John Biggar (mountaineer)
{{Short description|Scottish mountaineer, guide and explorer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = John Biggar
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1964}}
| birth_place = St. Bees, United Kingdom
| nationality = Scottish
| alma_mater = University of Edinburgh
| occupation = Mountaineer
| years_active =
| spouse =
| children =
| website =
}}
John Biggar (born 1964) is a Scottish mountaineer, high altitude mountain guide and explorer, mainly active in the Andes. From 1995 to the present day he has made a number of first ascents in the Andes. He discovered the Inca ruins{{cite web |url=http://www.thebmc.co.uk/british-climber-discovers-high-altitude-inca-ruins|title=British Climber Discovers High Altitude Inca Ruins|website=TheBMC |access-date=2021-01-26}} on the summit of Alto Toroni, a 5995m high peak on the frontier between Chile and Bolivia and was first to realise that a small lake on Ojos del Salado was the world's highest lake.{{cite web |url=http://www.andes.org.uk/peak-info-6000/ojos-del-salado-info.asp|title=Ojos del Salado|website=Andes Website |access-date=2021-01-26}}
As of 2020, Biggar has climbed 54 major and 17 less prominent peaks of over 6000 m in the Andes, the second highest total of anyone, after Maximo Kausch.
Andean 6000m peak list
Biggar was the first to compile a regularised and comprehensive list of the 6000 m high peaks of the Andes, using a fixed prominence cut-off. His list, first published in November 1996,{{cite book |last=Biggar |first=John |title=The High Andes |date=1996 |publisher=Menasha Ridge Press |isbn=1-871890-38-1|edition=1st}} was compiled using IGM mapping. Originally there were 99 peaks on the list. Subsequent revisions using satellite topography data such as that provided by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, have resulted in a list of 100 peaks in the 4th edition.{{cite book |title=Alpine Journal |page=394 |date=2015 |editor=Susan Jensen & Ed Douglas |publisher=The Alpine Club |isbn=978-0-9569309-4-1}}
First ascents
Biggar has made first ascents in the Andes of six 6000m+ peaks and ten 5000 m+ peaks. These ascents have been in several different ranges, including a 2005 expedition to the Cordillera Carabaya of Peru,{{cite book |title=American Alpine Journal |page=252 |date=2006 |editor=John Harlin III |publisher=The American Alpine Club |isbn=1-933056-01-0}} a January 2010 ascent of Medusa Northeast{{cite web |url=http://www.thebmc.co.uk/british-climb-south-american-virgin|title=British Climb South American Virgin|website=TheBMC |access-date=2021-01-26}} and a November 2011 expedition to the Cordon de los Pioneros in Argentina{{cite book |title=American Alpine Journal |page=176 |date=2012 |editor=John Harlin III |publisher=The American Alpine Club |isbn=978-1-933056-75-3}}
Other ascents
Climbing Mercedario in January 2004, Biggar became the second person, after Dario Bracali{{cite book|title=6500+|first=Dario|last=Bracali|date=2012|publisher=Ediciones Vertical|isbn=978-987-33-2417-8}} to have climbed the ten highest peaks in the Andes.{{cite web|url=http://www.estiloandino.com/andes-top-10|title=Andes Top 10|website=estiloandino|accessdate=2021-08-14}} In February 2007 with an ascent of Incahuasi he became the second person to have climbed the worlds ten highest volcanoes, again after Dario Bracali.
In December 2015 Biggar organised an international expedition that was the first for over 20 years to climb Pico Cristobal Colon, the highest peak in Colombia.{{cite web |url=http://ii.uib.no/~petter/mountains/5000mtn/Cristobal/Trip-report.html|title=Cristobal Colon|website=Petter Bjorstad |access-date=2020-07-14}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Biggar, John}}
Category:Scottish mountain climbers