Discussion Topic |
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:02pm PT
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At the tender age of 94?
Say it ain't so Russ!
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klaus
Big Wall climber
Florence & Normandy
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:03pm PT
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Legendary
See you in the next World
A culture of one.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:05pm PT
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He got his moneys’ worth, and so did we. Rock on, Fred.
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:08pm PT
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Russ doesn't seem like the type to post it if he didn't know it to be true....
Damn. The words "the Legend" barely begin to do him justice.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:09pm PT
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Rest easy partner.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:11pm PT
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They'll never be another Fred Becky. No words.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:15pm PT
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Hard to believe, as Fred seemed just to keep going. But he's had pretty much the definition of a long and full life, led the way he wanted, so perhaps its not too sad for him to head off into the sunset. I'll certainly value the few times I climbed with him in the NW.
RIP, the climbing community will never again see someone like you.
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grover
climber
Castlegar BC
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:16pm PT
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Rest well Fred
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:20pm PT
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Seems lhe was still making it up 5.6s last year.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:21pm PT
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RIP Fred....there will never be another one like him. He left us with so many amazing routes and lines and inspiration that living the mountain life can be a full time endeavor. Albeit a dirtbagging one.
He carpe diemed the hell out of life.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:24pm PT
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An icon of icons. The reason so many of us have loaded up the truck, flipped open a guidebook or a tattered topo and headed into the great unknown. It was an honor to be a climber while he was alive.
Muir
Salathe
Beckey
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:33pm PT
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Walking past formations with a "Beckey Route" I wonder how excited he was to be the first there and how many times he experienced that feeling. More than enough for one lifetime.
I wonder if his little notebooks will ever be transcribed and new classics and history unearthed? Like finding an undeveloped Ansel Adams slide or a long forgotten home recording from a rock n roll legend.
The true climber, RIP
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SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:33pm PT
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What can one say that hasn’t already been said. The stories. The life. True, there will never be another. :(
Susan
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:33pm PT
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The Man.... he showed all of us the way.
Rest
I would like to offer my sincere condolences to Fred's Family and many Friends.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:40pm PT
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Rest well.
We all know the phrase "There's a Beckey route up there..." as if we expected Fred to have sent almost every classic formation there is. And in most cases, he did.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:42pm PT
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Rest easy and sweet dreams.
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:46pm PT
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Hopefully he died with his boots on. What a legacy. There will never be another Fred. All I can say is thanks Fred. You gave us so many gifts. I've spent my entire climbing life climbing Beckey routes and rarely been disappointed and always in awe that Fred found so many gems. Tonight I'll raise a toast to Fred.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:46pm PT
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Yes, a legend.
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skywalker1
Trad climber
co
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:48pm PT
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"What would Fred Beckey do?" we always say. We will still say it again and again...Rest well...
S...
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:50pm PT
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hey there say, russ... oh my... thanks for sharing...
my condolences to his family and loved ones...
i was given the idea to make him a blanket, with all the names
of the climbers on it-- but it is too late now...
oh my... but, he was already knowing how much you all love and
admired him...
thank for sharing, and thank you supertopo, for sharing, through
the years, about him-- or folks like me, would not have known,
of him, or about him...
job well done, to fred beckey...
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:53pm PT
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I saw Fred in Mazama a year or so ago and at the AAC Seattle dinner this past February, it was obvious time was catching up. Nevertheless, he loved to be among climbers and in his element, the mountains.
From boulder problems at Schurmann Rock to distant ranges of the world, this guy did it all. And he remained a true dirtbag throughout. Icon seems like an understatement.
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ec
climber
ca
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Oct 30, 2017 - 03:58pm PT
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Fred had an eye for a line...:(
and an eye for the gals!
RIP, Fred
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Climberdude
Trad climber
Clovis, CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:07pm PT
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Goodbye Fred. Thank you for the great climbs.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:11pm PT
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Wasn't he like 157 or something?
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Joe Metz
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:13pm PT
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No RIP for Fred. He won't sit still long enough!
We will miss you down here, Fred!
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Curt
climber
Gold Canyon, AZ
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:15pm PT
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RIP, Fred. Who says there are no old bold pilots?
Curt
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:20pm PT
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Legends never die.
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ExfifteenExfifteen
climber
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:25pm PT
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WOW!!! Speechless... I thought he was gonna live forever!!! Thanks Fred, for being the one and only Fred Beckey!!!
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E
Ice climber
mogollon rim
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:36pm PT
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that image of fred with the schoolgirl twins pretty much sums it up
legendary climbing career and player
seem to remember him doing the wannabee's mom
rip fred
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:52pm PT
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RIP Fred. What a life he led!
Lived it to it's fullest. We should all be so lucky.
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Rankin
Social climber
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:53pm PT
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I had a coffee and some conversation with Fred Beckey at the Kava in Bishop about 15 years ago. He was cool as hell and it was an honor to meet him. RIP to a climbing hero.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Oct 30, 2017 - 04:54pm PT
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Clear back in the early 1960's I remember Layton Kor saying that his climbs were nothing compared to Fred's. Considering the source, that was quite a tribute. Still is.
