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Bestard Test Team: Bruce Normand


Bruce Normand
Born at: Escocia 1966
Reside en: Suiza, EEUU, Himalaya
Expediciones extremas, escalada, alpinismo
Bruce, a Scottish Theoretical physicist living in Switzerland, started climbing when he was a graduate student at MIT. His motivation was always to get up higher and more challenging mountains, and weekends climbing rock and ice, or camping in the New England winter, were always training runs for bigger things. At first this meant the western US, and his first glaciated mountain was Mt Rainier. His first ``high'' mountains were the Mexican trio of Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl and Citlaltepetl (Orizaba), and this led quickly to his first expedition-sized mountain, Denali.

Since then Bruce has made countless weekend-sized trips in Japan, the Alps, the Western US, New Zealand, Africa and Patagonia (although getting to the last two is an expedition), and has compiled the following list of expeditions in the Greater Ranges:
  • 1992 Alaska: Mt.McKinley (West Rib)
  • 1993 Bolivia/Cordillera Real: Illimani (traverse), Ancohuma (traverse)
  • 1994 Peru/Cordillera Blanca: Artensonraju, Chopicalqui
  • 1995 Alaska: Mt. McKinley (Cassin)
  • 1995 Peru/Cordillera Blanca: Alpamayo (Canadian-Peruvian), Huandoy S,W,N (traverse), Chopicalqui (traverse)
  • 1995 Nepal/Kanjiroba Himal: Tso Karpo Kang (new route, S Face)
  • 1999 Pakistan/Karakoram: Shimshal Whitehorn (new route, E Face)
  • 1999 Nepal/Kangchenjunga Himal: P6456 (first ascent, NW Face)
  • 2003 Nepal/Khumbu Himal: P6162, Kangtega, Kyashar (first ascent, W Ridge), Mera West
  • 2005 Nepal/Rolwaling Himal: Ripimo Shar (new route, W Ridge), Drangnag Ri (new route, W Face), Chekigo (first ascent, W Face)
  • 2005 Pakistan/Karakoram: Tsetse (First ascent, S Ridge), P6345 (First ascent, SW couloir)
  • 2006 Pakistan/Karakoram: Nadin Sar (first ascent, NE Ridge), Caboom Sar (first ascent, E Ridge), Mamu Sar (first ascent, E Face)
  • 2006 Tibet/Loinbo Kangri: Chomogan (first ascent, E Ridge), Phola Kyung (first ascent, SE face), Gopalho (first ascent, E Face)
  • 2007 Pakistan/Karakoram: K2 (The Abruzzi Spur),
  • 2007 India/Himalaya: P6465 (first ascent, S Face)
  • 2007 Tibet/Nyanchentangla: P6008 (first ascent, W Face)

    • An increasing passion for first ascents and remote areas may be detectable in this list; where possible all ascents, even of technically demanding routes, are made in alpine style.

    Bruce is a member of the venerable Academic Alpine Club of Zurich (AACZ), and of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC).

    Fotos