Paul Ramsden (climber)
British mountain climber / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Ramsden (born 1969) is a British mountaineer and alpinist. He is internationally noted for his alpine climbing.[4][5][2] Ramsden was awarded the Piolet d'Or five times for alpine-style first ascents of extreme high-altitude routes in the Himalayas:[6] 2003, 2013 & 2016 with Mick Fowler (they were the first British winners of the award).[7] 2017 with Nick Bullock, and in 2023 with Tim Miller.[8] Ramsden is notably media and publicity-shy (no social media presence and minimal sponsors),[7][9] and in 2023 was described by the Financial Times as "The most decorated mountaineer ever (and why you’ve never heard of him)".[2]
Personal information | |
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Born | 1969 (age 54–55)[1] Yorkshire, England[2] |
Education | University of Sheffield (1987-90, BSc) University of Birmingham (2011-12, MSc) |
Occupation | Occupational hygienist[2][3] |
Website | About Paul Ramsden |
Climbing career | |
Type of climber | |
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First ascents |
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Updated on 21 April 2024. |
Ramsden is a strong advocate of lightweight 'alpine style' climbing and rejects the use of fixed ropes or other expedition climbing supports (e.g. oxygen or porters).[4][9] In 2023, he said: ".. I am an alpinist and would never consider climbing in another way. If I couldn't climb alpine style, then I would stop climbing. It's the only ethical way to climb big mountains, and to be honest any other way is simply cheating."[10] Ramsden feels the Piolet awards suit the British style of climbing,[7] saying: "Small teams, exploration, alpine style... that's exactly what the Piolets d'Or aim to promote, and that's how we learn to climb".[4]
Ramsden attributes his longevity in the notably dangerous world of high-altitude extreme alpine climbing to experiencing the deaths of climbing partners at a younger age—particularly one when he was 17.[4][2]
Like his long-term climbing partner Mick Fowler, Ramsden is not a professional climber and is self-employed as a full-time occupational hygienist through his service company, 'Integral HSE'.[2][3]