Stature of Bridges Was Climbing When Trouble Hit in Himalayas

He was not well known, some say by choice, and news of his presumed death was far overshadowed by that of Alex Lowe’s.

But the mere fact that Dave Bridges was along on the ill-fated American Shishapangma Ski Expedition with Lowe and other renowned climbers says a lot about Bridges.

Lowe, recognized by many as the world’s most skilled mountaineer, wasn’t one to tolerate incompetence. Which is why Bridges was offered the chance to document, with video camera, the historic climbing/skiing adventure.

Neither climber--Lowe was 40 and Bridges 29--would come off the Himalayan mountain Tuesday, it turned out, being buried by an avalanche 6,000 feet short of the summit. At 26,291 feet, Shishapangma is the 14th highest peak in the world. Their bodies have not been recovered.

The media attention was overwhelming, virtually all of it centered on Lowe.

But Bridges, it should be pointed out, was a veteran climber in his own right, one who occasionally rubbed elbows with climbing’s elite while at the same time maintaining an air of obscurity in an already obscure sport.

“He might have been climbing’s best-kept secret,” said Santa Monica’s Joel Koury, 39, one of Bridges’ closest friends and a frequent climbing companion. “The thing about Dave is that he was such a humble person and didn’t like to talk about himself. No one knew how talented he was until they spent time with him.”

Bridges most recently owned a para-gliding and mountaineering business in Aspen, Colo. But his beginnings were in the Southland. He attended Rim of the World High near Lake Arrowhead and graduated with a bachelor of arts in geography from Cal State San Bernardino.

He helped develop local climbing areas and was a pioneer in the even more obscure sport of para-gliding.

“At his college graduation ceremony, his hang-gliding and para-gliding friends put on an aerial show to celebrate the fact that he was graduating,” Koury said. “One of them even flew loops over the podium.”

As was the case with Lowe, however, Bridges’ true passion was mountaineering, and he traveled the world to satisfy his passion. Being hired on the Lowe expedition, Koury said, was considered a “breakthrough” opportunity for Bridges to gain wider recognition in the climbing community.

Bridges is survived by his parents, Gene and Pat, and his brother, Dan. Services are tentatively planned for Oct. 30 in Aspen. An informal bonfire memorial is tentatively planned for the night of Oct. 23 at Keller Peak near Big Bear Lake. Details: (909) 337-9831.