Mark Wilford

Alpine Climbing, Rock Climbing

Hometown

Fort Collins, CO

Resides

Fort Collins, CO

Bio

Mark is considered one of the most proficient and diverse alpinist/rock climbers around. With more than 30 years of experience, he’s accumulated a resume of bold rock ascents, alpine solos, Alaskan climbs and Himalayan expeditions. Among his notable climbs are the first American solo ascent of the Eiger North Face, a first ascent on Nameless Tower and first ascents in Alaska's Saint Elias Range.

Career Highlights

First ascent of Remote Control (5.12c), Vedauwoo, Wyoming
First ascent of Risky Business (IV 5.11+ R/X), Chief’s Head, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
First ascent Bird Brain Boulevard (IV WI5 M6), Ouray, Colorado
Fist American solo, North Face of the Eiger, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
First ascent of Run for Cover (VII 5.11 A3), Trango Tower, Pakistan
First ascent of Pugilist at Rest (VI 5.10 A3 M5), Mount Alverstone, Saint Elias Range, Canada

First ascent of the Southeast Face (VI 5.10 A1), The Battleaxe, Kangikitsoq Fjord, Greenland
First ascent of The West Pillar (V 5.11 R), The Warrior, Kangikitsoq Fjord, Greenland
First ascent of Barbarossa (VI 5.9 A2 M5), North Face of Yamandaka, Karakorum, India
Winter solo East Face of Longs Peak via Grey Pillar/D7 (V 5.9 A4)
Solo North Wall Mt Alberta via North Face/NE Ridge (V 5.10 M5)

Alpine Climbing Ambassadors

Steve House View Steve's Profile

Steve House

Reinhold Messner called Steve House “the best high-altitude climber in the world today.” But for Steve, climbing is about process, not achievement. He says, “The moment your mind wanders from the climbing at hand will be the moment you fall.” Steve has earned Messner’s praise by leading the charge to climb bigger routes, from the Himalaya's to the Canadian Rockies, faster and with less equipment than anyone before.
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Colin Haley View Colin's Profile

Colin Haley

Colin was born in Seattle in 1984 and still calls it home today. He grew up hiking, skiing and climbing in the rugged Cascade Mountains where he developed a love of mountain adventure and an indifference to foul weather. His climbing is focused on the mountains of Alaska and Patagonia, where he’s drawn to the steepest alpine faces.
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Hayden Kennedy View Hayden's Profile

Hayden Kennedy

Hayden climbed his first multi-pitch climb, the Kor-Ingalls route on Castleton Tower, when he was 13. He was petrified the entire day. Rather than deter him, the experience solidified his climbing obsession. Today Hayden works toward the goal of mastery in all aspects of climbing. He finds inspiration from the struggle of a hard redpoint or the mental challenge of a dicey alpine lead.
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Josh Wharton View Josh's Profile

Josh Wharton

Although Josh loves all aspects of the sport, his primary passion is alpine climbing. He’s particularly proud of the climbs that require special effort from himself and his partners – be it a willingness to take big risks, train hard, or make some major sacrifice in life. He hopes to continue chasing climbing dreams that inspire him, from 10-foot boulders to 10,000-foot alpine routes.
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Kelly Cordes View Kelly's Profile

Kelly Cordes

Adhering to a life-long avoidance of full-time work, Kelly specializes in margaritas, maximizing outdoor time and climbing alpine-style routes. This minimalism influences his climbing, which includes the first ascent of the Azeem Ridge in “disaster style.” Professionally, a stint at Pizza Hut (flexible hours, free leftovers) led to years of shack dwelling, which, somehow, led to a living climbing and writing.
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Matt Helliker View Matt's Profile

Matt Helliker

Living in Chamonix, Matt has instant access to his favorite climbing area – the European Alps. He enjoys the variety of routes within easy travelling distance, and the good coffee shops in the valley. He’s drawn to alpinism because it takes him to unique places physically, mentally and geographically. Matt has climbed around the globe, completing numerous, cutting-edge first ascents.
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Zoe Hart View Zoe's Profile

Zoe Hart

Zoe is the fourth American woman to earn her International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations status, the highest level of credential available to professional mountain guides. When she’s not guiding or climbing in her backyard, Chamonix, France, Zoe’s on international expeditions or climbing trips throughout North America. Although Zoe considers herself a climbing “jack-of-all-trades,” alpine climbing is her passion.
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Katsutaka “Jumbo” Yokoyama View Katsutaka's Profile

Katsutaka “Jumbo” Yokoyama

Even after twenty years of climbing, Katsutaka still heads into the mountains with both excitement and anxiety. It’s the indescribable grandeur of nature that draws him to alpine routes. The bigger and harsher the mountain, the more insignificant he feels in such an environment. It reminds him of the emotions he felt on his first climb – a mixture of terror and euphoria!
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Marko Prezelj View Marko's Profile

Marko Prezelj

Within a month, Marko completed his chemical engineering study at the Ljubljana University, married his wife Katja and became a father. That whirlwind of events only confirmed what Marko had learned over the years as an alpine climber – his limits were all in his head. Marko feels drawn to mountains because the outcome of every day is a mystery.
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Kitty Calhoun View Kitty's Profile

Kitty Calhoun

Kitty first roped up in South Carolina at 18. She started ice climbing a year later, which led to winter ascents in the Rockies where her passion for alpine climbing began. While guiding for the American Alpine Institute, she climbed dozens of peaks in Peru, Bolivia, Alaska, Argentina, and Nepal. In recognition of her accomplishments, she received the American Alpine Club’s Underhill Award.
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Vince Anderson View Vince's Profile

Vince Anderson

Dedicated to the “whole-hearted” pursuit of alpinism, Vince Anderson splits his time between mountain guiding, rocking out to heavy metal and “mind-expanding” climbing experiences. Vince has climbed the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat and made the first ascent of routes on K7 West in Pakistan and the North Face of Mount Alberta. He dreams of climbing the West Face of K2 in alpine style.
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Barry Blanchard View Barry's Profile

Barry Blanchard

One of Patagonia’s first ambassadors and member of the R&D team, Canmore-based Barry Blanchard is aptly described as the “Bonatti of the Rockies.” Barry travels the globe in search of adventure on high alpine faces. His exploits include the first ascent of Infinite Patience on the Emperor Face of Mt. Robson, the first ascent of the North Pillar of North Twin, a first ascent on the north face of Les Droites.
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Mark Wilford View Mark's Profile

Mark Wilford

Mark is considered one of the most proficient and diverse alpinist/rock climbers around. With more than 30 years of experience, he’s accumulated a resume of bold rock ascents, alpine solos, Alaskan climbs and Himalayan expeditions. Among his notable climbs are the first American solo ascent of the Eiger North Face, a first ascent on Nameless Tower and first ascents in Alaska's Saint Elias Range.
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Dylan Johnson View Dylan's Profile

Dylan Johnson

Dylan believes his life is defined by a balancing act between the world of big mountains, running an architecture practice and maintaining a family life. Big, remote alpine faces keep him motivated and through his climbing he’s learned that pushing himself in the mountains translates to dealing with stressful situations in everyday life. He chooses to climb because climbing simply makes life better.
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Maxime Turgeon View Maxime's Profile

Maxime Turgeon

Canadian Maxime Turgeon grew up in the suburbs of Montreal. He discovered climbing in the gym first, and within a season had progressed from traditional rock routes to ice climbing. A taste of alpine climbing on the Wapta Traverse was enough to hook Maxime and a few seasons later he was climbing what he calls the best route of his life, Spice Factory on Mount Bradley.
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