Robbi Mecus, Who Fostered L.G.B.T.Q. Climbing Community, Dies at 52

April 30, 2024 11:51 AM

A New York State forest ranger who worked in the Adirondacks, she died after falling about 1,000 feet from a peak at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. (SLNYT gift link)

Mecus was involved in the recent dramatic rescue of a backcountry hiker covered by the NYT.

The life of Adirondack forest ranger Robbi Mecus

Mecus's interview with the NYC Trans Oral History Project

Trans Climbers Belong

How the World of Competitive Climbing Was Rocked by Transphobia

Tanya Pluth, I Looked For Homophobia in Climbing and This Is What I Found

Campbell Harrison, Pride Hasn’t Always Been Easy: How I Learned to Accept Myself As A LGBTQ+ Climber

posted by praemunire (24 comments total)

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posted by Sreiny at 11:59 AM on April 30

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I looked up the peak she was climbing. It wasn't a pleasant afternoon walk type of climb; it's a hardcore ice climb, about as challenging as it gets.
posted by zardoz at 12:14 PM on April 30 [4 favorites]

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posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 12:24 PM on April 30

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posted by gwint at 12:31 PM on April 30

The person she was roped to survived the fall.

How many people survive 1000ft falls down an ice cliff?
posted by thecjm at 12:58 PM on April 30

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posted by mersen at 1:05 PM on April 30

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I have a queer friend who climbs in the PNW. I need to reach out to her about this. Thanks for this post.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 1:06 PM on April 30

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posted by jumpercake at 1:13 PM on April 30

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posted by suelac at 2:28 PM on April 30

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posted by JoeXIII007 at 3:08 PM on April 30

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for Ms. Mecus.

She sounds like a fucking hero. The article by Tanya Pluth though, WTF?

Trans women in competitive sports seems like the biggest wedge issue that transphobes have latched onto. "How is this fair?" kind of nonsense. I am not a competitive female athelete. But it's about the only thing they seem to have that isn't just obvious religious nonsense. So they will keep beating that drum.
posted by Windopaene at 3:10 PM on April 30 [3 favorites]

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posted by dlugoczaj at 3:13 PM on April 30

It wasn't a pleasant afternoon walk type of climb; it's a hardcore ice climb, about as challenging as it gets.

Not to take anything away from the accident, but I've been following this story a little and it seems to really be somewhere in the middle, and not a place experienced climbers tend to have problems, and this report suggests the only predictable problems should come from warm weather softening things up. I don't know where late April figures in that calculation, though, and at any rate none of the stories I've seen have any speculation or detail as to what might have happened, and where.

But this is all academic when talking about a climber who had so much larger a footprint in life that calling her a Ranger seems like underselling.

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posted by rhizome at 3:36 PM on April 30 [2 favorites]

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Amazing woman.

The article by Tanya Pluth though, WTF?

(I'd just note that article is a reprint from 2007. The "Rockclimbing.com" forum has been shut down for at least a decade now)
posted by other barry at 4:02 PM on April 30

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posted by hydropsyche at 4:28 PM on April 30

Yes, the article's a reprint (it's flagged at the top), but would've been written at the time of Mecus's outdoors career, if I've got the dates right. Apologies for any confusion.

I thought she had a remarkable life. I was trying to pull together some context for the obituary and, while I sought to avoid anything tremendously offensive, obviously preferred language and attitudes will have changed rapidly over the past couple of decades. If anyone has more links specific to trans climbers (or forest rangers!), I would really encourage you to post them.
posted by praemunire at 5:01 PM on April 30

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Even experienced climbers have accidents and make mistakes. I don’t think causality is that important in a sport that lives with risk. I’m sorry she’s gone.
posted by q*ben at 5:29 PM on April 30 [2 favorites]

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The news of Robbi's death hit a little close to home for me. I just turned 52 too. tigrrrlily and I gave up downhill mountain biking years ago after a couple of nasty injuries, but I still worry every time she rides cross-country on her own.
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 8:43 PM on April 30 [4 favorites]

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posted by busted_crayons at 2:25 AM on May 1

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posted by Faint of Butt at 5:06 AM on May 1

Robbi was a neighbor of mine. The loss is pretty shattering for our small town. It is almost impossible to believe.

For those who aren't familiar, NYS DEC Rangers that work in the high peaks of the Adirondacks are some of the baddest assed public servants in the country. They regularly rescue both experienced and unprepared hikers/skiers/climbers in difficult terrain often under extraordinary conditions. They are highly respected by those that recreate here as well as the locals. Robbi excelled not only as a Ranger, but also as a human being. She was kind, generous with her time, devoted mother. Her work and leadership in LGBTQIA+ awareness/issues in this region was trailblazing. She was instrumental in organizing what I believe was the first PrideFest in town. She was a role model for LGBTQIA+ youth in a region that can often be unwelcoming. Her legacy will live on for many many years, I am certain.

Here's a nice tribute written by one of our own just yesterday.

RIP, Robbi.
posted by topherbecker at 6:51 AM on May 1 [17 favorites]

Robbi was a pillar of our community. She always was, and then she shined like a rock star once she transitioned.
I hate reading friends' names in the paper this way.
We'll miss you, Robbi.
posted by Dashy at 11:44 AM on May 1 [4 favorites]

re: the Tanya Pluth article

climbing is a slice of life. You get a few from almost every walk. Plenty of racist, sexist, phobic assholes, just like .... 'murica. Sometimes you find your people within that anyway. Sometimes you're stuck in a MAGA rally. It's definitely more Topeka than NYC.

climbing has an element of I'm Escaping From All The Rules Here. It enables a subset of people to let out all the crap they've been trying to suppress all week, because now they can finally be freeeeeeeee. Similar to why That Guy is appealing to some. So that magnifies the crap.

climbing definitely has aspects of unexamined hetero toxic masculinity.

it's not easy to be gay or trans, or even cis het female, as a climber.

Robbi pushed the bar forward. She really did make a difference.
posted by Dashy at 12:31 PM on May 1

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posted by adekllny at 1:27 PM on May 1