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K2 1938: The First American Karakoram Expedition

Dillon Blanksma

The Music Stopped: A Story from the Climbing Grief Fund

The Climbing Grief Grant offers financial support for individuals directly impacted by grief, loss, and/or trauma related to climbing, ski mountaineering, or alpinism.

This exhibit explores the experience of grief from a personal perspective. In this case, this exploration of grief reflects on the death of AAC employee Dillon Blanksma, after he fell from Broadway Ledge on Longs Peak. You can learn more about the Climbing Grief Fund here.

The Music Stopped

*This story is best told with the help of vibrant and dynamic photography. Dive into this Spark Exhibit to see these photos come alive alongside this story.

Becoming Dillon: A Tribute to Dillon Blanksma and Growth Through Climbing

On July 30th, 2020, American Alpine Club employee Dillon Blanksma died after a fall from Broadway ledge below the Diamond on Longs Peak in Colorado.

In a recent phone call with Dillon's sister, Katie Joy Blanksma, it dawned on us that his feverish passion for climbing had created a feedback loop of influence on his personality and on those around him. Below, we take a deeper look at both sides to better understand the critical role that climbing played in Dillon's life and the impact that he had on his climbing community.

Becoming Dillon

*This story is best told with the help of vibrant and dynamic photography. Dive into this Spark Exhibit to see these photos come alive alongside this story.