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Jeff Lowe papers, 1980-2015

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Lowe, Jeff
Title
Jeff Lowe papers
Dates
1980-2015 (inclusive)
Quantity
5.5 linear feet, (13 boxes: 9 letter boxes, 1 half letter box, 2 half legal boxes, 1 oversize)
Collection Number
UUS_ORA 017
Summary
Jeff Lowe was a professional climber who founded multiple outdoor brands and climbing competitions, wrote numerous pieces on climbing, and produced and starred in various outdoor films. The Jeff Lowe Papers contain Jeff Lowe's records of his climbs, writings and films, business ventures, and competitions.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Languages
English
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Content Description

The Jeff Lowe Papers contain records from 1980-2015 pertaining to the professional work and climbs of Jeff Lowe. The collection is composed of Jeff Lowe's records of his climbs, writings and films, business ventures, and competitions.

The "Business Records" section contains documents about various businesses founded or co-founded by Jeff Lowe, including Cloudwalker, Lowe Alpine, Arctic Wolf, and Latok Mountain Gear. This series is composed of business plans and agreements, as well as financial information about the companies.

"Ogden Climbing Parks/Ice Tower" contains information about Jeff Lowe's management of multiple Climbing Parks in Ogden, Utah, and his plans to expand these parks. Jeff also planned to install a "Holographic Ice Tower" in Ogden, modeled after the ice tower he created for the 1997 X Games.

The "Writings and Films" series contains Jeff's notes regarding his personal writings. This section also contains notes on films which he produced and was featured in, as well as press reviews of his writings and films.

The "Nameless Tower Climb" series documents Jeff Lowe's ascent of Nameless Tower as part of a group expedition in 1990. This section contains plans for the group's ascent of Nameless Tower and information about expedition members.

The "Camp Bird" section details plans for the development of the closed Camp Bird Mine in Colorado. Jeff planned to develop Camp Bird into a climbing center where visitors could climb and learn about safe climbing practices year-round.

The "Climbing Competitions" section contains information about Jeff Lowe's role in multiple climbing competitions. Jeff organized the first Ouray Ice Festival and the International Sport Climbing Championship at Snowbird in 1988. This section outlines the planning and execution of these competitions.

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Historical Note

Jeffery George Lowe was born on September 13, 1950, in Ogden, Utah. Jeff's father, Ralph Lowe, introduced Jeff and his seven siblings to climbing early in their childhoods, which led to Jeff's passion for the sport. Jeff spent three years at Tahoe Paradise College on a ski racing scholarship before transitioning to professional climbing. He founded or co-founded outdoor companies Cloudwalker, Lowe Alpine, and Latok Mountain Gear with the help of his brothers. He also organized several climbing competitions, including the first Ouray Ice Festival and the International Sport Climbing Championship at Snowbird in 1988. Jeff made over 1,000 ascents during his career, most notable among them the inaugural climb of Metanoia, a route up the Eiger which became the namesake for the 2014 documentary that followed his career. Jeff passed away on August 24, 2018, due to pneumonia and a rare degenerative disease similar to ALS.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Jeff Lowe Papers must be obtained from the Outdoor Recreation Archive curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: Jeff Lowe Papers USU_ORA 017 Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations:USU_ORA 017, USUSCA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into 7 series: Business Records, Ogden Climbing Parks/Ice Tower, Writings and Films, Nameless Tower Climb, Camp Bird, and Climbing Competitions.

Acquisition Information

USU Special Collections and Archives purchased this collection from Jeff's daughter, Sonja Bosler, in 2021.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Subject Terms

  • Mountaineering--Equipment and supplies
  • Outdoor recreation--Equipment and supplies
  • Snow and ice climbing.

Titles within the Collection

  • Arctic Wolf, Inc.
  • Cloudwalker, Inc.
  • Latok Mountain Gear, Inc.
  • Lowe Alpine Systems, Inc.

Finding aid written by Merah Slagle and Clint Pumphrey
2022

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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