Carlos Buhler (born October 17, 1954, in Harrison, New York) is one of America's leading high altitude mountaineers. Buhler's specialty is high-standard mountaineering characterized by small teams, no oxygen, minimal gear and equipment, and relatively low amounts of funding; yielding first ascents of difficult routes in challenging conditions, such as the Himalayan winter season.
Buhler is a graduate of The Putney School and attended SYA Spain (then based in Barcelona), of School Year Abroad (SYA) as a high school junior during the 1970-1971 school year. While at SYA, he first connected with the Spanish climbing community, sparking a mountaineering career that has spanned five decades. In 2024 he was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award for his incredible mountaineering career, promoting environmentally responsible expeditions and cross-cultural collaboration, and his advisory work on leadership and teamwork, drawing on his expedition experience to enhance cross-cultural communication in corporate settings.
He is a 1978 graduate of the Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University. [1] He is a recipient of the university's Distinguished Alumni Award, and currently resides in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. He has two children.