jer collins

Some people were just meant to do certain things.

Michael Phelps was meant to be a swimmer.

Mother Teresa was certainly meant to be a humanitarian.

My friend Craig Luebben was meant to be a climber.

After an immensely successful three decades worth of adventure all over the world, he died last week from a random ice slide on Mt. Torment in the Northern Cascades in Washington state.

The randomness of the event is painful; Craig was training to get his AMGA license for alpine guiding.

He could potentially be called the most knowledgeable person in the topic of climber safety.

As a contributing editor at Climbing magazine, he wrote articles about safety, adventure, as well as put his own neck on the line testing ice, snow, and rock gear to help all of us climbers know and understand how better to protect ourselves in wild places.

Beyond writing, he was an internationally known guide, photographer, off-width(wide crack) specialist, and inventor.  With a degree in engineering behind him, he invented the “big bro”(left) device for protecting the wide cracks he so loved to climb.

I had the absolute pleasure to co-author an instructional book with Craig, as well as illustrate four other books he penned, all based on his expertise of climbing how-to and safety.  We had plans for more in the near future.

Click the titles below to learn more and purchase.  Craig was always adamant that his royalties go to his family should he pass on.

Of course, throughout all of this work, Craig and I became friends, enjoyed climbing adventures together, talking about raising children, and dreaming of the next big adventure.

I talked to Craig two weeks ago, and he was looking so forward to his daughter Giulia(6) growing up and sharing the ski slopes, and mountains with her more and more.

Rest in Peace, Craig.  Thanks for all the encouragment, empowerment, and inspiration

You once saw a picture of me climbing an off-width with only one cam above me.  You ran downstairs and brought back up a “big-bro” to give me.  I never forgot that, and always considered you a big-bro as well.

On a random side note…

I had recently finished the map below of Mt Torment & Forbidden

I had planned to climb the exact same route

Craig was on two weeks from now.

It has certainly left a sour taste in my mouth.

The Northwest has recently seen temps in the triple digits for multiple days, certainly influencing the instability in the high peaks, that most likely led to Craigs demise.

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