Andrew Alexander King

Discipline:  Alpine/Mountaineering, and making people and places better as I connect with them along my journey to climbing and exploring mountains around the world.

Hometown: Detroit Michigan

Currently Living: in Los Angeles during the off-season/conditioning season,
Lisbon Portugal, and Chamonix France for bouldering and alpine training season.

Career Highlights: 

When did you first start climbing? The early 20s with volcanoes and mountains, then found my true love which is alpine climbing which I have been focused on the last 5 years

What do you most enjoy about your sport? You can feel so small and yet impactful at the same time. I’m drawn to climbing beautiful mountains with beautiful lines such as Alpamayo and Ama Dablam and North faces in the Alps.

How do you define success? Success to me is not defined only by the athletic performance aspects of life, but by how one inspires and impacts others positively with one’s time here on Earth.

Climbing over 50 mountains and volcanoes means little if I’m the only one who has the opportunity and resources to do it and others are limited, based on a variety of other variables that I can help get out of their way so they can go further and higher than I did with my time here.

What are you most proud of, either in life, your sport or both? The ability to build bridges and explore communities and cultures with the athletic and intellectual abilities I was given to make sure others can climb and see the places have had the opportunity to see over my time here.

Who are your heroes? Honestly, any local guides that teach and help people reach new heights, that profession is unsung in this sport

Uncles: Conrad A, Phill H, and Kim M, 

Big brothers: Dom B and Eric F

Aunties: Kitty C, Melanie H, and Kaite M
Big sisters: Alex P and L. Renee

All inspire me to keep going

What inspires you? Knowing that as humans we are capable of pushing ourselves behind our limitations here and now to inspire generations to come to go higher and further than we could do today. Just have to have patience with ourselves as we explore the unknown inside and outside of ourselves.

What are your hobbies outside of your sport? Big Mountains are one side of my heart, the other side is big wave surfing, getting to live in Hawaii taught me the beauty of nature and how to connect the two so I can live and connect with others in this world peacefully.

What’s your guilty pleasure? Nutella biscuits 

What are your hidden talents? Speaking more than 3 languages

Tell us about your most favorite place in the world: When it comes to climbing it is Chamonix. The best decision was to commit to living there in the winter and spring months to train in the Alpine conditions.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A scientist to cure the world of AIDs and other harmful diseases. Organic chem and I did not bound to well in college.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be, and why?

Hang size so I can jam on trad climbs more, like I have a size 2 hand cam, so someday, it’s a tough go depending on where we go.

Tell us about a time in your life when you have been scared:

When I was doing my first solo route in the Alps, though I led it numerous times, I knew if something went wrong it would be on me, and the night before I had to be ok with that no matter what. After I accepted that this was my decision, one not inspired by external noise, I proceeded forward. What used to scare me years ago now is my warm-up for the day be it for ski or alpine practice for the day.

Describe your perfect day:

Open a new route with locals in the Himalayas, meditate at the summit, head down to see my family and friends, tell them about the journey, and write a poem about the route and mountain. Donate time to the locals and community with my time and what they need to show respect for letting me connect with the mountains that uphold and protect, before heading out to explore the next region.