Renan Öztürk (born April 7, 1980) is a Turkish-American

rock climber Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in guidebooks, and ...

, free soloist,

mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...

, visual artist, and filmmaker. He is best known for climbing the Shark's Fin route on his second attempt to Meru Peak in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

with

Jimmy Chin Jimmy Chin (born October 12, 1973) is an American professional mountain athlete, photographer, skier, film director, and author. Chin has been a professional climber and skier on The North Face Athlete team for over 20 years. In 2006, Chin achi ...

and Conrad Anker in 2011, where he also suffered a minor stroke. The successful 2011 ascent of the Shark's Fin on Meru and a prior attempt in 2008 were detailed in the 2015 documentary film '' Meru''.

Early life and education

Öztürk was born in Germany to an American mother and a Turkish father. His parents divorced when he was one and he moved to

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

with his mother. Öztürk, whose maternal grandparents were Jewish, attended Hebrew school weekly as a child. Öztürk attended

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...

, then transferred to

Colorado College Colorado College is a private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory, the college offers over 40 majors a ...

after his sophomore year. He received a degree in biology in 2003.

Climbing career

After college, Öztürk traveled the western United States with other rock climbers, wintering in Indian Creek or

Joshua Tree ''Yucca brevifolia'' (also known as the Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca) is a plant species belonging to the genus '' Yucca''. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names. This monocotyledonous tre ...

, climbing in

Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...

during the spring and fall, and spending summers in

Squamish, British Columbia Squamish (; , ; 2021 census population 23,819) is a community and a district municipality in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the British Columbia Highway 99 ...

. In 2004, while working as a rigger on a film team in Indian Creek, Öztürk impulsively decided to

free solo Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...

North Sixshooter Peak. The crew filmed his ascent and included it in the climbing film, ''Return 2 Sender''. His first attempt at the ''Shark's Fin'' route of Meru Peak took place in 2008 with Anker and Chin. They spent 19 days on the climb but turned back 500 feet short of the summit. In 2011, Öztürk suffered a near-fatal skiing accident in

Jackson, Wyoming Jackson is a resort town in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 10,760 at the 2020 census, up from 9,577 in 2010. It is Teton County's only incorporated municipality and county seat, and it is the largest incorporated town ...

, from which he made a dramatic recovery that enabled him to complete the

first ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...

of the ''Shark's Fin'' on Meru Peak with Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin, that same year. In 2019, Öztürk accompanied Mark Synnott on an Everest expedition to search for Sandy Irvine's body. Öztürk led a documentary team from ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

'' to film the expedition for a documentary called ''Lost on Everest''.

Personal life

Öztürk painted, often using found materials for his artwork, became interested in photography and filmmaking.

Awards

* 2011 'Big Wall'. * 2013

'Adventurer of the Year'.

Notable ascents

* 2011:

First ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...

of the ''Shark’s Fin Route'' on Meru Peak in the Himalaya. * 2012:

of ''The Tooth Traverse'' (5.10R M5 A2+; 26,200 feet) across the Moose's Tooth Skyline,

Denali National Park Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is a United States national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali (federally designated as Mount McKinley), the highest mountain in Nor ...

. * Free ascent of '' Freerider'' , on

El Capitan El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...

. *

of the SW Cat Ear Spire, Trango Towers, in the Himalaya *

of ''The Beholder'' V, on the Eye Tooth, Ruth Gorge,

. *

of the SW Buttress of Tawoche, Khumbu Himalaya.

References

External links

* *
National Geographic profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozturk, Renan 1980 births Living people American mountain climbers American rock climbers American people of Turkish descent Colorado College alumni Free soloists