Long-time Guide Dick Jackson Moved “Easily Between Worlds,” From Colorado to the Alps
Every January, we share a tribute to members of our community who we lost last year. Some were legends, others were pillars of their community, all were climbers. Read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2025 here.
Dick Jackson, 75, November 26
American mountain guide Dick Jackson cultivated a legacy across the great ranges of the world. His career spanned decades of climbing, skinning, flying, and instruction, often with an eye on those around him. He passed away on November 26, 2025, at his home in Basalt, Colorado at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife Paulina, and their daughter, Tashi.
Jackson’s affinity for mountaineering began in the 1970s, when he discovered rock climbing while attending the University of Colorado Boulder. Like many of his generation, he trained on the granite and sandstone of the Front Range in Rocky Mountain National Park and Eldorado Canyon. His passion quickly grew beyond his backyard, taking him to summits along the Alaska Range, the Alps, the Andes, and the Himalaya.
In 1978, Jackson and Steve Shay completed a first ascent of the north face of Les Droites in the Mont Blanc massif, establishing La Voie Jackson. Chamonix would become a recurring signpost in his life, he was amongst the earliest Americans to guide there, leading the Haute Route many times and building lifelong friends within the Alpine guiding community. He later became the 15th American to earn an international IFMGA certification.
Jackson was also the founder of the Rocky Mountain Climbing school, later called Aspen Expeditions. It began as a small booth operating out of a local gear shop, and grew to be one of Aspen’s longest-running guiding services, with influence reaching far beyond the U.S. He served as its head guide for decades, molding the company’s spirit and global impact.
“Dick had a rare ability to move easily between worlds,” said Amos Whiting, head guide and owner of Aspen Expeditions. “He could guide at the highest technical level and still make people feel comfortable and supported in the mountains.”
Throughout his career, Jackson consistently gravitated toward new systems and unfamiliar terrain. An early telemark skier in the backcountry, he later became deeply involved in paragliding after spending time in the Alps. In 1990, he co-founded Aspen Paragliding, helping introduce tandem paragliding to the United States. He remains one of the only Americans to hold both IFMGA mountain guide certification and a Tandem-3 paragliding rating.
Through decades of travel and guiding, he developed close ties to the mountains, culture, and people of Nepal. His connection deepened later in life when he and Paulina adopted their daughter, Tashi.
Beyond his guiding work, Jackson served multiple terms on the board of the American Mountain Guides Association, including three as president. He also played a role in the organization’s successful effort to gain IFMGA membership. He received the AMGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
“You won’t find many photos of Dick—because he was usually behind the camera,” Whiting said. “Whether sacrificing a powder run to capture a client’s turn, documenting a celebration, or photographing the mountains he loved, Dick was always preserving moments and lifting others up through his lens.”
Through decades of instruction, leadership, and example, it’s undeniable that Dick Jackson left a lasting impact on the American mountain guiding community.
Read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2025 here.
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