Andrew Brash is a Calgary climber and teacher who has been chasing his climbing dreams for over 20 years in many of the most impressive mountain environments in the world, including Tibet, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Alaska, Chile and Nepal.
In May of 2006, Andrew and his teammates made international headlines when they stopped 200 metres from the summit of Mt. Everest to assist Australian climber Lincoln Hall, his team found Hall laying in the snow, nearly dead. Hall had been declared dead by his own team and left for dead, spending the night alone in the death zone on the mountain above 8,600m. Hall was descending from the summit the previous day when he began to suffer from altitude sickness. Hall’s partners declared him dead and continued without him. It’s reported that over 40 other climbers descended without helping. His family was informed of his death by satellite phone. Twelve hours after being declared dead, Brash and his team found Hall on their way to the summit. With limited oxygen supplies, Brash and his team helped Hall down the mountain. Thankfully Lincoln was able to survive, but Andrew’s summit ambitions had to wait. He was recently awarded an honorary degree from the University of Calgary for being part of the rescue team that saved Australian climber Lincoln Hall’s life.
In the spring of 2008, Brash returned to Everest, this time forced to the Nepali side of the mountain after Chinese officials closed access to Tibet, fearing Olympic protests on the mountain, sending his return expedition into turmoil, proving that adventure on Everest is not quite dead yet.
More than one climber has commented that Andrew Brash has one of the most interesting climbing resumes in Canada. Through his years of expeditioning, Andrew has had numerous articles and photographs published in The Canadian Alpine Journal, The American Alpine Journal, Climbing Magazine, On the Edge Magazine, High Mountain Sports, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Explore Magazine and was profiled in Gripped Magazine.