Craig Luebben

I have been devastated all day, learning late last evening of Craig being fatally injured on Mt. Torment!

I'm sickened to think of what a great loss this is the the community, the climbing community and his precious family!!

I have known Craig for a number of years as a friend and teacher. He was a teacher.....a real professional, teaching us all the good things of being in the mountains, out on the rock, snow, and whatever our goal in life was to do, do it safely, and enjoy it at the same time.

I have climbed with him at the Red, as well as climbing gyms in our area, and was instrumental in securing him as a Speaker/Lecturer at the Adventure Summit at Wright State Universtiy about 3 years ago. He was a smashing success, with his slide presentation of his climbs in Cuba and around the world!!

I got to know him so well, and what a unique person, totally genuine and dedicated to the sport that he helped make famous.

I will miss our Christmas Card exchanges each year as he would keep my wife Lynda and I up todate on how his beloved daughter, Giulia was skiing and how thrilled he was in seeing her on the slopes with him. He loved that little girl!!!

To Silvia, words cannot express what a wonderful person and friend he was to the rest of us out here.

Our very best to you and immediate family, as we share your sorrow, and sadness during this very traumatic time.

God Bless You, and we are there for you.

Bill Johnson
Bill Johnson Guided Tours
www.johnsonguidedtours.com
bjskitours@mindspring.com

Wow. This is the first post I've seen since returning to the front country after four days in the Tetons. I'm in such shock. I've learned so much from Craig's books. Such a random tragedy.

I will miss seeing Craig coming into the gym on the rare occasion. I had never had the pleasure of taking one his clinics, nevertheless, his kind words, and friendly attitude will truly be missed in the climbing community.

My thoughts to his family, RIP Craig.

I didn't know Craig personally, but found this by doing a search on his life and pursuits.

craigluebben.com/
If you would like to send your thoughts and prayers along to the family please send them to betsy@amga.com or PO BOX 1739, Boulder, CO 80306 and we will make sure to pass them along.

Sounds like many of you in the Boulder community cherished him.

Very sad indeed.

Max

The news of Craig's passing is simply beyond words, my deepest condolences to his beautiful child Guilia and Sylvia. Willie it sounds as if your efforts were beyond heroic. I'm so sorry for this loss.

I ran into Craig last month on top of the Bastille. He was bringing
up three (!) climbers with his customary grace and skill. I checked
out his anchor -- which he had taught me to do years before ("always check
the anchor") -- and
it was, as usual, bomber. He was the epitome of a professional, and
his love of climbing and respect for climbing was tangible.

He told me of an upcoming trip to South America, but said he was pretty
much done with big trips; he wanted to focus more on his family and
especially seeing his daughter grow up.

beyond tragic

I was recieved this note and am posting it here for those who are friends or friends of family, who may not have been contacted yet:

"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"

As a post-script, the response was high enough that the family and organizers have asked for an RSVP to both the Memorial Service (friends and Family) and Reception (public).

There are folks also setting up a Luebben Family Fund benefit and donations can be made from a link at:
nococlimbing.org/get-involved

Thanks for that, Tony. I hope to be there. Hope to see many of you as well. Some of us have been talking now about the importance of just getting together as a group once in a while.

I'll be there.

Any Ft. Collins climbers want to car pool ?

Surreal…unbelievable…heartbreaking. It feels like some horrible dream reading the headlines – how could Craig be referred to in the past tense? Come on this isn’t true? Right?

Craig touched so many people’s lives in ways that he didn’t even realize. His humble, down-to-earth, and unassuming presence will be missed.

He recently sent me this link to an interview he completed this summer. If you didn’t get the pleasure of meeting Craig in person, this really gives you a feel for who he was and for his sense of humor. My favorite line, and one he liked to tell often, is the following:

“I joke that I’ve sacrificed a million dollars from the engineering career that I would have had, but I’ve had five million worth of fun. Last year the million would have devalued to 600K, so I’m way ahead.”

frontrangebouldering.com/ar…;>>>>

Of course my heart goes out to his wife and daughter. He would brag about how smart Silvia was to anyone who would listen. He would talk about how Silvia could call a meeting and get top military and airline industry officials to come. He thought that was so cool. He even admitted that, as smart as he was, he didn’t even totally understand what she did. But, he did know that she could learn a year or two worth of graduate material in totally new industries in a week or less in order to write a grant. “She would come home with stacks of material and be versed in the topic the next week.”

And, like anyone who met him knows, he loved his daughter, Guilia Maria (aka Jumar) more than life itself. In fact, this is an excerpt from an email he wrote to me recently:

“I am so happy and lucky that I have a little curly-headed ski partner, best friend, and daughter.”

