Jeff Lowe
Biography
Jeff Lowe (real name : Jeffery George Lowe), born September 13, 1950, in Ogden, Utah, is a major figure and visionary in world mountaineering. From a very young age, he developed a passion for the mountains, learning skiing and climbing at an early age, influenced by a mountaineering family background. He became a fervent advocate of the "alpine style," characterized by small, mobile, lightweight, and self-sufficient teams, in contrast to the heavy and cumbersome expeditions then common. His extraordinary career includes more than a thousand first ascents in the American Rockies, the Alps, the Himalayas, and other iconic massifs. Beyond his exploits on the rock face, Jeff Lowe has profoundly influenced the climbing community with his technical innovations. With his brothers Greg and Mike, he founded the Lowe Alpine brand, famous for its revolutionary backpacks. He invented or improved essential equipment such as rigid crampons, anti-boot devices, Hummingbird ice axes, and, most importantly, the belay tube, which replaced the traditional figure-of-eight, becoming a worldwide standard. Subsequently, with the companies Latok Mountain Gear and Cloudwalker, he continued to develop cutting-edge mountaineering equipment. Lowe was also a pioneer in ice climbing and mixed climbing. In 1974, he made the first free ascent of a waterfall at Bridalveil Falls in Colorado, which he repeated solo. He created the "M" grade for evaluating mixed ice/rock routes, and in 1994, he signed the "Octopussy" route, a revolution in the difficulty of dry tooling. His routes, such as Moonlight Buttress in Zion, remain essential classics. One of the highlights of his career remains the attempt on the north ridge of Latok I, in Pakistan, in 1978, with his cousin George Lowe, Michael Kennedy, and Jim Donini. The team reached a historic point less than 150 meters from the summit, which remained inaccessible for a long time, before descending with Lowe, who was ill with dengue fever. This expedition is today considered an exemplary act of mountaineering, combining commitment, caution, and solidarity. During the 1980s, he opened major routes in the Himalayas, notably on Ama Dablam (first solo ascent on the south face in 1979), Kwangde Ri, Kangtega, and Tawoche. He also broke new ground in Europe, notably in 1991 with the winter solo ascent of the north face of the Eiger via a direct line called "Metanoia." This ascent, of extreme intensity and commitment, is a unique feat that will not be repeated until 2017. For Lowe, "Metanoia" is not only a sporting challenge, but also a profound existential quest. Throughout his life, Jeff Lowe worked to promote climbing and mountaineering, organizing events and competitions, introducing modern European climbers to the United States, and introducing ice climbing to the Winter X Games. He also founded the International Climbing School and actively participated in the Colorado Outward Bound School, passing on his knowledge and values to several generations. Suffering from a degenerative neurological disease similar to ALS since the 2000s, Jeff Lowe courageously fought the disease until his death on August 24, 2018, in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Known For & Full Filmography10 Titles
Drama Series - 2010, 16 episodes • Main Cast Role
Every fall the REEL ROCK Film Tour brings the year's most exciting new climbing films to live audiences around the world. For 2010, the tour features six amazing short films, with stories from the cutting edge of alpine climbing, bouldering, sport climbing, and traditional climbing.
Movie - 2014, 2h 15m • as Self
This documentary follows the life and climbs of legendary alpinist Jeff Lowe, through his visionary ascents around the world up to his final dance with a terminal disease. Centered around Jeff’s most daring climb, Metanoia – solo, in winter, up the North Face of the Eiger in Switzerland — which changed his life and prepared him for the greatest adventure of all: facing his own mortality. It is a mind-bending adventure through time and space that gives physical form to Jeff's unique philosophies and inspiring creative genius.
Drama Series - 1990, 16 episodes • as Self
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 1979, 2h 15m • as self
Ama Dablam is a documentary about alpinism that takes place on Ama Dablam. It was directed by Roger C. Brown in 1979 and produced by ABC. It is a part of the series The American Sportsman. It features Tom Frost, Greg Lowe, Jeff Lowe, Tex Bossier, Martin Boysen, David Breashears and others.
