DAVID PUJOL
IFMGA/UIAGM Certified Mountain Guide and National Snowboard coach (TDSS).
Born in Catalonia, Spain, but based in Chamonix Valley, France, sports and nature have always played a major role in David’s life.
The well-known Catalonian rock-climbing areas and the snowy peaks of the Pyrenees offered him a perfect playground to improve his climbing and skiing skills at an early age. Soon, ski mountaineering and freeride snowboarding inspired him, and that was the kick start to a career based on his passion. He started competing in international snowboard freeride circuits around the World, achieving a first place in the Rip Curl Heli Challenge in New Zealand.
His desire to find big mountain lines has allowed him to travel around the world and organise several snowboard expeditions to 8000m peaks. In 2000, he summited and descended from Mera peak (6500m) in Nepal. In 2002, he summited Shisha Pangma (8013m) in Tibet. In 2004, he snowboarded in Gasherbrum II (8060m), Pakistan. He couldn’t reach the summit, but he rode the technical part known as the “banana” for the first time. Many other snowboard expeditions followed these ones. He summited and rode down Chimborazo and Cotopaxi in Ecuador (2 times), Mt. Denali in Alaska (2 times) and many other peaks in the globe.
While looking for slopes, he has also climbed big walls like the Scottish route on Bagirathi III, India, SE face of the Lotus Flower Tower in the Circle of unclimbables, in Canada, El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite NP, USA, and many others in the Alps.
As a mountain guide, David loves to work as much as possible with the rope. Long climbs in the Alps like Peuterey Integral, Diables Ridge, Kufner Ridge, Traverse Royal of Mont Blanc, Dru traverse, etc. are his favourites.
Lately, he has returned to the big mountains, but this time as an experienced mountain guide. He got the chance to work with clients in different parts of the Himalayas and South America, Amadablam SE Ridge, Mera Peak, Island Peak, Himlung Himal (7126m) and Manaslu (8163m), where he and his client climbed without any supplementary oxygen.
He has been working as an expert for mountain guide trainings in Spain, preparing the new generation of mountain guides.
David is one of the Chamonixvertical founding guides. He loves his job and loves to share his passion for skiing and climbing.
He speaks Catalan, Spanish, English and French.