of the 7 summits, climbed Mt Everest on 21 May 2016


T

* Junko Tabei (1939–2016) Japan, first female ascent Everest; first completion of Bass and Messner's Seven Summits * Kei Taniguchi (mountaineer), Kei Taniguchi (1972–2015) Japan, first female winner of the
Piolet d'Or An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow or ice covered (e.g. ice climbing or mixed climbing) conditions. Its use depends on the terrain: in its sim ...
in 2009 *
Joe Tasker Joe Tasker (12 May 1948 – 17 May 1982) was a British Climbing, climber, active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He died while climbing Mount Everest. Early life Born into a Roman Catholic family in 1948, Tasker was the second of ten ...
(1948–1982) UK, Dunagiri (mountain), Dunagiri,
Kanchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...
, Changabang West Wall; died on Everest (May 1982) * Asma Al Thani first Qatari woman to ascend Everest and Ama Dablam; first Arab to summit an eight-thousander without oxygen * Vernon Tejas (born 1953) US, first solo winter ascent
Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
,
Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...
time world record * Lionel Terray (1921–1965) France, first ascents
Fitz Roy Monte Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitz Roy, or simply Mount Fitz Roy) is a mountain in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile.Makalu Makalu (; ) is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth, with a summit at an elevation of AMSL. It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas southeast of Mount Everest, on the China–Nepal border. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolat ...
on the
1955 French Makalu expedition The 1955 French Makalu expedition was the first to successfully climb Makalu, the Himalayan mountain to the southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. At Makalu is the fifth-highest mountain in the world and an eight-t ...
; second ascent Eiger north face (1947) * Vladislav Terzyul (1953–2004) Ukraine, disputed claim to have climbed all eight-thousanders * Kevin Thaw (born 1967) UK, ascents in Himalayas and
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
* Herbert Tichy (1912–1987) Austrian, first ascent
Cho Oyu Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means " Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the '' Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalangur Him ...
(1954) * Bill Tilman (1898–1977) UK, explorer, climbed in Africa and Himalaya, Shipton-Tilman Nanda Devi expeditions, first ascent Nanda Devi (1936) * Luis Trenker (1892–1990) Italy, mountaineer, film director and writer * Sonnie Trotter (born 1979) Canada, award-winning climber, known for hard trad climbing * Francis Fox Tuckett (1834–1913) UK, first ascent Aletschhorn (1859) * Julie Tullis (1939–1986) UK,
Broad Peak Broad Peak (; ) is one of the eight-thousanders, and is located in the Karakoram range spanning Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. It is the 12th highest mountain in the world with elevation above sea level. The first ascent of t ...
(1984) and K2 (1986); died on descent from K2 * Mark Twight (born 1962) US, advocate of "light and fast" style of mountaineering * John Tyndall (1820–1893) UK, early attempts on
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
, first ascent Weisshorn (1861)


U

* Naomi Uemura (1941–1984) Japan, first solo winter ascent
Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
, on which he died * James Ramsey Ullman (1908–1971) US, author and mountaineer * Ugur Uluocak (1962–2003) Turkey, mountaineer, photographer and editor, died on Mount Alarcha in Kyrgyzstan * Um Hong-Gil (born 1960) South Korea, 9th person to climb all eight-thousanders, first to climb 16 highest peaks * Willi Unsoeld (1926–1979) US, 1963 American Mount Everest expedition, first ascent Everest west ridge (1963), died on
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
(1979) * Karl Unterkircher (1970–2008) Italy, Everest and K2 in the same year without oxygen, died on
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
* Denis Urubko (born 1973) Kazakhstan, 14x8000er; first winter ascents of
Makalu Makalu (; ) is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth, with a summit at an elevation of AMSL. It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas southeast of Mount Everest, on the China–Nepal border. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolat ...
and
Gasherbrum II Gasherbrum II (; ; ); surveyed as K4, is the 13th highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is the third-highest peak of the Gasherbrum massif, and is located in the Karakoram, on the border between Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan and ...
, Snow Leopard award winner


V

* Arjun Vajpai (born 1993) India, climbed Everest 2010,
Lhotse Lhotse ( ; ; ) is the List of highest mountains#List, fourth-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. At an elevation of above sea level, the main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of Chin ...
2011 and
Manaslu Manaslu (; , also known as Kutang) is the List of highest mountains#List, eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the ...
2011 * Ivan Vallejo (born 1959) Ecuador, 14th person to climb all eight-thousanders (7th without supplemental oxygen) * Patrick Vallençant (1946–1989) France, alpinist/skier and ski mountaineering pioneer * Anak Verhoeven (born 1996) Belgium, first woman to claim a first ascent of a 5.15a *Allison Vest (born 1995) Canada, two-time Canadian Bouldering Nationals champion * Ed Viesturs (born 1959) US, first US climber to climb all eight-thousander (6th without supplemental oxygen) * Sibusiso Vilane (born 1970) South Africa, first black African to summit Everest (2003) * Ludwig Vörg (1911–1941) Germany, first ascent Eiger north face (1938)


