After recent losses of great Alpinist- who's left?

This question is naive in 2 ways:

1) Most climbers who push the envelope, in any discipline, fly under the radar.  The world is chock full of ranges and crushers and undocumented feats.  

2) Crushing is relative.  One climber's 5.12 is another climber's 5.6.  Everyone has limits.  If we're climbing at our limits with great consequence, our risk level is the same regardless of grade.

Go out and push your envelope, you'd be on the list too!

 

Recent example in a thread here on MP.  Who inspires you more?  A famous climber on a dangerous route with tons of support, money to train, and the latest gear?  Or this guy, climbing on borrowed and used gear bagging an unclimbed peak?

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/114532130/help-me-replace-aanifs-stiffy?page=5#ForumMessage-117307936

chris magness wrote: Recent example in a thread here on MP.  Who inspires you more?  A famous climber on a dangerous route with tons of support, money to train, and the latest gear?  Or this guy, climbing on borrowed and used gear bagging an unclimbed peak?

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/114532130/help-me-replace-aanifs-stiffy?page=5#ForumMessage-117307936

This! The older I get, the more inspired I am by old gals and guys still getting after it in their 60s, and beyond. Stories of guys like Aanif who carry the fire and throw themselves into their passion with whatever resources they have. This spirit of minimalism is a big part of what alpinism is about for me.

Brena Guerra wrote: Have you guys ever heard of Vanessa O’ Brien? What she has accomplished in a such short time is beyond amazing. She is my favorite mountaineering story.
She started climbing in her early 40’s, and 4 yrs later, in 2014, she attempted K2 for the first time and failed. She attempted again in 2015 and failed again.  She attempted for  the third and last time in 2017, but this time she led her own expedition. A storm rolled in and while all the other teams quit the climb, but not Vanessa’s team. She and her team stayed in the mountain pushing through the storm, and Vanessa became the first American woman to climb K2. And she is also the oldest reaching the summit at the age of 52.

She is successful and paid herself for all her expeditions. Of course having the dollars to do all that made things less hard on her. But what amazes me the most is her drive. Her drive was out of this world. Who else has attempted K2 after climbing for only 4 years?
I have shared her story with so many people and nobody has never heard of her. I think it’s unfair she didn’t get the recognition she deserved. None of the big names in climbing acknowledged her, and I think that’s not fair, for her story is truly awesome.
I’m hoping to meet her when I go to NYC next winter, now that’s me dreaming... lol

Title says "great alpinist", I am sure she has a good story but just by climbing K2 expedition style does not qualify as "great".

Brena Guerra wrote:

Sure... not that great... Tons of people have attempted K2 only after 4 yrs into their climbing career... And tons of people have led their own expedition to K2 with less that 10 yrs into their climbing career and they made it through a storm, while all the other teams in the mountain bailed... not really that great... any mere mortal could do that.

I attempted to free the dawn wall 2+ years into my climbing career. I am a GREAT CLIMPER - NAWAMEAN!?!?!?!

Ivan Greene

Brena Guerra wrote:

Sure... not that great... Tons of people have attempted K2 only after 4 yrs into their climbing career... And tons of people have led their own expedition to K2 with less that 10 yrs into their climbing career and they made it through a storm, while all the other teams in the mountain bailed... not really that great... any mere mortal could do that.

The OP is referring to alpinists, not mountaineers. There is a large difference in the style of climbing and ethics between the two.

Also, 4 years is plenty of time to learn how to follow a fixed line. She was also the Director of Finance and Business Development at some of the largest banks in the world so a leadership role is nothing new to her. Having an awesome and inspirational story does not equate to being a world class climber.

Rolo Garibotti for sure!
 
Unknowingly shared the GT ledge for a pitch near Arrow/Limelight a few years ago while he worked on getting a brand new ultralight #1 unstuck. Had the most wonderful conversations with him about the geology of the Andes and Patagonia, I had no idea who he was at the time. I’d spent almost a year down there in 2009 and was just psyched to listen to someone who could talk geology with me and who knew so many places that I dearly missed.

Googled him later out of curiously to look up a book he’d mentioned and realized who I’d been chatting with. What a beast in his accomplishments, and yet so humble, generous, and kind.

It was one of those days where you leave the crag feeling renewed by both the routes of the day, and the lovely folks you’d encountered. Such a gift during a busy day at the Gunks.

Brena Guerra wrote:

You are entitled to your opinion. She is a world class climber to me. My friend who took me on my very first snow climb, he is also a world class climber to me. He led his own successful expedition to Denali with only a few years of climbing. 100% self-taught.  

Would you like a cookie?

On the thought of Alpinists does Francious whatever his last name is count? He is a alpine skier that has done tonnes of lines that I don't think I could climb up yet he skis them! He taught Kilian alpine skiing and I believe assisted him when he skied Denali.

Brena Guerra wrote:

You are entitled to your opinion. She is a world class climber to me. My friend who took me on my very first snow climb, he is also a world class climber to me. He led his own successful expedition to Denali with only a few years of climbing. 100% self-taught.  

The thread is about world class alpinists, not your personal heroes. 

Self taught means nothing. Most great climbers are self taught. 

