Goodbye Ben and Gil
We are very sad to report that we lost two very good friends and amazing climbing partners. Yesterday morning Ben Horne and Gil Weiss’ bodies were found by the search team. They were putting up a first ascent of a new route on the South face of Palcaraju Oeste in Peru. We would like to say thank you to everyone who helped in the search effort in the many ways they could. We are proud to be part of such an unbelievable community.
These are two of the finest climbers we have ever known… embodying the spirit of the mountains with every thing they did. Many of us have had the honor of sharing in their love for the wilderness, and that lives on.
“My candle burns at both ends, it will not last the night, but oh my friends, and oh my foes, it gives a lovely light.” – Edna St. Vincent Millay
Some of our favorite Trip Reports by the guys:
Ben:
The Peruvian Chronicles
Full Palisades Traverse Casually
May Day at Tahquitz, Send em all!
Gil:
Letter to my Dad
Home Sweet Home, New Routes on Mt. Hitchcock
The Intimate Spur, Reflections on the Evolution Traverse
We are helping to raise donations to offset the cost of search and recovery for the families.
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RIP, dudes :’-(
RIP gentlemen. May your family and friends take solace in the fact that you left as you lived your lives; feeding the fire that was the passion that guided you through this world. Hopefully, we can all know such love and freedom.
Most sincere condolences to friends and family. May you find peace
“It is better to master one mountain than a thousand foothills.”
William Arthur Ward
I did not have the honor of knowing either of these men but through a mutual friend of Gil’s have heard and read their story. I just wanted to say how inspired I’ve been by their story, specifically what I’ve read of Gil. I so admire and respect anyone who is full of passion and feeds that passion with the way they live their life. To turn what they love into a career and lifestyle inspires me to look at my life and the areas I chose mediocre rather than grabbing life by the horns and living it with limitless zest. I have been truly touched by the spirit of these men which exudes across the pages through their own words and the words others have written about them. What a beautiful legacy. To their family and friends, my prayers are with you and may you be sustained and kept by God’s great love and comfort.
My wife and I were teaching a leadership and mountain course to children of the Cordillera Blanca these past 2.5 months. Gil and Asa came to help teach for a day and talk of their involvement in how they too could help the youth of these mountain communities. Gil jumped right in and helped teach knots, played problem solving games and shared his experiences and energy for life with the youth.
We then took some days to adventure and climb with Gil and Asa on Huamashraju. Gil’s passion and energy for life, the mountains being paramount, was infectious and motivating! His camp stories were hilarious and touching, and those moments together provided a stoke for me and for my wife to get after it and not be afraid to push ourselves a little more!
RIP – you will be missed, and may your stories live on!
Three extraordinary climbers gone ..Michael Ybarra, Gil Weiss and Ben Horne….gentlemen…RIP. Your family and friends will never forget you….climb on
Susan: as you know, Gil wrote a poignant blog about my brother’s death and passed away soon thereafter. I know what Gil and Ben’s families are going through and my heart breaks for them.
Long Live Gil and Ben
I attended Gil’s slideshow at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder just before he headed to Peru. The fact he spoke with equal enthusiasm about taking is dad up the First Flatiron as he did about the Palisade Traverse says a lot about the kind of person he was. Over the years I greatly appreciated the support and friendship of Ben and Gil as we exchanged beta and “likes” for our Sierra exploits. They will be in my thoughts for many years to come.
I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Gil, and only spoke briefly with Ben at the gym. Even so, the story of them overdue and then lost in Peru has really set in my mind – I’ve thought on it a lot with respect to the loss those close to them are suffering, and how I deal with my own risk-taking in the mountains. The stories the two of them put up of their accomplishments in the mountains were and are inspiring – we as a people and a community have lost two good men and mountaineers. RIP, Ben and Gil.
Much respect
Gil’s passing hits close though I only met him a few times, exchanging thoughts, beers and his photographic skills. What we shared clearly, simply and instantly is a passion for the nature, adventure, moutains…Climbing which is as essential to our spirit as the air we breath and the people we love.
Very few can comprehend why we aspire for these adventures much less make sense of it save those in the climbing community.
You are remembered, admired….You have gone before us on a new adventure. Peace!
To the friends of Gil and Ben: thank you for sharing your memories of them with those of us who did not have the pleasure of knowing them.
While I did not know either of the climbers, my heart goes out to their families for their loss.
It is very admirable that they lived their lives to the fullest & that should be a genuine lesson to us all.
Their story has inspired me to look beyond the petty events of daily living & set goals to achieve & be proud of.
R.I.P.
My condolences to Mrs. and Mr. Horne and the entire Horne family. I knew Ben from his time in the Boy Scouts and always appreciated his athleticism and upbeat spirit. He LIVED life and that is something I have always tried to epitomize.
My deepest sympathy to both families.May Ben and Gil Rest In Peace.I am sending love,light and blessings to all xoxoxo,Jenni Paul
Mi gran amor Gil tiene mucha suerte a pesar de que ya no este con nosotros en esta tierra ya que encontro una persona que lo ama y lo amara estando muerto, me hace feliz saber que tu vida aqui en Huaraz no fue en bano mi Gil la otra parte de tu corazon como me dijiste esta aqui con migo y con la gente con la que compartiste momentos, tus deseos se hacen realidad de ser mitad Americano y mitad mi amor Peruano, te siempre llevo con migo mi GIl mi gran amor,, lo que hace mas feliz es que en la eternidad me esperas para estar siempre junto te amo GIL
Hoy al igual que el primer mes en que sucedio esta pesadilla parami mi amor Gil el cielo de tu Huaraz querido y de las montañas se muestra muy frio y triste, como siempre escucho tu musica recordandote y sintiendote como si estuvieras vivo, hoy miss Josephine al salir a correr a las 5 am vio dos estrellas en el cielo, era un signo de la presencia de ustedes Bend y Gil hasta siempre chicos
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