List of climbers and mountaineers

This is a list of climbers and mountaineers who are notable for their activities in mountaineering (including alpine climbing), rock climbing (including aid climbing, free climbing, bouldering, speed climbing and competition climbing) or in ice climbing (including mixed climbing).

A Vitaly Abalakov (1906–1992) Russia, climbed Lenin Peak (1934) and Khan Tengri (1936) Yevgeniy Abalakov (1907–1948) Russia, climbed Communism Peak (1933) Premlata Agarwal (born 1963) India, first Indian woman to complete all Seven Summits H. P. S. Ahluwalia (fl. 1965) India, climbed Mount Everest in 1965 Pierre Allain (1904–2000) France, developed bouldering at Fontainebleau, and rubber rock-climbing shoes Rick Allen (1954–2021) UK, first ascent of Mazeno Ridge, Nanga Parbat Christian Almer (1826–1898) Switzerland, numerous first ascents, including Eiger Ashraf Aman (born 1943) Pakistan, first Pakistani ascent of K2 Luigi Amedeo, Duke of Abruzzi (1873–1933) Italy, first ascent of Mount Saint Elias, Rwenzori Mountains Pat Ament (born 1946) US, rock climber, and pioneer boulderer Melchior Anderegg (1827–1912) Switzerland, guide, with numerous first ascents, including on Mont Blanc Conrad Anker (born 1963) US, discovered Mallory's body on Everest in 1999 Tyler Armstrong (born 2004) US, in 2013, at age 9, the youngest to climb Aconcagua Melissa Arnot (born 1983) US, six ascents of Everest Bernd Arnold (born 1947) Germany, more than 900 first ascents in Saxon Switzerland Armando Aste (1926–2017) Italy, first Italian ascent of the Eiger north face Peter Athans (born 1957) US, seven ascents of Mount Everest Peter Aufschnaiter (1899–1973) Austria, mountaineer; friend of Heinrich Harrer (per Seven Years in Tibet) Abdul Jabbar Bhatti, Pakistani mountaineer and the former military officer of the Pakistan Army Nelly Attar (born 1990) Saudi/Lebanese, was the first Arab woman to summit K2 (2022). Cecilia Llusco Alaña (born 1985) Bolivian, Cholita Cimber, climbed Aconcagua in Indigenous costume.

