Julian W M Wright

julian@africanascents.com

What’s app me on: +254711735100

Company Director, Professional mountaineer, Lead Guide/ Field Expert

Date of Birth: 25 November 1988

Julian Wright is a highly experienced safari guide, rock climber and mountaineer. This passion began at the early age of 14 and has resulted in the creation of his own company, African Ascents Ltd.

Julian’s Climbing career was nurtured from an early age whilst at school in South Africa. The four years of school comprised daily climbing trips to the local crag and weekend trips to some of the Eastern Cape’s finest rock climbing sites and wilderness areas.

Mentored and trained by well-known South African climber Keith James, Julian was inspired to take on Kenya’s ultimate challenge, Mt Kenya’s highest peak, point Batian 5199m. Returning back to Kenya after graduating from Kingswood College, at the age of 17, Julian proceeded straight up the mountain with a good friend and mentor James Kagembi. They summited Mt Kenya’s second highest peak, point Nelion 5188m, in four hours.

Prior to setting up African Ascents Ltd, Julian guided both trekking and technical climbing on Mt Kenya and Kilimanjaro as a freelance guide for Tropical Ice, Rift Valley Adventures and Savage Wilderness.

As well as his mountain and safari guiding experience in East Africa, Julian also has mountain guiding experience in South Africa around Table Mountain and the Sneuberg Mountains, as well as safari guiding experience in several game parks in the north eastern part of South Africa.

Since the creation of African Ascents in 2012 Julian has guided countless clients up Mt Kenya’s technical alpine summits of Nelion and Batian, via both the South East Ridge and North Face routes. Julian also continues to guide trekking trips on Mt Kenya, Kilimanjaro and in Nepal.

One of Julian’s more recent achievements was climbing the 680 meter long “Diamond Couloir’ on the south side of Mt Kenya, a route that was last climbed in 2005. The story was published in a number of different climbing magazines such as UK Climbing, The Alpinist and Rock and Ice magazine.

Mountaineering and climbing is a true passion, taking Julian all around the world, climbing routes all over Kenya, South Africa, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Canada, the Alps, Himalayas and South East Asia.

Qualifications:
• Top Rope Supervisor.
• Single Pitch Supervisor.
• Multi pitch Supervisor.
• Abseil Supervisor.
• Mountain Leader (TG26)
• Wilderness First Responder.
• Wilderness Medic.
• FGASA Level 2- Safari Guide.
• Trails Guide.
Responsibilities:
• Field Expert.
• Expedition Leader.
• Lead Rock Climbing Guide.
• Itinerary Planning
• General Manager at African Ascents.
• Kenya Mountain Rescue volunteer and training coordinator.
Experience:
• Summitted Point Lenana on Mt Kenya over 150 times.
• Guided the technical ascents of Mt Kenya’s point Batian and Nelion over 60 times.
• Extensive climbing in Kenya and South Africa for over 15 years.
• Creation and development of new crags throughout Kenya.
• Ice climbing in Ouray, Colorado and in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Ski touring in Utah.
• Mixed and ice climbing in Chamonix, French Alps.
• Expedition leader on an Everest Base camp and Island Peak trek/climb in the Himalayas in 2017 and 2019.
• First Ascent of the Diamond Couloir route, Mt Kenya, in the last 13years