TELLURIDE – A legend within the sport of ice climbing, Boulder resident Jack Roberts was killed in a climbing accident on Telluride’s famed Bridal Veil Falls last Sunday.

Roberts was leading on a pitch when he fell approximately 60 feet, suffering a hip injury. Two hikers in the area heard the victim's climbing partner yelling for help and notified the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office. Rescuers reached Roberts and his climbing partner, John Miller, after Miller was able to lower Roberts to a safer shelf below.

Eighteen San Miguel Search and Rescue team members and deputy sheriffs then began the difficult extrication from the lower section of the ice falls. During the extrication Roberts went into cardiac arrest and was attended to by a Sheriff's Office paramedic with an AED, CPR and drugs.

After 40 minutes of CPR Roberts was pronounced dead, near the scene of his fall. It took rescuers several hours to recover his body.

Roberts was the author of Colorado Ice, one of the state’s first ice-climbing guides. He operated Jack Roberts Adventures, offering trips to the Alps, Alaska and Peru.

Roberts was a mainstay at the Ouray Ice Festival every year, teaching clinics and offering his knowledge as an instructor.

“He’s a legend,” San Juan Mountain Guides’ Danika Gilbert said. “He’s done a lot of hard climbing all over the world and knew more about ice climbing in Colorado than most. He made nearly every one of the Ouray Ice Festivals and was a fixture as an instructor and a teacher.”

According to his biography on his website, his climbing career began in southern California in 1968 where he climbed at Tahquitz, Joshua Tree and Yosemite. Roberts then became a part of the influential Stonemasters climbing group and went on to ascend big walls in Yosemite. Later he moved to alpine climbing in Europe, Canada and Alaska, where he established first ascents on Mt. Huntington, Denali, Mount Lewis, Mt. Kennedy and more.

With Dale Bard he completed the first free ascent of Polar Circus and with Tobin Sorenson did the first winter ascent of the North Face on Mt. Robson and the first winter ascent of the Central Couloir on Mount Kitchener.

“He never had an ego, though, he definitely climbed hard,” Gilbert said. “He was never boastful about it. Jack always had a smile and was upbeat even though he had his struggles with health issues and getting older. He was really honest and encouraging.”

Not only was Roberts able to excel in the field, he was successful in putting his knowledge into writing. He was a frequent contributor to Climbing magazine,Rock and Ice magazine and the American Alpine Journal. In 1997, he was recognized at the Banff Book Festival for writing the finest article of the year in Canadian Alpine Journal. His book, Colorado Ice, was a finalist in the guidebook category at the 2006 Banff Book Festival.

San Juan Mountain Guides’ Gary Ryan first met Roberts while climbing in the United Kingdom 25 years ago on the day Ryan’s climbing partner was killed in an accident.

“It felt good to have a mentor in my life at the time,” Ryan said. “He brought a hell of a lot of passion and motivation to a lot of people. He is an icon and he has definitely inspired people.”

“One of the things I will miss is the sparkle in his eyes and his infectious smile,” Gilbert added. “It didn’t matter if you were grumpy, you would see his smile and the twinkle in his eyes and you couldn’t help smile as well.”

EARLIER VERSION OF THIS STORY PUBLISHED 1/17/11:

The climber killed in a accident on Bridal Veil Falls on Sunday was a highly experienced climber, according to a story in rockandice.com.

Jack Roberts, 59, was one of the world's most experienced ice climbers, the story reports, having been a climber for 41 years and having made numerous ascents of Bridal Veil.

Roberts had recently attended the Ouray Ice Festival, where he taught clinics. He was a resident of Boulder, but was spending the winter in the Telluride area.

Roberts was the author of Colorado Ice, one of the state's first ice-climbing guides. He operated Jack Roberts Adventures, offering trips to the Alps, Alaska and Peru.

Roberts was reportedly leading on a pitch when he fell approximately 60 feet, suffering a hip injury. Two hikers in the area heard the victim's climbing partner yelling for help and notified the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office.

Eighteen San Miguel Search and Rescue team members and deputy sheriffs responded to the accident location and reached the injured party to begin the difficult extrication from the lower section of the ice falls. During the extrication Roberts went into cardiac arrest and was attended to by a Sheriff's Office paramedic with an AED, CPR and drugs.

After 40 minutes of CPR Roberts was pronounced dead, near the scene of his fall. It took rescuers several hours to recover his body.

Assisting the Sheriffs Office with the rescue were Telluride Ambulance Service personnel and the Idarado Mining Company.