Famous American Mountaineers

Vote for Your Favourite American Mountaineers

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
Scott Fischer
(First American to Summit Mt. Lhotse)
Scott Fischer
10
Birthdate: December 24, 1955
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Muskegon, Michigan, United States
Died: May 11, 1996

American mountaineer Scott Fischer was known for scaling the highest peaks of the world, including Mt. Everest and K2, without using oxygen cans. He later became a mountain guide and co-launched his own adventure travel company Mountain Madness. He died in a blizzard while guiding a group of clients to Mt. Everest.

 2 
Jim Bridger
(Famous Mountain Man of the American Fur Trade Era)
Jim Bridger
6
Birthdate: March 17, 1804
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Died: July 17, 1881

Known as the ultimate American mountain man, Jim Bridger is remembered for his exploration of the Western United States. It is believed, the illiterate fur trader was the first white man to explore the Great Salt Lake and one of the first to visit Yellowstone. He also worked as a forest guide.

 3 
Jon Krakauer
(Journalist, Explorer, Writer)
Jon Krakauer
12
Birthdate: April 12, 1954
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States

Best known for his bestselling novels such as Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer is not just an author who writes about the outdoors but is also a mountaineer himself. He was part of the 1996 expedition to Mt. Everest which witnessed 4 of the team members dying in a storm.

Recommended Lists:
 4 
Yvon Chouinard
(American Environmentalist, Rock Climber, and Philanthropist)
Yvon Chouinard
9
Birthdate: November 9, 1938
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lewiston, Maine, United States

Yvon Chouinard is an American environmentalist, rock climber, outdoor industry businessman, and philanthropist. He is credited with founding Patagonia, Inc., a company which aims at protecting the environment. An adventurer, Yvon Chouinard is also fond of tenkara fly-fishing, surfing, and kayaking.

 5 
Jimmy Chin
(American Photographer, Mountain Athlete, Author, and Filmmaker)
Jimmy Chin
10
Birthdate: October 12, 1973
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Mankato, Minnesota, United States

Jimmy Chin is an American photographer, mountain athlete, author, and filmmaker. He has been a professional climber for over 20 years, during which he has taken part in expeditions around the world. His book of photography There and Back, featuring his career in the mountains, was a New York Times Best Seller. Chin is also known for his documentary, Meru.

 6 
Conrad Anker
(American Rock Climber, Mountaineer, and Author)
Conrad Anker
5
Birthdate: November 27, 1962
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: California, United States

A passionate mountaineer and rock climber, Conrad Anker led The North Face for 26 years. He almost died of a heart attack while climbing the Lunag Ri on the borders of the Nepalese Himalayas. He is now also associated with various charitable trusts, such as the Rowell Fund for Tibet.

 7 
Alex Lowe
(Mountaineer and Climber Who was Widely Considered the 'Best' Climber of His Day)
Alex Lowe
7
Birthdate: December 24, 1958
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Frederick, Maryland, United States
Died: October 5, 1999

Alex Lowe was an American mountaineer who was admired and respected by his peers for doing exceptionally well in every aspect of mountaineering. He was associated with the North Face climbing team for nearly 10 years and is credited with inspiring an entire generation of climbers. In 1995, Lowe was honored by the American Alpine Club with the Underhill Award.

 8 
Francys Arsentiev
(First Woman from the US to Reach the Summit of Mount Everest Without the Aid of Bottled Oxygen)
Francys Arsentiev
5
Birthdate: January 18, 1958
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Honolulu
Died: May 24, 1998

Francys Arsentiev was an American mountaineer. In 1998, she became the first American woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest sans the aid of bottled oxygen. Unfortunately, she died during the descent. Prior to her ascent of the Everest, Francys Arsentiev had climbed many Russian Peaks along with her husband Sergei Arsentiev.

 9 
Jordan Romero
(Mountain Climber Who Reached Summit of Mount Everest at the Age of 13)
Jordan Romero
9
Birthdate: July 12, 1996
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Redlands, California, United States

At 13, Jordan Romero became the youngest person to scale the Mt. Everest and had to opt for the Tibetan side, as he wasn’t old enough to get a permit in Nepal. At 15, he became the youngest to scale the Seven Summits. He has also penned a book on his experiences.

