Gabriel Barral
Gabriel was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, far from the high peaks of the Andes Range. He discovered a passion for the mountains during a hiking trip that was part of an outdoor course he took in college. After graduating with a degree in physical education, Gabriel taught PE and spent his free time traveling, climbing, and taking rock and ice climbing courses.
In 2000 he moved to the city of Mendoza to be closer to the Argentinian Andes and to attend the mountain guide school where he earned his certification. Gabriel has become a Mt. Aconcagua specialist having led multiple expeditions on the mountain every year since 2004. He has also led groups in Patagonia, and in the past few years he has spent time in the off-season doing alpine climbing in Argentina and Peru. He moved to the USA in 2006 and joined RMI in 2007. He currently resides in Tacoma, Washington.
Climbing Resume
- 45+ summits of Mount Rainier via 2 routes
- 1 Summit of Denali (20,320 feet)
- 21 summits of Mt. Aconcagua (22,841 feet), via different routes, Second best Argentinian time from Base Camp to the top in 6h 20min
- First ascent of "Pico El Fede" or "El Fede's Peak", (17,150 feet) in the Andes Mountains
- Peru, Cordillera Blanca: summitted Chopicalqui, Artesonraju, Cashan Este, and Vallunaraju
- Argentinian Andes: summitted Torre del Tango (2nd absolute ascent, by new route), Trata (4th absolute ascent, by new route), Ameghino, Catedral, Ibañez, Agustin Alvarez, Vallecitos, and Bonete
Certifications
- Wilderness First Responder
- Mountain Guide (EPGAMT�Mendoza, Argentina)
- Avalanche Level II
- Leave No Trace Trainer