Jim Bridwell (July 29, 1944 – February 16, 2018) was an American rock climber and mountaineer, active from 1965 in Yosemite Valley, but later in Patagonia and Alaska. He was noted for pushing the standards of both aid climbing and big wall climbing, and later alpine climbing. He wrote numerous articles on climbing and developed several important pieces of aid climbing equipment. Bridwell was an apprentice to Royal Robbins and Warren Harding, and later the unofficial leader of the Stonemasters.

Climbing career

Bridwell is credited with over 100 first ascents (FA) in Yosemite Valley, in addition to conducting the first one-day ascent of The Nose on El Capitan on May 26, 1975, with John Long and Billy Westbay. He founded Yosemite National Park's Search and Rescue Team (YOSAR), spearheading many rescues. He was a leading force in the evolving techniques of aid climbing and an innovator and inventor of widely used and copied aid climbing equipment, including copperheads and bird-beaks.

Personal life

Bridwell resided in Palm Desert, California, until his death on February 16, 2018, from complications of hepatitis C, which he had acquired while receiving a tattoo in Borneo during the 1980s.

Notable ascents

Publications