Brena Guerra wrote:

Sure... not that great... Tons of people have attempted K2 only after 4 yrs into their climbing career... And tons of people have led their own expedition to K2 with less that 10 yrs into their climbing career and they made it through a storm, while all the other teams in the mountain bailed... not really that great... any mere mortal could do that.

Thanks for pointing out that story.  I enjoyed learning about Vanessa, who is indeed a badass alpinist who deserves respect and admiration for her feats. But I think the term "great alpinist" connotes being self guided while doing cutting edge things.  According to this story outsideonline.com/2236001/o…, Vanessa was part of a guided party on K2. Leading an expedition is not the same as leading a climb. To me the following list of women fit the definition better: Brette Harrington, Caro North, Hilaree Nelson, Dawa Yangzum Sherpa and Carla Perez (currently attempting K2 without oxygen!).  I'm sure there are many others flying under the radar too. 

No mention of David Göttler?

Brette Harrington!

Jennie Matkov wrote: Rolo Garibotti for sure!
 
Unknowingly shared the GT ledge for a pitch near Arrow/Limelight a few years ago while he worked on getting a brand new ultralight #1 unstuck. Had the most wonderful conversations with him about the geology of the Andes and Patagonia, I had no idea who he was at the time. I’d spent almost a year down there in 2009 and was just psyched to listen to someone who could talk geology with me and who knew so many places that I dearly missed.

Googled him later out of curiously to look up a book he’d mentioned and realized who I’d been chatting with. What a beast in his accomplishments, and yet so humble, generous, and kind.

It was one of those days where you leave the crag feeling renewed by both the routes of the day, and the lovely folks you’d encountered. Such a gift during a busy day at the Gunks.

agree

Brena Guerra wrote: I think it’s unfair she didn’t get the recognition she deserved. None of the big names in climbing acknowledged her, and I think that’s not fair, for her story is truly awesome.

No big names acknowledge her is completely fair. 

Just compressing the time between trips or the lead up to with access to $ is not something that is "truly awesome." And that's before we even get into the guided/ not bit. Most the people on those "explorer grand slam" records (men and women) have silly access to capital. Other than that aren't doing anything that breaks new ground or pushes the sport of mountaineering. The first or oldest in your gender certainly gets you a place in a book. But trying to unnaturally compress that time puts a huge asterisk next to your name (Cesare Maestri...) when you're talking about a sport where how you do it is as important as what you do. 

Chantel Astorga, and Anne Gilbert Chase just missed getting a Piolet d'Or last year, Brette Harrington, Beth & Lynn (doing things dudes hadn't even done), Courtney Dauwalter (outright beating dudes at ultra races), Savannah Cummins (on track to be the next Jimmy Chin), Angel Collinson, Hilaree Nelson, Arlene Blum,
Now there are some truly awesome women, although only a few are alpinist, they are doing/ did cutting edge stuff and pushing their sports.

.......

But back to the OP's question. Honestly it sucks that here in the USA we get pretty crappy coverage of what the rest of the world is doing if it's not sport climbing. The Polish and rest of the world are really leading in terms of Alpinism but we get so little coverage here :( 

Brena Guerra wrote:

......“Congrats to Vanessa O’Brien for being the first American woman to attempt and climb K2”...........No other alpinist will never ever accomplish what she has accomplished in only 8 yrs of climbing, and starting at 44 yrs old!

Vanessa O’Brien is certainly an accomplished high altitude mountaineer, but I doubt she would describe herself as an "alpinist". She climbs with Sherpa support and oxygen. Alpine style climbing is light and fast - quite different from large expedition fixed rope style logistics. See:

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Awww.alpinist.com+alpine+style

An expedition leader many times doesn't do any climbing...i.e John Bonnington in his later career. But have arrived at that position due to experience and the ability to raise funds/organize.

The climbing guide or hired gun probably broke trail, put up fixed lines, carried O2 and set up the tents. If you read about Bonatti and K2, you will realize that the person most responsible for the summit isn't the person(s) that got the credit.

Great news everyone! Spoke to a few alpine climbers and my lawyer. They told me mountaineering and alpine climbing are different disciplines. They also told me vaccinations are safe and effective and you should get them for your kids before they go to school!

Raphael Slawinski

Brena Guerra wrote:

I’m not really an expert, very far from it and know the least from everyone here. In my eyes, she will always be the greatest. Like I said, I stay away from the technical terminology. 

Anyway, sorry for commenting on something I know nothing about. Most of you guys don’t think she is that good to be mentioned here, fine. Move on then talking about who you guys think are the greatest. But Vanessa will always be the greatest to me. I’m more impressed by her than any other alpinist/ mountaineer I have heard for all she has done in a period of 7 yrs. Her climbing career was very short, but she started later in life, and what he has accomplished in only 7 yrs, 99.9% of climbers won’t have accomplished in 30 yrs of climbing. Again, of course, that having the dollars must have things much less hard on her, but this world has plenty of people with tons of money who is not doing what she did. Even if she had failed in all her attempts, she would still be greatest to me. Just her will power and drive is beyond amazing.

Fair enough comment, don't let everyone's superiority complex get you down