Some life lessons from the tragic deaths of three climbers
I have no idea how climber and author John Roskelley of Spokane had the emotional fortitude to give a detailed presentation about the ascent of Howse Peak in Canada that claimed the life of his son, Jess, and two other young mountaineering icons, Austrians David Lama and Hansjorg Auer. Losing a child is undoubtedly the most devastating of experiences.
Speaking at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center to a crowd of nearly 100 people on Nov. 8, Roskelley reconstructed the successful climb to the top and the avalanche that swept the three climbers to their deaths.
There was a reverent vibe in the audience as we learned about how Roskelley had made multiple trips to Howse Peak to collect the gear that recovery crews had not been able to collect. Roskelley then analyzed the damaged equipment to ascertain what happened on the descent. He walked the crowd through the triumphant ascent and the tragic descent.
One of the things I appreciated about Roskelley’s talk was the opportunity to learn more about the personalities of the three climbers, their passion for the sport and their relentless pursuit of solitude and climbing challenges.
Roskelley started the program by showing a documentary film, No Turning Back, that told the story of Auer’s life. The opening sequence of the film showed Auer free soloing a vertical wall, which means that he had no safety equipment. It was revealing that Auer, from a farming family of avid climbers in Austria, had been bullied as a child. He talked about being the last kid picked for athletic teams in school. Auer found solace and personal fulfillment climbing peaks all over the world. When he wasn’t climbing, he delighted in helping kids learn the sport.
After the film, Roskelley, his wife Joyce and others were chatting about Jess over a glass of wine at the home of Gene and Carol Sharratt. The Roskelleys talked about how Jess befriended students with developmental disabilities at school and made his friends join the special needs students for lunch. Jess got suspended from school one time for decking a kid who was picking on one of his special needs friends. Clearly, he was a young man with a huge heart.
John said he didn’t encourage his son to become a mountain climber, and believes Jess’s friends fueled his interest in the sport. He went on to become a celebrated young mountaineer. John and Jess summited Everest together in a climb that at the time made Jess the youngest ever to achieve that feat.
John Roskelley was able to trace the route through photographs taken by the climbers during their time on Howse Peak. It was on the descent that an avalanche let loose and swept the three to their deaths. Ironically, a photographer from afar happened to take images of the avalanche as it occurred, not knowing that three climbers were involved.
Roskelley talked about how much Lama and Auer were revered in the European climbing community. They were celebrities for their accomplishments climbing high peaks and navigating new routes.
Listening to the presentation, it seemed clear that the climbers made a bad choice in attempting the peak when the avalanche forecast was iffy. Knowing when to turn back is an important aspect of mountaineering.
For those of us who are not tempted to scale peaks and take the kinds of risks that marked the careers of the three young climbers, what they chose to do might seem foolish or crazy.
But what struck me as Roskelley was talking about the climb and the climbers was the total commitment of these young men to pursue their dreams even though they knew the risks they were taking.
What we can take away from their example is that we can choose to pursue the extraordinary in our own ways and bring the spirit of adventure, courage and joy to whatever we choose to do. They modeled a wonderful way of moving through this world.
Jess Roskelley’s passion for others lives on through the foundation that bears his name, which is dedicated to creating access to climbing for young people in local parks.
