Jake Norton Accepts Post as Bradford Washburn Museum Director

Jake Norton.

Western Hemisphere’s only major mountaineering museum now led by a notable climber

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum announced today that climber, photographer and explorer Jake Norton has been named Director. The museum is owned and operated by the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) and the American Alpine Club (AAC).

Norton is a professional climber, guide and photographer who has taken thousands of people up peaks ranging from Mount Rainier (88 ascents) to Mt. McKinley and Himalayan giants like Cho Oyu and Gurla Mandhata in Tibet. He has been on 5 Everest expeditions including the 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition, which discovered the 75 year-old remains of British pioneer climber George Leigh Mallory at 27,000 feet on Everest North Face. Artifacts from that expedition are now on display at the museum.

As a photographer Norton has worked for PBS/NOVA, BBC, Outdoor Life Network, and the Discovery Channel. His work has been published in countless books and magazines, including Vanity Fair, Outside, Forbes, and National Geographic Adventure. Jake’s photography is also featured in 2 books on the Mallory & Irvine Research Expeditions, Ghosts of Everest and Detectives on Everest.

Museum board member Tom Hornbein, who made the first ascent of the West Ridge of Everest in 1963, said, “In his energy, passion, charisma, and love of mountains, Jake brings to the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum the same sort of contagious enthusiasm and vision as Brad during his long tenure directing the Boston Museum of Science. We are blessed to have Jake at the helm.”

Jake makes his home in Golden, Colorado with his wife, Wende Valentine, and their daughter, Lila.

About the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum Opened in 2008 at 710 10th Street in Golden, Colorado, the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is devoted to the stories of mountains and mountaineers. The only museum of its type in the United States, the museum introduces visitors to the world of mountain and rock climbing and honors the achievements of mountaineers from America and around the world. Exhibits on climate change, science, mountain culture and the arts make the visitor experience exciting and interactive. www.bwamm.org

About The American Alpine Club

The American Alpine Club inspires and supports and the climbing community and protects its playgrounds around the world. The AAC is perhaps best know for publishing the world’s most sought after annual climbing publication, the American Alpine Journal, caring for the world’s leading mountaineering library and offering annual climbing, conservation and research grants to budding adventurers. Learn about additional programs and become a member at www.AmericanAlpineClub.org.

About the Colorado Mountain Club (www.cmc.org)The Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) is the oldest outdoor education, recreation, and conservation organization in Colorado. Founded in 1912, CMC reaches an annual constituency of over 40,000 citizens, including 5,600 youth, providing a comprehensive and diverse range of programs and activities. Programs revolve around education, conservation, science, history, policy, recreation, arts and culture.

CMC offers a wide range of opportunities for the public to explore, observe, and learn about the Southern Rockies, while simultaneously leading efforts to protect the species, habitats, and wildness of our public lands. CMC publishes a quarterly magazine, Trail & Timberline, and operates a book press with more than 20 current titles. No other organization in the Intermountain West has such a strong or broad-based approach connecting people and our Colorado landscape. www.cmc.org