The current issue of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (WEM) offers insight into the nascent development of wilderness medicine while also breaking new ground as we advance our field. Dr Brownie Schoene’s and Dr Ken Zafren’s stirring tributes to Dr Thomas Hornbein regale the reader with remembrances by those who knew him well. 1

Schoene RB. Thomas F. Hornbein, MD. Wilderness Environ Med. In press.

Dr Hornbein was a mountaineer who scaled the west ridge of Everest in 1963 and was the chair of anesthesiology at the University of Washington. When Dr Hornbein reached the Everest summit, only a handful of people had ever completed the climb. He was a prolific author and, although I never met him, I remember feverishly reviewing his papers on altitude physiology prior to my stint with the Himalayan Rescue Association in the early 1990s. While his accomplishments were important, the tributes by Schoene and Zafren struck a chord and revealed the humanity, kindness, generosity, and charisma of a remarkable soul who was a friend and mentor.