Peter Lev

I just learned that Peter Lev passed on April 27, at age 82. I knew of him for decades. Climbed with him only once, eight years ago, when he lived in Ouray. He was an accomplished climber and mountaineer and had owned Exum Mountain Guides. Googling will provide obituaries. 

Rest in peace, Pete.

I knew Peter. We were on opposite sides of AMGA political matters in the 1990's, he the old guard, me a player in the new wave. We didn't get along at AMGA meetings. I moved to the Salt Lake City Area about 1996. Out of the blue Peter called me at home. I was very surprised. He invited me and my wife to dinner at his house. Then we went climbing together,  skiing together, and we became short term but excellent friends. I can only imagine that those who really new him would agree, he was a good man, a solid partner in any terrain, and a joy to share a rope with.

I met Peter early on when I moved to the Tetons in the mid 70’s. He was a Teton legend then, one of the early climbers of the newer age of mountaineers with ties to the past as well. Extremely accomplished here in the Tetons, and also the greater ranges. He was always kind and gentle and never boastful or arrogant. When I guided in the Tetons I quite often crossed paths and routes with him. Always a pleasant and fun encounter. Like others said. He was a really good guy to be around anytime. 

I met Pete in the late 1980s. I took the snow dynamics course he was teaching at the U of Utah. One of the few such courses taught. Every Friday afternoon we did fieldwork which meant meeting at Alta. That also meant Friday mornings might require a pre fieldwork ski tour. We had fun discussing their 1963 first ascent of the East Buttress of Denali (several of which hoped to be invited on the 1963 American Everest Expedition but were not so they went to Alaska). As I had attempted the same route, we did a slide show for the class. Pete had more slides as ours was an attempt.

Similar to Eric, several years later Pete and I butted heads over Exum Mountain Guides' camp on the Lower Saddle. Pete seemed to take it quite personal. I did not see Pete for some time as he moved from Utah. Years later he seemed to have moved past that and was friendly again.

Pete was always a quiet person and one that that truly lived his life in the mountains. RIP

The Exum History Project produced a three-part look at Pete's time as a guide in the Tetons, etc.

https://exumhistory.com

Peter Lev – Part 3: McKinley to the Marines
Peter Lev – Part 2: Accidents and Adventures in the Tetons
Peter Lev- Part 1: From Benchwarmer to Mountain Guide

Alexandra Lev wrote a very nice story about her dad in Alpinist...

https://alpinist.com/features/to-father-from-daughter/

That's worth reading.

I knew Pete in the Tetons in the late 1950s or early 1960s. He was a very talented young man and a pleasure to be around. We bouldered a bit.

How time flies. RIP Pete.

Some years ago I got an early start to solo the East Ridge of the Grand Teton.  I was still young and fit and most importantly acclimated to the elevation.  i was having a great day until reaching the snowfield up high where I hit the wall.  Extreme fatigue, headache, nausea...I was no stranger to altitude sickness but this was something else.  I dragged my body over the summit and stumbled down to the Lower Saddle where I ran into Peter.  He took one look at me and said, "You look terrible!"  I told him that I was pretty sure that I felt worse than I looked.  Peter gave me a handful of Aspirin, a couple bottles of water and then made a place for me in the Exum hut (I'm pretty sure that it was the old metal Quonset hut) so that I could take a nap.  I'm not sure that I felt any better but I did make it out to Lupine Meadows.  It wasn't until the following morning that it dawned on me (pun intended) that I had donated blood the day before the climb.  Does anybody really need that 10% of red blood cells to climb in the mountains?  I don't recall if I ever told Peter the rest of the story but I will always remember the kindness and compassion that he showed me that day at the Lower Saddle.  Peter was a good man and I feel fortunate to have known him for many years.  

Rich

Once I donated a double unit of red blood.  I went outside to work the next day and I was really out of it.  I was only in Denver (5280'), but it really knocked me out for a couple of days.

I never gave a double unit donation after that.