On October 9, 2025, pioneering mountaineer, skier and avalanche educator Rob Newcomb died of natural causes at age 91. Amongst a storied career, his most enduring contribution was democratizing avalanche education for an entire generation of backcountry enthusiasts.
Newcomb founded the American Avalanche Institute (AAI) in 1974, recognizing that the single avalanche school operating in the country at the time was inadequate for the growing numbers venturing into the backcountry. What began as a response to a critical need evolved into an institution that would educate some 30,000 people over the next three decades. His approach was revolutionary in its accessibility. Newcomb believed in empowering everyday skiers with the tools to make informed decisions in avalanche terrain.
“The inspiring thing about Rod—I have worked quite a few courses with him now—is that he has been studying snow for a long time and teaching avalanche courses since the ’70s, and he’s remained curious,” wrote Sarah Carpenter, who owned AAI after Newcomb, in a Backcountry Magazine web piece in 2018. “He’s always reading about the next thing and is always willing to say, ‘Well, I don’t know the answer to that. Let’s call Karl Birkeland or Kelly Elder or whomever else.’ And I always found that so inspiring.”
Newcomb first came to Jackson Hole as a teenager in 1953 for a summer job. His second year in Jackson, he summited the 13,775-foor Grand Teton for the first time, still as a teenager. In 1978, just four years after founding AAI, Newcomb became the co-owner of the now-iconic Exum Mountain Guides. “Rod comes from the Golden Age of Teton climbing and has been a consummate guide and avalanche educator for well over 40 years,” wrote Backcountry Editor at Large Jeff Burke in the January 2013 issue. “Even in his 70s, Rod guided clients to the summit of the Grand Teton.” Over the course of his guiding career, Newcomb summited the Grand some 400-plus times. He received lifetime achievement awards from the American Avalanche Association in 2004 and the American Mountain Guide Association in 2006.
Through his career as an educator and guide, Rod Newcomb was always dedicated to improving the community around him. “He devoted his career to giving people the tools they could use to build whatever they wanted out of their lives,” says his son, Mark. It’s clear Rod Newcomb’s legacy will live on.
He is survived by his wife Anne, daughters Lisa and Maria, son Mark, and four grandchildren—along with thousands of students whose lives he touched and, quite likely, saved.
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