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Happiegrrrl2
Trad climber
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:03pm PT
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He has sure given a lot to climbing, with his routes everywhere and the stories, and being someone so many have partnered up with.
I always say that "No one gets out alive," but if there has ever been someone who could, it would be Beckey.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:07pm PT
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He leaves an incomparable legacy. RIP
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kenny morrell
Trad climber
danville,ca
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:16pm PT
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I had the privilege of climbing with him a few times,what a blast.I still have a couple of his voicemails on my home recorder. I just don't have the heart to delete them.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:21pm PT
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Look in the dictionary for "dirtbag climber," and there's a picture of Fred.
I never had the joy of sharing a rope with him, but beer in the Sink with Layton, yeah!
Climb on, dude! See ya' in the next range of mountains.
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:28pm PT
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I met him back in the seventies while he was sharing some beta with Tobin in Camp Four and thought, "Who is this crusty old cuss?" Of course I was just a young chicken wing back then. I had no idea.
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drF
Trad climber
usa
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:40pm PT
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Just when you thought you bagged the 1st on some remote wall...BAMMM!!
The Beckey Effect hits you straight upside the head
RIP Legend
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C4/1971
Trad climber
Depends on the day...
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:45pm PT
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Fred was a climber first and foremost. He will be missed.
But God, what a life.....
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:46pm PT
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Not gone, just onto that mountain stretching endlessly into the sky.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:49pm PT
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Speachless other than to say I wish I had climbed with Fred.
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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Oct 30, 2017 - 05:56pm PT
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So sorry to hear about Fred; what an icon. Has anybody logged more climbing days in a lifetime that Fred Beckey? The guy had an amazing eye for a line, everywhere you look you will find a splitter line with Beckey's name on the FA. I'm glad to have known him
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:05pm PT
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A long life and immeasurable climbing legacy.
There are further route possibilities, some of which will take two or three days to complete.
Fred Beckey
From Everywhere Beckey
North America, Canada, British Columbia, Goose Rock, Squamish, B. C.
Climbs And Expeditions
AAJ 1960
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:07pm PT
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"When Legends Die".
Fred was a remarkable individual, I had the pleasure to meet him once and found him to be a delight to talk with. The man had so many F.A.'s it's mind boggling!
R.I.P. Fred.
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:08pm PT
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There was a life. RIP Fred Beckey!!
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:19pm PT
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Could people take a break from dying for christ's sake..?
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:22pm PT
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:36pm PT
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Fred died the day after I mentioned him in the "Climb Forever" thread at http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2925386/Climb-Forever. I added a footnote there that belongs here as well.
Fred died the day after my "Climb Forever" post, at the age of 94, with an 80 year climbing career behind him. For years, the United States portion of the Climbs and Expeditions section of the American Alpine Journal might just as well have been titled, "My excellent summer vacation by Fred Beckey." He was prolific, he was ubiquitous, and he spanned the generations. There will never be another like him, and in the context of this thread on aging, his eighty years of climbing will be a monumental threshold for a long time to come.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
RIP Fred
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:36pm PT
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he did reach for all the gusto, and got most of it...
we should declare 2018 "Fred Beckey year" and repeat as many of his climbs as possible... that would be an incredible climbing year!
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Chris Jones
Social climber
Glen Ellen, CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:41pm PT
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in 1942, aged 19, and with his 17-year old brother Helmy, Fred made the 2nd ascent of Canada's Mt. Waddington - a forbidding, remote peak that had turned back the best climbers of the day. How many of us were even born, let alone climbing then! And he was just warming up.
Never anyone like Fred before him, and never will be again. Thank you for the climbs you made and the life you led.
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kpinwalla2
Social climber
WA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 06:50pm PT
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I met Fred after one of his slide show lectures at Oregon State Univ. and I asked him which summit in the North Cascades was the most technically difficult to reach. He replied "Burgundy Spire", so I resolved to climb it, and did a few years later. I ran into him again after a lecture at Whitman College about 20 years ago when he stopped by my office for a chat. We hung out for a while talking about climbing and then he asked if I thought he should go back to school for a PhD in geology. He was in his early 70's at the time and was dead serious. He said he regretted not pursuing graduate studies in geology. He asked me my opinion of various programs. His guidebooks always had above average geology sections - maybe he could have pulled it off.
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HF
climber
I'm a Norwegian stuck in Joshua Tree
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Oct 30, 2017 - 07:17pm PT
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Another great man gone, and will be missed by many. Climb on,- wherever you are Mr. Beckey.
"I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!"
ALFRED LORD TENNYSON
My sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Fred Beckey.
Hilde Fonda
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Oct 30, 2017 - 07:23pm PT
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Wow . . . What a life this man lived!
Fred you set the bar really f*#king high . . . best to you on your new journey.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Oct 30, 2017 - 07:27pm PT
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Rip to the man.
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Mazzystr
Gym climber
Homeless...
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Oct 30, 2017 - 07:31pm PT
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Posting from Raleigh NC. I had a great climbing night at the gym. Us easterners are blessed with a spectacular crag 15 min drive away. I felt energetic more so than usual for a Monday and surprisingly so having to step in for my wife and manage our kids.
