Steve House

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Steve House (born 1970) is an United States professional climber and mountain guide from La Grande, Oregon. He earned a B.S. in ecology from Evergreen State College in 1995. He has been a fully UIAGM certified guide since 1999, only the 7th AMGA guide to complete the certification. In the past Steve House has guided with the Exum Mountain Guides, the American Alpine Institute, and North Cascades Mountain Guides. He now guides independently and is based in Central Oregon, near Bend. His primary work is as an ambassador for the technical outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, where he works with both marketing and product design, development, and testing. He has been a Patagonia ambassador since 1997.

He is vocal in his support of "alpine style" climbs, which involve travelling quickly with little gear, and leaving no gear on the mountain. When, in 2004, the Russian team won the 14th Piolet d'Or for their ascent of the north face of Jannu, he criticized the team for using months to climb the face while setting up fixed ropes, and for leaving 77 ropes behind on the mountain.[1]

He is widely considered to be the most influential and accomplished alpinist of his generation. Reinhold Messner is reported to have said that Steve House is the best alpinist ever to come out of North America. (*This was in conversation with Michael Chessler of Chessler Books.)

[edit] Notable climbs

  • 2004 Southwest Face, K7, Charakusa Valley, Karakorum, Pakistan (second ascent of the mountain, first ascent of route) (VI 5.10a M6 A2 80 degrees, 2400m), solo. For this ascent he won the People's Award for the 14th Piolet d'Or.[2]
  • 2005 Central Pillar of the Rupal Face, (4100m, M5 X, 5.9, WI4), September 1-8, on Nanga Parbat in northern Pakistan with Vince Anderson. Completed in a little over a week (a very short period of time in comparison with many large alpine climbs), the climb won him and Anderson the Piolet d'Or. Steve House's account was published in Alpinist Magazine-Issue 16, in which he describes the ascent as the culmination of "years of a physical and psychological journey."
  • 2007 K7 West (6858m), Charakusa Valley, Karakorum, Pakistan FA of peak with Vince Anderson and Marko Prezelj.[3]


[edit] References and links

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]. 14th Piolet d'Or. URL accessed June 25 2006.
  2. ^ Hollenbaugh, Jeff (December 1, 2004). CHARAKUSA VALLEY. Alpinist. Alpinist Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
  3. ^ Bauer, Luke (September 4, 2007). PREZELJ, HOUSE, ANDERSON TICK K7 WEST. Alpinist. Alpinist Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-02-12.