Whenever he traveled he would put up big pictures of Guilia around his bed. He would show slideshows of her to anyone who would look and he would beam with pride. He often would talk about how hard it was on him to travel since Guilia was born. He hated to leave her and missed her terribly. He was looking forward to the day when Guilia was old enough to travel with him to put on clinics and slideshows. He even held out hopes of having a father/daughter duo if she picked up climbing.

When Guilia climbed two of the Flatirons last year, Craig signed and dated the hand-drawn topo for her as a remembrance. I’m sure she’ll cherish these.

He worked hard at being a better husband…we even had the discussion “the best thing a father can do for his child is love his/her mother.” (Thanks Tim K. for passing this on to me – I told Craig this and it really spoke to him). For all you fathers out there – I’m sure Craig would want you to hear and internalize that piece of advice. I’m sure Silvia knows that she was loved and that Craig was indeed trying to be the best husband and father he knew how to be.

He was an incredible teacher and mentor – like a second big brother. I learned so many lessons on and off the rock from him. Besides those already mentioned, here are a few others:

He loved his daughter in a way that inspired. If I ever have a child, I would hope for nothing less.

He mentioned many times that the one thing he tried to get across to Guilia was “Be Kind to Everyone and Try Your Best.” He felt that if she (or anyone) did those two things, then they would have no regrets. He didn’t just preach this advice…he lived it.

o He would go out of his way to be nice to everyone – from friends to strangers. In Red Rocks last year, he took the time to help a paraplegic set up a photo op for a cover of music album he was releasing. The crew was running out of time and Craig could see they weren’t going to get a very good shot. So, he suggested moving to a better place and assisted in rearranging the equipment – just in time to catch the amazing sunset. The man was so appreciative, and he had no idea that Craig was a well-known climber, author and photographer. Craig didn’t even mention who he was. He was just glad to help.
o While we all know his books are authoritative resources, I’m sure that none of us can quite appreciate how much time and effort he put into creating them. He wanted them to be the VERY best. Craig, they are…they are. The climbing community is blessed to have such resources. And, I know he was counting on the royalties to support Guilia, so let’s all do our part – buy more of Craig’s books (and write a letter to the publishers insisting that the royalties continued to be paid to his family – he was very concerned about this).
o He also has two books basically complete – one is a brilliant self-rescue book. I hope somehow they both get published and that the profits would benefit his family.

Be a considerate houseguest. Help with chores, leave a small gift, and pay attention to what is important to your host. Wherever he traveled he always liked to cook his host a meal and/or leave them a bottle of wine. He insisted on helping clean and I even saw him buy eight people in Puerto Rico dinner as a way to thank them for including them in their activities/hosting him. This was a big expense to him, but he did it without reservation.

Everybody enjoys a compliment. It struck me at how appreciative he was for even the smallest amount of feedback on his courses or his books. To everyone who said thanks or paid him a compliment – it meant the world to him. It’s hard for me to battle my shyness sometimes to give compliments, but I’m going to make an extra effort to do so in his honor.

Don’t leave anything unsaid.

Pass on what you know and give freely of your time and resources. What you give away comes back to you a thousand times over.

Live your passion and doors will open.

Friendships are more important than any accomplishment, fame or title.

Be humble – there is always someone better.

I am not sure if I should share the following…but I have this info and thought it might mean something to those that knew him…

To Lynn Hill – He was so happy to have bouldered with you recently. “It was great to hang with Lynn again,” he said. Being your friend and a part of your climbing camps meant so much to him. He always enjoyed your company and thought highly of you.

To Topher Donahue – He said that you were among his greatest climbing partners. You really “clicked and four hands were always flying at belay stations.” He missed your friendship.

To Cameron Cross – He was so honored to have been a mentor and a friend to you. He forwarded me your article that you wrote about him. He was so touched and honored – it meant so very much to him. He thought you were really special; I’m sure he is right. His time with you in Cuba was among his most cherished memories.

I can’t remember the list of climbers he mentioned that he was fortunate enough to take on their first ascents of the Diamond. I believe among those were Lynn, Katie Brown, and maybe even Tommy Caldwell? Most recently he was honored to be working with Robin and her junior climbing team. All-in-all, he was psyched to have been apart of so many elite climbers' adventures. He loved to tell the story of the famous picture of Tommy taking a whipper in Indian Creek.

He loved all his friends and talked about how he wished he had more time to visit with everyone. He was connected to climbing communities across the globe. He was even a godfather to a young boy in China. He said the only problem with knowing so many people is that wherever he traveled he couldn’t find the time to visit with all the people he knew in the area. But, he appreciated every person in his life.

