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August 11th, 2009
From the American Alpine Club: Please join Craig’s family in celebrating his remarkable life. Feel
free to pass this along to anyone you know who is a friend of Craig’s
or his family. If you are interested in sending flowers for the day of
the memorial, please have them delivered to the AAC address below (the
auditorium)."
Dear Friends of Craig, Silvia and Giulia Luebben:
Please come to a Memorial and Celebration of Craig Luebben’s Life
To be held in the auditorium of the American Alpine Club
Sunday, August 16 @ 4:00 p.m. (doors will be open at 3:00 p.m.)
Beverages, sharing memories and music will follow a service
Thank you for your love and support of Craig and his family.
Location:
American Alpine Club
710 10th St. - Suite 100
Golden, CO 80401 USA
A Luebben Family Fund benefit is being established and
donations will be greatly appreciated.
August 10th, 2009
Craig Luebben of Fort Collins and Golden,
Colorado died on August 9th while climbing on Mount
Torment in the Cascade Range of Washington. He was crossing a moat between glacier and rock face when the ice below him collapsed and he suffered fatal trauma in the ensuing fall.
According to Mark Gunlogson, manager of Mountain Madness and employer of Craig's climbing partner at the time, Willie Benegas; Willie reported "There was no warning".
"It's one of those things, a hazard climbers confront in the North
Cascades," said Gunlogson. "These were two incredibly experienced
climbers."
Kelly Bush, the district ranger with North Cascades National Park Search and Rescue, said that the two climbers had crossed the upper part of
the Taboo Glacier, with Luebben leading. Benegas reported that a section of the glacier beneath Luebben collapsed, causing a fall of about 40 feet into the glacial moat in what is a remote mountain location in the center of this vast mountain range.
Craig was reported to be alive after Benegas was able to descend to him, move Craig to a ledge, and administer first aid before getting out a call to 911 for rescue. Craig died before rescuers could reach him, said Bush, and she believed that neither climber did anything
wrong in their ascent. "This kind of thing is inherent in
mountaineering," she said. "These men were highly skilled, on top of
their game, and some of the elite of mountain climbing.
To make a donation to the Craig Luebben Memorial Fund (for support of his daughter Giulia's education), please go here.
Memories from friends, acquaintances, and fans of Craig Luebben's are pouring into Mountain Project here.
More specific accident information from Willie and contact information for the Luebben family is available at the AMGA website here.
An article on the accident and Craig is in Climbing magazine online here.
The transcript of an interview done with Craig just a month ago with Mike at FRB is available here.
An article about his invention, the 'Big Bro' is available on Alpinist.com here.
Craig's climbing partner at the time of the accident,
Himalayan alpinist Willie Benegas, suffered a leg injury in the ice fall, but he was
able to assist Craig and contact authorities who flew the pair off the mountain on the same day of the accident which happened nearby
Cascade Pass. Willie and Craig were training for an
upcoming AMGA exam that they were both taking to achieve Alpine Guide
certification.
Craig was a prolific climber, author, photographer, inventor,
guide, adventurer, and a true climbing ambassador who made friends
around the world with his open hearted and unassuming presence.
He will be sorely missed by his many friends around the world and his family, especially his young daughter Giulia Maria
and wife Silvia who he climbed and skied with regularly.
Details will no doubt be
forthcoming in how support from the community can be extended
to Craig's young family. Many gatherings will be planned to celebrate the life of this extraordinary individual.
Rest in peace Craig, and thanks for all of your gifts to our world community
and for those of us whose lives you deeply touched with your inquisitive mind, abundant happiness, and selfless generosity.
The southeast face of Mt. Torment with the rapidly receding Taboo Glacier in the North Cascades, Washington.
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