RIP Rob Jansen (rjansen77)

[Upstate Hiker]

I am so sad to hear of this loss. Rob was a wonderful person and always had a smile on his face. My condolences and love to his family and friends. Much love.

[USAKeller]

We asked the server to take a photo of all of us. Before he snapped the picture, he said, "What brought you all together today?" There was a slight silence...then Rob's Dad said, "We are here celebrating our friend's life."

I was just going to mention this. When Rob's dad said this it showed a true testament to his character and the amazing person he raised Rob to become. Mr. Jansen it was an honor to meet you.

Class act right there and I have never met his father.

Great pictures of you all. I agree with Mandy - such an amazing community.

[RyanSchilling]

What a terrible tragedy. It's clear from the posts he will be deeply missed.

[tmathews]

Thank you, everyone, for the kind words, thoughts, and memories. This thread is to remember the life our our friend and of a friend of 14ers.com. Please refrain from discussion of details. It will be greatly appreciated by Rob's family and friends. Thanks again.

[copowderdazd]

I had the opportunity to meet Rob once, through a mutual friend, while skiing last winter at Breckenridge. He was a very kind person and seemed to have an immense love for the mountains. I remember him telling me about all of the 14ers he had already climbed after only being in Colorado for a short time. I remember the conversation being an inspiration for me to get out and do more. I am very sorry to hear of this loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to Rob’s family and friends.

[SurfNTurf]

Since meeting Rob less than a year ago on Oct. 22, 2011, we shared more than 20 trips and almost as many summits together. He's featured prominently in 8 of the 13 trip reports I've written since our first hike on Tabeguache, after which our bond strengthened immediately. We went out a few days later to the Winter Welcomer on Quandary, and from then on hardly a weekend went by where Rob and I didn't plan or attempt to plan an outing. We endured 80-mph winds on Pikes, completed Ellingwood's SW Ridge in winter, slogged up Mt. Massive in February (Rob recently called this the most physically demanding trip he'd ever done), and helped each other through difficult situations on Little Bear and the Wilsons. That's only to name a few. I wouldn't be where I am today, five 14ers from finishing, without Robert Jansen.

Our friendship wasn't restricted to the mountains. Rob was the most enthusiastic supporter of making the Denver happy hours monthly, and he hardly ever missed them. He loved 14ers.com and this community -- he always wore the goofiest name tags in the hopes of meeting as many of y'all as possible. Winter trips take tons of planning, and before long we were spending more time at work chatting online about our upcoming weekend than doing anything productive. He lived closeby and we met for beers frequently, just the two of us or as a group. I knew him for only a few weeks before I counted him among my very best of friends. As the months went by, he became like a brother. It was rare for a day to pass without us speaking.

Rob introduced me to many people, including his roommate Tyler and my current roommate Ben. Dillon joined the crew after a November hike up Sherman. I in turn introduced Rob to Dan, and Dan introduced us to Greg on a winter trip up Bross, Cameron and Lincoln. Bill, Ryan, James and Terry were also instrumental members of what what Brian Thomas and kansas later deemed "The Brat Pack" for our young ages and fun-fueled adventures. I think it's accurate to say Rob and I were the start of it. I'll forever be thankful for that. Rob will never be replaced, but the men (and women) I know because of him won't fall very far short. The brotherhood we share was never more apparent than yesterday, when everyone dropped what they were doing and gathered in Glenwood Springs to say goodbye to our friend and meet his father. We gathered again in Denver over pitchers of Dales, Rob's favorite beer, and shared laugh after therapeutic laugh. I love every one of you.

I learned about Rob's death on the summit of Capitol. My friends tried to protect me, sending cryptic texts to call them only once I was down, but word leaked on the top about a "death on Snowmass." I knew my friends were over there and remembered hearing choppers from Capitol Lake the evening before. The connection was made. I was able to reach Bill Wood on the phone, who was still adamant about not telling me anything until I was in a safe place myself. I demanded to know, and eventually he relented. I was stunned. I couldn't speak. The mourning began immediately, but I also allowed myself to be thankful that Tyler, Greg, Dillon and Dan had been safely rescued.

Getting down Capitol was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was able to keep my composure by just telling myself to make it to K2, and then I could let it all out. I had to stop more times than I can remember to pull myself together, to count to five and take a breath. Darrin, Otina, Clay, and Emily -- you each helped me at various points to stay in control. Mandy and Milan, thank you for making me smile. I remembered a poster one of my coworkers has in his office of a British slogan from WWII: "Keep calm and carry on." That became my mantra, and before long we were in the relative safety of the talus field below K2.

I last hiked with Rob on Culebra on Aug. 11, which is poignant because it was the "perfect storm" of what makes our group of friends so great. That's how I'll always remember him -- joking and kind, and most likely ahead of me. He sent me a text Friday wishing me a safe trip up Capitol, and I responded with the same sentiment. That was the last time we ever spoke.

Rob was going to finish the 14ers with me in September, as were Greg and Tyler. As the lone man remaining in hiking shape (though I've learned to never count out Greg), I feel more motivated than ever to go forward with the plan. For them. For Rob. One of the last things Rob's dad said to me (and others) yesterday was, "Carry the torch."

Rob, these next five are for you. I hope you don't mind my pace.

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[I Man]

The winter climb on Massive was very, very demanding....but you never would have known he felt that way. What an endurance and speed machine he was.

That day was the hardest day I've ever had in Colorado's mountains...but what a fine crew it was.

[Mel McKinney]

Sincere condolences to Rob's family and his many friends and hiking/climbing partners. I've been "off the grid" for several days and had no idea. I'm so sorry to hear of this, but it's very heartwarming to see the photos of the gathering to celebrate Rob's life.

[tmathews]

Just saw this article posted not too long ago. It focuses a lot on Rob's life and even mentions his trunks. "Remember him for how he lived, not how he died" is a mantra that I've told many others in times like these. That's how we will remember him.

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/154519

[TheOtherIndian]

Just saw this article posted not too long ago. It focuses a lot on Rob's life and even mentions his trunks. "Remember him for how he lived, not how he died" is a mantra that I've told many others in times like these. That's how we will remember him.

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/154519

Very nice article. Summed up his persona across all platforms. Still hard to believe he wont be there on Sep 15th

[CarolinaGirl]

I didn't know Rob (only through this site), but this thread has made me weepy. He sounded like an absolutely wonderful guy- To his friends and family, I am so glad that you all got to be a part of his life. It's obvious how loved he was and that his life was full of joy. I can't imagine how tough this is for his family, but I'm so glad for his father that he got to spend time with Rob on Holy Cross so recently, and that he got to meet Rob's buddies out here. I once lost a best friend and the only thing that brings comfort is being around other people who love that person as much as you do. Keep supporting each other and sending encouragement to his family. R.I.P. Rob.

[I Man]

Just saw this article posted not too long ago. It focuses a lot on Rob's life and even mentions his trunks. "Remember him for how he lived, not how he died" is a mantra that I've told many others in times like these. That's how we will remember him.

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/154519

Very nice article. Summed up his persona across all platforms. Still hard to believe he wont be there on Sep 15th

Agreed, it was refreshingly well written and focused on his life.


Rob will be there on the 15th, as well as every other summit that we may see. He lives on in all of us, in our memories and in the lessons he taught us.