“Mountaineering is essentially a battle between man and mountain, and a battle that man must know when to stop, for there can be few more dangerous places on this earth than a mountain in a bad mood.”
Photo by Jim Stuart
Fred Beckey was a living legend.
A climber, environmentalist, historian and author, Fred Beckey left behind an indelible legacy; a life of adventure, exploration and intense study of the mountain realm. He perfected the art of living lightly, but living large.
He recorded his first climb at age ten, and the mountains were imprinted on his psyche forever more. For the next eighty-four years he explored mountains and high wilderness places, traveling the globe. He died in 2017 at age ninety-four.
He established first ascents and new routes on mountains in North America, the Himalaya, Nepal, Northern India, Tibet, China, and climbed in Europe, South America and Africa.
Fred Beckey authored multiple books, including the three-volume Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing & High Routes; The Challenge of the North Cascades; The Mountains of North America; Mt. McKinley, Icy Crown of North America; Climbing Mt. Rainier: The Essentials Guide; Range of Glaciers; and his magnum opus: Fred Beckey's 100 Favorite Climbs.
The Climber's Guide to Fred Beckey—the biography of his life—is slated for publication Fall 2025.
For information on licensing the Fred Beckey™ trademark name, please see Licensing.
From The Waddington Journal, 1942