On March 28, 2018, Savannah Buik passed away in a trad climbing accident at Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin. Savannah was an original member of the First Ascent Staff, co-founder of the Chicago chapter of the American Alpine Club, and a treasured member of the Chicago climbing community. Read FA staff member Abby Mansell’s celebration of Savannah’s life and legacy below, and #climbsavvy.
First Ascent’s core mission is to serve and grow Chicago’s vibrant climbing community, and that’s the lasting first impression that most of us have when we walk through the doors.
Working the same boulder problem at Uptown, finding a belay partner on the board at Avondale, discovering your coworker is also a climber at Block 37, grooving to the tunes at Humboldt – I’d be shocked to hear any of you say you haven’t had a positive experience with the community at FA. Savannah was a precious member of this community, dedicated to making people feel welcome and infusing them with her stoke.
Whether you’ve known Savvy for years, took an Intro to Bouldering class with her, received a belay test from her, or were greeted by her at the desk, you’ve been touched. If you ever bouldered at the same time as her, heck, if you were ever in the gym at the same time as her, guaranteed your day was made a little brighter by the sound of her infectious laugh.Her effervescent personality bounced off those walls as she danced her way through life, singing and encouraging others to let their freak flags fly.
You see, Savannah was a very special person. Even at the young age of 22, she had accessed her own raw humanity, inspected it, accepted it, and then opened her heart for others to see who she truly was. Above all, she was an advocate for self-love.
Declared fully-recovered from an eating disorder that plagued her for years, she had come a long way toward loving her self, her body, and everyone else. She had a way of using her vulnerability to allow you to take a look at your own in a safe space. It’s like she was saying “Hey, I’m really weird in this kinda specific way, haha, isn’t that great?What a life, huh?” By sharing the most vulnerable pieces of herself, she opened doors to let others find love for themselves and the parts of them that they might find weird, embarrassing, shameful, or unworthy.Living by her example, we can all become better people for ourselves. More authentic. More gentle with ourselves for our self-declared shortcomings.
Having just graduated, Sav was considering a move to Colorado, where her love for the outdoors could be more easily explored. She changed her mind, however, because the community and friends that she found in Chicago had become her tribe.
She loved us all, and she helped us love each other more. All of us. Strangers, friends, curious first-time climbers, and long-time crag buddies, all sharing in the same passion.It’s a sense of belonging that I’ve never had before, and I’m so grateful to have found it. Savannah’s life, and now her death, has had a powerful impact on this group. As a community we have changed. Grieved. Grown. Hugged and sniffled and expressed our gratitude toward one another. It’s a tragic means to a beautiful end – a community of people who love and support each other.
We can honor Sav by continuing her work and growing the branches of this wonderful community deeper, wider, and more connected.
Ask someone if they want beta when they seem stuck on a problem. Say hello to the person on the train that you recognize from the gym. Invite your gym friends to hang out outside of the gym. Dance. Laugh.Find your passion and go for it full steam with your heart on your sleeve. Find strength in your imperfections and share them with others to make them stronger. Be humble.Remember that climbing is a dangerous sport and it needs to be treated with diligence and respect. Face your challenges but know your boundaries. Learn from others’ experiences and remain thirsty for knowledge. Climb hard and train smart. Donate to organizations that focus on making climbing areas safer and more accessible. Be patient. Forgive yourself and others. Be stoked to climb and live and love. And most importantly, stay Savvy.
By Abby Mansell. Photos @savvytothemax.
Want to know how you can help make a difference?
Participate in First Ascent’s Climbathon to help support Sav’s favorite organization, Project HEAL, the leading non-profit in the US delivering prevention, treatment financing, and recovery support for people suffering from eating disorders. Savannah was extremely passionated about the great work Project HEAL is doing and interned with the organization for a semester.
You can also donate to the American Alpine Club. Savannah was the Chicago chapter chair of the organization and interned at the AAC’s Colorado headquarters for a summer.
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