I hit a stiff 5.11 for the gym as a warm up.
Decided today was the day. For four sessions I've been working on a 5.12 that went up an open book dihedral to a bulge then another dihedral. I floated up it and even had the gaul to take rests.
I got home and caught up on some Facebook and the news hit. I gasped so loud my wife heard me two rooms away. I can't say how many times I've said Are you doing the Beckey route? or We're doing the Beckey route. I don't talk about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln like that.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Oct 30, 2017 - 07:44pm PT
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RIP Fred
“What?”
R I P FRED!!!
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Conrad
climber
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Oct 30, 2017 - 07:57pm PT
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With respect.
Fred was always curious. He frequently asked where the next climb was or if conditions in some far off place were "in". Keeping his finger on the pulse of the scene, for which he was the grand mentor, kept him young for years.
No one will ever have a list of first ascents and new routes that spans the decades, ranges and types of rock as Fred. He certainly left this mark. May we celebrate the quintessential Fred rating of 5.9 A2. Hard enough to keep us on our toes, vague enough to pardon the sandbag and full of untold mystery.
"How did Fred climb this with six pitons and goldline?"
Thanks Fred for bearing the torch; the light from which we all benefited.
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gunsmoke
Mountain climber
Clackamas, Oregon
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Oct 30, 2017 - 08:10pm PT
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There just isn't any peakbagger in this part of the world to compare with Becky. The sheer number of FA's and the span of decades over which they occurred are unparalleled.
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Oct 30, 2017 - 08:48pm PT
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Unending drive. What a record he compiled! RIP Fred
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 08:52pm PT
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Respect.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 09:26pm PT
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In a way, it seems appropriate that we lose Becky the same year that we lost Robbins. Rest in peace, Fred. We likely will never see your like again.
John
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Risk
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 09:33pm PT
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A veritable 9.0–9.1 (Mw). All that my kids know is that I'm shook up. Thanks for your endless inspiration and everything else, Fred.
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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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Oct 30, 2017 - 09:36pm PT
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An icon of mine for sure.
Climb on Fred.
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moacman
Trad climber
Montuckyian Via Canada Eh!
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Oct 30, 2017 - 09:44pm PT
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Got to hoist a few pints with Fred at the Calgary Climbers Festival in 88. What a good person. Beckey/Chouinard in the Bugs is still my all time favorite climb to this day.
RIP Fred....
Stevo
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Oct 30, 2017 - 09:51pm PT
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I pay my respects to him.
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Oct 30, 2017 - 10:30pm PT
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When I was living in the Valley in the 70's I remember hanging out in the Yosemite Lodge one day while a fierce, April storm dumped buckets of snow. I headed over to the restroom next to the then Mountain Room Bar and when I went inside there was Fred doing pullups on the metal bar that formed the frame for the bathroom stall. Legend!
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msiddens
Trad climber
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Oct 30, 2017 - 10:45pm PT
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LEGEND indeed. RIP sir
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Yafer
Trad climber
Chatsworth, California
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Oct 30, 2017 - 10:49pm PT
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Looks like life was your way Fred! See you in the great beyond! I wish I had been able to tie in with you. I bet it would be something I would always remember. I think there is something of you in me... I can see that.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Oct 30, 2017 - 11:19pm PT
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Just got on line. Damn. Fred, I thought you would outlive me.
I feel that I must say something in his memory because all most all of us have memories of Fred.
September 1999
Joe,
About 4 weeks ago I was climbing with TM in Tuolumne. We had gotten a late 10:30 AM start and people were already on South Crack, so I insisted that we race up the Eunuch. We did. Back at the base in less than an hour and a half and seeing that the South Crack route was still jammed up with helmeted climbers with huge racks and brand new chalk bags, I convinced Herbert to run up that route just left of West Country. Before I could get TM moving from the car, a young climber with Asian features approached me and asked if I was looking for a climbing partner. I responded, Not really, despite appearances, I had a climbing partner ... see, there he is ... the one with the stupid looking hat. I added that he was not only my climbing partner, but that on occasion he passed as my father. The kid was looking askance at my 20 year old swami belt whose knot no longer had the appropriate length to gird my expanding waistline, and at my distinct lack of a chalk bag. Then I mentioned that HE, my partner, was the famous TM Herbert.
The kid was aghast and agape ... not THE TM Herbert! Yes, I replied, none other. He wanted to be introduced immediately and just casually remarked that he, too, was climbing with a legend. Fred Beckey! I said, Fred Beckey, where? Right there. In that car. I looked back and there, not more than ten feet away, seated in his car and absorbed in some written material in his lap, was Fred Beckey.
Fred, you old fart! How the hell are you?, as I approached the car, not knowing whether old Fred would even know who I was.
Lauria, what the hell are you doing here?
He recognized me. I was flattered. I'm climbing you old f*#ker, I'm climbing with TM. TM? Is he still coming up here?
