Climber of Peaks Across the Globe
Kurt Blair ’91
December 1, 2024, in New Zealand.
Born in 1968 in Great Lakes, Illinois, Kurt Roberts MacLeod Blair was an internationally certified mountain guide. His grandfather, Robert W. Blair Sr., and father, Robert W. Blair Jr., both have significant first ascents in their name, and Kurt followed eagerly in their footsteps, climbing peaks all around the American West and across the globe.
Raised in Durango, Colorado, Kurt studied physics at Reed. He subsequently attended the Colorado School of Mines, and worked in information technology until 2015 before beginning his guiding career. In his last seven years, he earned his International Federation of Mountain Guides certification, which is held by fewer than 200 guides in America.
At 56, Kurt died in a climbing accident while ascending Mount Cook in New Zealand. “He was living his dream,” his sister, Katrina, told The Durango Herald . “Mount Cook was one of those incredible dream-come-true mountains.”
Kurt is survived by his two sons, Dylan and Galen Blair.
Appeared in Reed magazine: Fall 2025
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