Chris Warner is the founder of and director of Earth Treks,
Inc, which operates three full service climbing centers specializing in rock
and ice climbing instruction and international mountaineering expeditions. An
American Mountain Guides Association certified Alpine Guide, Chris has been
teaching climbing since 1983. In addition to helping thousands learn the basics
of the sport, he has guided throughout the United States, the Alps, Africa, the
Andes of Peru, Ecuador and Argentina, and the Himalayas of Nepal and Tibet
(including Everest).
Climbing internationally since 1987, Chris has summited over one hundred times
on peaks over 19,000 feet. He has been the leader of several private
expeditions to the Himalaya and Karakorum. In the fall of 1989, his small party
of three climbers succeeded in climbing a difficult new route (S. E. Ridge to
E. Face) on Shivling (21,543 ft.), in the Gangotri region of India. Their epic,
seven day, alpine style ascent was chronicled in his article, A Close Shave
on Shivling, featured in the April 1991 edition of Climbing. In the winter
of 1990, Chris and a partner forged a new route, alpine style, on the West Face
of Ama Dablam (22,494 ft.). It took the team three and a half days and sixty
roped pitches to climb the 5000 foot face. Mountain Magazine called this climb
the hardest accomplished that season in the Himalaya. In the post monsoon
season of 1999, Chris and his partner summited on Cho Oyu(26,902 ft./ 8,201
m.) Following that climb, they headed to Shishapangma (8,037m.), where they
chose to abandon their climb due to high avalanche dangers. In the Spring of
2000, Chris guided an international expedition to the North Ridge of Everest.
They were forced to retreat after two summit bids were ended by blizzard
conditions. In 2001, he successfully guided Everest’s North Ridge, on an
expedition in which 14 people reached the summit. His rescue of other climbers
on Everest was featured in the September 2001 issue of National Geographic
Adventure. Later that year, he returned to Tibet and climbed Mt. Shishapangma
(8,037 m.) via the South Face. His 34 hour ascent and descent of this technical
7000 foot tall face was the first time an American has completely soloed an
8000 meter peak. In 2002, as the armies of Pakistan and India gathered on the
borders, Chris traveled to the Karakorum Range and attempted to climb both K2
and Broad Peak. Bad weather, extreme avalanche dangers and tragic accidents
brought an unsuccessful conclusion to that expedition.
In 2003 Chris guided a team of 5 climbers on the North Ridge
of Everest for the Outdoor Life Network’s “Global Extremes” program. This
reality TV show aired from early January until early June, 2003. In addition to
OLN-TV, the program aired as a prime time special on ABC-TV. Chris’ summit bid
ended when he was hit by a falling oxygen cylinder, as he was rescuing a group
of climbers at 27,400 ft.
In 2004 Chris returned to
the Himalaya, soloing Mt. Lhotse (27, 939 ft), the fourth highest peak in the
world. From Nepal he traveled by himself to Pakistan’s Mt. Nanga Parbat (26,658
ft.). As a storm swept over the summit, he turned back within 300 feet of the
top, suffering from frostbitten feet, but happy to be alive.
In 2005, Chris returned to Pakistan with a partner, hoping
to reach the summits of K2 (28,250 ft) and Broad Peak (26,400 ft.). On Broad
Peak they spent a long night in an open bivouac at 26,000 feet and were stopped
by high winds and an approaching storm while pushing towards the summit. On K2,
a blizzard dropping three feet of snow, with winds blowing to 70 mph turned
ended their summit bid at 23,200 ft.
In 2007, Chris lead the successful Shared Summits Expedition
to K2, reaching the summit on July 20th. The team filmed their
expedition for an NBC special.
Tales of his climbs have been published in Climbing, National Geographic
Adventure, Sports Focus, Sports Illustrated, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington
Post, The American Alpine Journal, Mounteverest.net, and dozens of other
publications and websites. Profiles of Chris and Earth Treks have appeared on
Bloomberg Business News, CNBC, National Geographic TV and the Baltimore and
Washington news programs. Chris has starred on numerous adventure based television programs on the following networks: NBC, ABC, The
History Channel and OLN-TV. Chris is a regular guest on DC101’s Elliot in
the Morning Show, calling in from Tibet or Pakistan while on expeditions.
Chris has also shared his adventures with thousands of
people, at more than 200 multi-media presentations. He has been the featured
speaker for dozens of corporate groups and business schools including: Aegon,
Monumental Life, Charles Schwabb, Raymond James Financial Services, Northrup
Grumman, The Allegis Group, Deutsche Bank, The National Defense University, The University of Colorado, Loyola
University's Executive MBA Program, University of Maryland’s MBA Program,
Wharton Business School, and Johns Hopkins University. He has also contributed
to Upward Bound, a book by entrepreneurs and climbers that explores the
lessons learned in climbing that can be applied to operating a business. (Other
contributors include: Royal Robbins, Jim Collins, Al Read and Stacey Allison.
The book was published by Crown Business a division of Random House in Sept.
2003.) [ Upward Bound excerpt/Smart CEO article reprint ]
In 1989 Chris founded Earth Treks, Inc. and established it in the Washington DC
area in 1990. Earth Treks has grown dramatically under his guidance. The
climbing school teaches over 19,000 people to climb each year. Earth Treks' mountaineering and climbing guide service has lead over 130 skill development expeditions since 1992. Over
70 of these trips have been to the Andes of Ecuador, Peru and Argentina. Earth Treks is closely partnered with the
Wharton Leadership Ventures Program, guiding leadership development expeditions
for MBA students on peaks in Russia, Africa and Ecuador.
In 1997 Earth Treks opened its first of three indoor climbing centers. Located
in Columbia, Timonium and Rockville Maryland, the gyms serve over 200,000
visitors each year.
Based on Earth Treks success, in 1999 Chris was chosen by
The Baltimore Business Journal as one of the Top Forty Under Forty business
leaders in the region. In 2005, he was named one of “Twenty Five Business
Leaders We Admire” by SmartCEO magazine. Along the way, Earth Treks has won
awards from Inc Magazine and many community groups and praise from politicians,
industry peers and educators.
Selected Expeditions: Grand Teton ('83 & ‘03), Sacajawea, Fremont
and N. Twin; Wind Rivers (winter '86), Toclaraju, Ishinca, Ranrapalca,
Artesonraju, Alpamayo, Caraz, Pisco, Chopicalqui, Urus; Cordillera Blanca, Peru
('87, '88, '95-'99), Shivling (new route); India ('89), Tharpu Chuli; Nepal
('89), Mt. Cook Grand Traverse; New Zealand ('90), Ama Dablam (new route) &
Island Pk.; Nepal ('90), Yala Peak; Nepal ('97), Antisana, Cayambe, Cotopaxi,
Chimborazo, Illiniza N. & S.; Ecuador ('92-‘07), Aconcagua; Argentina ('94,
'96, '98, ’02, ’03 , ‘05 &’07 ), Mt. Blanc, Matterhorn, Argentiere, Ag. du
Tour, Briethorn, Monch; the Alps ('93-'98 & ’06); Cho Oyu, Tibet ('99) Mt.
Everest: North Ridge, Tibet (’00,’01& ‘03), Shishapangma: South Face, Tibet
(’99 & ’01), K2 and Broad Peak; Pakistan (’02, ’05 & ‘07), Lhotse;
Nepal (’04), Nanga Parbat; Pakistan (’04 & '08) and Kilimanjaro; Africa (’05, ’06, '07 & '08).
Ask Chris to Speak to your Group
