Alex Lowe Memorial
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Alex Lowe 1958 - 1999

Alex Lowe was killed in an avalanche on Xixabangma in Tibet on October 5th.

His energy, endurance and mountaineering skills are legendary, but Alex was much more than just the worlds finest climber. Tremendously charismatic but always disarmingly modest, the enormous demands he made on himself to be the best he could, his intelligence, sense of humor, and his unhesitatingly positive outlook, inspired all around him. Alex was the standard by which the rest of us measured ourselves and who we as mountaineers aspired to be like.

Alex's climbing career was outstanding. Considered the finest mountaineer of his generation, his ascents were extraordinary, both in terms of their difficulty and sheer numbers of climbs. A few of his accomplishments include two ascents of Mt. Everest on which he guided clients to the summit, the North Ridge of K-2, Gasherbrum IV, the Aksu Range in Kyrgyzstan, first ascents of extreme difficulty in Queen Maud Land and Baffin Island, and in 1999 the Great Trango Tower in Pakistan. Alex had climbed 11 routes on El Capitan, Mt. McKinley (including making a dramatic rescue near the summit), Tauilliraju in Peru, Aconcagua, Kwangde, and Kusum Kanguru. In 1994 he won the International Speed Climbing Competition on Khan-Tengri in Kyrgyzsan. In 1995 he was honored by the American Alpine Club with the prestigious Underhill Award for outstanding achievement in alpine climbing. Alex was for years an Exum Guide in the Tetons, where he completed many speed ascents and difficult winter climbs in the Tetons. See a more complete record of his climbing achievements.

One of his most treasured achievements was climbing the Grand Teton in August with his 10-year-old son, just before he left for Tibet. He had planned in the future to spend more time with his family and teach his three sons his love for and the joys of the mountains that had so enriched his life.

Alex represented everything that is good about mountaineering and America. He was an incredible combination of ability, energy and compassion. He was a hero.

His philosophy is exemplified by the quotation from Helen Keller which he had hanging in his office:

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."

Memorials may be sent to:
Fund for the Children of Alex Lowe
Norene Bancroft
U.S. Bank
P.O. Box 730
Bozeman, MT 59771
406-585-5280