Rick Ridgeway

Rick Ridgeway (born August 12, 1949) is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker,^{[1][citation needed]} author, photographer and environmentalist, of outdoor adventure related projects from Ojai, California. Ridgeway has achieved many adventures in his life including being a member of the first American team to summit K2.^[2] His international reputation as one of the world’s foremost mountaineers and adventurers prompted Rolling Stone magazine to call him “the real Indiana Jones.^{[1][citation needed]} Ridgeway has also been honored with National Geographic’s “Lifetime Achievement in Adventure” award.^{[1][citation needed]}

Environmentalism

Ridgeway is active in many environmental issues and sustainability initiatives including the "Freedom to Roam" initiative, which he started as an effort to create wildlife corridors so many of the planet's animals can move around in their ancient migration patterns that have been cut off due to human development. "If they can't do that(roam),"Ridgeway said, "many of them aren't going to make it through to the next century.^[3]"

Currently Ridgeway is Patagonia’s Vice President of Environmental Initiatives and Special Media Projects. In this position he promotes the company's environmental initiatives. Ridgeway also manages Patagonia Productions, the company’s division that publishes books and produces films.^[4]

Before joining Patagonia, he was owner and President of Adventure Photo & Film, one of the world’s leading outdoor stock photo and film agencies, which he has since sold. Ridgeway, has also been honored with National Geographic’s “Lifetime Achievement in Adventure” award.^{[1][citation needed]}

Notable Mountaineering Ascents

• 1978 Northeast Ridge/East Face and Abruzzi Ridge K2, Pakistan. New route and third ascent of peak. Summit reached by Louis Reichardt and Jim Wickwire on September 6, 1978; Roskelley and Rick Ridgeway reached the summit the next day.^[5]

Media

Ridgeway is well-known for his books, essays, photographs and films. He has produced and directed over 30 adventure shows for television. His articles have appeared in Outside, National Geographic Magazine, Readers digest and many other magazines and journals.^[4]

He is the author of many books, including the highly acclaimed Seven Summits, The Shadow of Kilimanjaro and Below Another Sky.^[4]

Bibliography

• Bass, Dick; Frank Wells, Rick Ridgeway. Seven Summits, New York: Warner Books, 1986.

• Carmichael, Stephen; Susan Stoddard, Rick Ridgeway, Neville Shulman. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Medi-ed Press, 1999.

• Ridgeway, Rick. Boldest Dream: Story of Twelve Who Climbed Mount Everest. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1979.

• Ridgeway, Rick. The Last Step: The American Ascent of K2. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 1980.

• Ridgeway, Rick. The Shadow of Kilimanjaro. New York: Holt Paperbacks, 1998.

• Ridgeway, Rick. Below Another Sky: A Mountain Adventure in Search of a Lost Father. New York: Holt Paperbacks, 1998.

• Ridgeway, Rick. Big Open: On Foot Across Tibert's Chang Tang. National Geographic, 2005.

References