Craig Luebben

Certified Rock Guide

Craig Luebben has been fascinated with all styles of rock climbing since he acquired his first rope in 1978. He climbed ice obsessively for over two decades, and still climbs the occasional frozen waterfall, though skiing is his current winter passion.

As a mechanical engineering student at Colorado State University Craig designed the Big Bro expandable tube chock, which led him on a journey of climbing many offwidth cracks. He loves crack climbing in general, especially on long free climbs and in the alpine zone. He also enjoys face climbing, and has opened hundreds of new routes – on both rock and ice – on five continents.

Craig is a senior contributing editor for Climbing magazine, and has written many feature articles, gear reviews, and technique pieces. Over the years he has tested many types of gear, including cams, ice screws, ice tools, knots, and anchor rigging systems. He has written seven instructional climbing books, including Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills which won a National Outdoor Book Award in 2004, and Knots for Climbers, which has sold over 100,000 copies.

Since 1981 Craig has been teaching climbing and guiding ascents on rock, snow, and ice. He became an AMGA certified rock guide in 1991, and has been instructing AMGA rock guide courses for eight years. His latest joy is skiing with his 4-year-old daughter Giulia Maria (aka Jumar).

Check out Craig Luebben’s personal website here.