| Craig Luebben | |
| Birth Date: | May 20, 1960 |
| Birth Place: | Iowa |
| Death Date: | August 9, 2009 |
| Death Place: | North Cascades, Washington State |
| Occupation: | Rock Climber, Mechanical Engineer, Educator, Writer and Mountain Guide |
| Genre: | essays, journals, histories, scientific papers, biographies, textbooks |
| Spouse: | Silvia Luebben (1997–his death) |
| Children: | Giulia |
| Subject: | Mountaineering, rock climbing |
| Alma Mater: | University of Colorado |
| Period: | 1991–2006 |
| Notable Works: | Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills |
Craig Luebben (20 May 1960 – 9 August 2009) was an American rock climber and author.
Luebben was born in Iowa and moved to Colorado at age seven, where he cultivated his love of the outdoors.[1] A climber since the early 1980s, Luebben wrote a number of climbing-oriented books, and designed the wide-crack climbing protection device–now manufactured by Trango–as part of obtaining his degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University,[2] and was a senior contributing editor for Climbing Magazine.
Luebben made many first ascents in the United States and abroad, including China, Madagascar, Puerto Rico and France. Luebben was a mountain guide with the American Mountain Guides Association and instructor.[3]
"Craig was a 5.12 climber in that he could likely onsight any 5.12 on the planet."[4]
Craig Luebben was killed on August 9, 2009, in an accident while climbing on Mount Torment in the Cascade Range of Washington.[5] A car-size block of ice calved off, taking Craig with it and resulting in a 30-foot fall. While not struck by the initial block, Craig was pelted by debris as he hung from his rope.[6]
After his death, the American Mountain Guides Association established the Craig Luebben Education Fund in his honor to provide scholarships for new mountain guides.
Luebben's 2004 book, Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills, won that year's National Outdoor Book Award (Instructional).