Oral history interview of Alex Lemieux, conducted by Tallie Casucci (audio and transcript)

Alex Lemieux (b. 1975) grew up outside of Montreal and recounts playing hockey, doing gymnastics, and skiing in his youth with his older brother. In high school Alex became a ski instructor and continued to work his way up through the certifications. Alex was introduced to rock climbing in high school and that soon became his other passion. While on a three-month climbing road trip in the United States, his van broke down outside of Salt Lake City. While waiting for the van repairs, Alex and his then-partner found jobs in Salt Lake City and became full-time residents. Alex became a ski instructor at Park City Mountain and continues to guide backcountry skiing and rock-climbing clients with Utah Mountain adventures as well as other guiding companies. While living in Salt Lake City, Alex and his friends started developing new climbs along the Green River, West Desert, Uintas, and other areas. Alex is particularly drawn to longer adventure climbs. Around 2015, Alex started volunteering with the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance's volunteer rebolting group (WARI, the Wasatch Anchor Replacement Initiative) and now is an employee as an anchor technician. Alex discusses the impact of rebolting old routes and his own route development, safety considerations, and ethical concerns and considerations. With his friend, Rene Cortenraad, Alex created Gear Loop Topo, a business selling very detailed topos of classic multi-pitch climbs.