Fred Beckey passes away

[Don Nelsen]

I just heard about the passing of Fred Beckey. I drove all the way to Bellingham last weekend to see the new movie about his life. This movie will show in Portland next weekend and it is well worth seeing and will be sold out for sure.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2256561/c ... eckey-dies

dn

[neilsonw]

Just checked, already sold out for Portland. I've never been to a film festival before but that trailer hooked me. That's a great story to tell.

Rest in peace.

[Aimless]

I'm not a climber, but even I know some about the amazing accomplishments of Fred Beckey. RIP.

[Charley]

Wow. A real life legend. I especially respect his ripe old age. I've heard that "There are old climbers, and there are bold climbers, but there are no bold old climbers." He might just be an exception. I hope I'm still kicking at that age.

[drm]

Royal Robbins passed earlier this year, and now Beckey - a year for losing legends and innovators.

[Chip Down]

I'm old enough to have started my alpine explorations before there were many resources offering route info. Beckey's Cascade Alpine Guide (three volume set) was published in '73, when I was in elementary school and not even aware of mountains yet. When I was old enough to need it, it was waiting for me, first at the library, and then my own copy when I was using it enough to justify the investment ($148 in 2017 dollars).

What a life! So inspiring. But on a more local level, there's a man who now ascends the throne. I'm not into hero worship, so I won't blow this out of proportion, but there's a member here who I respect almost as much as Beckey. Because he's more accessible and approachable, and perhaps because he's more likely to have gone places where I'll actually follow in his footsteps, I'll miss him more than Beckey when he's gone.

[Iams]

I'm old enough to have started my alpine explorations before there were many resources offering route info.

Ditto. Sad news.

[Rather B Hiking]

A long life and well lived. My copies of Cascade Alpine Guide date to 1979, and they were invaluable in the days before online resources. He could write too - Range of Glaciers: The Exploration and Survey of the Northern Cascade Range is a classic.