This list of climbers and mountaineers is a list of people notable for the activities of mountaineering, rock climbing (including bouldering) and ice climbing.
A
Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi
- Vitaly Abalakov (1906–1992) Russia, climbed Lenin Peak (1934) and Khan Tengri (1936)
- Yevgeniy Abalakov (1907–1948) Russia, climbed Communism Peak (1933)
- Premlata Agarwal (born 1963) India, first Indian woman to complete all Seven Summits
- H. P. S. Ahluwalia (fl. 1965) India, climbed Mount Everest in 1965
- Pierre Allain (1904–2000) France, championed bouldering at Fontainebleau, and inventor of rubber rock-climbing shoes
- Christian Almer (1826–1898) Switzerland, numerous first ascents, including Eiger
- Ashraf Aman (born 1943) Pakistan, first Pakistani ascent of K2
- Luigi Amedeo, Duke of Abruzzi (1873–1933) Italy, first ascent of Mount Saint Elias of the Rwenzori Mountains
- Pat Ament (born 1946) US, rock climber and pioneer boulderer
- Melchior Anderegg (1827–1912) Switzerland, guide, with numerous first ascents, including new routes on Mont Blanc
- Conrad Anker (born 1963) US, discovered Mallory's body on Everest in 1999
- Tyler Armstrong (born 2004) US, in 2013, at age 9, the youngest to climb Aconcagua
- Melissa Arnot (born 1983) US, six ascents of Everest
- Bernd Arnold (born 1947) Germany, more than 900 first ascents in Saxon Switzerland
- Armando Aste (1926–2017) Italy, first Italian ascent of Eiger north face
- Peter Athans (born 1957) US, seven ascents of Mount Everest
- Peter Aufschnaiter (1899–1973) Austria, mountaineer and companion of Heinrich Harrer (as described in Seven Years in Tibet)
- Abdul Jabbar Bhatti, Pakistani mountaineer and the former military officer of the Pakistan Army[1]
S
Horace-Bénédict de Saussure
- Nazir Sabir Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan, first Pakistani to climb Mount Everest
- Hassan Sadpara (born 1963) Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan, starting as a high altitude porter, he climbed 5xPakistani 8000ers and Everest, without supplementary oxygen
- Mostafa Salameh (born 1970) Jordan, first Jordanian to summit Everest, and Seven Summits
- John Salathé (1900–1993) Switzerland/US, pioneering Yosemite National Park, inventor of modern piton
- Horace-Bénédict de Saussure (1740–1799) France, third ascent Mont Blanc (1787), funded first ascent
- Marcus Schmuck (1925–2005) Austria, first ascent Broad Peak, first ascent Skil Brum
- Peter Schoening (1927–2004) US, first ascent Gasherbrum I and Vinson Massif, saved five climbers on K2 (1953)[12]
- Doug Scott (1941-2020) UK, Seven Summits, first ascent Everest south-west face, Baintha Brakk (descent with broken ankles), Kangchenjunga, Nuptse
- Vittorio Sella (1859–1943) Italy, mountaineer and pioneer photographer
- Chris Sharma (born 1981) US, award-winning rock climber, second climber to redpoint 5.15c/9b+ (La Dura Dura), featured in several rock climbing movies
- John Sherman (born 1959) US, inventor of "V" grading system
- Apa Sherpa (born early 1960s) Nepal, record for most ascents of Everest (20 as of 2010)
- Pasang Lhamu Sherpa (1961–1993) Nepal, first Nepali woman to climb Everest, died during descent
- Pemba Doma Sherpa (1970–2007) Nepal, first Nepali female mountaineer to climb Everest north face, died on Lhotse
- Pemba Dorjie Sherpa Nepal, fastest ascent of Everest (2003)
- Eric Shipton (1907–1977) UK, first ascent Kamet, pioneered route across the Khumbu Glacier
- Ashima Shiraishi (born 2001) US, first female to climb V15 (Horizon, Mount Hiei, Japan)
- William Shockley (1910–1989) US, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, proponent of eugenics, first ascent Shockleys Ceiling in the Gunks (1953)
- Joe Simpson (born 1960) UK, survived a fall on Siula Grande, wrote Touching the Void
- Arunima Sinha India, first Indian amputee to climb Everest
- Todd Skinner (1958–2006) US, rock climber, first free ascent Salathe Wall, died on Leaning Tower
- Cecilie Skog (born 1974) Norway, first female to climb Seven Summits and both Poles, Everest and K2
- Laurie Skreslet (born 1949) Canada, first Canadian to summit Everest (1982)
- William Cecil Slingsby (1849–1929) UK, first ascent Store Skagastølstind (1876), pioneer of Norwegian mountaineering
- Marian Smoluchowski
- Frank Smythe (1900–1949) UK, first ascent Kamet (1931) with Shipton, R. Holdsworth and Lewa Sherpa, reached 8565m on Everest in 1933 without supplementary oxygen[13]
- Dermot Somers Ireland, climber, author and broadcaster[14]
- Carlos Soria Fontán (born 1939) Spain, the only mountaineer to have ascended nine mountains of more than 8,000 meters after turning 60 years old
- Jaahnavi Sriperambuduru (born 2001) India, first Youngest Upcoming Mountaineer to attempt Seven Summits, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro at age 12, Mount Elbrus at 13, and Mount Kosciuszko (includes Aussie 10 Peaks) at 14
- William Grant Stairs (1863–1892) Canada, first non-African to climb in the Ruwenzoris
- Allen Steck (born 1926) US, mountaineer and rock climber
- Ueli Steck (1976–2017) Switzerland, soloed Eiger north face in 2:22:50 hours (2015)
- Leslie Stephen (1832–1904) UK, author and alpinist, first ascent Schreckhorn, Monte Disgrazia, Zinalrothorn
- Fritz Steuri (1879–1950) Switzerland, skier and mountain guide; first ascent of Mittellegigrat (northeast ridge of Eiger) (1921)
- Edward Lisle Strutt (1874–1948) UK, deputy leader on 1922 Everest expedition, outspoken Alpine Journal editor, 1927–37
- Gottlieb Samuel Studer (1804–1890) Switzerland, first ascent Wildhorn (1843), founding member of Swiss Alpine Club
- Jan Alfred Szczepański
- Mieczysław Szczuka
- Satyarup Siddhanta (born 1983) India, climbed Mont Blanc, climbed 6 of the 7 summits, climbed Mt Everest on 21 May 2016