B

Samina Baig (born 1990) Pakistan, third Pakistani, and the first Pakistani woman, to climb Mount Everest John Bachar (1957–2009) US, leading Yosemite-based rock climber and free soloist in the 1970s John Ball (1818–1889) Ireland, alpinist, climbing guidebook author, first president of Alpine Club (1857) Jacques Balmat (1762–1834) Duchy of Savoy, Chamonix-based guide, first ascent Mont Blanc (1786) George Band (1929–2011) UK, first ascent of Kangchenjunga on the 1955 British expedition Kinga Baranowska (born 1975) Poland, first Polish woman to climb Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Kangchenjunga Anna Barańska (born 1976) Poland, first Polish woman to climb the North Face of Mount Everest Henry Barber (born 1953) US, leading US rock climber in the 1970s Andrzej Bargiel (born 1988) Poland, Snow Leopard record holder, several first ski mountaineering descents of eight-thousanders 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 (1858) Richard Bass (1929–2015) US, businessman and amateur mountaineer, first to complete the Seven Summits (1985) Robert Hicks Bates (1911–2007) US, first ascent of Mount Lucania (1937), part of US attempts on K2 in 1938 and 1953 Mark Beaufoy (1764–1827) UK, fourth ascent Mont Blanc (1787) Fred Beckey (Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey) (1923–2017) Germany/US, many first ascents of North American peaks Bentley Beetham (1886–1963) UK, member of the 1924 Everest expedition; pioneer rock climber in Borrowdale George Irving Bell (1926–2000) US, physicist, biologist and mountaineer, first ascent Masherbrum (1960), rescued on K2 (1953) Gertrude Bell (1868–1926) UK, many ascents in the Alps; the Swiss peak Gertrudspitze was named in her honor Maciej Berbeka (1954–2013) Poland, first winter ascents of 3 eight-thousanders: Manaslu, Cho Oyu, and Broad Peak Josune Bereziartu (born 1972) Basque (Spain), first female to climb grade , , and Patrick Berhault (1957–2004) France, several first free ascents of major sport climbing and alpine climbing routes Didier Berthod (born 1981) Switzerland, leading traditional climber who quit after failing on Cobra Crack Adam Bielecki (born 1983) Poland, first winter ascents of 2 eight-thousanders: Gasherbrum I and Broad Peak John Biggar (born 1964) Scotland, several first ascents in the Andes Isabella Bird (1831–1904) UK, traveler, writer, and natural historian; first female fellow of the Royal Geographical Society Barry Blanchard (born 1959) Canada, mountain guide; first ascents in the Saint Elias range of Alaska Smoke Blanchard (1915–1989) US, developed The Buttermilks bouldering area in Bishop, California Karl Blodig (1859–1956) Austria, mountaineer, optician and journalist; first to climb all 4,000 metre peaks in the Alps Arlene Blum (born 1945) US, part of the first US female attempt on Everest, led the first all-woman ascent of Annapurna Peter Boardman (1950–1982) UK, Everest 1975, Changabang 1976, Kanchenjunga 1979, died on Everest with Joe Tasker Emmanuel Boileau de Castelnau (1857–1923) France, first ascent La Meije with father and son Pierre Gaspard (1877) Jean-Marc Boivin (1951–1990) France, first ascents of extreme alpine routes, pioneer of extreme skiing and BASE jumping Walter Bonatti (1930–2011) Italy, mountaineer and writer, solo new routes on Aiguille du Dru and Matterhorn Sir Chris Bonington (born 1934) UK, first ascent of Freney Pillar (1961), Tower of Paine (1962–3); ascent of 3 eight-thousanders Thomas George Bonney (1833–1923) UK, geologist and mountaineer, president of the Alpine Club Jack Borgenicht (1911–2005) US, garment manufacturer, philanthropist, the oldest person to climb Mount Rainier at age 81 William Bosi (born 1998) UK, first person to repeat Burden of Dreams (climb), achieved many notable ascents at the boulder grade 9A Alastair Borthwick (1913–2003) Scotland, climber and author of Always a Little Further Christine Boskoff (1967–2006) US, 6 eight-thousanders, including Everest twice, died on Genyen Peak Sébastien Bouin (born 1993) France, first ascent of DNA (2022), the world's second-ever route Anatoli Boukreev (1958–1997) Russia, 7 eight-thousanders without oxygen, part of 1996 Everest disaster, died on Annapurna Loulou Boulaz (1908–1991) Switzerland, several first ascents and first female ascents in the Alps Tom Bourdillon (1924–1956) UK, Cho Oyu (1952), part of 1953 British Everest expedition, first to Everest South Summit (1953) Stipe Božić (born 1951) FPR Yugoslavia, completed the Seven Summits, second European to climb Everest twice Lydia Bradey (born 1961) New Zealand, first woman to climb Everest 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 film Everest Meta Brevoort (1825–1876) US, alpinist of Victorian period, aunt of W. A. B. Coolidge Russell Brice (born 1952) New Zealand, set record for fastest solo ascent without oxygen of Cho Oyu and Ama Dablam Jim Bridwell (1944–2018) US, first ascents of major aid routes on El Capitan; first one-day ascent of The Nose (1975) David Brower (1912–2000) US, executive director of Sierra Club and Yosemite climber Joe Brown (1930–2020) UK, first ascent of Cenotaph Corner, the Aiguille de Blaitière west face, and Kanchenjunga (1955) Katie Brown (born 1981) US, pioneer female competition climber and big wall climber Adriana Brownlee (born 2001) UK, youngest woman to climb all 14 eight-thousanders. Geoffrey Bruce (1896–1972) UK, first to reach on Mount Everest (1922). Hermann Buhl (1924–1957) Austria, first ascent Nanga Parbat (1953) and of Broad Peak (1957), died on Chogolisa Alexander Burgener (1845–1910) Switzerland, first ascent Zmuttgrat, Grands Charmoz, Aiguille du Grépon, Lenzspitze, and Grand Dru Jean Buridan (c. 1300–1358) France, climbed Mont Ventoux for the view, before Petrarch

