as of October 2014
Climbing Resume
300 summits of Mount Rainier (14,410′)
21 expeditions on Mount McKinley (20,320′)
1 expedition on Mount Hunter (14,235′)
5 expeditions to Everest (29,035′) (Summit on the most successful Everest Expedition in History)
Kangchenjunga (28,208′) fifth American to summit the third highest peak in the world
Cho Oyu (27,766′). Lead guide for 100% successful expedition via the Tibet side.
Dhaulagiri (26,795′). Group reached 25,300′
4 successful guided climbs of Kilimanjaro, Africa
15 expeditions on Aconcagua, Argentina (22,835′)
13 climbs of Cotopaxi (19,348′)
13 climbs of Chimborazo (20,701′)
Guided 6 climbs of Popcateptl, Mexico (17,800′). Has been closed over 15 years due to volcanic eruptions
Guided 22 climbs of Pico de Orizaba, Mexico (18,700″)
Guided 17 climbs of Ixtaccihuatl, Mexico (17,342′)
Guided 6 climbs of Illimani, Bolivia (21,003′)
Guided 8 climbs of Huayna Potosi, Bolivia (19,975′)
Westface of Jahntugan, Russia (14,728): First American ascent with Ed Viesturs.
Guided 2 climbs of Mt. Elbrus, Russia (18,501′)
Italian side of the Matterhorn
Certifications
Wilderness First Responder
U.S. Avalanche Level II
Leave No Trace Trainer
The term “seasoned mountain guide” often conjures up an image of a tough and temperamental veteran of altitude who has seen it all and lived to tell about it. But anyone who has ever been a client of Robert Link knows that there exists another kind of guide who, besides an unyielding concern for safety, is generous with encouragement and whose interests go much further than simply how many clients have reached the summit this year or that. Soft-spoken and genuine to a fault, Robert is known for his dedication to helping clients achieve their goals. Central to his philosophy is the idea that a guide can be much more than just a guide; he or she can also be a teacher and a friend.
Robert began his climbing career at age seven when he climbed Mount Adams with his father. Since that time he has summited Mount Rainier over 300 times and climbed extensively throughout the world, leading numerous successful expeditions in Nepal, Tibet, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Antarctica, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Italy and Alaska, to name a few. His climbing resume lists dozens of successful ascents on such high-altitude giants as North America’s McKinley and Orizaba, South America’s Aconcagua, Chimborazo, Illimani and Cotopaxi, and the Himalaya’s Kanchenjunga, Cho Oyu and Everest.
In 1989, he was the fifth American to summit the North Face of Kanchenjunga one of the sacred summits and the third highest in the world . He summited the North Col Route on Everest in 1990 with climbers from China and Russia as part of the International Peace Climb the most successful Everest expedition to date it still stands in the Guinness Book. He lacks just one peak (Carstensz Pyramid or Kosciuszko, depending on who you ask) to achieve success reaching the highest summits on each of the seven continents.
Robert is known for his skills as a professional guide, combining a knack for teaching mountaineering techniques with a thorough, logical approach to safe guiding. People who have been on trips with him have remarked on his calmness under pressure, his love for cultural history, his ability to forge group solidarity and his genuine enthusiasm for seeing his clients realize their goals. Robert likes nothing better than to put his experience and knowledge at the service of those who share his passion for the mountains.
Robert lives in Bend, Oregon.