Alex would leave the office in the late in the morning and go running off - just himself, a T-shirt, and a chalk bag - and do something like climb the North Face of the Grand .... It was astonishing what he was able to do. And do safely. And do alone, without bragging. He wouldn't even tell you about it, you had to pry it out of him.
--Al Read, owner, Exum Mountain Guides

Alex was pure Montana in an age of increasing Hollywood. He showed us that you can be great, even the best in the world, and not lose the character that he had, that genuine passion. He climbed a mountain because he wondered if it could be climbed, not because he wondered if anyone else could climb it.
--Todd Skinner, climber

When I met him, he struck me as this awesome athlete that was as humble as anyone I've ever met. He could charm a crowd of elite athletes better than anyone else I've ever known. Alex was just this guy who touched everyone he came in contact with, whether it was a yak driver from Kathmandu, or someone he climbed with back in Montana.
Bill Simon, CEO, The North Face

There was a day that we drove down the road from La Grave to another nearby town, where we skinned up this valley and hiked this couloir. It was Alex, Conrad, Mark [Holbrook], Hans [Saari] Andrew [McLean], and Greg VonDorsten. We were skiing up this and the day was just beautiful; it had just snowed the night before. Then we boot packed up this 3000 foot couloir. Of course Alex is in the lead, which is always his style. He's pretty close to the top, and Alex turns around and goes 'You know what? I don't know about you guys, but I'm happy skiing right from here, I don't feel a hundred percent about the snow stability.' And everyone's like 'Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.' He showed how totally humble he is toward the environment. He just said I don't feel crazy about going to the top, and so we skied from there and had this incredible ski run. He showed such great respect for the power of the mountains.
--Topher Gaylord, Director of Athlete Programs at The North Face

We teach courses year-round on Rainier. Avalanches are very hard to assess. Simply, if you climb on a glacier, on snow, you increase your risk of getting caught in one. There's no fault or blame. This is certainly not a black mark on Lowe's record.
--Lou Whitaker, founder, Rainier Mountaineering, Inc.

We lost a great friend, but the mountains have the last word, and they always speak loudly.
--Jim Williams, Senior Exum Guide and Owner of Professional Mountain Guides

To read more of the climbing community's outpouring, please see the December issue of Outside magazine, on newsstands November 16 and online November 23.