Adrian Ballinger
Alpinist / Skier
Adrian Ballinger is a world class mountain athlete and business owner. As founder and head guide of the internationally acclaimed Alpenglow Expeditions, and the pioneer of Rapid Ascent™ expeditions, Adrian is held up as a thought leader in expedition innovation and responsible climbing practices.
Adrian is also a highly decorated alpinist and skier. He is the only American who has skied three 8,000 meter peaks, and in 2011 became the first person to summit three 8,000 meter peaks in only 3 weeks (Everest twice and Lhotse once). He has reached 17 summits of 8,000 meter peaks (including 8 summits of Mt. Everest), and in 2016 summited Everest without supplemental oxygen, as documented in the award-winning “Everest No Filter” social media program. 2019 brought another career milestone when he summited K2 without supplemental oxygen, a feat captured in the feature documentary “Breathtaking: K2”.
As an experienced and polished speaker, Adrian leans into the experience he's gathered in a long career filled with remarkable personal accomplishments, and from leading countless others through difficult climbing challenges. Adrian is uniquely qualified to speak to the qualities that a world-class adventurer needs to have, such as risk management and preparation when the stakes are a matter of life or death, and to translate those themes to a wide variety of audiences.
