Aaron Mulkey

If you're unfamiliar with Mulkey, it may be because you're unfamiliar with the sport of ice climbing, too. But within that world, he's known for his relentless and unconventional approach to the pursuit, prioritizing labor-intensive explorations of new locations and lines over chasing audiences in established ones.
It's safe to gamble that the word "pioneer" is bound to find its way into any description of Mulkey. Whether he's in his backyard in the Cody, Wyoming region he calls home (he's established nearly 300 first ascents in the area alone), or in some isolated backcountry around the globe, big mileage hikes or multi-day scouting missions to find unclimbed routes or potential ones for the next winter keep him up at night and get him going in the morning. The less that's known about what he's set out to scale, the more he can approach it with an uncluttered, unbiased mind and make the endeavor his own.