Hang in there Ross. You did a great job working with SAR all the way through Bryan’s recovery and communicating with his family. My sincere condolences to all of Bryan’s friends and family.
Thanks to all of our SAR members out there who drop everything to assist when something goes wrong.
Climber dies on Pico Aislado
Forum rules
- This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
- Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
- Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
- Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment." --- Nasreddin
https://listsofjohn.com/PeakStats/Conte ... queen&t=14
https://listsofjohn.com/PeakStats/Conte ... queen&t=14
-
Wildernessjane
- Posts: 558
- Joined: 7/15/2012
- 14ers: 58 13 46
- 13ers: 256 23 19
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
Ross, I’m so sorry to hear what you are going through. It took a lot of strength to post on here and I hope that it brings you some peace. Hang in there. Condolences to you and all of his family and friends.
“Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world.” -David McCullough?
-
Dan_Suitor
- Posts: 776
- Joined: 4/23/2012
- 14ers: 58 4
- 13ers: 90
- Trip Reports (3)
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
My condolences to you, Bryan’s friends, and his family. Very tragic indeed. A somber reminder of the dangers with the sport we enjoy.
Century Bound, eventually.
-
blazintoes
- Posts: 322
- Joined: 9/4/2012
- 14ers: 58 58
- 13ers: 327 3 73
- Trip Reports (16)
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
Hey Ross,
We haven't met yet and I never met Bryan but anytime Steve wasn't available I knew he was in good hands with one or both of you. Recently I lost a close cycling friend who was hit by a driver the same way I was hit a couple years ago but she died. Survivors guilt is real and it hurts. Tears well up in my eyes now as I write this and it hurts in a way I can't nor do I want to describe here. I hope you join us on our upcoming backpack trip.
We haven't met yet and I never met Bryan but anytime Steve wasn't available I knew he was in good hands with one or both of you. Recently I lost a close cycling friend who was hit by a driver the same way I was hit a couple years ago but she died. Survivors guilt is real and it hurts. Tears well up in my eyes now as I write this and it hurts in a way I can't nor do I want to describe here. I hope you join us on our upcoming backpack trip.
-
bergsteigen
- Posts: 2391
- Joined: 6/14/2008
- 14ers: 58 52 18
- 13ers: 538 100 12
- Trip Reports (237)
- Contact:
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
I’m so sorry to hear this Ross! I’ve been following Bryan and your adventures since we met a few years ago.
Loss happens so quickly in the mountains, even to the most experienced among us. I hope you and others directly effected find healing, and seek help, as others have mentioned. No one that has done this for any considerable amount of time is without trauma related to this passion for the mountains we all share.
Loss happens so quickly in the mountains, even to the most experienced among us. I hope you and others directly effected find healing, and seek help, as others have mentioned. No one that has done this for any considerable amount of time is without trauma related to this passion for the mountains we all share.
"Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games." - Ernest Hemingway (or was it Barnaby Conrad?)
Your knees only get so many bumps in life, don't waste them on moguls!
“No athlete is truly tested until they’ve stared an injury in the face and come out on the other side stronger than ever” -anonymous
http://otinasadventures.com @otina
Your knees only get so many bumps in life, don't waste them on moguls!
“No athlete is truly tested until they’ve stared an injury in the face and come out on the other side stronger than ever” -anonymous
http://otinasadventures.com @otina
-
Pika_wanderer
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 5/7/2017
- 14ers: 58 5
- 13ers: 18
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
My condolences to Ross and Bryan's family... In hopes that the following may be seen by close friends or family, I'd like to share some of my favorite memories of Bryan:
When my husband and I climbed Wilson Peak over an extremely busy Labor day weekend, it seemed like almost every person we encountered either hated their life or hated being in the mountains. Until we climbed the final summit pitch and met Bryan Ludwig, who instantly started up friendly conversation and whose enthusiasm for being on a 14er summit was instantly contagious. Meeting Bryan became the highlight of our climb.. and we still quote his little jokes he made on the descent to this day (to the random guy with the blue tooth speaker: "Dude! Is that the Space Jam song?!?") ...After finding out he also lived in Colorado Springs, we exchanged information and eventually Bryan and my husband would coincidentally become coworkers.
In addition to being a jokester and avid mountaineer, Bryan also had a huge passion for looking out after fellow climbers. He followed the story of a missing climber on Pyramid closely (after I posted we had actually encountered the guy on our descent). He immediately sent me a message when the climber had been found safe after 3 days and admitted that he had been so concerned that he couldn't stop thinking and worrying about the lost climber until he was found.
Bryan loved his life as a Colorado mountaineer and thrived on adventure. He helped to calm my nerves over tackling some harder climbs last Summer and wanted nothing more than to have others experience the same joy he felt from climbing. We are really feeling the loss of our friend and fellow mountaineer... But I know Bryan was doing what he loved... I don't know if I've ever met anyone else who seemed to live and breathe to climb our beautiful mountains.
When my husband and I climbed Wilson Peak over an extremely busy Labor day weekend, it seemed like almost every person we encountered either hated their life or hated being in the mountains. Until we climbed the final summit pitch and met Bryan Ludwig, who instantly started up friendly conversation and whose enthusiasm for being on a 14er summit was instantly contagious. Meeting Bryan became the highlight of our climb.. and we still quote his little jokes he made on the descent to this day (to the random guy with the blue tooth speaker: "Dude! Is that the Space Jam song?!?") ...After finding out he also lived in Colorado Springs, we exchanged information and eventually Bryan and my husband would coincidentally become coworkers.
