Mike Libecki

Friday, November 2
Daytime program
1:30 – 2:40 p.m.
Max Bell Auditorium

Mike Libecki

Adventurer Mike Libecki has travelled to the most remote locations on the planet to pursue his passion for big wall and alpine first ascents, traverses, and offbeat adventures — many of them as solo expeditions. He has established multiple first ascents in Baffin Island, Greenland, China, Madagascar, Kyrgyzstan, Papua New Guinea, Venezuela, and Antarctica.

In 2001, Libecki made the first west-east traverse across the Taklamakan Desert in Western China, known by locals as the “Sea of Death”. In 2004, he and climbing partner Josh Helling spent 80 days on a major ski and big wall climbing expedition in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, completing a first ascent of the west wall of Fenris. Libecki’s exploratory lifestyle often requires reconnaissance to plan the actual expedition, and in the near future he will travel to Franz Josef Land in Russia, government-restricted Africa and Central Asia, and more remote islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea. 

Libecki is a two-time recipient of a Banff Mountain Grant: awarded for a solo trip to Queen Maud Land, Antarctica in 2005, and for a trip to Uzbekistan to climb a new route on the 1,000-metre granite wall of Mt. Asan in 2006. He has also won numerous other grants, including the Shipton-Tilman Grant, Mugs Stump Award, Polartec Challenge, and several grants through the American Alpine Club.

When not exploring and photographing the ends of the Earth, Libecki is often found presenting one of his entertaining multimedia presentations. His writing and photography has appeared in Alpinist, The American Alpine Club Journal, Climbing, Rock and Ice, The Explorers Journal,  National Geographic Adventure, Outside, and Men’s Journal.

He is also very proud to say that he just won “Father of the Year Award” from his daughter’s school. He lives near Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah with his daughter, dog, cats, ducks, birds, rabbits, and a pot-belly pig.

Libecki closes all of his correspondences with the words, “Pursue passion. Why ration passion? Dream big and live those dreams — the time is now.” This is exactly how he lives his life.