Charlotte Conant Fox

Telluride, Colorado — Charlotte Conant Fox, 61, died Saturday, May 25, at her home. Charlotte was the daughter of Ann Robinson Black of Gastonia, NC, and the late Jared Fox of Greensboro, NC. She was preceded in death by her husband Reese Martin, III, of Washington state.

Charlotte was a graduate of St. Catherine’s School, Richmond, VA, and Hollins University, Roanoke, VA, Class of 1979, with a degree in American Studies. She was awarded the Hollins Medal and the Distinguished Alumni Award and inducted into the Hollins Athletic Hall of Fame.

Charlotte made headlines as a survivor of the deadly 1996 Mount Everest expedition where she was one of many climbers caught in a blizzard while descending from the summit. The expedition leader Scott Fischer and seven others, including Rob Hall, died. John Krakauer wrote the best-selling “Into Thin Air” based on the incident. Charlotte was the first woman to climb three mountains at altitudes of 8,000 meters or higher after she reached the Mount Everest summit. She continued climbing and trekked up two more 8,000-meter mountains two years before her death. Charlotte was a foremost, world-class mountain climber.

She had 30 years experience as a professional ski patroller and master ice climber and made many mountain ski descents in North America and Europe. She climbed Cho Oyu and was the first to reach the summit of Gasherbrum II. In South America, she climbed Aconcagua, Hauscaran, and Chopicalqui, along with several 18,000 foot peaks in Peru. She climbed Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, and Mt. Vinson in Antarctica. She attended the North Carolina Outward Bound School and served on several boards, including Access Fund and the American Alpine Club.

In addition to her mother, Charlotte is survived by her brother Ralph R. Black, his wife Jennifer, and their three children in Charleston, SC. Her uncle Ralph S. Robinson, and his wife Sally of Gastonia, NC. Her stepmother Rachel Camp and husband Jack Camp of Wilmington, NC, and her uncle James Fox, and his wife Katherine of Wilmington, NC.

A private memorial service will be held in Telluride, CO, on June 2, 2018. A public service will be held at a future date.

Memorials may be made to Hollins University, 7916 Williams Road, Roanoke, VA 24020.