Gerry Roach moved to Boulder, Colorado as a lad in 1954, and started climbing rocks and mountains shortly thereafter. Six decades later, he continues pursuing his mountaineering passion with all the energy he can muster. In the intervening years, Gerry became a world-class mountaineer. After climbing Mount Everest in 1983, he went on to become the second person to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents in 1985. In over 57 years of mountaineering that span seven different calendar decades, Gerry has climbed in all 50 states and dozens of countries. He has been on 26 Alaskan expeditions, 10 Andean expeditions and 7 Himalayan expeditions, including first ascents in the kingdom of Bhutan. In 1997, he summited 26,360-foot Gasherbrum II in the Karakorum without oxygen. In 2000, Gerry became the first person to climb the 10 highest peaks in North America, then became the first person to climb every major peak over 16,000 feet in North America.

Closer to home, Gerry has climbed more than 2,000 peaks in Colorado, including all the Fourteeners and Thirteeners. After returning from his numerous expeditions, Gerry climbs in Colorado's mountains to re-hone his skills, and write about his experiences. He has written nine guides and six narratives about mountains. In 2005, the Sierra Club gave Gerry the coveted Francis P. Farqhar Mountaineering Award for a lifetime of mountaineering achievement. In 2006, the Colorado Mountain Club gave Gerry the rare Ellingwood Ice Axe Award, and in 2010, the Highpointers Club gave Gerry the Frank Ashley Award. Gerry lives with his wife Jennifer in Montrose, Colorado.