Craig Luebben
American author, climber (1960–2009)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Craig Luebben (20 May 1960 – 9 August 2009) was an American rock climber and author.
Craig Luebben | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 20, 1960 Iowa |
| Died | August 9, 2009 (aged 49) North Cascades, Washington State |
| Occupation | Rock Climber, Mechanical Engineer, Educator, Writer and Mountain Guide |
| Alma mater | Colorado State University |
| Period | 1991–2006 |
| Genre | essays, journals, histories, scientific papers, biographies, textbooks |
| Subject | Mountaineering, rock climbing |
| Notable works | Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills |
| Spouse | Silvia Luebben (1997–his death) |
| Children | Giulia |
| Website | |
| www | |
Luebben was born in Iowa and moved to Colorado at age seven, where he cultivated his love of the outdoors.[1] A climber since the early 1980s, Luebben wrote a number of climbing-oriented books, and designed the Big Bro wide-crack climbing protection device–now manufactured by Trango–as part of obtaining his degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University,[2] and was a senior contributing editor for Climbing Magazine.
Luebben made many first ascents in the United States and abroad, including China, Madagascar, Puerto Rico and France.[2] Luebben was a mountain guide with the American Mountain Guides Association and instructor.[2][3][1]
"Craig was a 5.12 climber in that he could likely onsight any 5.12 on the planet."[4]
Death
Craig Luebben was killed on August 9, 2009, in an accident while climbing on Mount Torment in the Cascade Range of Washington.[5] A car-size block of ice calved off, taking Craig with it and resulting in a 30-foot (9.1 m) fall. While not struck by the initial block, Craig was pelted by debris as he hung from his rope.[6]
After his death, the American Mountain Guides Association established the Craig Luebben Education Fund in his honor to provide scholarships for new mountain guides.[3]
Writing
Luebben's 2004 book, Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills, won that year's National Outdoor Book Award (Instructional).
Published works
- A Rock Climbers Guide to Greyrock, Horsetooth Press, 1991, ASIN B000RJ3RFY
- Knots for Climbers (1st & 2nd editions), The Globe Pequot Press, 1995 and 2001, ISBN 0-7627-1218-X
- Advanced Rock Climbing, co-authored with John Long, The Globe Pequot Press, 1997, ISBN 1-57540-075-8
- How to Climb: How to Ice Climb!, The Globe Pequot Press, 1999, ISBN 1-56044-760-5
- How to Rappel!, The Globe Pequot Press, 2000, ISBN 1-56044-759-1
- Go Climb!, North South Publications, 2001, ISBN 0-7566-1943-2
- Betty And The Silver Spider: Welcome To Gym Climbing, Sharp End Publishing, 2002, ISBN 1-892540-22-3
- Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills, The Mountaineers Books 2004, ISBN 0-89886-743-6
- Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide, The Mountaineers Books, 2006, ISBN 1-59485-006-2
