A sad day. RIP Fred Beckey.

[Artemus]

RIP Fred Beckey
- a sad day, today, to say goodbye to one of my heroes. I've spent much of my adult life chasing around the country climbing in his footsteps. He inspires and always will.

If I think about it I have probably stood under and looked up at 40 multi-pitch and single pitch Beckey routes - and climbed half of them.

Fred was very well known to the SLC climbing community - my community. I had the opportunity to share a meal with him a few years back at a friend's house in SLC. He espoused the same quality of life ethos I have tried to live. I say "I work to live and not vice versa". Fred said "I guess you have your choice of trying to make money or getting involved with adventure". He succeeded better than I ever did but his vision drives me and always will.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/31/obituaries/fred-beckey-dead-mountain-climber.html

 

[Rockskipper]

The character lines in his face say it all.

 

[Kullaberg63]

You can go to any North American mountain range, find the highest peak with the the proudest line and that's a Beckey route.

 

[slc_dan]

Prolific doesn't really begin to describe his accomplishments. At 94 I'm not too sad, but would look it FB as an incredible inspiration, even if I'd prefer my own life.

 

[Artemus]

Staring up at Becky’s Wall on our Memorial Climb. Gonna be a lot harder with celebratory beers in our pocket. Wonder how shook up they’ll get...

Becky’s Wall, 5.7, Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT



POSTSCRIPT
The climb went swimmingly and the beer was perfect and cold. The only downside is that there were not the worried about hordes standing in-line to climb it. In fact had to go out of our way to find anyone that had ever heard of Fred.

 

[slc_dan]

Staring up at Becky’s Wall on our Memorial Climb. Gonna be a lot harder with celebratory beers in our pocket. Wonder how shook up they’ll get...

Becky’s Wall, 5.7, Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT

View attachment 59258

A fine climb.

 

[DrNed]

"I work to live and not vice versa". Fred said "I guess you have your choice of trying to make money or getting involved with adventure".

Sad to say I am not familiar with Mr. Beckey, but anyone who lives by that mantra is a good soul in my book.

Thanks for sharing Art.