List of Climbers and Mountaineers

John Bachar (1957–2009) USA. Noted for climbs in Yosemite National Park and free soloing.
John Ball (1818–1889) Ireland. Naturalist and climber, Alps guidebooks author. First president of Alpine Club in 1857.
Jacques Balmat (1762–1834) Duchy of Savoy. Chamonix-based guide. First ascent Mont Blanc (1786).
George Band (1929–2011) UK. Everest Expedition (1953), first ascent Kanchenjunga (1955).
Henry Barber (born 1953) USA. Leading US rock climber in 1970s.
Lilliane and Maurice Barrard (1948–1986 and 1941?–1986 respectively) France. Gasherbrum II (1982), Nanga Parbat (1984) (first female ascent). Both killed on K2.
Charles Barrington (born ?) UK. First ascent Eiger (1858).
Richard Bass (born 1929) USA. Businessman and amateur mountaineer, first to complete Seven Summits (1985).
Robert Hicks Bates (1911–2007) USA. First ascent Mount Lucania (1937). On US attempts on K2 (1938 and 1953).
Mark Beaufoy (1764–1827) UK. Fourth ascent Mont Blanc (1787).
Fred Beckey (Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey) (born 1923) Germany/USA. Many first ascents in US and Canada.
Bentley Beetham (1886–1963) UK. On 1924 Everest expedition; pioneer of Borrowdale (Lake District) rock climbing.
George Irving Bell (1926–2000) USA. Physicist, biologist and mountaineer. First ascent Masherbrum (1960). Rescued on K2 (1953).
Gertrude Bell (1868–1926) UK. Many ascents in Alps and further afield.
Josune Bereziartu (born 1972) Basque (Spain). Rock climber; First female climber in grade 9a/5.14d.
Didier Berthod (born ?) Switzerland. Featured in First Ascent.
Isabella Bird (1831–1904) UK. Traveller, writer and natural historian.
Barry Blanchard (born 1959) Canada. Mountain guide; first ascents in the Saint Elias range of Alaska.
Smoke Blanchard (1915–1989) USA. Developed Buttermilk bouldering area.
Karl Blodig (1859–1956) Austria. Mountaineer, optician and journalist; first to climb all 4,000 metres peaks in the Alps.
Arlene Blum (born 1945) USA. First US female attempt on Everest.
Peter Boardman (1950–1982) UK. Everest 1975, Changabang West Wall 1976, Kanchenjunga 1979. Died on Everest with Joe Tasker.
Jean-Marc Boivin (1951–1990) France. Exponent of extreme ascents and descents.
Walter Bonatti (1930–2011) Italy. Mountaineer and writer. Solo new routes on Aiguille du Dru and Matterhorn.
Sir Chris Bonington (born 1934) UK. First ascent Central Pillar of Freney (1961), Annapurna II (1960), Nuptse (1961), Central Tower of Paine (1962–3). Ascent of Everest (1985).
Thomas George Bonney (1833–1923) UK. Geologist and mountaineer. President of Alpine Club.
Alastair Borthwick (1913–2003) Scotland. Climber and author of Always a Little Further.
Christine Boskoff (1967–2006) USA. 6 8,000m summits, including Everest twice. Died on Genyen Peak.
Anatoli Boukreev (1958–1997) Russia. Climbed 7 of 8,000m peaks without supplemental oxygen. Died on Annapurna 1997.
Tom Bourdillon (1924–1956) UK. Reconnaissance of Everest (1951), Cho Oyu (1952), British Everest expeditions (1952 and 1953), South Summit of Everest (1953).
Stipe Božić (born 1951) FPR Yugoslavia. Completed Seven Summits. Second European to climb Everest twice.
David Breashears (born 1956) USA. Everest twice. Directed IMAX film Everest.
Meta Brevoort (1825–1876) USA. Alpinist of Victorian period. Aunt of W. A. B. Coolidge.
Russell Brice (born 1952) New Zealand. Record for fastest single solo ascent without oxygen of Cho Oyu and Ama Dablam.
Jim Bridwell (born 1944) USA. Rock climber. First one-day ascent of Nose of El Capitan in 1975.
David Brower (1912–2000) USA. Executive Director Sierra Club and Yosemite climber.
Joe Brown (born 1930) UK. Rock climber. First ascent Aiguille de Blaitière west face, Kanchenjunga (1955), Mustagh Tower.
Katie Brown (born 1981), American who, at age 14, won 1995 X Games and climbing Junior World Cup; wrote Girl on the Rocks: A Woman's Guide to Climbing with Strength, Grace and Courage.
Jean Buridan (c. 1300–1358) France. Climbed Mont Ventoux for the view, before Petrarch.
Hermann Buhl (1924–1957) Austria. First ascent Nanga Parbat (1953) and Broad Peak (1957). Died on Chogolisa.
Alexander Burgener (1845–1910) Switzerland. First ascent Matterhorn Zmuttgrat, Grands Charmoz, Aiguille du Grépon, Lenzspitze, Grand Dru.