Fred Beckey

2025-08-02T18:05:12Z

2601:602:8B82:5FC0:C096:9990:964B:34CF:

{{Short description|American rock climber and mountaineer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Fred Beckey
| image = Fred Beckey, about 1990.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Fred Beckey, circa 1990
| birth_name = Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1923|1|14}}
| birth_place = [[Düsseldorf]], Germany
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|10|30|1923|1|14|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| alma_mater = [[University of Washington]]
| occupation = Rock climber, [[Mountaineering|mountaineer]], guidebook author
| known_for =
| signature = Fred Beckey's signature.jpg
}}

'''Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey''' (14 January 1923 – 30 October 2017), known as '''Fred Beckey''', was an American rock climber, [[Mountaineering|mountaineer]] and book author, who in seven decades of climbing achieved hundreds of [[first ascent]]s of some of the tallest peaks and most important routes throughout Alaska, the [[Canadian Rockies]] and the [[Pacific Northwest]].<ref>{{cite news | last = Modie | first = Neil | title = Icon to some, legendary climber Beckey still obscure to many | work = Seattle Post-Intelligencer | publisher = Seattle PI | date = 2003-03-08 | url = http://www.seattlepi.com/local/111703_beckey08.shtml | access-date = 2006-01-07 }}</ref><ref name=mcfadden/> Among the [[Fifty Classic Climbs of North America]], seven were established by Beckey, often climbing with some of the best known climbers of each generation.<ref name=R50>{{cite book
| last1 = Roper
| first1 = Steve
| author-link=Steve Roper
|first2=Allen
|last2=Steck
|author2-link=Allen Steck
| title = Fifty Classic Climbs of North America
| year = 1979
| location = San Francisco
| publisher = Sierra Club Books
| isbn = 0-87156-292-8
}}</ref>

==Early years==
Beckey was born in 1923 near [[Düsseldorf]], Germany to Klaus Beckey, a surgeon, and Marta Maria Beckey who was an opera singer.<ref name=mcfadden/> In 1925 economic hardships due to [[hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic]] forced his family to emigrate to the United States, settling in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref name="Rassler"/> His brother, Helmut "Helmy" Beckey, was born in Seattle in 1926 and would later become Fred's frequent climbing partner. At age twelve, Fred Beckey climbed Boulder Peak<ref>{{cite web |title=Boulder Peak - Peakbagger.com |url=https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=27556 |website=www.peakbagger.com |access-date=3 October 2021}}</ref> in the Cascades by himself, after wandering off on a family camping trip. Afterwards, his family signed him up with the [[Boy Scouts of America|Boy Scouts]]<ref name="Bossick">{{cite news |last1=Bossick |first1=Karen |title='Dirtbag' Fetes Consummate Climber |url=https://www.eyeonsunvalley.com/Mobile/Mobile_Story_Reader/5105/%E2%80%98Dirtbag%E2%80%99-Fetes-Consummate-Climber/ |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=www.eyeonsunvalley.com |date=20 June 2018}}</ref> where he learned the basic concepts of climbing. Later he joined [[The Mountaineers (Pacific NW)|The Mountaineers]]. In 1939, at sixteen, Fred and two friends climbed 7,292-foot [[Mount Despair (Washington)|Mount Despair]] in the North Cascades, which was considered unclimbable at the time.<ref name=mcfadden/> In 1942, the teenage Beckey brothers snatched a second ascent of [[Mount Waddington]], which was then considered the most difficult climb in North America.<ref name="tahoedailytribune">{{cite news |last1=Staff Report |title='Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey' returns, to show at LTCC |url=https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/sports/dirtbag-the-legend-of-fred-beckey-returns-to-show-at-ltcc/ |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=www.tahoedailytribune.com}}</ref> Beckey followed that with many more first ascents of summits in the Olympic and North Cascade ranges. In 1942 he joined [[10th Mountain Division]], based in Colorado, and served as an instructor.<ref>Denver Public Library 10th Mountain Database</ref><ref name=mcfadden/>