Well, things settled down. TM came up. Fred got out of the car. We all shook hands. Fred was stooped and looked every year of his 80-some-odd. He had an injured foot and was limping which only added to the impression of his advancing age. We learned that, true to form, he had somehow convinced this young Asian to drive him down from Seattle to the Sierra so that they might go into the Palisades area to do some new secret Beckey route. But now, because of his injured foot, they had detoured to Tuolumne so that the kid might at least get in some climbing.
TM and I pried ourselves away from the ever loquacious Beckey and ran up our proposed route. We returned to the base to find South Crack open and again had to pull away from Fred to be next on the route. By 3:00 PM we were back at the car with Fred. Herbert was still insisting that Fred get an X-ray and Fred, who is more deaf than I am, was either ignoring the suggestion or the message was not getting through his faulty ear canals. In fact, the two of them, although apparently talking to each other, were by outward appearances carrying on two separate conversations. Neither of them was listening or maybe just not hearing the other.
TM and I finally excused ourselves and headed back to the Tuolumne store for a six pack which was subsequently downed in back of the Chevron station. After listening to Herbert expound on the necessity of x-rays in diagnostic medicine for over an hour, I managed to slip away and back to Bishop by 5:30 PM. So old Fred is still out there, but man, he's starting to look like a dirt bag.
Don
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James Garrett
Trad climber
slc, utah
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Oct 30, 2017 - 11:24pm PT
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We will all miss you Dad
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Oct 30, 2017 - 11:39pm PT
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Yes, life must have been Fred's way. Maybe that's what happens when you go with the flow and choose your belayers well... RIP!
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Oct 31, 2017 - 12:02am PT
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Remember seeing him presenting his book "Mountains of North America" quite a while ago. That book was a big inspiration for me, for many years.
Lauria, your story is pretty amusing. Did you and TM remove your tshirts and play a little hacky sack while having beers at the Chevron?
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Oct 31, 2017 - 12:48am PT
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Tonight the road to heaven is the obvious gulley. . . .only a 3 hour approach too.
RIP Beckey.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Oct 31, 2017 - 03:58am PT
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Oh no. I only met him once. Wish I could have climbed with him. May he rest in peace, belaying angels.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Oct 31, 2017 - 05:32am PT
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Squeezed the juices out of this life for sure.
Have to admire a person that marches to their own drum beat and stays true to themselves and their passion.
Thanks Fred for bearing the torch; the light from which we all benefited. Well said.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Oct 31, 2017 - 05:34am PT
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May he rest in peace, belaying angels.
Potter's already got the angels covered...
The head honcho was waiting for Fred.
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Crag
Trad climber
Pennsyltuckey
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Oct 31, 2017 - 05:55am PT
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RIP Mr. Beckey...Off Belay.
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
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Oct 31, 2017 - 05:58am PT
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RIP and thank you ,Fred
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Oct 31, 2017 - 06:07am PT
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Very sad to turn on my computer this morning to this news. Though, of course, I knew otherwise, there was somehow this expectation that Fred would continue to defy nature and indeed keep going indefinitely. Legend, icon..neither seems quite to do him justice. Another major loss for our community this year.
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HuecoRat
Trad climber
NJ
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Oct 31, 2017 - 07:41am PT
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There is no place you can go in all of North America that isn't marked with Fred's footprints.
Two questions come to my mind:
1 What is the final tally of first ascents? (I wonder if we will ever know.)
2 Where is the black book?
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Spiny Norman
Social climber
Boring, Oregon
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Oct 31, 2017 - 08:19am PT
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They broke the mold and we'll never see his like again. What a life.
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BigB
Trad climber
Red Rock
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Oct 31, 2017 - 08:26am PT
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does Beckey have any FA's in Red Rock?
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Bldrjac
Ice climber
Boulder
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Oct 31, 2017 - 08:49am PT
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A long and amazing life, lived entirely on his terms. Jack climbed with him a bit BITD, and had many stories. I got to see Fred at the AAC event in Seattle last year...he was still part of the action! I highly recommend the movie "Dirtbag" to get a better sense of Fred, and his influence on climbing and climbers. RIP!
pam
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ec
climber
ca
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Oct 31, 2017 - 08:53am PT
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Trivia about Fred’s Little Black Book: As mentioned in the film, ‘Dirtbag, The Legend of Fred Beckey,’ the book was allegedly in a haulbag lost on Tehipite Dome; it wasn’t actually Tehipite, it was on Angel Wings (reference AAJ). On Angel Wings Fred, et al, lost the haulbag.
Decades later, I found the remains of the contents. I actually used the hammock I had retrieved on another route there...Upon our return, we shared our trip with Dave Nettle, where he penned a short story about finding the book and fueled the tale.
I had spent some time with Fred in the past, and discovered that the Little Black Book was in Fred’s brain (as the film concurred).
