Colorado mountain climber Craig Luebben killed in North Cascades

A well-known Colorado mountain climber was killed and his partner was injured Sunday when ice fell from beneath in North Cascades National Park.

By Susan Gilmore

Seattle Times staff reporter

A well-known Colorado mountain climber was killed and his partner was injured Sunday when ice fell from beneath in North Cascades National Park.

The climber who was killed, Craig Luebben, and Willie Benegas were training for an American Mountain Guide exam at the time of the accident, said Mark Gunlogson, with Seattle's Mountain Madness. Benegas worked for Mountain Madness.

The accident happened early Sunday morning on Mount Torment in the North Cascades, near Marblemount.

Benegas was briefly hospitalized.

According to Gunlogson, Luebben fell into an ice moat, like a crevasse. Benegas said there was no warning, according to Gunlogson.

"It's one of those things, a hazard climbers confront in the North Cascades," said Gunlogson. "These were two incredibly experienced climbers."

Kelly Bush, the district ranger with North Cascades National Park search and rescue, said the two climbers had crossed the upper part of the Taboo Glacier, with Luebben leading. A chunk of ice fell beneath him and he fell about 40 feet into the moat, hanging from his rope and suffering massive trauma.

Luebben was still alive when Benegas was able to climb down to him, move him to a ledge and call 911 for rescue. But Luebben died before he could be rescued, said Bush, adding that neither climber did anything wrong in their ascent. "This kind of thing is inherent in mountaineering," she said. "These men were highly skilled, on top of their game. Some of the elite of mountain climbing."

Luebben lived in Colorado and was a well-known climber, writer, photographer and teacher, said Simon Fryer, with Colorado Mountain School.

According to his Web site, Luebben climbed all over the world and made first ascents on rocks in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, West Virginia, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and other climbing locations. He also wrote seven books on climbing.

"Craig was an incredible, generous individual with a huge heart," said Fryer. "He was a teacher at heart. He always went way out of his way to help people. Craig did it all. Anything in the mountains he loved."

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com