Jimmy Chin, born October 12, 1973, is a renowned American professional climber, mountaineer, skier, director, and photographer, whose impressive career has taken him to various parts of the world, including China, Pakistan, Nepal, Tanzania, Chad, Mali, South Africa, Borneo, India, and Argentina.
Throughout his illustrious career, Jimmy has organized and led numerous expeditions, including climbing and skiing Mount Everest from its summit, making first ascents of big walls and alpine towers in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan and the Garwhal Himalayas of Northern India, and crossing the Chang Tang Plateau in north-western Tibet on foot.
Jimmy's remarkable achievements have been extensively featured in various publications, such as National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Outside magazine, and others. In 2019, he was honored with the National Geographic "Photographer's Photographer Award" by his peers, a testament to his exceptional talent.
Jimmy's first book of photography, There and Back, which documents his remarkable career in the mountains, became a New York Times Best Seller in 2021. He co-directs with his wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, and together they have directed two critically acclaimed documentaries: Meru and Free Solo.
Meru, which won numerous awards, including the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was shortlisted for an Academy Award, is a testament to Jimmy's skill as a director. Free Solo, on the other hand, won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, a BAFTA, and seven Primetime Emmys, and holds the record for the highest-grossing opening weekend in history for a documentary.
Jimmy Chin's remarkable career is a testament to his unwavering passion for adventure, exploration, and storytelling.
