Filmmaker son of “the greatest rockclimber in the world” has shared his trauma at his father’s marriage to his mother.
Alex Lowe, age 40, is jokingly called Lungs With Legs due to his remarkable strength and stamina. He was the best-known mountain climber of all time in the 1990s.
He and his friend David Bridges, 29, were swept to their death by a Himalayan avalanche in October 1999 while a third climber, Conrad Anker, survived.
Jenni Alex’s widow lives in Bozeman Montana. Conrad became closer to her as she was only three months post-death. Max, Max’s young son, saw the two of them kissing.
Conrad married the couple two years later. They adopted their three children, Max, Isaac, Sam. Max didn’t change his name to Conrad Anker, but he did adopt Sam.
Max explains how his family has recovered from the trauma caused by the accident, and also the wedding of Jenni & Conrad in Torn.
Speaking to The Sun, Max explained how he questioned how quickly his mother had moved on with Conrad, while also questioning why his father’s best friend remained in their life, saying: ‘Was he maybe stuck with us because of his survivor’s guilt?’
Max Lowe, son of ‘the world’s greatest rockclimber’ Alex Lowe who was swept to death in an avalanche, has revealed the trauma of his father’s climbing partner marrying his mother in a new documentary (pictured, Alex, Jennifer and their sons Max, Sam and Isaac stand for a family photo the year before Alex’s death)
After Alex’s passing, Jenni’s and Conrads’ relationship flourished. They were finally married three months later.
Torn is Max’s moving documentary about how his family has recovered from the trauma caused by the accident. It will be available today. (Conrad, Sam, Isaac, and Max are pictured here together.
Jenni from Artist Jenni shared how Alex thought she was an ‘unpredictable thing’ at their first encounter, but that they didn’t anticipate the relationship would last.
She said yes to his proposal immediately after he made it official.
Alex was regarded as one of the best rock climbers in the world at the time.
He had been on difficult climbs around the world including Nepal’s Kwangde or Kusum Kanguru. In addition, he twice reached Mount Everest’s summit. His climb to the Taulliraju southwest tower in Peru was his most memorable.
His rescue of several Alaska climbers was credit to him in 1995 when Mount McKinley had six fatalities.
Lowe, pictured (jokingly called Lungs Without Legs because of his remarkable strength and stamina), was the best-known mountain climber on the planet at the time he died.
David and Conrad were close friends in the 1990s, taking on expeditions across the world together (pictured on peak of Mt Evans, Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica Austrat)
When he signed with North Face outdoor clothing brand, he made a name for himself as an adrenaline-adrenaline athlete.
David of Aspen Colorado, was a highly skilled high-altitude climber, cinematographer, and a US Paragliding Champion twice.
The group’s travels around the globe meant that there wasn’t much time for family.
Alex was a proud keeper of a photo of his family. However, Alex could become a caged animal if he was too far from home.
In October 1999, David, Conrad and Alex and six others were on an expedition to climb Shishapangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world.
Rock And Ice Magazine wrote that the group wanted to become the first American ski team to descend a peak of 26,000 feet.
Alex has climbed many difficult climbs around the globe, including Nepal’s Kwangde, Kusum Kanguru and Mount Everest twice. He climbed Taulliraju, the southwest fortress in Peru.
Alex always had a photo of his family on the expeditions. But if Alex spent too much time at home, he would be like a “caged animal”.
When Alex signed a contract with outdoor apparel brand North Face, he became one of the first to make a living as an adrenaline athlete (pictured in Antarctica in 1998)
The two were searching for roads at 19,000ft when they noticed that a layer of snow had fallen 6,000ft above their heads.
Alex wished that he would take his sons and daughters to Disneyland, rather than complete the Expedition.
Alex and David fled to the left, Outside magazine reported, but were caught under the snow.
Conrad ran right downhill and was then thrown away. He was left with a fractured rib and head injuries, but was still capable of walking.
He explained to Outside that he saw only a big, white cloud. Then it settled, leaving nothing. “It was huge, it was enormous. The feeling of closure was lacking.
Max was 10 years old when he climbed the Grand Teton with his father, the summer prior to his father’s passing.
Conrad, Alex, David and six other people were part of an expedition that climbed Shishapangma in October 1999. This was months before Alex’s death.
Alex and David disappeared for twenty hours while rescuers searched, but no luck.
Conrad, who was the only survivor from the avalanche at the time, had to telephone Jenni in order to tell her about what happened.
Conrad was then engaged and took Alex, his three children, to Disneyland.
Jenni and Conrad’s love blossomed three months later. In 2001, Conrad and Jenni were married.
He spoke to The Times about how some rock climbers criticised their relationship.
He explained that people have their own views. However, our love was made under loss and duress. We were also both grieving.
And while Conrad adopted the three boys, and Isaac and Sam embraced him into their family, Max found their relationship the hardest to accept (pictured, Sam with Conrad)
They lived together in Bozeman and co-founded the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation.
Conrad did adopt the three boys. Max, however, found it difficult to accept their relationship.
The accident “broke his trust”, he said, and added: “In my child’s mind, I believed everything would work out in the end.
‘That Dad would come home from his adventures, which I looked up to him for living.
“When my husband died, I did not know how to give that trust to all of my relationships.”
Two climbers trying to scale the Shishapangma, a 26,291-foot mountain in Tibet, discovered their bodies in May 2016.
Anker (left), survived the 1999 avalanche, but suffered a cracked rib as well as injuries to his head. Anker married Jennifer Lowe (right), and adopted their three sons.
Ueli (left), from Switzerland; David Goettler, from Germany. Conrad called after discovering the remains in 2016, and detailed their clothes and backpacks.
Max, Max’s oldest son, has made a touching new video that captures his family’s personal journey towards understanding. He is pictured here hiking Alex Lowe Peak in Montana.
Ueli and Ueli from Switzerland and David Goettler from Germany described to Anker the backpacks and clothing that they saw on their bodies. Anker concluded that these were Bridges or Lowe.
Jenni stated that Alex and David disappeared, and were then captured and frozen.
It has been sixteen years since I was born. Now, they’re found. Thankful.
They were visiting Kathmandu in Nepal when Goettler & Steck called from Tibet to inform him of the remains.
When Steck and Goettler spotted the bodies, they were still in blue ice but had started to rise from the glacier.
Conrad stated that the discovery brought closure and relief.
Conrad climbs up Hyalite, Montana outside Bozeman. Conrad spoke out about finding the remains of his friend in 2016. He said that it gave him closure.
Together with their three children, the couple traveled to Tibet in search of the remains. Alex and David have a permanent memorial (photo).
Outside magazine asked him to confirm that he had not seen photographs of the remains but that he believes they were those of Alex or David.
“They were very close together. North Face backpacks in blue and red. Shoes made from yellow Koflach. That was the entire gear at that time. Conrad stated that they were the only climbers there.
Jenni stated in her 2008 memoir Forget Me Not that Alex would melt off the glacier someday… and she didn’t like it.
Outside magazine interviewed her after discovering the bodies. She said that she didn’t realize how rapidly he would melt. It was something I never thought would happen in my lifetime.
Together with their three children, the couple traveled to Tibet in search of the remains.
Jenni stated that it is not something they look forward too. It was a privilege to view the bodies of someone we loved and cared for.
“But we have a sense of his death, so we are able to put him down. And he isn’t just gone.”
Torn will be released January 21