 10 
Ed Viesturs
(The Only American to Have Climbed All 14 of the World's Eight-Thousander Mountain Peaks)
Ed Viesturs
7
Birthdate: June 22, 1959
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Rockford

Ed Viesturs is an American high-altitude mountaineer, author, and corporate speaker. He is the only mountaineer from the USA to have climbed all 14 eight-thousander mountain peaks in the world. In 1992, Viesturs was honored by the American Alpine Club with the David A. Sowles Memorial Award. In 2005, Ed Viesturs was adjudged National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year.

 11 
Chris Sharma
(One of the Most Influential and Greatest Climbers of All Time)
Chris Sharma
5
Birthdate: April 23, 1981
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Santa Cruz

Chris Sharma is an American rock climber. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest climbers of all time. He is credited with mastering some of the most difficult routes in the history of rock climbing. Chris Sharma is also credited with shaping modern rock climbing.

 12 
James Beckwourth
(American Mountain Man, Fur Trader, and Explorer)
James Beckwourth
5
Birthdate: April 26, 1798
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Frederick County, Virginia, United States
Died: October 29, 1867

Born to a white man and a mulatto slave woman, Jim Beckwourth was practically born into slavery. While he looked like an American Indian, he was known as a “free Negro” after being released. Known as Bloody Arm, he is credited with exploring the Beckwourth Pass.

 13 
Dan Osman
(American Extreme Sport Practitioner Who Popularized the Dangerous Sport of Free-Soloing)
Dan Osman
5
Birthdate: February 11, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: November 23, 1998

Dan Osman was an American rock climber and extreme sport practitioner. He is credited with popularizing the dangerous sport of free-soloing. Dan Osman also played an important role in the development of Tahoe's Cave Rock climbing area. Osman died at the age of 35 in Yosemite National Park while performing a free-fall jump.

 14 
Richard Bass
(The First Person to Successfully Climb the 'Seven Summits')
Richard Bass
5
Birthdate: December 21, 1929
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Died: July 26, 2015

Richard Bass was an American mountaineer, rancher, and businessman. He was the first person to successfully climb the 'Seven Summits'. In 1985, Bass reached the peak of Mount Everest, becoming the oldest person to do so at the age of 55. A renowned businessman, Richard Bass owned Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah.

 15 
Nick Piantanida
(Parachute Jumper)
Nick Piantanida
0
Birthdate: August 15, 1932
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Union City, New Jersey, United States
Died: August 29, 1966

Nick Piantanida was an American parachute jumper. In 1966, he created a record by reaching 123,500 feet with his Strato Jump II balloon, a record that stood until 2012, when it was broken by Felix Baumgartner. Nick Piantanida's life and career inspired the 2015 film Angry Sky, which was premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

 16 
David Breashears
(The First Person from the US to Summit Mount Everest More Than Once)
David Breashears
2
Birthdate: December 20, 1955
Sun Sign: Sagittarius

David Breashears is an American filmmaker, mountaineer, motivational speaker, and author. In 1985, Breashears became the first person from the US to summit Mount Everest more than once. David Breashears is best known for directing the 1998 documentary film, Everest.

 17 
Warren Harding
(One of the Most Influential and Accomplished Rock Climbers of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s)
Warren Harding
3
Birthdate: June 18, 1924
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: United States
Died: February 27, 2002

Warren Harding was an American rock climber who is regarded as one of the most influential and accomplished rock climbers of the '50s, '60s, and '70s. In 1958, he led the first team that successfully reached the summit of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. Warren Harding also wrote an influential book titled Downward Bound.

 18 
Pete Schoening
(One of the First Persons to Summit Mount Vinson in Antarctica in 1966)
Pete Schoening
2
Birthdate: July 30, 1927
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Died: September 22, 2004

Pete Schoening was an American mountaineer best remembered for his participation in the 1953 American Karakoram expedition, where he prevented the loss of the entire expedition single-handedly. In 1966, Pete Schoening became one of the first mountaineers to reach the peak of Mount Vinson in Antarctica. 