After the war, Beckey studied [[business administration]] at the [[University of Washington]], while still spending a lot of time climbing mountain ranges in the Northwest and desert rock formations in the Southwest. After graduation in 1949 he worked for the ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'' and became a print shop sales representative.<ref name=mcfadden>{{citation |last=McFadden |first=Robert D. |title=Fred Beckey, Conqueror and Chronicler of North American Peaks, Dies at 94 | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 31, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/31/obituaries/fred-beckey-dead-mountain-climber.html?hpw&rref=obituaries&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0}}</ref> However, he soon discovered that his work interfered with his climbing. For a time, he worked as a delivery truck driver, which left him time for climbing. As time went on, he decided that climbing was his life's focus. He never married or had children, he never pursued a professional career, he never sought money or financial security as a goal—his goal was to climb mountains.<ref name=mcfadden/>

In 1955 Beckey joined the International Himalayan Expedition to climb the world’s fourth-highest peak, [[Lhotse]]. During the expedition his tentmate developed cerebral edema at 23,000 feet on the night before they were to attempt the summit. Beckey descended in a blizzard to get help, but was later blamed by his teammates for abandoning his partner, who was rescued by others.<ref name="AAJ1956">{{cite journal | title = Solu Khumbu Climbs: First Ascents After Lhotse | journal = American Alpine Journal |year=1956 | volume = 10 | issue = 2 | page = 7 }}</ref><ref name=mcfadden/> Consequently although Beckey seemed a likely choice as a member for first American Everest Expedition in 1963, he was never invited by his ex-teammates. Afterwards Beckey shied away from the large team efforts abroad, preferring smaller alpine-style undertakings alone or with a few companions seeking out America's last unclimbed peaks or striking routes considered too difficult to climb. He often climbed 40 or 50 different summits a year, and over the decades managed to achieve nearly one thousand first ascents.<ref name=mcfadden/>

==Guidebook author==
[[File:Fred-Beckey.jpg|thumb|upright|Fred Beckey (right) in Alaska, 2005]]
[[File:Fred Beckey - 2012 g.jpg|thumb|upright|Fred Beckey in 2012]]
[[File:Fred Beckey - 2014.jpg|thumb|upright|Fred Beckey in a climbing gym in 2014]]

In the late 1940s, he asked [[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] of Seattle to publish his first [[climbing guidebook]] for the local peaks. They turned him down, and the [[American Alpine Club]] agreed to print a few thousand copies for a flat fee. Between climbs, he wrote several books, most notably the ''Cascade Alpine Guide'', the definitive three-volume description of the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]] from the [[Columbia River]] to the [[Fraser River]], now in its third edition, published by The Mountaineers.

==Later accomplishments==
In 2003, his 563-page book on the history of the region, ''Range of Glaciers'', was published by the Oregon Historical Society Press. According to a reviewer, he did much of the research for the volume in [[Washington, D.C.]], at the [[Library of Congress]] and the National Archives, scouring files of the State Department, [[U.S. Geological Survey]] and other agencies. Beckey also perused the [[Library and Archives Canada|Canadian archives]] in [[Ottawa]], Ontario; [[Hudson's Bay Co.]] archives in [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]]; [[British Columbia]] archives in [[Victoria, British Columbia]]; records of the Northwest Boundary Survey at [[Yale University]]; and records of the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads in [[Minneapolis]].

Beckey continued climbing when over 90 years old.<ref>{{cite web|last=Shore|first=Richard|title=Fred Beckey climbing at Nightmare Rock|url=http://altusmountainguides.com/blog/fred-beckey-climbing/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Franz |first1=Derek |title=World renowned alpinist and climbing pioneer Fred Beckey dies at age 94 |url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web17f/newswire-fred-beckey-dies-at-age-94 |website=Alpinist |publisher=Alpinist LLC |access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref> His life was the subject of a 2017 documentary, directed by David O'Leske and produced by [[Patagonia (clothing)|Patagonia]], called ''Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey''. The film won over 26 international awards, including: the Best Feature Mountain Film at the 2017 [[Banff Mountain Film Festival]]; the Best Mountaineering Film at the 2017 [[Kendal Mountain Film Festival]]; and, the People's Choice Award at the 2017 [[Banff Mountain Book Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Awards |url=http://dirtbagmovie.com/awards.html |website=Dirtbag Movie |publisher=Fred Beckey Film LLC |access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://dirtbagmovie.com/awards.html | title=Awards }}</ref>