In addition to being a jokester and avid mountaineer, Bryan also had a huge passion for looking out after fellow climbers. He followed the story of a missing climber on Pyramid closely (after I posted we had actually encountered the guy on our descent). He immediately sent me a message when the climber had been found safe after 3 days and admitted that he had been so concerned that he couldn't stop thinking and worrying about the lost climber until he was found.
Bryan loved his life as a Colorado mountaineer and thrived on adventure. He helped to calm my nerves over tackling some harder climbs last Summer and wanted nothing more than to have others experience the same joy he felt from climbing. We are really feeling the loss of our friend and fellow mountaineer... But I know Bryan was doing what he loved... I don't know if I've ever met anyone else who seemed to live and breathe to climb our beautiful mountains.
-
Arizona Bill
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 10/23/2005
- 14ers: 58
- 13ers: 214
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
Oh my gosh, this hits too close to home. I am so sorry your partner Bryan fell on that face of Pico Asilado.
My partner and I did that route in 2011 and I have never been so concerned. We descended a little to the south and it was much better until we got cliffed out and needed to rappel. Then it went well back over Milwawkee. But we didn't have the rope out going up that face!
My partner and I did that route in 2011 and I have never been so concerned. We descended a little to the south and it was much better until we got cliffed out and needed to rappel. Then it went well back over Milwawkee. But we didn't have the rope out going up that face!
Arizona Bill
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
I am so sorry to hear about such an unfortunate event.
Thanks for posting this.
My condolences to you and all Bryan's family and friends.
Thanks for posting this.
My condolences to you and all Bryan's family and friends.
-
RhodoRose
- Posts: 164
- Joined: 8/21/2015
- 14ers: 58
- 13ers: 11 3
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
I am so very sorry to hear this sad news. My thoughts and prayers go out to you, to Bryan's family, and to his friends and hiking companions. Your account shook me up; a reminder that, while we love the mountains, they do not love us back.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3: 13-14
Philippians 3: 13-14
-
MountainHiker
- Posts: 2588
- Joined: 5/17/2007
- 14ers: 58 2
- 13ers: 109
- Trip Reports (7)
- Contact:
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
My condolences to Bryan's family and friends. And to Ross, I am sorry for your loss.
The world is forever different.
The world is forever different.
Red, Rugged, and Rotten: The Elk Range - Borneman & Lampert
-
drew_harper
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 12/28/2020
- 14ers: 58
- 13ers: 32
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
Ross, thank you for sharing this heartfelt and detailed account. I am so sorry!
I met Bryan and Steve on Labor Day Weekend 2019, at Kilpacker Basin Trailhead. Had a great conversation both before and after the summit of El Diente. They invited me along with Courtney and a few others to climb Wilson Peak the next day. Bryan was the most extroverted climber I’ve met, but his passion for the sport and genuine interest in others was contagious.
Most of the group from the Wilson Peak day, reconnected for two 13ers on November 2nd, 2020. My last time speaking with and seeing Bryan. I had texted him early this year about my finisher plans for August. He, his family and Ross will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.
I met Bryan and Steve on Labor Day Weekend 2019, at Kilpacker Basin Trailhead. Had a great conversation both before and after the summit of El Diente. They invited me along with Courtney and a few others to climb Wilson Peak the next day. Bryan was the most extroverted climber I’ve met, but his passion for the sport and genuine interest in others was contagious.
Most of the group from the Wilson Peak day, reconnected for two 13ers on November 2nd, 2020. My last time speaking with and seeing Bryan. I had texted him early this year about my finisher plans for August. He, his family and Ross will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.
Re: Climber dies on Pico Aislado
Ross, I've been where you are right now, having seen two falls and the last was at traumatic as you described seeing. I know and understand what you're going through, and just know that it will get better. I agree with you about writing and sharing about it, as I had done the same and still do from time to time.
For me, it took some time to get over the survivor's guilt kinds of feelings, and past the images in my mind replaying that day.
CCSAR was there for me and my friends too, and they were very comforting and understanding. But beyond that, and as others have suggested, I too recommend talking to a professional counselor if you can.
Also know that it will get better for you, the memory of that day will remain but in time it won't be as harsh. For me, it was important to get out to the mountains again, and I did so the following weekend. I even returned to the same mountain and passed through where our friend died on Crestone Needle a few weeks after the accident, as a sense of closure for me. I'm not suggesting you return to this climb, but I do recommend going out again and continue to hike, climb, scramble, and enjoy the mountains. It will get better.
To you and to Bryan's family and other close friends, I'm sorry for your loss.
For me, it took some time to get over the survivor's guilt kinds of feelings, and past the images in my mind replaying that day.
CCSAR was there for me and my friends too, and they were very comforting and understanding. But beyond that, and as others have suggested, I too recommend talking to a professional counselor if you can.
Also know that it will get better for you, the memory of that day will remain but in time it won't be as harsh. For me, it was important to get out to the mountains again, and I did so the following weekend. I even returned to the same mountain and passed through where our friend died on Crestone Needle a few weeks after the accident, as a sense of closure for me. I'm not suggesting you return to this climb, but I do recommend going out again and continue to hike, climb, scramble, and enjoy the mountains. It will get better.
To you and to Bryan's family and other close friends, I'm sorry for your loss.
