Born in Genoa, Italy, he is one of the key figures of Italian mountaineering, both as an active climber and as one of the foremost writers about the mountain world.

He has lived and described the transition from classic mountaineering to modern climbing.

His interest moved to the walls of the Dolomites and he has since climbed in all possible environments, from sea level to the high camps of K2.

In 1981, Alessandro Gogna, with Maurizio Zanolla, climbed the Aguglia of Goloritzè in Sardinia, initiating the original development of the Selvaggio Blua trekking route.

Alessandro Gogna has written over 40 books,[6] in many languages, and co-authored many more.