Last year he spent some time in Fort Collins working on a video with a long-time friend, Jake. He really enjoyed reconnecting with the community there and got to spend a few days with Jake and another friend, John, during that time. To those who knew him from his days in Fort Collins – rest assured he thought of you often and with fond memories. Specifically, Jake, he thought that you were one of the most "stand-up" guys he knew. He said that I’m sure “many girls will be jumping at the chance to date him.” I’m sure he was right. John, he really appreciated the hospitality and reconnecting with you as well. He thought you had the “gift of gab” and envied your ability to tell stories and make friends. He also envied your beer supply, of course.

To every climber who took a course from him and were psyched to climb...he loved you! Nothing made him feel better than seeing someone having fun climbing and learning. It didn't matter if you were climbing hard or just beginning - the key was your attitude.

I am most especially concerned about sharing the following information. I just don’t know what to do with this…

Eerily, Craig’s concern over his safety was increasing recently. The past and recent deaths of his friends really affected Craig. He heard of the incident in China while teaching a rock instructor course in Seneca in June. Craig would be the first to admit that the news had a palpable effect on the tone of the course, and a few weird incidences happened as a result that made us all a little wigged. We talked at length about how events that happened half-way across the globe were seemingly putting a strange vibe on the course in little old Seneca and how bad events seem to just snowball.

During the course, he mentioned numerous times that he was always okay with the risk before Guilia, but felt completely different since she came into his life. His biggest concern was leaving Guilia without a father. He wanted to be with her every step of the way as she grew up. He had been doubling his efforts to be safe and the Alpine Exam and his trip with Steve Schneider to Cerro Torre were going to be his last risky efforts (at least for a while).

Even our brief conversation last week, as he was headed to take his Alpine exam, included discussions over his concern. One of his last statements will haunt me. He said, “Why am I doing this?” We both knew the answer even as we said nothing. Climbing was who he was and that is where he soared. Even if he wanted to stop, the mountains and rock always called his name. And, achieving the Alpine certification and climbing Cerro Torre were to be among his last big alpine accomplishments in his brilliant career. He had a goal and in typical fashion was going to achieve it.

[Side note: Craig had basically "given up" on climbing his ultimate dream climb, Cerro Torre, until Steve contacted him a few months ago. He said, "if it was anyone else other than Steve Schneider, I'm not sure I would have said yes." Steve - you must have impressed the hell out of him! It was going to be a trip of a lifetime for him, and that's saying something considering his life. Steve, I'm sure Craig will still be with you if you do end up going.]

Like other climbers, Craig knew of the strange dilemma that we face. He commented how you need to be cautious and mindful of safety concerns, but if you focus too much on potential consequences you break the tenuous balance between thinking and being smart versus being in the flow and having a positive mindset. We talked about how you can affect the day's outcome, your performance and the performance of those around either positively or negatively with what energy and thoughts you put out (you know…the whole law of attraction stuff).

Were Craig’s feelings and recent incidences coincidence, warnings, law of attraction in action, premonitions…? I may never know. I also don’t pretend to know what lesson to draw from these events, I’m not even sure if I should have shared Craig’s concerns? Like I mentioned, I just don’t know what to do with this.

What I do know is that Craig was a brilliant person and climber and one of the most technically competent people to ever gear up. I’m sure he made all the right decisions – it was just was a freak accident.

Craig was indeed a special person who touched lives across the globe. He was one of my closest and dearest friends – and many others are fortunate to say the same. Most of my relatively brief time in the multi-pitch world was spent with Craig. It will be weird to be high above the ground without him. But, I also know, that is where we will be closest to him.

Craig was with Derek when he died in Yosemite. He talked about how this wind came up though the valley and over the rock and how many climbers talked about this strange sensation. Craig felt that it was Derek’s spirit letting him know that he was okay and all was well. So, the next time we are on the cliff and we feel a breeze and a tingle, it’s just Craig saying “I’m okay and all is well. Now go have an excellent adventure.”

And, Craig, as I often asked you to do for me, “I’ll climb one for you buddy!” You’ll always be a part of me. No words can ever express how you touched my life.

I’ll see you on the next climb Craig!

Your very sad friend,
Sarah

P.S. Can you ask God to install an internet connection in heaven? It would be so great to be able to at least still email you!

P.P.S. Willie - thanks for all your efforts. My heart goes out to you...I can only imagine your pain.

My wife and I met Craig and his family years ago at Vedauwoo. He was belaying Silvia while a very young Guilia chewed on the rope! Way to cute. Super nice guy. They let us TR a 5.11 offwidth he'd climbed and were really chill.

