Renan Öztürk facts for kids
Renan Öztürk (born April 7, 1980) is an amazing rock climber, mountaineer, artist, and filmmaker. He is famous for climbing a very tough route called the "Shark's Fin" on Meru Peak in the Himalayas. He did this in 2011 with his friends Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker. Their incredible journey was even made into a movie called Meru in 2015.
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Early Life and Learning
Renan Öztürk was born in Germany. When he was one year old, he moved to Rhode Island with his mother. As a child, he went to Hebrew school every week.
Renan went to Colby College and then transferred to Colorado College. He studied biology and finished college in 2003.
Renan's Climbing Adventures
After college, Renan traveled around the western United States. He climbed with other rock climbers. He spent winters in places like Indian Creek and Joshua Tree. In spring and fall, he climbed in Yosemite, and in summer, he was in Squamish, British Columbia.
First Big Climbs
In 2004, Renan was working on a film team. He decided to climb North Sixshooter Peak without ropes or safety gear. This is called free solo climbing. The film crew recorded his climb. It was included in a climbing movie called Return 2 Sender.
The Meru Peak Challenge
Renan's first try at the "Shark's Fin" route on Meru Peak was in 2008. He was with Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin. They spent 19 days climbing. They got very close to the top, but had to turn back. They were only 500 feet from the summit.
In 2011, Renan had a serious skiing accident in Jackson, Wyoming. He recovered very quickly. This amazing recovery allowed him to go back to Meru Peak. Later that same year, he completed the "Shark's Fin" climb. He was with Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin again. This was the first ascent of that route.
Exploring Mount Everest
In 2019, Renan joined Mark Synnott on an expedition to Mount Everest. They were looking for the body of a climber named Sandy Irvine. Renan led a film crew from National Geographic. They made a documentary about this trip called Lost on Everest.
Life Outside Climbing
Renan Öztürk is also an artist. He enjoys painting, often using materials he finds. He also became very interested in photography and making films.
Awards and Recognition
- 2011: He received the Golden Piton Award for 'Big Wall' climbing.
- 2013: National Geographic named him 'Adventurer of the Year'.
Amazing Climbs Renan Has Done
- 2011: He made the first ascent of the Shark’s Fin Route on Meru Peak in the Himalaya.
- 2012: He completed the first ascent of The Tooth Traverse (a very hard climb) across the Moose's Tooth Skyline in Denali National Park.
- He did a free ascent of Freerider on El Capitan.
- He made the first ascent of the SW Cat Ear Spire in the Trango Towers in the Himalaya.
- He completed the first ascent of The Beholder on the Eye Tooth, Ruth Gorge, in Denali National Park.
- He made the first ascent of the SW Buttress of Tawoche in the Khumbu Himalaya.