Movie - 2007, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
The cinematography is breathtaking but the unifying theme is lifestyle, the common bond that unites climbers around the globe. It's a year in the life. What motivates these athletes to court danger? Higher Ground celebrates mountain culture through the eyes of world-class climbers. The film focuses on these climbers' drive to explore, their passion for the mountains and the climbing lifestyle. From big wall first ascents in Zion, Utah and winter alpine ascents in the Canadian Rockies to big wall ski descents in coastal British Columbia, Higher Ground spotlights some of the continent's most inaccessible terrain and the people who thrive there. A lens into their boundary-breaking passion illustrates what mountain culture is: an obsession. Featuring: Mike Anderson, John Chilton, Audrey Gariepy, Phil Gruber, Shawn Huisman, Sean Isaac, Lisa Korthals, Guy Lacelle, Rob Owens, Ines Papert, Rob Pizem, Andrew Querner, Scott Semple, and Josh Wharton.
Movie - 1992, 2h 15m • as Self
In the 1980s, Catherine Destivelle, nicknamed "Rock Queen," won several world titles in climbing competitions. In the early 1990s, weary of competitions, world championships, and the pressure of elite sport, she chose to return to the essentials: the mountains, alone and facing the challenge. In 1991, she established a new route—solo—on the west face of the Drus in 11 days. Her ascent garnered admiration, but for many, she remained primarily a rock climber. On March 9, 1992, around 5:00 a.m., she proved the skeptics wrong. After months of preparation on ice with her friend Jeff Lowe, she set off alone on the icy north face of the Eiger, and 17 hours later, she reached the summit. The mountaineering world bowed in awe; she entered the pantheon of mountaineering. Catherine Destivelle will be the first woman to have climbed the three great north faces of the Alps: the Grandes Jorasses, the Matterhorn and the Eiger – solo.
Drama Series - 2024, 16 episodes • as Self
The American Sportsman was an American television series on ABC that aired from 1965 to 1986 and pioneered the outdoor sports and recreation genre. Hosted by Joe Foss and later the famous Curt Gowdy, the show featured hunting, fishing, and other outdoor adventures every Sunday, often with celebrities from film, sports, or music. The show consisted of filmed reports where the hosts and celebrity guests participated in outdoor activities: freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting, whitewater kayaking, hang gliding, and even rock climbing. The crew traveled across the United States, Canada, and sometimes abroad, capturing the spirit of adventure and exploration.
Movie - 2009, 2h 15m • as Self
Disciples of Gill is a documentary by Pat Ament dedicated to bouldering and the legacy of John Gill, a major figure in climbing. The film revisits the rise of bouldering in the 1960s and 70s, as well as its influence on modern climbing. It follows the stories of climbers inspired by John Gill and shows how his ideas, technique, and approach shaped an entire generation. It blends interviews and archival footage to trace the evolution of this practice in Pueblo, Flagstaff Mountain, and more broadly within climbing culture.
Movie - 1985, 2h 15m • as Self
Cloudwalker, the 1985 Banff Mountain Film Festival award-winning mountaineering film, follows Mark Wilford and Jeff Lowe as they prepare to climb a new route on this wild and majestic spire of the Alaska Range's Bear's Tooth South Summit (the south summit of the Mose's Tooth Massif). Featuring inspiring footage of the two climbers at the top of their game honing their mental and physical abilities to prepare for this challenge, then climbing the classic Naked Edge route in Eldorado Canyon, and interviews revealing the inspiring philosophies of two of America's most prolific and talented climbers, Cloudwalker helps preserve and celebrate the culture and heritage of climbing.
Movie - 1997, 2h 15m • as Self
"This film follows Jeff Lowe and Mike Weis's 25 year history of Water fall Ice and mixed routes. from the first ascent of Bridalveil falls in Telluride, Colorado. to routes such as Bloody Sunday, Siver-Tongued Devil and Get a Job. the film includes the first use of the prototype ice piton know as the Snarg. The first ascent of Bridalveil Falls in Telluride, Colorado on January 1, 1974 is a recognized milestone in an unconventional climbing art form: technical waterfall ice. Two 24-year-olds, Mike Weis and Jeff Lowe, notched the remarkable achievement using hickory shafted 70-centimeter Chouinard ice axes, semi-rigid crampons, and prototype ice pitons (Snargs) that had never actually had been fall-tested."