Paul Ramsden (born 1969) is a British mountaineer and alpinist. He is internationally noted for his alpine climbing.[1][5][3] 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 and 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)".[3]
 Ramsden on the Troll Wall, 2004 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969 (age 54–55)[2] Yorkshire, England[3] |
| Education | University of Sheffield (1987-90, BSc) University of Birmingham (2011-12, MSc) |
| Occupation | Occupational hygienist[3][4] |
| Website | About Paul Ramsden |
| Climbing career | |
| Type of climber | |
| Known for |
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| First ascents |
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| Updated on 21 April 2024 | |
Climbing career
editRamsden 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).[1][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".[1]
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.[1][3]
Notable ascents and awards
edit- 2002 Northwest face of Siguniang (ED+, VII AI6 M6, 1,500m, Sichuan). FA with Mick Fowler; they won the 2003 Piolet d'Or, and the 2002 Golden Piton Award for this climb.[11][12]
- 2007 Northwest Ridge of Manamcho (TD, Scottish V, 700m, Tibet). FA with Mick Fowler; known as the Matterhorn of the Nyenchen Tanglha.[13]
- 2012 Northeast Buttress ("Prow") of Shiva (ED+, 700m, India) with Mick Fowler; they won the 2013 Piolet d'Or for this climb, their second.[11][16]
- 2013 Southwest Face of Kishtwar Kailash (ED, Scottish VI, 1,500m, India). FA with Fowler.[17][18]
- 2015 North Face of Gave Ding (ED+, 1,600m, Nepal). FA with Mick Fowler; they won the 2016 Piolet d'Or for this climb, which was their third.[11][21]
- 2016 North buttress of Nyainqentangla South East (1,600m, ED+) in Tibet. FA with Nick Bullock; they won the 2016 Piolet d'Or for this climb, which was Ramsden's fourth.[7][22][5]
- 2022 North face (Phantom Line) of the Jugal Spire (1,300m, ED, 5-days) in the Jugal Himal, Nepal. FA with Tim Miller; they won the 2023 Piolet d'Or for this climb, which was Ramsden's fifth.[3][8]
- 2023 North Face of Surma-Sarovar (6,574m), Salimor Khola Valley in the Gurans Himal with Tim Miller.[23][24][25]
Personal life
editLike 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'.[3][4]
Bibliography
edit- Ramsden, Paul (2023). "The Jugal Project: The First Ascent of a Striking Spire in Nepal". American Alpine Journal. 65 (97).
- Ramsden, Paul (2017). "The Wrong Valley: Climbing a Hidden Wall on a 7,000-Meter Peak in Tibet". American Alpine Journal. 59 (91): 10–18.
- Ramsden, Paul (2016). "Positive Vibes: The first ascent of Gave Ding in western Nepal". American Alpine Journal. 58 (90): 56–65.
- Ramsden, Paul (2015). "Hagshu, Northeast Face and Traverse". American Alpine Journal. 57 (89): 320–325.
- Ramsden, Paul (2014). "Kishtwar Kailash, Southwest Face". American Alpine Journal. 56 (88): 337.
See also
edit- Rick Allen (mountaineer), Scottish Piolet d'Or winner
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Virilli, Mathias; Vennin, Thomas (21 November 2023). "Paul Ramsden: "It's as if the Piolets d'Or were invented for me!"" [fr]. Montagnes Magazine (in French). Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ "2016 Piolet d'Or Awards. North Face of Gave Ding, 6571m (Nepal). Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden". Piolet d'Or. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Butterworth, Adam (24 November 2023). "The most decorated mountaineer ever (and why you've never heard of him)". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Meet the Team: Paul Ramsden". IntegralHSE. 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ a b Rodríguez, Dario (3 July 2017). "Paul Ramsden: "When you climb mountains too quickly you lose things"" [es]. Desnivel (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ Ripley, Tom (2 May 2018). "Perfect Partners #9 - Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden". UK Climbing. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d Sterling, Sarah (24 April 2017). "Piolet d'Or number four: Paul Ramsden interview". British Mountaineering Council. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b Laskin, Josh (29 November 2023). "Paul Ramsden and Tim Miller Go 8 Days on Unclimbed 6000-meter Peak". Climbing. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b Nestler, Stefan (17 December 2017). "Paul Ramsden: "Climbing style is everything"". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ Nestler, Stefan (10 November 2023). "Paul Ramsden after another first ascent of a six-thousander in Nepal: "Anything but alpine style is cheating"" [de]. Abenteuer Berg (in German). Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ a b c McDonald, Bernadette (2017). "Piolets d'Or: A Short History of the Golden Ice Axe". Himalayan Journal. 72. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ "Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden win 12th Piolet d'Or". PlanetMountain. 10 February 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "British Manamcho Expedition 2007". PlanetMountain. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Hobley, Nicholas (4 October 2010). "Sulamar North Face first ascent by Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden". PlanetMountain. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ McDonald, Dougald (6 November 2010). "Beautiful North Face Climbed in China by Fowler and Ramsden". Climbing. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ VanRoekel, Taylor (12 December 2012). "Brits Climb Prow of Shiva in Alpine Style". Alpinist. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ "Kishtwar Kailash: first ascent by Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden". PlanetMountain. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ Fowler, Mick (30 October 2013). "A Seven-Day FA in the Kishtwar Himalaya". Alpinist. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ Cameron, Gwen (3 November 2014). "Permit Fiasco Leads Two Teams to One Kishtwar Peak". Alpinist. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "Mick Fowler Climbs New Himalaya Route". Gripped Magazine. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden complete first ascent of Gave Ding in Nepal". PlanetMountain. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ Franz, Derek (21 October 2016). "British alpinists climb a virgin north face to 7000-meter summit in Tibet". Alpinist. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ Nestler, Stefan (10 November 2023). "Paul Ramsden after another first ascent of a six-thousander in Nepal: "Anything but alpine style is cheating"". Adventure Mountain. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Benavides, Angela (11 November 2023). "Ramsden and Miller Bag Major First Ascent in Remote Western Nepal » Explorersweb". Explorersweb. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Laskin, Josh (28 November 2023). "Paul Ramsden and Tim Miller Go 8 Days on Unclimbed 6000-meter Peak". Climbing. Retrieved 17 October 2024.