Visionary ice and alpine climber Jeff Lowe has passed away at the age of 67 after a long battle with an unknown neurodegenerative process. He made over 1,000 first ascents around the world, including many in Canada.
In 2017, Lowe received the lifetime achievement award from the Piolets d’Or for the decades he spent as one of the world’s leading climbers. I had the opportunity to spend time with Lowe on many occasions. One of my most memorable was being on stage at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIMFF), where Lowe’s film won an award.
Connie Self, Lowe’s partner, announced the news on Facebook with the following message:
Dear Friends and loved ones, I am very sorry to share that Jeff Lowe took his final journey into the great unknown, peacefully last evening with his family. Jeff was the love of my life, my best friend, my business partner and the most amazing human being I have ever known, with all the flaws and foibles that beset those with extreme talent and brilliance. Jeff always made the best of any situation by living in the present moment. He had an incredible sense of humor, was a visionary climber and inspiring writer. I was blessed to know Jeff for 37 years, to live with and care for him for 8 years, and to share with him “the greatest love I have ever known” as he said in his own words. I will miss him beyond measure and yet I am glad that he is free of his physical body and all the pain and suffering he has endured for many years. RIP, dear Jeff.
He’s credited with pioneering the sport of ice climbing in America and was one of the first climbers to establish mixed routes. He founded Latok Mountain Gear and Cloudwalker and created the world’s first softshell jacket. In 1978, he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Lowe was a co-founder of Lowe Alpine along with his brothers Greg Lowe and Mike Lowe, but was not related the the late Alex Lowe or alpinist George Lowe.
He helped bring ice climbing to the Winter X Games and helped start the Ouray Ice Festival. In 1988, he organized Snowbird in Utah, the first rock climbing competition ever held in America. He was awarded Honorary Membership in the British Alpine Club.
One of his first climbs was the Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton at the age of seven. And when he was 14, he saw Yvon Chouinard present an aid-climbing seminar to the Steinfells Climbing Club. Chouinard let Lowe tag along on a bouldering and unroped climbing session. It was a pivotal moment in Lowe’s early climbing days.
In 1971, he made the first ascent of the now-famous Moonlight Buttress with Mike Weis. A year later, with his brother Greg, along with his brother and founder of Lowe Alpine, Greg, he made the first winter ascent of the west face of Grand Teton. In 1974, again with Mike Weis, Lowe made the first ascents of the classic Bridal Veil Falls, Bird Brain Boulevard and Octopussy in Colorado. He can be seen climbing Octopussy on the cover of his book Ice World. The 1996 publication about techniques and experiences of modern ice climbing would end up on the shelves of almost every ice climbing in North America as the quintessential book on technical winter climbing.
In Canada, he made the first ascent of the classic Grand Central Couloir V 5.9 A2 with Mike Weis in 1975. The route had been attempted by some of the world’s best alpine climbers for a half-a-decade before Lowe used his alpine-style approach to make the bold first ascent. In 1978, Lowe joined Jim Donini, Michael Kennedy and George Lowe for an attempt on the massive north ridge on Latok I. Despite not reaching the summit, the four top climbers consider the climb a high point in their respective climbing careers. Lowe was sick with Dengue Fever and they decided to turn around within a few pitches of the top. It total, they were on the route for 26 days. No one has climbed as high as the 1978 team on the north ridge to this day.
The following year, Lowe made the the first solo and first ascent of a major Himalayan route on the south face of Ama Dablam. A few years later, he was invited to Everest, which confirmed his dislike for “assault” style climbing. He became a proponent of alpine style, climbing fast and light, with only one or two climbing partners or going solo. Lowe continued to climb new routes in the 1980s and in 1988, he daughter Sonja was born. He always carried a picture of her whenever on he was on a big climb.
In 1991, Lowe made one of his boldest climbs with the legendary solo first ascent of Metanoia VII 5.10 M6 A4, 1,800m on the north face of the Eiger. It was not repeated until 2017 by Thomas Huber and Roger Schaeli and Stephan Siegrist. Lowe didn’t place any bolts, had to abandon his pack and nearly starved. Alpinist Josh Wharton climbed sections of the route for a film project in 2011 and recovered Lowe’s pack. Lowe said, “My intention was to make the purest climb I could manage.”
Since 2000, Lowe had been coping with his disease which continued to worsen. Despite requiring full-time medical care, Lowe would visit film and climbing events around North America and Europe. For the past few years, he’s been working on a number of books with other authors. In a touching tribute to Lowe, Michael Levy of Rock and Ice included a quote from the late Ueli Steck, which reads, “When you see him, you think to yourself, I need to enjoy things as much as possible now, that it’s all a blessing, and that the situation can change quickly. You can still feel his passion. His is a wonderful lesson in courage that inspires great respect.”
Lowe was the subject of the 2014 award-winning biographical documentary called Jeff Lowe’s Metanoia directed by Jim Aikman. Lowe was one of the most important climbers of his generation and reading his book Ice World was a pivotal moment in my early climbing life. He’ll continue to be an inspiration for generations to come and I’ll miss seeing him from time to time.
In a conversation with Lowe about his film, he wrote to me, “In the end, it’s a film that is full of inspiring, emotional content and judging by the response of the audience at the premiere, it works very well. It’s a better film than I would have made, because Connie and especially Jim’s direction. To be so completely surrounded and engulfed by the love of the worldwide tribe of adventure lovers is such an empowering experience it’s impossible to describe.
“It’s beyond humbling, which implies an ego to be humbled. The love carries me so far beyond myself – to the place I want to be – that space where I no longer exist, it’s all energy, wonder and a holographic, kaleidoscopic, universal reality.”
