In 1984, he climbed the North Spur of Rakaposhi, Pakistan with Dave Cheesmond and Kevin Doyle.
Rather than resting on his laurels, he has continued to push the limits of alpinism since, including eight trips to Asia to climb in the Himalayas and Karakoram.
Blanchard has been involved with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures since its inception in the late 1970s.
He helped in the making of Hollywood climbing movies including K2, Cliffhanger and Vertical Limit.
[1] He lives in Canmore, Alberta, with his wife Catherine Mulvihill whom he met on a Mount Everest expedition in 1994, and their family.