 19 
Galen Rowell
(The Oldest Person to Climb El Capitan in One Day)
Galen Rowell
2
Birthdate: August 23, 1940
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
Died: August 11, 2002

Galen Rowell was an American adventure photojournalist, wilderness photographer, and mountaineer. He had many mountaineering achievements under his belt. At the age of 57, Rowell became the oldest person to climb El Capitan in one day. In 1977, Galen Rowell was honored with the Francis P. Farquhar Mountaineering Award by the Sierra Club.

 20 
William Henry Jackson
(Painter, Photographer, Explorer, Artist, Mountaineer)
William Henry Jackson
2
Birthdate: April 4, 1843
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Keeseville
Died: June 30, 1942
 21 
Jim Whittaker
(US Mountaineer Who Became the First American to Reach the Mt. Everest Summit)
Jim Whittaker
2
Birthdate: February 10, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Seattle

Jim Whittaker was a US mountaineer and mountain guide who is known for his legendary 1963 Mount Everest expedition, which was led by Norman Dyhrenfurth. He scripted history as the first American to reach the Mount Everest summit. He was later bestowed with the Hubbard Medal by John F. Kennedy.

 22 
David Brower
(American Prominent Environmentalist and Ski Mountaineer)
David Brower
2
Birthdate: July 1, 1912
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Berkeley, California, United States
Died: November 5, 2000

Prominent environmentalist and world-class mountaineer, David Brower became aware of the environmental issues through his proximity to nature, eventually joining Sierra Club, serving it in different capacities over a long period before establishing several organizations of his own. Author of three autobiographies, he fought to keep dams out of the Grand Canyon and was thrice nominated for Nobel Peace Prize.  

 23 
Clarence King
(US Geologist and Mountaineer Who Was the 1st Director of the US Geological Survey)
Clarence King
1
Birthdate: January 6, 1842
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Newport, Rhode Island, United States
Died: December 24, 1901

US geologist, mining engineer, and mountaineer Clarence King was the 1st director of the US Geological Survey. While preparing his report, Systematic Geology, he found the first US glaciers. Mostly known for his exploration of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, he penned the iconic work Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada.

 24 
Bradford Washburn
(US Mountaineer, Cartographer, and Photographer Who Established the Boston Museum of Science)
Bradford Washburn
1
Birthdate: June 7, 1910
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Died: January 10, 2007

US mountaineer, photographer, and cartographer Bradford Washburn was the founder-director of the Boston Museum of Science. A pioneer of aerial photography, he also created maps for ranges such as Mt. Everest. Some of his cameras, which he had dumped on a glacier due to bad weather, were recovered 85 years later, in 2022.

 25 
Barry Bishop
(American Mountaineer Who was the Member of the First American Team to Summit Mount Everest)
Barry Bishop
1
Birthdate: January 13, 1932
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: September 24, 1994

Barry Bishop was an American scientist, mountaineer, scholar, and photographer. In 1963, Bishop became one of the first Americans to summit Mount Everest along with Tom Hornbein, Willi Unsoeld, Lute Jerstad, and Jim Whittaker. Bishop is best remembered for his association with the National Geographic Society, where he spent most of his career working as a photographer, scientist, and writer.

 26 
Steve McKinney
(American Alpine Skier and Mountaineer)
Steve McKinney
1
Birthdate: 1953 AD
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: November 10, 1990
 27 
William Thomas Hamilton
(US Mountain Man, Hunter, Fighter, Scout, and Author)
William Thomas Hamilton
0
Birthdate: December 6, 1822
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: England
Died: May 24, 1908

US mountain man William Thomas Hamilton, also known as Wildcat Bill, trapped and hunted in the American West. He also became an Indian fighter and then worked as a scout and a sheriff, too. He is, perhaps, best remembered for his iconic memoir, My Sixty Years on the Plains.

 28 
W. A. B. Coolidge
(US Mountaineer, Priest, and Historian Remembered for His Alpine Expeditions)
W. A. B. Coolidge
0
Birthdate: August 28, 1850
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: May 8, 1926
US mountaineer, theologian, and historian W. A. B. Coolidge was known for his knowledge of the topography, geography, and history of the Central European Alps. He taught British history at the Saint David's College and was an Anglican priest, too. He was one of the most prominent climbers of the silver age of alpinism.
 29 
Sarah Doherty
(American Amputee Mountaineer and Ski Racer)
Sarah Doherty
0
Birthdate: December 21, 1959
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Taunton, Massachusetts, United States