Our most sincere condolences to Craig's Family.
A&A

Craig was like a great big teddy bear. Totally at home in the hills and was always good for a good night around the fire tellin stories and sluggin beers. I'll always remeber him with his big ole gap between his teeth and a smile ear to ear. You'll be sorely missed man. Deepest sympathy to Silvia and Giulia.

That is really sad. I didn't know him really well, but he always struck me as the guy who would often hang it out in his youth, but became more conservative in his climbing after starting a family. To have this happen is truly tragic. He obviously touched a lot of souls. My condolences go out to his wife and daughter, hang in there guys.

Sarah,

Thank you so much for your kind words. You touched on so many of Craig's wonderful virtues and a few that only someone who knew him really well would know. I have tried many times to sit down and write something, but the words still falter and I'm left chasing fleeting memories again.

I can't begin to express how grateful I am for having Craig as a mentor, friend, and part of my life. Our trips to Cuba and subsequent adventures were the best and most formative of my life. Rereading the NC3 E-News from July of last year still brings a smile to my face, and now tears to my eyes.

My deepest sympathies go out to Silvia, Giulia and the rest of his vast friend network. He will be missed beyond words.

In the mean time, as Tony noted, the memorial service has been scheduled for this Sunday. In addition, we have set up a donation page through the Northern Colorado Climbers Coalition website --

Craig Luebben Memorial Fund
nococlimbing.org/get-involved.

Any and all donations are greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,
Cameron Cross

Wow, how sad has the past few years been for the Climbing World, Eh? Out here Craig lived among the legends club at Vedauwoo. Scarpelli , Anderson , Skinner , Piana , Bechtel And Luebben. You just don’t get any more hard core than that crew! I have somewhere, some shot’s of him on the route Ach Stanton. I will post them if I can find them. (Slides )

My family’s condolences, too his family and friends.

Bruce.

Very sad news on top of what has been a very sad year. I didn't know Craig but always hoped to run into him at a crag somewhere. Just hard to even think about.

My prayers are with his family and friends.

Tony

I'm a bit late getting here, but my condolences to Craig's family and friends. He will certainly be missed. I never had the chance to knowingly meet him, though I think I've seen him around before, but I have read a few of his books and was aware of his impact on the world we inhabit.

Truly a unique and gifted soul. Such a tragedy indeed, but he died with his boots on: an honorable way to go. If any of us could live even half the life he did, then we'd have a full and rewarding life.

Rest in Peace, Craig. See you at the summit.

I've never met Craig yet he has touched my life. I came to climbing later in life than most and needed all the help I could get. Craig's books on 'Mastering Basic Skills' and 'Rock Climbing Anchors' sit dog eared in my study next to my rocking chair where I have read and reread them countless times. I agree that one cannot learn rock climbing just by reading books but thanks to Craig's lucid writing style and clear photographs I am so much farther along with my skills and knowledge than would have otherwise been remotely possible. I have friends who are good friends of Craig's or have been students of his and through them as well as his books I do feel as though I have known him. He certainly has my utmost respect. I had planned on taking some of his clinics in the future and now, sadly, I will never have this opportunity.

I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to his wife and daughter. And thanks, Craig, for making me a better and safer climber.

from SnoDale (I figured since we are posting up in the Memorial section, his warm thoughts are welcomed):

Whoa! I am sorry to hear about Craig. My condolences.

I haven't seen Craig in years, but I first met him in the mid '80s when he was working on the first Big Bros. Four of us were running a climbing store in Denver and he would stop in every couple of months (or more frequently) to show his newest or improved "Bro." A couple of friends used his prototypes a lot, but they were in to arm-barrin', hand stackin' nasty big cracks. The store actually bought some of his first production models, hand delivered. We also bought a photo that was either from him or of him that we blew up to nearly life size of someone/him in a heinous off-width. I would occasionally run into him when I was dragged up to Vedauvoo but never climbed with him. He was way above my whining, pathetic off-width skills (and saying "skills" was pretty much an exaggeration).

Craig contributed a lot to the climbing community and will be missed. RIP.

Dale

I am extremely saddened to hear of Craig's death. My condolences go out to his family and friends. Craig was a wonderful person. He was someone that I looked up to for both his climbing feats and wildly entertaining climbing articles. Craig inspired me well before I ever met and climbed with him in 2004.

There I was climbing among friends and I had one of the guys I considered a legend cheering me on. Craig's belief in the ability of his climbing partners was empowering. His predictions of their success had an uncanny way of proving true. He was awesome at inspiring people to reach their full potential.