Jan Studebaker

Jan Studebaker, one of the Mountaineer’s leading lights, has passed away, Jun 25, 2022. This is a sad day. Jan was larger than life, taking on the world in his own special way. That world was full of exploration and adventure, with Jan always at the cutting edge. He was a leader in many ways, opening the door to adventures for others, whether it was taking people to new places, or blazing a path and throwing down a rope for others to follow. My outdoor world has not been the same since he was taken from it. -- Bill P. 

Major LAM Activities and Positions Held:

• Club webmaster from at least 1997 to April of 2012,

• Scheduler of "Tuesday / Thursday" top roping sessions since about 1983,

• Past President, 1990 Board,

• President, 1989 Board,

• Vice-President and Climbing School Director, 1988,

• Technical Rescue Director (2 years),

• Equipment Manager (2 years),

• Board Member at Large (1 years),

• Climbing School Instructor for about 18 years,

• Leader and Organizer of over one hundred club and personal trips:

• Graduate of the Los Alamos Mountaineers 1980 Climbing School,

• Member of the Los Alamos Mountaineers since 1980.

Jan has always  loved the outdoors, where his favorite activities are mountain biking, downhill and cross country skiing, canyoneering, backpacking, mountaineering, trail running, and hiking.  He reluctantly gave up rock and ice climbing (plus caving) due to a back injury.  Jan's last climb was on a June 1999 club trip that he organized to Yosemite.  Jan and Edward Romero climbed Royal Arches on June 11, 1999.  This was Jan's third ascent of the well known 50 Classic Climb, and was done about a year after he broke his back on a climb at Lovers Leap near Tahoe.  Jan's transition to a non-climber was not easy, but is now complete!  His long term climbing partners (Norbert Ensslin, Roger Rumsey, Peter Walsh, and Elizabeth Kelly) will be revered always!

Jan has been given honorary "Lifetime Member" status with the club, and he is a recipient of the the clubs "Distinguished Service Award".

Jan is the good looking guy in the grey shirt,
and Roger Rumsey tries to look cool

Memorable ascents include:

Bugaboo Spire's Kain Route, Mount Rainier's Liberty Ridge, Devil's Tower Durrance Route, Grand Teton's Direct Exum Ridge, Pingora's Northeast Face, Wolf's Head East Ridge, Crestone Needle's Ellingwood Ledges, Hallett Peak's Northcutt-Carter Route, Petit Grepon's South Face, Shiprock's Standard Route, Castleton Tower's Kor-Ingalls Route, Middle Cathedral Rock's East Buttress, Half Dome's Snake Dike, Fairview Dome's North Face, Charlotte Dome's South Face, Lover's Leap Traveler Buttress, Red Rocks' Epinephrine, Crestone Peak's Red Gully, Mount of the Holy Cross's Holy Cross Couloir, and the Blanca-Little Bear traverse; many of which were repeated....some several times.