Barry Blanchard
Encyclopedia
Barry Blanchard is one of North America's top alpinists
, noted for pushing the standards of highly technical, high-risk alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies
and the Himalayas
.
of Andromeda Strain on Mount Andromeda
in Alberta, Canada with David Cheesmond and Tim Friesen. In 1984, he climbed the North Spur of Rakaposhi
, Pakistan
with Dave Cheesmond and Kevin Doyle. With David Cheesmond, he climbed the North Pillar of North Twin
, Alberta in 1985. Rather than resting on his laurels, he has continued to push the limits of alpinism since, including eight trips to Asia to climb in the Himalayas and Karakoram
.
mountain guide.
He helped in the making of Hollywood climbing movies including K2
, Cliffhanger
and Vertical Limit
.
He lives in Canmore, Alberta
, with his wife Catherine Mulvihill whom he met on a Mount Everest
expedition in 1994, and their family.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, noted for pushing the standards of highly technical, high-risk alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
and the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
.
Climbing accomplishments
He first came to note in 1983 with the first ascentFirst ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
of Andromeda Strain on Mount Andromeda
Mount Andromeda (Alberta)
Mount Andromeda is located within the Columbia Icefield on the boundary of Banff and Jasper national parks. The mountain can be seen from the Icefields Parkway near Sunwapta Pass and is directly southwest of Mount Athabasca.Mt...
in Alberta, Canada with David Cheesmond and Tim Friesen. In 1984, he climbed the North Spur of Rakaposhi
Rakaposhi
Rakaposhi , is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. It is situated in the Nagar Valley approximately 100 km north of the city of Gilgit in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan. Rakaposhi means "Snow Covered" in the local language. Rakaposhi is...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
with Dave Cheesmond and Kevin Doyle. With David Cheesmond, he climbed the North Pillar of North Twin
North Twin Peak
North Twin is one of the two peaks that comprise The Twins massif located at the northeast corner of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The other lower peak is named South Twin . North Twin is the third highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, after Mount Robson and...
, Alberta in 1985. Rather than resting on his laurels, he has continued to push the limits of alpinism since, including eight trips to Asia to climb in the Himalayas and Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
.
Guiding career
Barry has been involved with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures since its inception in the late '70s. Barry is an internationally certified UIAGMUIAGM
The Union Internationale des Associations de Guides de Montagnes is the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations, known alternatively by its French, German and English abbreviations:...
mountain guide.
He helped in the making of Hollywood climbing movies including K2
K2 (film)
K2 is a 1991 motion picture loosely based on the story of two friends' ascent of the second-highest mountain on Earth, K2. The story is based on a play written and presented as a senior-thesis at Stanford University. These roles were played by Michael Biehn and Matt Craven...
, Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger (film)
Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. Stallone plays a mountain climber, who becomes embroiled in a failed heist set in a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains...
and Vertical Limit
Vertical Limit
Vertical Limit is a 2000 thriller action film directed by New Zealander Martin Campbell starring, among others, Chris O'Donnell, Bill Paxton, Robin Tunney and Scott Glenn...
.
He lives in Canmore, Alberta
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
, with his wife Catherine Mulvihill whom he met on a Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
expedition in 1994, and their family.
Notable ascents
- 1983 The Andromeda Strain, Mt. AndromedaMount Andromeda (Alberta)Mount Andromeda is located within the Columbia Icefield on the boundary of Banff and Jasper national parks. The mountain can be seen from the Icefields Parkway near Sunwapta Pass and is directly southwest of Mount Athabasca.Mt...
, Canada - first ascent with David Cheesmond and Tim Friesen. - 1984 North Ridge of RakaposhiRakaposhiRakaposhi , is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. It is situated in the Nagar Valley approximately 100 km north of the city of Gilgit in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan. Rakaposhi means "Snow Covered" in the local language. Rakaposhi is...
, Pakistan - first alpine ascent with David Cheesmond and Kevin Doyle. - 1985 North Pillar of North TwinNorth Twin PeakNorth Twin is one of the two peaks that comprise The Twins massif located at the northeast corner of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The other lower peak is named South Twin . North Twin is the third highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, after Mount Robson and...
, Canada - first ascent with David Cheesmond - 1991 North Face of Kusum Kanguru, Nepal - first ascent of route.
- 1991 Blanchard-Twight on Les DroitesLes DroitesLes Droites is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps and is the lowest of the 4000-metre peaks in the Alps. The mountain has two summits:* West summit , first ascent by W. A. B...
, Mont Blanc MassifMont Blanc MassifThe Mont Blanc massif is a mountain range in the western Alps. It is named after Mont Blanc, at 4,810.45 m the highest summit of the Alps. It is located in France , Italy , and Switzerland...
, French Alps - hard new route with Mark TwightMark TwightBorn on November 2nd, 1961 in Yosemite National Park, California, Mark Twight rose to prominence in the world Alpine mountaineering community in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a well-documented series of difficult, dangerous alpine climbs in various ranges around the world.-Climbing:He made...
. - 1994 East Face (V/VI 5.8 WI5) of Mount FayMount FayMount Fay is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1902 by Charles E. Fay.-Notable Ascents:...
, Canadian Rockies, FA with David Cheesmond and Carl Tobin. - 1999 M-16, East Face of Howse PeakHowse PeakHowse Peak is the highest mountain in the Waputik Range, a subrange of the Canadian Rockies. It is located west of the Icefields Parkway, above Chephren Lake, on the continental divide between Alberta and British Columbia. It is the 46th highest peak in Alberta, and the 59th highest in British...
, Canada - first ascent (in winter) with Steve HouseSteve HouseSteve House is an American professional climber and mountain guide from La Grande, Oregon.-Biography:House earned a Bachelor of Science in ecology from The Evergreen State College in 1995...
and Scott BackesScott BackesScott Backes is an American mountaineer. Backes has been called "one of the leading alpine mountain climbers in the United States".He was born in 1956 and has lived most of his life in Minnesota. He started climbing in 1975. His climbing style is light and fast, in an Alpine style...
. - 1999 Pugilist at Rest, (VI 5.10 A3 M5, 1000m), Mount AlverstoneMount AlverstoneMount Alverstone, or Boundary Peak 180, is a high peak in the Saint Elias Mountains, on the border between Alaska and Yukon. It shares a large massif with the higher Mount Hubbard to the south and the slightly lower Mount Kennedy to the east...
, Saint Elias Range, Canada. FA with Mark WilfordMark WilfordMark Wilford is an American rock climber and alpinist known for his bold, traditional style.-Biography:...
. - 2000 Infinite Spur on Mount ForakerMount ForakerMount Foraker is a mountain in the central Alaska Range, in Denali National Park, southwest of Mount McKinley. It is the second highest peak in the Alaska Range, and the fourth highest peak in the United States...
, AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
- third ascent. - 2002 Infinite Patience on the Emperor Face of Mount RobsonMount RobsonMount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part of the Rainbow Range. It is commonly thought to be the...
- first ascent.