Mount Beckey, a previously unnamed, 8,500-foot peak in remote West-Central [[Alaska Range]] ({{coord|62|51|20|N|152|8|15|W}}),<ref>{{cite web |title=Mount Beckey - Peakbagger.com |url=https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=19088 |website=www.peakbagger.com |access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref> was named after Beckey, after he, Calvin Hebert and [[John Middendorf]] climbed it in 1996.<ref name="Middendorf">{{cite news |last=Middendorf |first=John |title=Fred Beckey: Will Belay for Food! |url=http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/News_FredBeckey.htm |work=www.traditionalmountaineering.org}}</ref><ref name=mcfadden/>

== Death ==
Fred Beckey died of [[congestive heart failure]], in Seattle, on October 30, 2017 at the age of 94.<ref>{{cite news | title = Remembering Fred Beckey | publisher = The Mountaineers | date = 2017-10-30 | url = https://www.mountaineers.org/blog/remembering-mountaineer-fred-beckey | access-date = 2017-10-30}}</ref><ref name=mcfadden/>

==First ascents==
[[File:DevilsThumb.jpg|thumb|[[Devils Thumb]], Alaska]]
Partial list of notable first ascents:
* 1939 [[Mount Despair (Washington)|Mount Despair]], [[North Cascades]]
* 1940 [[Forbidden Peak]], [[North Cascades]] - with brother Helmy, [[Recreational Equipment, Inc.#History|Lloyd Anderson]], Jim Crooks, and [[David A. Lind|Dave Lind]].
* 1945 [[Price Glacier (Mount Shuksan)|Price Glacier]], [[Mount Shuksan]], [[North Cascades]] with Jack Schwabland and Bill Granston<ref name="Sky">{{cite book | last = Selters | first = Andy | title = Ways to the Sky | publisher = The American Alpine Club Press | year = 2004 | location = Golden, CO | isbn = 0-930410-83-1 }}</ref>{{rp|138}}
* 1946 ''East Ridge'' [[Devils Thumb]], [[Alaska]] with Bob Craig and Clifford Schmidtke (Aug 25)<ref name="Sky" />{{rp}}
* 1946 ''Liberty Bell'', North Cascades, Washington<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1947 Mount Hozomeen's South Peak<ref name="Reppy">{{cite web |last1=Reppy |first1=Jack |title=Fred Beckey: A Timeline of Ascents |url=https://www.sutori.com/en/story/fred-beckey-a-timeline-of-ascents--ssWmdLANxVGqrWNWYe7VEdUJ |website=www.sutori.com |access-date=3 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
* 1947 North Peak, [[Liberty Bell Mountain|Liberty Bell]], [[North Cascades]] - 1947
* 1948 ''North Ridge'' of [[Mount Baker]], [[North Cascades]] Fred Beckey, Ralph and Dick Widrig (August 1948)<ref name="Sky" />{{rp|156}}
* 1948 [[Prusik Peak]], [[North Cascades]] with Art Holben<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beckey |first=Fred |title=Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. |publisher=Mountaineers Books |year=2008 |location=Seattle, WA}}</ref>
* 1954 ''Northwest Buttress'' to North Peak, [[Denali]], Alaska (May 27) with Donald McLean, Charles Wilson, Henry Meybohm and Bill Hackett.<ref name="Sky" />{{rp|166}}<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1954 South Ridge, [[Mount Deborah]] with [[Heinrich Harrer]] and Henry Meybohm<ref name="Sky" />{{rp|169–170}}
* 1954 ''West Ridge'' [[Mount Hunter (Alaska)]] - with [[Heinrich Harrer]] and Henry Meybohm<ref name="Sky" />{{rp|170}}
* 1959 ''Crescent Arete'', [[Mount Owen (Wyoming)|Mount Owen]], [[Tetons]], with [[Yvon Chouinard]]<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1959 ''Yocum Ridge'', [[Mount Hood]], Oregon, with Leo Scheiblehner<ref name="Sky" />{{rp|172}}
* 1960 ''Outer Space'', [[Leavenworth, Washington]] with Ron Niccoli <ref name="Reppy"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Rock Climb Outer Space, Central-East Cascades, Wenatchee, & Leavenworth |url=https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105793664/outer-space |website=Mountain Project |access-date=3 October 2021}}</ref>
* 1961 North Face of [[Mount Edith Cavell]], [[Canadian Rockies]], Canada with [[Yvon Chouinard]] and Dan Doody <ref name="legends">{{cite web
| last = Child | first = Greg | title = Rock Legends
