05/21/2026
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our legendary co-founder, Elizabeth “Liz” Weber.
Alongside her husband of 59 years, Rick Weber, Liz transformed the area that would become Muir Valley into one of the most celebrated, safest, and highest-quality rock climbing preserves in the United States.
Before shaping the landscape of climbing in the Red River Gorge, Liz enjoyed a successful career in engineering, becoming a maverick at a time when women were scarce in the industry. In her mid-50s, she decided to try rappelling on a whim, a choice that sparked a lifelong passion for the vertical world. Discovering that climbing up was far more exhilarating than going down, she quickly pulled Rick into the sport. Together, they fell deeply in love with the sandstone cliffs and magnificent flora and fauna of eastern Kentucky.
In 2004, at Liz’s insistence, she and Rick purchased the land that would become Muir Valley. Liz was instrumental in recruiting volunteers and having the area declared a Superfund cleanup site by the state of Kentucky resulting in the removal of 80 truckloads of garbage, restoring the valley to its beautiful state. Intent on creating a legacy that would outlive them, she insisted on naming the canyon after “Father of the National Parks,” John Muir, rather than using their own name.
For more than a decade, Liz and Rick funded, maintained, and developed Muir Valley entirely out of pocket. Liz played a central role in shaping the area’s uniquely welcoming infrastructure and community spirit.
What the Webers initially believed might host only a few hundred visitors each year quickly became a world-class destination welcoming more than 40,000 climbers annually. In 2015, to ensure the valley would remain protected forever, Liz and Rick gifted the 360-acre property to the climbing community through the nonprofit organization Friends of Muir Valley (FOMV).
Liz's legacy extends far beyond routes and trails. She leaves behind a place that changed lives. Through her determination, vision, and relentless care for the land, Muir Valley became a home for adventure, connection, and conservation for climbers from around the world.
Liz will be dearly missed by the entire Muir Valley community.
We invite those whose lives were touched by Liz to share their favorite memories, stories, and photos in the comments as we celebrate the remarkable legacy she leaves behind.
