Charlie Fowler (1954 – 2006)

(INSERT photo: Climbing Cover)   DC
(INSERT graphic: Charlie w/camera)   DC

Charlie was born in North Carolina and grew up in Virginia, graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in environmental science in 1975. He then moved to Colorado, finally settling on the Western Slope in the small town of Norwood and made a living through guiding, writing, photography and films. He successfully climbed the 8,000-meter peaks of Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma. Between expeditions, he established hundreds of climbing routes at the small crags he founded throughout the desert Southwest. In recent years, he explored unnamed peaks in Tibet and remote areas of China. In recognition of his climbing accomplishments, he was awarded the 2004 Robert and Miriam Underhill Award for outstanding mountaineering achievement by the American Alpine Club. Active in his community, Charlie sat on the boards of the Telluride Mountain Club, the Horizon Program, and Mountainfilm in Telluride, and helped design and build several community climbing walls. With friend and climbing partner Damon Johnston, he founded Mountain World Media in 2004. Together they published several regional climbing guidebooks. On their list was to create a children’s book that would capture the essence of mountaineering and the remote cultures encountered along the way. In October 2006, Charlie left for China with his climbing partner, Christine Boskoff, to attempt several unclimbed peaks. It was from this fifth trip to the region that Charlie did not come home. He and Chris died in an avalanche while attempting a new route on Mount Genyen. Although his pink mountaineering boots have been stilled, the bright legacy of a true Mountain Star shines on.