One of my last conversations via phone with Fred (talking LOUDLY), “Hey, gotta call you back...I’m in a library. Everyone’s getting pissed-off.
 ec
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lars johansen
Trad climber
West Marin, CA
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Oct 31, 2017 - 08:55am PT
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Your on belay Fred, see ya at the top.-lars
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rizzuh
Mountain climber
San Francisco, CA
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Oct 31, 2017 - 09:00am PT
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Helluva run. Glad to have met him a few years back. Hard to imagine what the climbing world was like way back when Beckey was in his prime... No climbing gyms or popular mags/publications... only a handful of people who were there because they loved it and needed it in their lives.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 31, 2017 - 09:03am PT
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I’m still here only because of Fred’s advice:
“ALWAYS trust your gut feelings.”
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Adventurer
Mountain climber
Virginia
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Oct 31, 2017 - 09:58am PT
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His was a life well lived. RIP, Mr. Beckey.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Oct 31, 2017 - 10:01am PT
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The Dad Of Oscurities is now 'off belay'. Glad we had a few chance meetings together. Rest well, Fred-O!
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zeus
Mountain climber
ketchum, ID
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Oct 31, 2017 - 11:03am PT
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Off Belay!
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dfrost7
climber
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Oct 31, 2017 - 11:10am PT
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Sweet guy. Rest in peace, Fred.
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Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
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Oct 31, 2017 - 11:16am PT
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I got to hang out with Fred briefly during the JT trip in rfshore's pictures. Thankful to have been there!
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Oct 31, 2017 - 11:20am PT
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Imagine the amount of vertical feet Fred climbed up and descended in his long life, may we all be fortunate enough to cover half as much in our days. Well done Fred, you'll be missed and long remembered....off belay.
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diggler
Trad climber
Frisco, CA
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Oct 31, 2017 - 11:54am PT
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One of the legends I'd hoped to meet but never did. Bummer. RIP, Fred. You & your climbs have provided me, & will continue to provide me inspiration, for the rest of my life I'm guessing. Only person I can think of that did anything like Fred was Norman Clyde. But Fred did it all over the continent. As others have stated, there won't be another Fred Beckey. Thank you & Godspeed.
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Hooter7
Trad climber
Berkely, CA
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Oct 31, 2017 - 11:57am PT
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I climbed with Fred Beckey, probably like a lot of you. What a character. Sometime in the '80s he got my number from a friend in Berkeley (Scott Frye maybe?) and rang me up—"wanna go climbing?" What else can you do when Fred Beckey calls you out of the blue to go climbing? We met on Highway 50 near Placerville and went up and did Traveler Buttress at Lover's Leap. The traverse off at the top crossed a section of steep snow with a death slide that kind of gripped me—he pranced across.
A few months later we went up to the Meadows, this time in his beat up VW. True to form he had a supply of PB&J sandwich fixings in the trunk. Classic! He was a truly committed climber, and if it was possible to be a dirtbag and a gentleman at the same time, he nailed it. Thanks for the routes and the memories, RIP Fred Beckey.
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Mary Moser
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Oct 31, 2017 - 12:34pm PT
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I had the honor of meeting Fred at the base of Bird Land in Red Rocks back in 2007. He was just getting off the ground on the 1st pitch with his 20-something climbing partner belaying him. The other two climbers that were with Fred and his partner were chatting with us at the base. I whispered to one of the guys, "Is that Fred Beckey?" He said, "Yes it is. But you don't have to whisper since he's totally deaf." As Fred continued up the pitch, he came across a stuck nut that my partner had failed to get out of the crack when we had done the pitch earlier that day. Fred yelled up to his partner, "Hold on! I got some booty here!" I had to chuckle. Seeing him climb really made my day.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 31, 2017 - 12:58pm PT
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Fred's life was booty! YAAR!
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 31, 2017 - 01:07pm PT
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What happened?
How did he leave his mortal body?
Did he just go to sleep one night next morning not wake up?
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Oct 31, 2017 - 01:07pm PT
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Great story Orenczak.
and Hooter7.
Fred Becky was a working mans climber. When I started climbing it seemed like most of the climbs out side of the Valley were Fred's climbs. I was also impressed that he was a weekender and he had a job and all that.
My first real adventure was at the Needles and I can recall the little 3 sentence description in the back of "off belay".
His description of the "Pea Soup 5.9 A2" how to find it, what it was, and some advise on the pins required... that got the ball rolling for me.
I can never thank you enough.
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ec
climber
ca
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Oct 31, 2017 - 01:15pm PT
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I thought the original Pea Soup had A4 on it when I repeated it; Knifeblade Tips and Crack ‘n Ups.
ec
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Oct 31, 2017 - 01:25pm PT
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Werner, what happened is this, from the NYTimes obit:
Megan Bond, a close friend of Mr. Beckey’s, wrote in a Facebook message that he died of congestive heart failure in her home. A longtime resident of Seattle, he had been in hospice care for four days, she said.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Oct 31, 2017 - 01:44pm PT
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I thought the original Pea Soup had A4 on it when I repeated it; Knifeblade Tips and Crack ‘n Ups.
ec
ec... if the printed description said A4 .... I would have run away.
it might have been A3.... some of my friends did it about 6 mo after I did (May 1974)one of them took a big fall on P2... he was a aid climber, btw he reported "A4" ... heck that was the top grade back then.
I wonder if somebody will put a "Fred's FA" list together.
