List of Climbers and Mountaineers - B

B

  • John Bachar (1957–2009) USA. Noted for climbs in Yosemite National Park and free soloing.
  • John Ball (1818–1889) Ireland. Naturalist and climber, Alps guidebooks author. First president of Alpine Club in 1857.
  • Jacques Balmat (1762–1834) Duchy of Savoy. Chamonix-based guide. First ascent Mont Blanc (1786).
  • George Band (1929–2011) UK. Everest Expedition (1953), first ascent Kanchenjunga (1955).
  • Henry Barber (born 1953) USA. Leading US rock climber in 1970s.
  • Lilliane and Maurice Barrard (1948–1986 and 1941?–1986 respectively) France. Gasherbrum II (1982), Nanga Parbat (1984) (first female ascent). Both killed on K2.
  • Charles Barrington (born ?) UK. First ascent Eiger (1858).
  • Richard Bass (born 1929) USA. Businessman and amateur mountaineer, first to complete Seven Summits (1985).
  • Robert Hicks Bates (1911–2007) USA. First ascent Mount Lucania (1937). On US attempts on K2 (1938 and 1953).
  • Mark Beaufoy (1764–1827) UK. Fourth ascent Mont Blanc (1787).
  • Fred Beckey (Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey) (born 1923) Germany/USA. Many first ascents in US and Canada.
  • Bentley Beetham (1886–1963) UK. On 1924 Everest expedition; pioneer of Borrowdale (Lake District) rock climbing.
  • George Irving Bell (1926–2000) USA. Physicist, biologist and mountaineer. First ascent Masherbrum (1960). Rescued on K2 (1953).
  • Gertrude Bell (1868–1926) UK. Many ascents in Alps and further afield.
  • Josune Bereziartu (born 1972) Basque (Spain). Rock climber; First female climber in grade 9a/5.14d.
  • Didier Berthod (born ?) Switzerland. Featured in First Ascent.
  • Isabella Bird (1831–1904) UK. Traveller, writer and natural historian.
  • Barry Blanchard (born 1959) Canada. Mountain guide; first ascents in the Saint Elias range of Alaska.
  • Smoke Blanchard (1915–1989) USA. Developed Buttermilk bouldering area.
  • Karl Blodig (1859–1956) Austria. Mountaineer, optician and journalist; first to climb all 4,000 metres peaks in the Alps.
  • Arlene Blum (born 1945) USA. First US female attempt on Everest.
  • Peter Boardman (1950–1982) UK. Everest 1975, Changabang West Wall 1976, Kanchenjunga 1979. Died on Everest with Joe Tasker.
  • Jean-Marc Boivin (1951–1990) France. Exponent of extreme ascents and descents.
  • 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 Central Pillar of Freney (1961), Annapurna II (1960), Nuptse (1961), Central Tower of Paine (1962–3). Ascent of Everest (1985).
  • Thomas George Bonney (1833–1923) UK. Geologist and mountaineer. President of Alpine Club.
  • Alastair Borthwick (1913–2003) Scotland. Climber and author of Always a Little Further.
  • Christine Boskoff (1967–2006) USA. 6 8,000m summits, including Everest twice. Died on Genyen Peak.
  • Anatoli Boukreev (1958–1997) Russia. Climbed 7 of 8,000m peaks without supplemental oxygen. Died on Annapurna 1997.
  • Tom Bourdillon (1924–1956) UK. Reconnaissance of Everest (1951), Cho Oyu (1952), British Everest expeditions (1952 and 1953), South Summit of Everest (1953).
  • Stipe Božić (born 1951) FPR Yugoslavia. Completed Seven Summits. Second European to climb Everest twice.
  • David Breashears (born 1956) USA. Everest twice. Directed IMAX film Everest.
  • Meta Brevoort (1825–1876) USA. Alpinist of Victorian period. Aunt of W. A. B. Coolidge.
  • Russell Brice (born 1952) New Zealand. Record for fastest single solo ascent without oxygen of Cho Oyu and Ama Dablam.
  • Jim Bridwell (born 1944) USA. Rock climber. First one-day ascent of Nose of El Capitan in 1975.
  • David Brower (1912–2000) USA. Executive Director Sierra Club and Yosemite climber.
  • Joe Brown (born 1930) UK. Rock climber. First ascent Aiguille de Blaitière west face, Kanchenjunga (1955), Mustagh Tower.
  • Katie Brown (born 1981), American who, at age 14, won 1995 X Games and climbing Junior World Cup; wrote Girl on the Rocks: A Woman's Guide to Climbing with Strength, Grace and Courage.
  • Jean Buridan (c. 1300–1358) France. Climbed Mont Ventoux for the view, before Petrarch.
  • Hermann Buhl (1924–1957) Austria. First ascent Nanga Parbat (1953) and Broad Peak (1957). Died on Chogolisa.
  • Alexander Burgener (1845–1910) Switzerland. First ascent Matterhorn Zmuttgrat, Grands Charmoz, Aiguille du Grépon, Lenzspitze, Grand Dru.

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