This Joyful Swiss Climber Had an Indelible Impact on Utah’s Wasatch Range

Every January, we share a tribute to members of our community who we lost last year. Some were legends, others were pillars of their community, all were climbers. Read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2025 here.

Franziska Garrett, 70, October 17

On my first desert climbing trip in Utah—almost two decades ago—in Ibex, my partner and I were standing on the hardpan, looking at the routes, when up drove James and Franziska Garrett in their van.

James asked if we needed a guidebook—because he’d written one!