A Climber We Lost

He is best known for his audacious climb of the West Ridge of Mount Everest in 1963 with Willi Unsoeld, but also by the warm and caring friendship he extended to so very many

Schweiger, 21, passed away Sunday, April 10, after he and his girlfriend were hit by a car while walking to a nearby ice cream store. 

He spent his days pursuing climbing, mountaineering, trail running, snowboarding, and whatever else could get him into the mountains. He was killed in battle on June 11, 2022, a week before his 36th birthday.

Sergei Zheleznyak, of Kharkiv, was killed in combat in mid-March 2023, and posthumously awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky in the third degree for his service. Outside his military service, Zheleznyak was a member of Kharkiv’s Rotary International, a talented dancer, and a mountaineer.

Dr. Leonid Gambarov was killed on April 25, 2022, during the shelling of Derhachi, a small town near his native Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. Gambarov made over 100 first ascents in the alpine during his lengthy climbing career.

Taras Pona was a fierce Ukrainian patriot and an avid mountaineer. He died at the age of 50 on October 21 near Bachmut.

Check out Owen Clarke's author page.

He was a candidate for a Master of Sport in rock climbing and he worked at Kharkiv’s climbing gym, Vertical, often volunteering to organize competitions and be a judge. At the age of 35, he died alongside his lifelong friend and fellow climber Oleksandr Zakolodny.

He was a climber, mountaineer, hiker, paraglider, swimmer, enduro rider, and more—pursuing any activity that could take him to unique and beautiful places. He died on the frontlines of the war two days before his 28th birthday.

Dmitry Alexandrovich Kochetkov, of Kharkiv, was killed on April 19, 2022. The 42-year-old combat medic was a spirited rock climber and mountaineer throughout his life, climbing everywhere from the Pamir and Caucasus to the Crimea and Carpathians.

With over 75 ascents of El Capitan, nearly two dozen speed records of big wall routes in Yosemite and in Zion, and first ascents of hard aid climbs across the U.S., Ammon made a huge impact on wall climbing.

Michelle lived an adventurous life filled with energy and enthusiasm, and climbing was a core passion for nearly 30 years.

Each January we post a farewell tribute to those members of our community lost in the year just past. Some of the people you may have heard of, some not. All are part of our community and contributed to climbing.

Each January we post a farewell tribute to those members of our community lost in the year just past. Some of the people you may have heard of, some not. All are part of our community and contributed to climbing.

Check out Sheny Benzesh's author page.

Inventor of the Armaid, opera singer, massage therapist and professional deep-sea diver.

Friends and family all seem to have a Mason story, and all laugh while telling them. But beyond the laughs, those close to him remember his kindness.