C

Tommy Caldwell (born 1978) US, first free ascents of big wall routes on El Capitan, including Dawn Wall, first at Una Cameron (1904–1987) UK, ascents in the Alps, Caucasus, and Africa Louis Ramond de Carbonnières (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 to summit all 14 eight-thousanders (1985–1996) Riccardo Cassin (1909–2009) Italy, equipment manufacturer and pioneer alpinist; first ascent of the north face of Piz Badile (1937), and the north face of the Grandes Jorasses (Walker Spur, 1938) Cristina Castagna (1977–2009) Italy, first Italian female ascent of Makalu, ascent of several other eight-thousanders Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz (1942–1978) Britain, first ascent of Gasherbrum III Ludwik Chałubiński (1860–1933) Poland, first ascent of Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki Armand Charlet (1900–1975) France, many first ascents in the Mont Blanc massif Isabella Charlet-Straton (1838–1918) UK, first ascents in Alps, first winter ascent of Mont Blanc (1876) Maxime Chaya (born 1961) Lebanon, climbed Everest (2006), Seven Summits and Three Poles Challenge Chhurim (born 1984) Nepal, the first woman to summit Everest twice in a week Chang Yuan-Chih (1988 – 2024), Taiwanese first ascentionist, second from Taiwan to climb an eight-thousander Renata Chlumska (born 1973) Sweden, first Swedish female ascent of Everest (1999) Yvon Chouinard (born 1938) US, pioneer of big wall and aid climbing in Yosemite, founder of Chouinard Equipment and Patagonia Leszek Cichy (born 1951) Poland, first winter ascent of Everest with Krzysztof Wielicki John Clarke (1945–2003) Ireland-Canada, explorer with over 600 first ascents in Coast Range of British Columbia Vern Clevenger (born 1955) US, first ascent Cholatse (1982), numerous first routes ascents in Sierra Nevada Ian Clough (1939–1970) UK, first ascent Am Buachaille (1968), first UK ascent Eiger north face (1962), died on Annapurna Norman Clyde (1886–1972) US, pioneer of California's Sierra Nevada Johann Coaz (1822–1918) Switzerland, first ascent of Piz Bernina J. Norman Collie (1859–1942) UK, first ascent Ben Nevis Tower Ridge, Nanga Parbat expedition (1895) Emilio Comici (1901–1940) Italy, pioneer of big wall climbing and aid climbing; first ascent Cima Grande north face (1933) Achille Compagnoni (1914–2009) Italy, first ascent of K2 with Lino Lacedelli on the 1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2 Kyra Condie (born 1996) US, member of the 2020 US Olympic climbing team Herb and Jan Conn (Herb: 1921–2012) US, early pioneers of climbing and caving in Carderock, Seneca Rocks, and the Black Hills William Martin Conway (1856–1937) UK, surveyor and explorer (Karakoram, Spitsbergen, Andes & Alps) Kenton Cool (born 1973) UK, several eight-thousanders (Everest over seventeen times); ski descents of Cho Oyu and Manaslu 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 (1856–1877) France, first ascents Aiguille du Plat de la Selle, Les Droites (east summit) (1876) Patrick Cordier (1947–1996) France, first and solo ascents in the Alps; French Direct Troll Wall (1967) and The Nose solo (1973) Jean Couzy (1923–1958) France, first ascent of Makalu with Terray on the 1955 French Makalu expedition Lucy Creamer (born 1971) UK, early British female competition climber, and alpine and ice climber. Peter Croft (born 1958) Canada, free soloing pioneer (Astroman, Rostrum); many first ascents in the Sierra Nevada Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) UK, occultist, writer, and rock climber, led early expeditions on K2 and on Kanchenjunga