Barry Blanchard, North Face of Bravo Peak

Barry Blanchard (born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on March 29, 1959) is an associate director at Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is one of North America's best known mountaineers and mountain writers. Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Onward Established: Fort Calgary: 1876 Town: 1884 City: 1894 Area: 789. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Barry has been involved with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures since its inception in the late '70s. In that time he has been involved in the renaissance of Canadian mountaineering with first ascents of many exceptional and seminal climbs. In tandem with his personal climbing development has been Barry's development of his guiding career. Whilst Barry is in much demand as a private guide he also finds time to guide and instruct on many of Yamnuska's regular programs and expeditions and to work with younger guides assisting them in their professional development.

Barry is an alpine ambassador for Patagonia.

Writing and speaking are also an important part of Barry's life and he spends much time on the road sharing his experiences as a guest speaker.

Barry has enjoyed some success:

• First ascent of The Andromeda Strain, 1983
• North Ridge of Rakaposhi, 1984
• First ascent of the apocalyptic North Pillar of North Twin
• West Ridge of Mt Everest, 1986
• Surviving the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat, 1988
• Solo first ascent on the North Face of Kusum Kanguru, 1991
• Attempt on K-2, 1993
• First ascents in the St Elias mountains
• M-16, a first ascent, in winter, East Face of Howse Peak, 1999
• Third ascent of the Infinite Spur on Mt Foraker, 2000
• First ascent of Infinite Patience on the Emperor Face of Mt Robson, 2002

More importantly Barry has enjoyed all of his outings, even the ones not included in the narrow definition of "success". Barry moved to the mountains in 1982 to pursue his Mountain Guiding career (he is an internationally certified UIAGM mountain guide) and has included making Hollywood features such as "K-2", "Cliffhanger" and "The Vertical Limit" in his professional life. Rakaposhi is a mountain in the Karakoram region of the Pakistani Himalaya. ... North Twin Peak is one of the two peaks that comprise the Twin Peaks massif located just northeast of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park. ... Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, meaning its summit is higher above sea level than that of any other mountain. ... Nanga Parbat (also known as Nangaparbat Peak or Diamir) is the ninth highest mountain on Earth. ... Mount Kanguru (formally known as Kusum Kanguru) is a triple-summited mountain in the Khumbu Region of the Himalaya. ... For other uses, see K2 (disambiguation). ... Mount Saint Elias is the second highest mountain in both the United States and Canada, being situated on the Alaska and Yukon border. ... Mount Foraker is a mountain located at the head of the Forake Glacier, in Denali National Park, 25 km (15 miles) southwest of Denali Pass. ... Mount Robson (or Robson Peak) is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. ...

Barry currently lives in Banff, Alberta, with his wife Catherine Mulvihill whom he met on a Mt Everest expedition in 1994, their daughter Rosemary, who arrived in 2004, and their dogs, Finnegan and Seamus. Banff townsite (left) and Tunnel Mountain (right) on the Bow River as seen from Sulphur Mountain. ... Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, meaning its summit is higher above sea level than that of any other mountain. ...

External links

• Yamnuska Mountain Adventures
• Ambassador of Patagonia
• Ambassador of Grivel North America