Calgarian mountain climber and activist Rick Collier is being mourned by friends and family, after the experienced climber died in a climbing accident in Mount Robson Provincial Park on Wednesday.

In his 71 years, Collier was known for standing up for what he believed in.

In 2009, he was calling on the federal government to offer asylum to Americans who didn't want to fight in Iraq.  Collier empathized with those opposed to the war.  He first came to Canada to escape the Vietnam war.

"That was 42 years ago,” said Collier in a 2009 interview with CTV.  “It did not make any sense.”

Collier devoted himself to fixing the things that he described as making no sense in the world.  He took part in social justice work with project ploughshares, he protesting logging in the Castle wilderness and he ran as an NDP candidate in the Calgary-Glenmore riding in Alberta’s most recent provincial election.

“Just a powerful and courageous individual that shared his courage, strength and passion with the rest of the people he came in contact with,” says Julie Hrdlicka, a friend of Collier’s. 

“Depending on who you talk to, it maybe a totally different person who will be remembered,” says David Roberts, Collier’s step-son.

He gave his energy to righting wrongs, but his heart belonged in the high places.

“When it was coming into the climbing season there would be these conversations about what we should be doing, but then we'd say 'Yeah, but that will have to wait until he returns from the climbing season," says Grant Neufeld.

Collier lost his life among the peaks he loved so much. Very few climbers have logged as many miles as he did.  Collier completed dozens of first ascents, covering roughly 1400 different peaks and counting.

For Collier, there was always another adventure in the making.

“We’d sit around and say ‘Oh, we should do this’ and he's the kind of guy that would say "Okay, let's do it!" and make it happen,” says David Roberts.

Despite his experience, the mountains remain a dangerous place.  Collier was leading the way up Mount Geikie when a rock hold broke off, sending him tumbling. Two climbers with him were injured, but Collier did not survive.

“When it comes to the memorial in the coming days, the tears are going to flow,” says Neufeld, “some are already flowing.”