To All:

Liberty Ridge

Many of you have now heard about the accident on Liberty Ridge late last week that took the lives of six climbers. This accident is not only unprecedented in size (the biggest of its kind in over 30 years) but also hits close to home, as two well known guides were lost along with their four clients. Our sympathies go out to all the friends and families of the climbers involved in this accident.

To our friends at AAI and across the larger guiding world, thank you for all you do in the mountains. By leading people, who might otherwise never get to visit these beautiful and wild places into them, you provide a view of life and of the world that is hard to equal. We are constantly impressed by the professionalism you show in your work and by the support many of you have provided to us climbing rangers over the years. We know we'll see you in the mountains again, because those are the places we all feel most alive.

This accident is a stark reminder of the inherent hazards that come with climbing. Our community of climbers is a small one and that becomes all too clear in tragedies such as this. Keep reaching for higher heights. Safe travels to wherever those heights lead you.

For further reading here are a couple of well written pieces. National Geographic Daily News & Seattle Times