Jon Krakauer on Fred Beckey

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marty(r)

climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 16, 2007 - 07:27pm PT
Great article to accompany the recent Fred thread:http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=407838&msg=408448#msg408448
YetAnotherDave

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Jul 17, 2007 - 11:58am PT
thanks much for sharing that - any chance you could scan and add page 115?

:)

Dave

bonin_in_the_boneyard

Trad climber
Up the 'Creek w/out a Prada
Jul 17, 2007 - 12:34pm PT
It's complete, just out of order. Page 115 is the first single-column page. You can see that on top it says "BECKY from page 53".
marty(r)

climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 17, 2007 - 01:11pm PT
Blind-from-small-type Edit: I switched those rogue pages. A buddy who used to guide with NOLS used this article on his courses. It's been copied so many times that it's on it's last legs. Glad it's appreciated here.
bonin_in_the_boneyard

Trad climber
Up the 'Creek w/out a Prada
Jul 17, 2007 - 06:26pm PT
Oh definitely appreciated, thanks. Work sucks today :^P
marty(r)

climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 30, 2007 - 04:23pm PT
Here's a minor gem from last week (7/26/07) in the Kain Hut in the Bugaboos:
Fred said he was there to work on a book, but he seemed to be doing more lurking than writing. Before he crashed out beneath that table for the night he scavenged through the cupboards. CLASSIC!
marty(r)

climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 1, 2010 - 04:21pm PT
Bless his heart, the old goat is still at it...


(pinched from Will Stanhope's blog)
Port

Trad climber
San Diego
Aug 1, 2010 - 04:23pm PT
My personal hero.
tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
Aug 1, 2010 - 04:25pm PT
he always wanted to go where no man has gone before
Captain...or Skully

Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
Aug 1, 2010 - 07:29pm PT
And has.
Fred Rules. That guy is somethin' else.
MH2

climber
Aug 1, 2010 - 08:46pm PT
"Warning: Fred Beckey is still on the loose."


"...he stripped his life to its chassis."



Two of the most economically revealing phrases in climbing writing.



pc

climber
Aug 1, 2010 - 11:16pm PT
Great read. Thanks for posting.
pc
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
Aug 2, 2010 - 10:33am PT
As one Canmore climber said about Fred after doing a Grade 5 ice climb with him near Field 10 or 12 years ago
"God is he ever slow!"
FRUMY

Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
Aug 2, 2010 - 10:44am PT
thanks - great stuff
Tony Bird

climber
Northridge, CA
Aug 2, 2010 - 10:49am PT
i read the krakauer artice back when it was first published and i'm not going to read it again here in order to say that i felt it was typical krakauer negativity and beckey deserved better.

beckey outlived krakauer's gloom and keeps stealing climbs, women, and crazy creek chairs.

krakauer tries hard to follow his own acts, dancing not too gracefully around the edges of dangerous truths. he should go back to climbing.
C4/1971

Trad climber
Depends on the day...
Aug 2, 2010 - 11:24am PT
or just go....
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Aug 2, 2010 - 11:40am PT
As one Canmore climber said about Fred after doing a Grade 5 ice climb with him near Field 10 or 12 years ago: "God is he ever slow!"
As he is 87 now, we should rather think "God is he ever amazing!". He never seems to change. If any of us can climb grade 5 ice when she/he's 75, the person deserves a medal, however long it takes to do the climb.
Jennie

Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
Aug 2, 2010 - 11:47am PT
Yes, your effort is appreciated.

I'm not a fan of Mr Krakauer....after reading three of his books, I have to agree with Tony...he's a great storyteller, but as a reporter, marginally reliable. I haven't seen much about Fred Beckey....I wonder if there are many published profiles of the man.

Thanks for posting this Marty(R)
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Aug 2, 2010 - 01:55pm PT
87- hell, I thought he was old! In "climbing years" he's middle aged.
pc

climber
Aug 2, 2010 - 02:42pm PT
I thought it was a good article. Would like to see more written/documented.

And I'm really curious about that "black book". Will he publish it in his "retirement"? Or will it disappear to let others discover for themselves?

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