| work = Outside Magazine |date=October 2000
| url = http://outside.away.com/outside/magazine/200010/200010rocklegends1.html
| access-date = 2006-10-04 }}</ref><ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1961 ''North Face'', [[Mount Sir Donald]], [[Rogers Pass (British Columbia)|Rogers Pass]], [[British Columbia]] with [[Yvon Chouinard]]<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1961 ''Beckey-Chouinard Route'' on [[Howser Spire|South Howser Tower]], Bugaboos, [[Canada]] with [[Yvon Chouinard]]
* 1961 ''The Priest'', [[Castle Valley, Utah]], with [[Layton Kor]], Harvey Carter, and Annie Carter<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1962 ''Question Mark Wall'', [[Lone Peak Wilderness|Lone Peak Cirque]], [[Wasatch Range]], Utah<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1963 ''Complete North Ridge'', [[Mount Stuart]], [[North Cascades]], Washington with Steve Marts<ref name="Sky" />{{rp|226}}
* 1963 ''Northeast Buttress'' of [[Mount Slesse]], [[British Columbia]], Canada with Steve Marts and [[Eric Bjornstad]]<ref name="Sky" />{{rp|226–227}}<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1963 ''West Buttress'' (IV 5.8 A1), Musembeah Peak, [[Wind River Range]], [[Wyoming]] (September) with [[Layton Kor]]<ref name="Sky" />{{rp|245}}
* 1963 ''Beckey Route'', Elephant's Perch, [[Sawtooth Range (Idaho)|Sawtooth Mountains]], Idaho<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1964 ''Angel's Crest'', The Chief, [[Squamish, British Columbia]]<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1965 [[Mount Sir Donald]], [[Rogers Pass (British Columbia)|Rogers Pass]], [[British Columbia]], First Winter Ascent<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1966 [[Mount Seattle]], [[Saint Elias Mountains]], Alaska
* 1967 ''El Matador'' (NCCS IV, A3), [[Devils Tower National Monument|Devils Tower]], Wyoming. FA with [[Eric Bjornstad]]<ref name="AAJ">{{Cite journal | last = Beckey | first = Fred |editor=H. Adams Carter | title = Climbs and Expeditions | journal = American Alpine Journal | volume = 16 | issue = 43 | publisher = American Alpine Club | location = Philadelphia, PA | year = 1969 }}</ref>{{rp|403}}
* 1968 ''Direct East Buttress'' (IV F8 A4), South Early Winter Spire, [[North Cascades]], Washington. FA with Doug Leen<ref name="AAJ" />{{rp|287–288}}
* 1968 ''South Face'' (III F8 A1), [[Cathedral Peak (Washington)]], [[North Cascades]], Washington. FA with Dave Wagner, John Brottem and Doug Leen<ref name="AAJ" />{{rp|390}}
* 1968 ''Northeast Face'', Mount Hooker, [[Canadian Rockies]], Canada. FA with John Rupley<ref name="AAJ" />{{rp|410}}
* 1970 ''Beckey's Spire'' aka [[Two Nuns|Christianity Spire]], Sedona Arizona
* 1970, 1972 [[Zeus and Moses]], Utah. FAs with Eric Bjornstad<ref>Stewart M. Green, ''Rock Climbing Utah'', 2012, Morris Book Publishing, page 83.</ref>
* 1970 [[South Face (Charlotte Dome)|South Face]] of [[Charlotte Dome]], III 5.7, [[First ascent|FA]] with [[Galen Rowell]], Chris Jones<ref name=R50/>
* 1972 Moses, Canyonlands with [[Eric Bjornstad]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Rock Climbing in Moses, Southeast Utah |url=https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105717024/moses |website=Mountain Project |access-date=3 October 2021}}</ref><ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1972 [[The Tusk (Alaska)|The Tusk]], Alaska<ref>[https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197341301/North-America-United-States-Alaska-The-Tusk-Juneau-Icefields Fred Beckey, ''North America, United States, Alaska, The Tusk, Juneau Icefields''], (1973), American Alpine Journal, publications.americanalpineclub.org</ref>
* 1976 [[Mount Emmerich]], Alaska
* 1989 ''South Buttress'', Caliban Peak, [[Arrigetch Peaks]], Alaska<ref name="Reppy"/>
* 1996 Mount Beckey, Cathedral Mountains, Alaska, with [[John Middendorf]] and Calvin Hebert
* 1997 ''Bomber Lake Arete'', [[Wind River Range]], Wyoming with Cameron Burns<ref name="Reppy"/>

