Goddamn it's been a tough few months for the ski alpinism community. We've lost some of our best and my heroes keep falling. Today, Dave Rosenbarger died high above the Hellbroner on the Italian side of Mont Blanc near Chamonix.
This loss smarts a little more as I got to know Dave a bit while in Chamonix. I shared beers with him several times at the Elevation and we enjoyed a nice meal along with his wife, Rosie, and several other friends shortly before I departed. Having watched dozens of videos of him skiing prior to arriving in Cham, I was a little star struck at first. But he was always friendly and never tired of talking shop with like-minded skiers from all over the globe. He was part of the Chamonix tribe for nearly a decade.
Dave's been an iconic steep skier in the valley there for several years. So solid. Great skier. Confident mountaineer. Endless enthusiasm. I respected his commitment to the sport I love and envied his life and how he positioned himself to ski as much as possible. And he did it in arguably the most amazing terrain on Earth for a ski alpinist - Chamonix, France. I'm glad to have known him even a little bit. Like Andreas and JP, we'll all miss his inspiring antics in the mountains. I'll strive to carry on with their spirit in mind.
Just recently Powder magazine published a nice piece on Dave and I invite you all to check it out to get some insight into one of our generation's most underrated steep skiers. Also below is an awesome short video featuring Dave and Kye Petersen living the Chamonix life style.