That would be amazing.
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DOB
Trad climber
ny
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Oct 31, 2017 - 02:57pm PT
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I had the honor of meeting Fred in Talkeetna Alaska back in June of 2004. I couldn’t believe at 81 years old he was still planning and scheming what his next project would be. Whether a trip to the Himalayas or getting the girls at Talkeetna Air Taxi to go climbing with him at J-Tree, he was ready to go.
Rest in peace, Fred.
Thanks for all the great routes!
Bill
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Oct 31, 2017 - 03:14pm PT
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RIP Fred! : (
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neverenough
Trad climber
Anacortes
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Oct 31, 2017 - 04:06pm PT
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Climbed Outer Space on Snow Creek wall w/Fred in '95. He was a mere lad of 72 then-led the pedestal pitch. Remembered the route 35 years after doing the FA.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Oct 31, 2017 - 05:12pm PT
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There are very few true legends.
Fred was near the top of the list
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Oct 31, 2017 - 06:26pm PT
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A story about FRED - those who got e-mail from FRED accepted that he liked to use upper case letters. He will be sorely missed, but climbed right until the end. The story was written in 2003.
Early one lovely autumn morning a year or two ago, Fred Beckey called, very early. I knew him slightly, through my brother and numerous mutual friends, but had never climbed with him, or even talked with him about going climbing. It was a bit of a surprise when he called. Fred must have been getting near the bottom of his very long contact list. He had an idea for a new route, and wanted to go climb it. An ice climb, somewhere mysteriously north of Vancouver. He said it would be in good condition, but we should go right away, in case someone else got there first, or the weather changed. Fred didn’t say where, but he’d talked with a pilot about flying in, and had someone else lined up to go with us.
Fred was then in his late 70s, and his outstanding climbing record then extended for more than 60 years. Climbing defined Fred’s life, his values, and his world view. I was flattered that he wanted me to go climbing with him, and thought it might be a unique experience. I told Fred I needed to check my calendar, and try to change a few things, and could I call him back.
I turned off the unneeded alarm, set to the 8:00 AM CBC news, and did the usual morning things. Then checked messages and e-mail. A friend had called while I was busy. She told me terrible things were happening on the east coast. Lacking a television, I went to my parent's house to watch, and to tell my father, who was hard of hearing.
Later, stunned by what I’d seen and heard, I went home. Fred called again, with much the same pitch, adding that the climb was in the Monarch area, and reiterating that the pilot was ready to go. I politely begged off. I had some commitments, which couldn’t easily be changed. Perhaps I missed a unique opportunity. But I didn’t really feel like going anyway. It didn’t seem quite as important. And whether Fred knew or not, it was clear we weren’t going to be flying anywhere anytime soon.
It was 11th September 2001. Thousands had died in grotesque events in the eastern U.S.A. All aircraft over North America had been grounded, some on threat of being shot down.
My guess is that the peripatetic Fred simply didn’t know what had happened, that he couldn't cross the border, and that no non-military aircraft were flying, although by then there were few who hadn’t heard. I didn’t ask. Even if Fred had heard, he may not have considered it important, or relevant. Dreadful things had happened all through his life, as they do, but he wasn’t directly affected, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. His priority, perhaps obsession, was climbing, and in a long life he had seen enough of the world to know what was important to him.
It was an honour to have a tiny role in the Fred saga.
copyright © Anders I. Ourom
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Hardrock
Trad climber
San Bernardino
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Oct 31, 2017 - 06:34pm PT
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God Bless Fred! YITB with all climbers!
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tallguy
Trad climber
tacoma
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Oct 31, 2017 - 08:12pm PT
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Hey rfshore.. we were camped next to you guys for that JTree trip he was on (his 90th) and i saw the nap on the 2nd pitch as we climbed next to your group.
My favorite Beckey memory from that JTree trip was his insistence on calling it "Moosecock tower", and obviously enjoying telling everyone about his climb of Moosecock tower as often as he could. Plus his incredible ability to nap anywhere, including in the gnarly hard dirt at the base of the crags around the campground. Truly an exceptional ability to rest anywhere, a great skill for mountain climbing.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Oct 31, 2017 - 08:13pm PT
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Ed wrote we should declare 2018 "Fred Beckey year" and repeat as many of his climbs as possible... that would be an incredible climbing year!
love the idea!
Would be a great tribute to his legacy.
That might be one list we all could add to as the year unfolds.
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Spiny Norman
Social climber
Boring, Oregon
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Oct 31, 2017 - 08:45pm PT
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There are old climbers, there are bold climbers… and there was Fred.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Oct 31, 2017 - 09:28pm PT
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it might have been A3.... some of my friends did it about 6 mo after I did (May 1974)one of them took a big fall on P2... he was a aid climber, btw he reported "A4" ... heck that was the top grade back then.
