Alex Lowe has emerged as one of North America's great alpinists. Born in 1958, Lowe has already squeezed in more than 20 years of rock and ice climbing, big-wall climbing, alpine climbing and high-altitude mountaineering. He is generally regarded as the world's most versatile climber, equally at home on 5.12 rock as on free-hanging icicles.

Although his formal education is in mathematics and engineering, Lowe's chosen profession is in the rarefied atmosphere of high-altitude mountains. Among his Himalayan guiding experiences are two successfully guided ascents of Mt. Everest. He has also successfully guided Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Atlantic Ocean Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite, and the Polish Glacier route on Aconcagua, Argentina, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere.

Lowe has established new routes and first ascents of a very high level on Kwangde and Kusum Kanguru in Nepal, Taulliraju SW Buttress and the South Face of Huandoy Este in Peru, and the first one day ascent of the North Buttress of Mount Hunter in Alaska. Additional expeditions have taken him to K2, Gasherbrum IV, Carstenz Pyramid and, with Lynn Hill, he made the first free ascent of a 1,200 metre face in the Ak-Su range in Kirghizstan.

His other significant alpine achievements include a solo winter ascent of the North Face of the Grand Teton, the Run-Don't Walk Couloir on Mt. Kitchener and the Andromeda Strain in the Canadian Rockies, a solo ascent of the Super Couloir of France's Mt. Blanc du Tacul and a solo ascent of the North Face of the Matterhorn.

Competition has also played a role in Lowe's climbing development. In 1993 he won the 23,000 foot Khan-Tengri Peak Speed Ascent competition in Russia, and he has placed well in international sport climbing competitions since 1989. Lowe's versatility continues as he free climbs at the 5.12 and 5.13 level. To complete this varied menu, Lowe is comfortable on the big walls as well, with multi-day, direct aid climbs at the A5 level on many of the classics in Yosemite, Squamish, the Bugaboos, the Alps and Wind Rivers Ranges.

This almost incomparable climbing record is accompanied by a remarkably low-key disposition which, combined with a healthy sense of humour and understated style, have earned Alex Lowe the highest respect and affection of his peers. Climber Barry Blanchard says of Lowe: "What makes Alex unique is his technical ability in all aspects of climbing combined with an incredible level of fitness and a hungry intellect...he is hard to keep up with...Alex's motivation is simply that he loves to climb...it is an integral part of his definition of himself...he is great to be with." Alex is a member of the prestigious North Face Climbing Team and in 1995, was presented with the Underhill Award for exemplary mountain achievement from the American Alpine Club.

Alex Lowe appears at the Banff Festival of Mountain Films on Saturday, November 2, 1996 at 8:00 p.m. in the Eric Harvie Theatre.