W

* Horace Walker (1838–1908) UK, first ascent Mount Elbrus,
Grandes Jorasses The Grandes Jorasses (; 4,208 m; 13,806 ft) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif, on the boundary between Haute-Savoie in France and Aosta Valley in Italy. The first ascent of the highest peak of the mountain (''Pointe Walker'') was by H ...
, Barre des Ecrins, Obergabelhorn * Lucy Walker (climber), Lucy Walker (1836–1916) UK, first female ascent
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
(1871) * Barbara Washburn US, first ascent Mount Bertha, first female ascent Denali (1947) * Bradford Washburn (1910–2007) US, third ascent Denali, pioneered west buttress route * Ryan Waters (born 1973) US, first American to complete unsupported North and South Poles * Don Whillans (1933–1985) UK, first ascent Annapurna south face (1970) * Rick White (rock climber), Rick White (1946–2004) Australia, rock climber, developed Frog Buttress (1968) * Jim Whittaker (born 1929) US, 1963 American Mount Everest expedition, first US ascent Everest (1963) * Lou Whittaker (1929–2024) US, Rainier guide * Pete Whittaker (born 1991) UK, first free ascent of ''Century Crack'' * Edward Whymper (1840–1911) UK, first ascent
Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
(1865), first ascent
Chimborazo Chimborazo () is a stratovolcano situated in Ecuador in the Cordillera Occidental (Ecuador), Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known Types of volcanic eruptions, eruption is believed to have occurred around AD 550. Although not ...
(1880) * Jim Wickwire (born 1940) US, K2 (1978) (bivouacked near summit) *
Krzysztof Wielicki Krzysztof Jerzy Wielicki (Polish pronunciation: ; born 5 January 1950) is a Polish mountaineer, regarded as one of the greatest Polish climbers in history. He is the 5th man to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders and the first ever to climb Mount ...
(born 1950) Poland, first winter ascent Everest; fifth person to climb all eight-thousanders * Karl Wien (1906–1937) Germany, leader of unsuccessful
Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...
expedition (1937) * Fritz Wiessner (1900–1988) US, born Dresden, emigrated to US; pioneer of
free climbing Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use climbing equipment for climbing protection but not as an artificial aid to help them in ascending the route. Free climbing, therefore, cannot use any of the tools that ...
; K2 expedition (1939) * Sydney Wignall (1922–2012) UK, Climbed Gurla Mandhata in 1955 * Walter Wilcox (1869–1949) Canadian Rockies explorer * Martyn S. Williams (born 1947) UK, first person to lead expeditions to South Pole (1989), North Pole (1992) and Mount Everest (1991) * George Willig (born 1949) US, climbed South Tower of
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...
* Fritz Wintersteller (1927–2018) Austria, first ascent
Broad Peak Broad Peak (; ) is one of the eight-thousanders, and is located in the Karakoram range spanning Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. It is the 12th highest mountain in the world with elevation above sea level. The first ascent of t ...
(1957) and Skil Brum (1957) * Ian Woodall (born 1956) UK, climbed Everest several times * Daniel Woods (born 1989) USA, climbed world's hardest boulder problem, Flash (V15) in 2011 * Fanny Bullock Workman (1859–1925) US, geographer, cartographer, and mountaineer, notably in the Himalayas


Y

* Santosh Yadav (born 1969) India, Indo-Tibetan Border Police woman, climbed Everest twice (1992 and 1993) * Simon Yates (mountaineer), Simon Yates (born 1963) UK, Joe Simpson (mountaineer), Joe Simpson's partner on west face of Siula Grande (1985), subject of ''Touching the Void (film), Touching the Void'' * Michael J. Ybarra (1966–2012) US, climber and writer, extreme sports correspondent for ''The Wall Street Journal'' 2007–2012 * Wang Yongfeng (born 1963) China, first Chinese couple to climb Seven Summits (with Li Zhixin) * Ichiro Yoshizawa (1903–1998) Japan, climber and writer; K2 (1977)Ichiro Yoshizawa - Obituary
 * Geoffrey Winthrop Young (1876–1958) UK, first ascent Täschhorn south face, Weisshorn west ridge,
Grandes Jorasses The Grandes Jorasses (; 4,208 m; 13,806 ft) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif, on the boundary between Haute-Savoie in France and Aosta Valley in Italy. The first ascent of the highest peak of the mountain (''Pointe Walker'') was by H ...
traverse


Z

* Andrzej Zawada (1928–2000) Poland, pioneer of winter Himalayism * Li Zhixin (born 1962) China, half of first Chinese couple to climb the Seven Summits with Wang Yongfeng * Emil Zsigmondy (1861–1885) Austria, physician and mountain climber; died trying to force new route on the Meije * Jerzy Żuławski (1874–1915) Polish literary figure, philosopher, translator and alpinist * Juliusz Żuławski (1910–1999) Polish poet, prose writer, literary critic, translator and climber; son of Jerzy Żuławski * Marek Żuławski (1908–1985) Polish painter, graphic artist, author and climber; son of Jerzy Żuławski * Wawrzyniec Żuławski (1916–1957) Polish composer, music critic and teacher; died during Mont Blanc rescue mission; son of Jerzy Żuławski * Matthias Zurbriggen (1856–1917) Switzerland, first ascent
Aconcagua Aconcagua () is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the ...
(1897)


See also

*History of rock climbing *List of grade milestones in rock climbing *List of 20th-century summiters of Mount Everest


References


External links


Mountaineering Who's Who
{{Portal bar, Climbing Climbers, Lists of sportspeople by sport, Climbers and mountaineers Mountaineering, * Climbing and mountaineering-related lists, Mountain climbers