Hey Guyman, Fred never really did pitch 2 or any of the first 3 pitches of Pea Soup. I did the first lead of pitch 2 when I did the first half of the climb with Joe Brown. I lead all 3 pitches in fact. I rated pitch 2 A4 and left a Dolt spoon arrow under the lip at the end of the small arch at the end of the aid. I couldn't get it out because it was bent up under the corner flake of rock and certainly didn't want to chop the rock away for a piton. It was a beautiful little hunk of sculpted rock. I wonder how long that piton was there. It was too tempting to blow that rock away. Fred entered the picture when he came back with me to finish the climb and we jumared my fixed ropes on the first 2 pitches. We bypassed the hard 3rd pitch I put up just to make time since we didn't know what was ahead.
Anyway, it was fun to know Fred back when I did. I was pretty quite as a teenager, at least around adults, so I didn't get to know him through talking, but through his acts! Rest in Peace Fred. I hope I last as long - geez, that's another 30 years - I can't imagine!
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Fred typed in all caps? Doesn’t surprise me.
Climbed with Fred 45 years ago. I was 19 and in as good shape as I ever was. Fred kicked my ass on the 6000’ approach. Did the math on that years later and realized that Fred WAS 50 YEARS OLD!!! We got strip searched at the Canadian border. Had a stove blow up in between us in the tiny hut we were in. Couldn’t get much better than that.
There will never be another Fred. He will live on forever in the minds of the climbing community.
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Timmc
climber
BC
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RIP Fred. You certainly lived a full life chasing mountains.
Upthread, there is mention of the CAPS use in his emails. This is a funny example:
One of my favourite trips with Fred was to the Adamants. He was researching for his book and still climbing reasonably well, even though he was in his mid 80’s.
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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^^^THAT'S A GREAT PICTURE!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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I found the NYTimes Obit really flat and missing the mark, and it said as much...
"Mr. Beckey was virtually unknown to the general public..." which was true, but then "Indeed, Mr. Beckey shunned publicity and people. He lived like a hermit in Seattle, holing up to write or vanishing for months on expeditions. He looked like a scruffy hobo — a wiry, stooped nomad with a backpack, a shapeless jacket, dirty pants and sneakers."
as if, somehow, when you spend most of your life a committed adventurer you find time to have a public, social life, one that the NYTimes would recognize that is...
there are so many Beckey stories out there, the image of him driving around with his index box of climber contacts looking for a partner to engage in the next adventure seems so much a part of North American mountaineering that Beckey seemed to be the embodiment of that distinct style, self sufficiency and seeking objectives far from the orthodox view of what the "next big problem" was...
who hasn't looked up in awe of one of the many "Beckey routes" in some far off range, awe that he had been there before anyone else, awe of the vision of the line, awe that he was still "out there" doing more routes.
Fred's legacy is there for all of us to share.
Thanks Fred!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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LA Times obit today was not even worth linking. :-/
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Here’s to a life well lived ,
Thanks for the inspiration Fred!
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Cragar
climber
MSLA - MT
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In some ways it is rather nice when the general population 'misses' the mark. If they didn't miss it, most likely 'it' wouldn't be a unique specialness. Fred Beckey was not part of that group in any except for having a pulse and even then his was different.
He was simply amazing and to understand him you have to engage in some aspects of his endeavors. His adventurous lifestyle transcends that of modern adventurous lifestyler and he is in his own universe.
RIP Fred Beckey and thank you.
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Timmc
climber
BC
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BJ, that’s hilarious. I have no idea how they got my photo. It was published in a couple Patagonia catalogs ...?
The only connection is that Bow Falls was the only successful climb Fred and I did together.
We skied across Bow lake and then swung tools to the top.
After that we did many trips taking the rack for a hike.
TM
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Phred
Mountain climber
Anchorage
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It would be interesting to know what Fred's last first ascent or new route was. Any ideas?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Tim's e-mail is a classic. I'll have to dig up some of the ones FRED sent me.
In summer 2016, FRED visited me at home, to talk about the history of climbing at Squamish. I picked him up at a friend's he was staying at, and we had coffee en route. Although I was paying, he insisted that we go to Tim Horton's instead of that large Seattle company, as it was "cheaper". (And gossip has it that he did well with "Microbucks" stock...)
As for the newspaper obituaries. Well, when David Brower died, the New York Times obituary was almost a full page. Barely a paragraph talked about his climbing, notwithstanding that he was one of the leading climbers in the USA from the 1930s on, and that it was well-documented.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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HELLO NO I DONT KNOW ABOUT IT THINKING ROCK IS META
VOLCANIC BUT MAY BE OK WE DID A PEAK NEAR THUNDER
MTN NORTHEAST OF BELLC COOLA AND THE ROCK WAS REALLY
PRETTY GOOD WOULD BE A GOOD WILDERNES ADVENTURE AD
GETYOUR NAME IN A GUIDEBOOK WHEN IT IS PRINTED IN THE
YEAR 3006
A QUICK QUESTION AGTAIN SLESSE YOU GAVE ME THE
ALTITUDE OF THE ROAD AND TRAIL START BUT WHAT IS
MILEAAGE IN KM FROM THE BRDGE AT RIVERSIDE CAMP???
