Roll Call Tribute

Austin Matthew Mallet 

December 26, 1991 - May 9, 2024 

Austin Mallet, 32, a native of the Texas flatlands who came to love the mountains, died tragically on May 9, 2024, in an avalanche on Lone Peak, outside of Salt Lake City. The avalanche, which local forecasters noted would have been exceptionally difficult to predict under prevailing conditions, took the lives of Austin and one of his two skiing partners that day. The team of three was attempting a long, backcountry ski traverse in the Wasatch Range when the avalanche swept them down the mountain.

Austin grew up in The Woodlands-the "flatlands of Texas" to use his words. He attended the Academy of Science and Technology at College Park High School, where he also competed as a state-ranked tennis player and road cyclist. Austin would later graduate from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering and start his career with Shell Global. He maintained a successful career with Shell and Conoco Philips throughout his adult life. But it wasn't on the oil rig that Austin found his vocation; it was in the mountains. In his 20s, he took up residence in Bozeman, Montana, and quickly became enchanted by alpine climbing and ski-alpinism.

Within the span of only a few years, Austin became an accomplished ice, mixed and alpine climber, with ascents of hard, technical climbs in Montana, the Canadian Rockies, the French Alps and the Alaska Range. Hyalite Canyon, a world-renowned ice and mixed climbing venue just outside Bozeman, became his backyard playground. By the end of this past winter season, there was hardly a difficult ice or mixed route in the canyon Austin hadn't climbed-and on many of the hardest, he had run laps.

Last year he met the love of his life, Emily, herself an experienced climber and skier, and the two became almost inseparable adventure partners. The pair recently returned from successful expeditions to the French Alps and the Ruth Gorge in the Alaska Range.

Austin is deeply loved, and deeply missed. Austin is predeceased by his father, Mark Mallet. He is survived by his mother, Linda Mallet of The Woodlands; his love, Emily McKay; his uncle, Mark Shenberg; his aunt, Terri Shenberg; many other relatives and friends and his family of dear climbing companions.