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Jeff Lowe (September 13, 1950 - August 24, 2018)[1] was an Americanalpinist fromOgden, Utah who was known for his visionary climbs and first ascents established in theUS and Canadian Rockies,Alps andHimalayas.
He was a proponent of theAlpine style, where small teams travel fast with minimal gear. He is also credited as the inventor ofmixed climbing. Lowe made over 1000first ascents. Lowe was a co-founder ofLowe Alpine along with his brothersGreg Lowe and Mike Lowe.[2] Jeff Lowe is the cousin of George Henry Lowe III.
Lowe suffered from a neurological disease similar to ALS for approximately 18 years, until he died on August 24, 2018, in Colorado, United States.[citation needed]
Career achievements
editLowe is credited with bringing modernice climbing to theUnited States fromEurope as well as pushing the limits ofmixed climbing. He was the founder of companies such as Latok Mountain Gear and Cloudwalker. He helped to invent the world's firstsoftshell jacket while at Latok Mountain Gear. Lowe was featured ice climbing on the cover of the December 11, 1978 issue of Sports Illustrated.[3] Lowe worked for the ColoradoOutward Bound School in his earlier years.
Lowe is credited with introducing ice climbing in theWinter X Games as well as starting theOuray Ice Festival. He also was the organizer inSnowbird (Utah) in 1988, of the first international rock climbing competition ever held in the US.[citation needed] Lowe received an Honorary Lifetime Membership in theAmerican Alpine Club, the club's highest honors, for his climbing achievements, contributions to the climbing community, and vision. He was also awarded Honorary Lifetime Membership in theAlpine Club of the United Kingdom.
Lowe is the subject of the Award Winning 2014 biographical documentary filmJeff Lowe's Metanoia Produced by Connie Self and Directed byJim Aikman.[4]
In 2017, he won thePiolets D'or Lifetime Achievement Award in France and was inducted into the Boulder Sports Hall of Fame in Colorado.[citation needed]
Notable ascents
edit- 1958Grand Teton,Wyoming with father[5]
- 1971Moonlight Buttress,Zion National Park, Utah, USA. FA withMike Weis
- 1972 First Winter Ascent of Grand Teton's West Face withGeorge Lowe
- 1973North Face,Wetterhorn Peak (Colorado),San Juan Mountains,Colorado. FA with Paul Hogan[6]
- 1973Northeast Corner,Keeler Needle,Sierra Nevada, California USA; NCCS V F9 or F10 A2, FA with John Weiland[7]
- 1974Bridal Veil Falls, Telluride, Colorado, FA with Mike Weis;[8][9]
- 1974Green River Lake Dihedral,Squaretop,Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA - NCCS V F9, FA with Greg Lowe[10]
- 1975Mount Kitchener's Grand CentralCouloir with Mike Weis
- 1979Ama Dablam,Nepal solo[11]
- 1980Skyang Kangri - attempt
- 1982Kwangde Ri's north face, Nepal withDavid Breashears
- 1985Bird Brain Boulevard,Ouray, Colorado
- 1989 Tawoche, Northeast Face, Nepal withJohn Roskelley[12]
- 1990Trango (Nameless) Tower, Yugoslav route withCatherine Destivelle
- 1991Metanoia, a new direct route on theEiger's north face, that he opened solo and without bolts
- 1994Octopussy (WI6, M8),Vail, Colorado; Lowe's climb was considered the birth of modernmixed climbing.
His attempt on the north ridge ofLatok I withJim Donini,Michael Kennedy, andGeorge Henry Lowe III in 1978 is considered by many to be the most difficult unfinished climb in the world.[citation needed]
Publications and instructional videos
edit- The Ice Experience (1979)
- Climbing (1986)
- Lowe, Jeff (1996).Ice World: Techniques and Experiences of Modern Ice Climbing. Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers Books.ISBN 0-89886-446-1.
- Waterfall Ice (1996)
- Alpine Ice: Jeff Lowe's Climbing Techniques (1997)
- Clean Walls (2004)
References
edit- ^Jeff Lowe, Best Alpinist of a Generation, Dies at 67
- ^Admin (19 January 2011)."The Incredible Lowe Brothers".Blog.lowepro.com. Retrieved25 August 2018.
- ^Wood, Willis A. (11 December 1978)."Jeff Lowe, Mountain Climbing".Sports Illustrated. Archived fromthe original on August 9, 2009. Retrieved4 April 2010.
- ^"Metanoia, a Climbing Film About an Extraordinary Life".National Geographic. 24 March 2015. Archived fromthe original on March 31, 2015. Retrieved30 December 2015.
- ^http://www.tetonclimbinghistory.com/page21/files/1958_GT16_8-16-.jpg[bare URL image file]
- ^Lowe, Jeff (1975). "Keeler Needle, East Face".American Alpine Journal.20 (49). New York, NY, USA: American Alpine Club:138–139.ISBN 0-930410-72-6.
- ^Lowe, Jeff (1975). "Keeler Needle, East Face".American Alpine Journal.20 (49). New York, NY, USA: American Alpine Club:128–129.ISBN 0-930410-72-6.
- ^Murray, Kerry (26 July 1999)."Jeff Lowe, Ice Climber".Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived fromthe original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved4 April 2010.
- ^Lowe, Jeff (1975). "Keeler Needle, East Face".American Alpine Journal.20 (49). New York, NY, USA: American Alpine Club: 139.ISBN 0-930410-72-6.
- ^Lowe, Jeff (1975). "Squaretop".American Alpine Journal.20 (49). New York, NY, USA: American Alpine Club: 137.ISBN 0-930410-72-6.
- ^Kennedy, Michael (March 2005). "Mountain Profile: Ama Dablam".Alpinist Magazine (X). Jackson, WY, USA: Alpinist LLC: 27.
- ^John Roskelley (1991).Last Days: A World-famous Climber Challenges the Himalayas' Tawoche and Menlungtse. Stackpole Books. pp. 1–97.ISBN 0-8117-0889-6.