THERE WERE SOME CANAD GALS AT SMITH ROCK LAST
SWWEEKEND MAYBE THEY AREE STILL THERE
--- drew brayshaw wrote:
> Hey Fred,
>
> Have you ever been to Salient Mountain north of
> Bella Coola? What's the rock like? Flew over it
> today, the big buttress on the west face looked
> pretty good from the air!
>
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Timmc
climber
BC
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Great emails^
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feralfae
Boulder climber
in the midst of a metaphysical mystery
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Doug used to talk a lot about Fred Beckey.
What an exceptional individual!
With that level of focus, and that level of skill, all I can do is stand back and admire his life.
Very well done life. Awesome.
ff
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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BEST THREAD EVER
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Phred
Mountain climber
Anchorage
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Fred's response to a query about a peak he attempted in Alaska's Hidden Mountains:
HELLO SORRY AM NOT INTERESTED IN TELLING THE WORLD W HAT I KNOW ABOUT IT WHY DONT YOU CONCENTRATE ON THE THOUISANDS OF GOOD CLIMBS ALL OVER THE REST OF ALASKA - LIKE THE REVELATIONS AND KICHATNAS BEST F B
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Now I finally know the real identity of BURT BRONSON!
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Timmc
climber
BC
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Good memories of making plans.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Fred used ALLCAPS to type because it was easier for him to read. Large print, sort of.
But it's funny because the Internet has trained us to see ALLCAPS as YELLING and Fred yelled all the time after losing his hearing.
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alpinist
Trad climber
tahoe city
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I have a batch of emails I saved and printed out from Fred...here is a pretty classic one.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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‘Worth going to the Tien Shan?’
Fred got into internet trolling? HaHaHa!
The Dood For The Ages!
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alpinist
Trad climber
tahoe city
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Two more vintage pearls of wisdom from Fred...I MAY HAVE TO START TYPING IN CAPS AS A TRIBUTE...AM I SHOUTING?! WHAT?![photoid=514800]
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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The scary thought just occurred to me - can you imagine being seated next to Fred on an 11 hour flight? HaHaHaHa! I’m exhausted at the thought! :-)
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Damn.
I never got to meet Fred. But his legend will live on.
RIP. I hope I get to meet you up in belayland.
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Inner City
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Heading out to see "Dirtbag" at the Portland Film Fest tonight. Excited to learn more about Fred and his myriad eccentricities. Taking my 10 year old son which will be interesting...
Dave Reid
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Cascade Mountains and Monterey Bay
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First met Fred and his pink Ford Thunderbird when Chouinard took me along into the Wind Rivers with Fred, John Hudson, and Art Gran. Fred, Yvon, and Art did the first ascent of the NW wall on East Temple. Fred and John did the north wall of Mt Temple. I soloed Steeple Peak and some other things. It was very rare to see anyone else back there in those days.
A little later spent time climbing in that area with Beth Liversege, Rick Milikin (son of the famous physicist) and another young woman. We were several pitches up on a first ascent of the NW wall of Haystack, when Fred Becky showed up, having packed in to climb that line. I called down to him, but he couldn't hear me. Fred wrote up his disappointment in the Alpine Journal. (Jeff Lowe later climbed the crack system to the left of ours, and I later flew Jeff back there in my plane to film it from the air.)
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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in the Valley
Rattlesnake Buttress 5.8 A2 III 5.11a FA 1965 Layton Kor, Fred Beckey FFA 1982 Werner Braun, Rick Cashner
Southwest Face Sugarloaf Dome FA 1976 Michael Warburton, Fred Beckey
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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The man has gone to see the eagles fly...
Where's the tools going?
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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From Alpinist 9. Beckey, Harrer, Maybohm on Begguya.
Look at Fred's smile.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
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Cochrane...That would be Millikan...My high school...rj
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Fred's funeral was on Saturday in Leavenworth, and he was buried at Mountain View Cemetery (very apropos!) there, at the feet of the mountains he loved.
Apparently there will be a public memorial at the Mountaineers in Seattle, date TBA.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Nov 10, 2017 - 05:45pm PT
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There's a good spread on Fred in the new 2018 AAJ. Haven't read it yet but there's a photo of him in there where he's looking pretty buff!
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Farley
Mountain climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 10, 2017 - 09:58pm PT
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Underappreciated intellect: knowledgeable in history, geology, and geomorphology. Excellent night-time driver. Admirer of the female form.
Lover of the outdoors and the challenges that they bring.
Thanks for kicking ass and setting the bar high.
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Nov 11, 2017 - 08:39am PT
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I appreciate seeing that Fred did a route on Sugarloaf with Mike Warburton. Mike was the first person I knew who knew Beckey and what he was like to be around.
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Tricouni
Mountain climber
Vancouver
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It was very well attended, a couple 100 people. Highlight of the talks was John Rupley, who climbed with Fred in the 1950s and into the 1060s. For me, the best part was reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. Three of us went for a beer and bite to eat after, along with a couple of people who didn't go to the Beckey event for their own good reasons.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Thanks for the report on the Mountaineers tribute Glenn and for diplomatically noting that a driven man like Fred broke a few eggs in the metaphorical omelette of life.
It was great to see Glenn again, and, as to omelettes, you know what they say...
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