==Other notable ascents==
[[File:Fred Beckey - Louise Falls - 2006.jpg|thumb|upright|Fred Beckey on Louise Falls in 2006]]
* Second ascent [[Mount Waddington]], [[British Columbia]] - 1942
* Triple ascent of [[Denali]], [[Mount Deborah]], and [[Mount Hunter (Alaska)|Mount Hunter]] - 1954
* 1989 ''South Face'' of Kedernath, India. Beckey is part of an expedition that makes a very close attempt.<ref name="Reppy"/>

==Personality==
[[Timothy Egan]] captures Fred Beckey's personality in a chapter of ''The Good Rain''. Beckey named [[Vasiliki Ridge]], by Washington Pass, after his one true love. Beckey was a quintessential [[dirtbag climber]], well captured by a classic portrait of him by Corey Rich<ref name="Rassler">{{cite news |last1=Rassler |first1=Brad |title=The Public Ownership of Fred Beckey |url=https://sustainableplay.com/the-public-ownership-of-fred-beckey/ |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=sustainable play}}</ref> from 2004 [[Patagonia, Inc.|Patagonia]]'s Fall catalog, where he is trying to [[Hitchhiking|hitchhike]] while holding a sign "Will belay for food".<ref name="Middendorf"/> His reputation is well known among many climbers, captured in a T-shirt "Beware of Beckey: He will steal your woman, steal your route." <ref>{{cite book | last = Egan | first = Timothy | title = The Good Rain | year = 1991 | isbn = 0-679-73485-6 }}</ref>

==Books==

* ''Fred Beckey's 100 Favorite North American Climbs'' (Patagonia Inc., 2011, {{ISBN|978-0-9801227-1-8}})
* ''Range of Glaciers: The Exploration and Survey of the Northern Cascade Range'' (Oregon Historical Society, 2003 {{ISBN|0-87595-243-7}})
* ''[[Cascade Alpine Guide]]'' (3 vols.) (Mountaineers Books, 1973–2008)
** ''Columbia River to Stevens Pass'' (1973, 3rd ed. 2000, {{ISBN|0-89886-577-8}})
** ''Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass'' (1977, 3rd ed. 2003, {{ISBN|0-89886-152-7}})
** ''Rainy Pass to Fraser River'' (1981, 3rd ed. 2008, {{ISBN|0-89886-423-2}})
* ''Challenge of the North Cascades'' (1969, 2nd ed. 1996, {{ISBN|0-89886-479-8}})
* ''Mount McKinley: Icy Crown of North America'' (Mountaineers Books 1993, paper 1999, {{ISBN|0-89886-646-4}})
* ''The Bugaboos: An Alpine History'' (1987) (Introduction Only)
* ''Mountains of North America'' (1986)
* ''Mountains of North America'' ([[Sierra Club]], 1982)
* ''Darrington and Index Rock Climbing Guide'' (Mountaineers Books, 1976)
* ''Guide to Leavenworth rock-climbing areas'' (Mountaineers Books, 1965)
* ''Climber's Guide to the Cascade and Olympic Mountains of Washington'' (American Alpine Club, 1949, revised edition 1953)

==See also==
* [[Snafflehound]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Fred Beckey}}
* [http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9373 Biography] at [[HistoryLink]]
* [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204485304576645473106063438 2011 Profile] in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' by Michael J. Ybarra
* [http://www.mindstrengthbalance.com/learn/interviews/fredbeckey.htm 2007 Interview appearing in The Learning Project: Views of Authentic Learning]
* ''New York Times'', 16 Dec. 2008. [http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/12/15/sports/golf/1194835655194/the-old-man-of-the-mountains.html?ref=sports The Old Man of the Mountains] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217072425/http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/12/15/sports/golf/1194835655194/the-old-man-of-the-mountains.html?ref=sports |date=2008-12-17 }}. Video report on Fred Beckey. (The video displays the date of Dec. 16, although the URL states Dec. 15.)
* [https://vimeo.com/70662261 Summer 2012 short film] of Fred climbing in the Dolomites on Vimeo

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckey, Fred}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:German emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Mountain climbers from Seattle]]
[[Category:University of Washington Foster School of Business alumni]]

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Fred Beckey