Aaron Keith Hjelt

1978 - 2025

Aaron had many lives: climbing coach, DJAJ, activist, photographer, traveler, friend to countless people, son, brother and uncle. He took every one of his roles in life deeply to heart.

Coaching and mentoring youth was Aaron's life's passion from the very beginning of his career. His dedication took him to over ten countries, where he inspired hundreds of young people to be brave in the world and grow in self-confidence. Through his travels, he met his greater circle of friends and left a lasting impression on each one. At the heart of every connection was a consistent message: to be a force for good, a catalyst for positive change, and a reminder that we all have the power to make the world better.

Aaron was the driving force behind the birth of Bozeman's climbing team, The Climbing Academy, and his own business Alpha Climbing. He was a DJ and took pride in helping people come together and dance with joyful self-expressions. He loved taking photos of people, his travels, and the mountains. Most of his work he gave for free: lending a helping hand, taking graduation pictures, playing music for a birthday or wedding party, the list goes on.

He was born on September 15, 1978 in Northern California. At the age of he 2 moved to Bloomington, Minnesota with his older brother Duane and parents Gary & Polly. From a young age he demonstrated natural leadership - as a young Eagle Scout and serving as student body president during his senior year of high school.

After high school, he ran to the mountains and found his home in Bozeman Montana for over 20 years where he created a family of friends and wove his passions into his life's work.

Although he was saddened to leave the community he loved, he moved to Lander Wyoming in 2021 to pursue new opportunities in his life. He took on the project of improving his home to create a meaningful space to be used by other outdoor enthusiasts. During his time in Lander, he surprised himself by meeting likeminded friends in the Nordic ski community and being active with Lander's recent rallies supporting democracy.

The world felt the weight of the profound loss on June 26th, when Aaron tragically passed while leading a climbing group in the Huesca region of Spain. While on an off day from climbing at the river at Gorge de Salinas, he slipped and fell into a small waterfall and was pulled under. Those who knew Aaron understood his deep respect for nature and his unwavering commitment to safety. He never took risks lightly. His passing was a heartbreaking and unforeseeable accident, and his absence leaves an unfillable space in the lives of all who knew and loved him.

Our world needs more people like Aaron. If you knew him, please let him live on through the way you engage with life - with integrity, at full force, to enrich the lives around you, and our world - to be better.

We will be celebrating his life together in Bozeman, Montana at the Emerson Cultural Center on September 13th, 2025.