Herb Laeger

Herb has a Ph.D. in laser physics and quantum mechanics and has worked on high energy lasers and energetic chemicals for rocket propulsion and re-entry space vehicles. He also managed chemistry programs and conducted studies on ozone depletion for Rockwell International over a 15 year period.

The search for and discovery of mummy tombs and lost cities from Peru to Yemen has been a passion for over ten years. Those exploits required bolting overhanging walls to reach the cliff tombs and decorated mausoleums of ancient cultures. Herb discovered the first unlooted Chachapoya Mummy tomb in Peru in 1999 that became the subject of the History Channel Special “Cliff Mummies of the Andes”. In 2001 the British film “Lost City in the Clouds” highlighted climbs to other tombs, and in 2002 he discovered and helped excavate the first unlooted Yemeni mummy wrapped in a camel hide sarcophagus on an overhanging cliff shelter. That tomb was over 2000 years old and the effort was filmed by National Geographic Channel and aired as “Sheba’s Secret Mummies”. Numerous caving expeditions to Central America resulted in archeological discoveries from the Maya, Mixtec, and Mazatec cultures.

Technical rock climbing has been Herbs main thrust for over 35 years. To his credit are well over 1,000 new first ascents of “free” climbs all across the United States. Those routes were all established using a “ground up ethic” and required the placement of thousands of on-lead bolts, many drilled by hand. Additionally, he has been a “rigger” for TV rock climbing and whitewater specials and commercials.

Herb’s lure of discovery has fueled 35 years of cave exploration and mapping. Numerous expeditions to Peru, Columbia, Mexico, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua are included. Three caving expeditions to Borneo have helped establish a new national park (Gunung Buda National Park) there, and the exploration of caves in Thailand, Malaysia and the US have added to his experience. He has extensive experience in vertical caving techniques.