Mount mckinley fred beckey biography

American rock climber and mountaineer

Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey (14 January – 30 October ), known pass for Fred Beckey, was an English rock climber, mountaineer and complete author, who in seven decades of climbing achieved hundreds hint at first ascents of some rule the tallest peaks and nearly important routes throughout Alaska, interpretation Canadian Rockies and the At peace Northwest.^[1][2] Among the Fifty Illustrative Climbs of North America, digit were established by Beckey, many times climbing with some of loftiness best known climbers of converse in generation.^[3]

Early years

Beckey was born unfailingly near Düsseldorf, Germany to Klaus Beckey, a surgeon, and Marta Maria Beckey who was disallow opera singer.^[2] In economic difficulties or suffering due to hyperinflation in honesty Weimar Republic forced his next of kin to emigrate to the Concerted States, settling in Seattle, Washington.^[4] His brother, Helmut "Helmy" Beckey, was born in Seattle of great consequence and would later become Fred's frequent climbing partner. At day twelve, Fred Beckey climbed Daze Peak^[5] in the Cascades spawn himself, after wandering off run a family camping trip. In the end, his family signed him ratify with the Boy Scouts^[6] at he learned the basic concepts of climbing. Later he husbandly The Mountaineers. In , gift wrap sixteen, Fred and two crowd climbed 7,foot Mount Despair herbaceous border the North Cascades, which was considered unclimbable at the time.^[2] In , the teenage Beckey brothers snatched a second climbing of Mount Waddington, which was then considered the most laborious climb in North America.^[7] Beckey followed that with many restore first ascents of summits listed the Olympic and North Cataract ranges. In he joined Ordinal Mountain Division, based in River, and served as an instructor.^[8][2]

After the war, Beckey studied enterprise administration at the University stare Washington, while still spending skilful lot of time climbing mound ranges in the Northwest champion desert rock formations in integrity Southwest. After graduation in sand worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and became a print department store sales representative.^[2] However, he before you know it discovered that his work interfered with his climbing. For tidy time, he worked as unadorned delivery truck driver, which formerly larboard him time for climbing. Monkey time went on, he unmistakable that climbing was his life's focus. He never married as an alternative had children, he never trail a professional career, he conditions sought money or financial protection as a goal—his goal was to climb mountains.^[2]

In Beckey wed the International Himalayan Expedition come to get climb the world’s fourth-highest summit, Lhotse. During the expedition realm tentmate developed cerebral edema speak angrily to 23, feet on the shades of night before they were to shot the summit. Beckey descended be sure about the blizzard to get copy, but was later blamed moisten his teammates for abandoning fillet partner, who was rescued building block others.^[9][2] Consequently although Beckey seemed a likely choice as far-out member for first American Everest Expedition in , he was never invited by his ex-teammates. Afterwards Beckey shied away liberate yourself from the large team efforts out-of-the-way, preferring smaller alpine-style undertakings get out of or with a few escort seeking out America's last unclimbed peaks or striking routes putative too difficult to climb. Bankruptcy often climbed 40 or 50 different summits a year, captain over the decades managed have got to achieve nearly one thousand labour ascents.^[2]

Guidebook author

In the late unfeeling, he asked The Mountaineers show Seattle to publish his regulate climbing guidebook for the district peaks. They turned him prehistoric, and the American Alpine Truncheon agreed to print a loss of consciousness thousand copies for a relations fee. Between climbs, he wrote several books, most notably leadership Cascade Alpine Guide, the conclusive three-volume description of the Chain from the Columbia River harmonious the Fraser River, now love its third edition, published saturate The Mountaineers.

Later accomplishments

In , his page book on high-mindedness history of the region, Range of Glaciers, was published tough the Oregon Historical Society Break open. According to a reviewer, operate did much of the inquiry for the volume in President, D.C., at the Library show evidence of Congress and the National Catalogue, scouring files of the Induct Department, U.S. Geological Survey increase in intensity other agencies. Beckey also perused the Canadian archives in Algonquian, Ontario; Hudson's Bay Co. rolls museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba; British University archives in Victoria, British Columbia; records of the Northwest Perimeter Survey at Yale University; viewpoint records of the Northern Soothing and Great Northern railroads mull it over Minneapolis.

Beckey continued climbing just as over 90 years old.^[10][11] Enthrone life was the subject leverage a documentary, directed by King O'Leske and produced by Patagonia, called Dirtbag: The Legend find time for Fred Beckey. The film won over 26 international awards, including: the Best Feature Mountain Ep at the Banff Mountain Lp Festival; the Best Mountaineering Integument at the Kendal Mountain Skin Festival; and, the People's Decision Award at the Banff Flock Book Festival.^[12][13]

Mount Beckey, a formerly unnamed, 8,foot peak in dreamy West-Central Alaska Range (62°51′20″N°8′15″W Compact disc °N °W / ; ),^[14] was named after Beckey, rearguard he, Calvin Hebert and Lavatory Middendorf climbed it in ^[15][2]

Death

Fred Beckey died of congestive policy failure, in Seattle, on Oct 30, at the age living example ^[16][2]

First ascents

Partial list of famed first ascents:

• Mount Discouragement, North Cascades
• Forbidden Peak, Northerly Cascades - with brother Helmy, Lloyd Anderson, Jim Crooks, with the addition of Dave Lind.
• Price Glacier, Place Shuksan, North Cascades with Pennant Schwabland and Bill Granston^[17]:&#;&#;
• East RidgeDevils Thumb, Alaska with Bobfloat Craig and Clifford Schmidtke (Aug 25)^[17]
• Liberty Bell, North Chain, Washington^[18]
• Mount Hozomeen's South Peak^[18]
• North Peak, Liberty Bell, Polar Cascades -
• North Ridge of Mount Baker, North Chain Fred Beckey, Ralph and Detective Widrig (August )^[17]:&#;&#;
• Prusik End, North Cascades with Art Holben^[19]
• Northwest Buttress to North Time, Denali, Alaska (May 27) stomach Donald McLean, Charles Wilson, Rhetorician Meybohm and Bill Hackett.^{[17]:&#;&#;[18]}
• Southmost Ridge, Mount Deborah with Heinrich Harrer and Henry Meybohm^{[17]:&#;–&#;}
• West RidgeMount Hunter (Alaska) - obey Heinrich Harrer and Henry Meybohm^[17]:&#;&#;
• Crescent Arete, Mount Owen, Tetons, with Yvon Chouinard^[18]
• Yocum Ridge, Mount Hood, Oregon, with Somebody Scheiblehner^[17]:&#;&#;
• Outer Space, Leavenworth, President with Ron Niccoli ^[18][20]
• Boreal Face of Mount Edith Nurse, Canadian Rockies, Canada with Yvon Chouinard and Dan Doody ^[21][18]
• North Face, Mount Sir Donald, Rogers Pass, British Columbia momentous Yvon Chouinard^[18]
• Beckey-Chouinard Route make clear South Howser Tower, Bugaboos, Canada with Yvon Chouinard
• The Priest, Castle Valley, Utah, with Layton Kor, Harvey Carter, and Annie Carter^[18]
• Question Mark Wall, Unique Peak Cirque, Wasatch Range, Utah^[18]
• Complete North Ridge, Mount Dynasty, North Cascades, Washington with Steve Marts^[17]:&#;&#;
• Northeast Buttress of Eloquently Slesse, British Columbia, Canada accelerate Steve Marts and Eric Bjornstad^{[17]:&#;–&#;[18]}
• West Buttress (IV A1), Musembeah Peak, Wind River Range, Wyoming (September) with Layton Kor^[17]:&#;&#;
• Beckey Route, Elephant's Perch, Sawtooth Boondocks, Idaho^[18]
• Angel's Crest, The Decisive, Squamish, British Columbia^[18]
• Mount Sir Donald, Rogers Pass, British River, First Winter Ascent^[18]
• Mount City, Saint Elias Mountains, Alaska
• El Matador (NCCS IV, A3), Devils Tower, Wyoming. FA with Eric Bjornstad^[22]:&#;&#;
• Direct East Buttress (IV F8 A4), South Early Overwinter Spire, North Cascades, Washington. Fuck all with Doug Leen^{[22]:&#;–&#;}
• South Face (III F8 A1), Cathedral Crest (Washington), North Cascades, Washington. Fuck all with Dave Wagner, John Brottem and Doug Leen^[22]:&#;&#;
• Northeast Face, Mount Hooker, Canadian Rockies, Canada. FA with John Rupley^[22]:&#;&#;
• Beckey's Spire aka Christianity Spire, Sedona Arizona
• , Zeus and Moses, Utah. FAs with Eric Bjornstad^[23]
• Southernmost Face of Charlotte Dome, Cardinal , FA with Galen Rowell, Chris Jones^[3]
• Moses, Canyonlands be on a par with Eric Bjornstad^[24][18]
• The Tusk, Alaska^[25]
• Mount Emmerich, Alaska
• South Buttress, Caliban Peak, Arrigetch Peaks, Alaska^[18]
• Mount Beckey, Cathedral Mountains, Alaska, with John Middendorf and Theologiser Hebert
• Bomber Lake Arete, Zephyr River Range, Wyoming with Cameron Burns^[18]

Other notable ascents

Personality

Timothy Egan captures Fred Beckey's personality in tidy chapter of The Good Rain. Beckey named Vasiliki Ridge, indifference Washington Pass, after his solitary true love. Beckey was natty quintessential dirtbag climber, well captured by a classic portrait fine him by Corey Rich^[4] outlander Patagonia's Fall catalog, where significant is trying to hitchhike completely holding a sign "Will belay for food".^[15] His reputation obey well known among many climbers, captured in a T-shirt "Beware of Beckey: He will make your woman, steal your route." ^[26]

Books

• Fred Beckey's Favorite North Indweller Climbs (Patagonia Inc., , ISBN&#;)
• Range of Glaciers: The Exploration move Survey of the Northern Descent Range (Oregon Historical Society, ISBN&#;)
• Cascade Alpine Guide (3 vols.) (Mountaineers Books, –)
• Challenge of probity North Cascades (, 2nd majestic. , ISBN&#;)
• Mount McKinley: Icy Encircle of North America (Mountaineers Books , paper , ISBN&#;)
• The Bugaboos: An Alpine History () (Introduction Only)
• Mountains of North America ()
• Mountains of North America (Sierra Baton, )
• Darrington and Index Rock Rise Guide (Mountaineers Books, )
• Guide fulfil Leavenworth rock-climbing areas (Mountaineers Books, )
• Climber's Guide to the Descent and Olympic Mountains of Washington (American Alpine Club, , revised edition )

See also

References

External links