Fred Beckey Award

[wayne]

The Or chapter of the American Alpine Club is accepting nominations/votes for this award in its second year. Fred Beckey Award

 

Alan Kearny came to mind .

 

I cant imagine anyone truly measuring up to Fred, but I bet Alan is one of only a few who could come closest. Any others come to mind?Don Serl?

[DPS]

Alan Kearny is certainly deserving. Thinking outside the box, what about Bryan Burdo? Pete Doorish? Jim Yoder?

Edited July 30, 2004 by iceguy

[wayne]

I cant take any thing from those names but..have those 3 been active latley? Fred shows no sign of ever letting up!! What about Woton of Ballard?

[cj001f]

Who was awarded it in the first year? Fred?

[dberdinka]

Last night I'm swimming in a nearby lake with my mother. She's 60, has climbed Rainier a couple times, still follows me up 5.7 and backcountry skis more than Skykilo. She looks at me and says....

 

"Who's that crazy guy from Seattle, who's put up all those routes?"

 

I look at her and say, "Huh?"

 

So she adds, "You know, the one who likes all those young women?....Fred Beckey!"

 

 

Woman cracks me up!

[wayne]

Someone mentioned Colin.

 

Fred: There could be an award in his honor for womanizing too

[Crackbolter]

I nominate Pete Doorish. Same stlye of doing two pitch stuff in the mountain crags but also kicking it up a notch and doing insane big walls in remote places. No one ever really repeats his stuff that often either.

[wormfighter6]

Jim Yoder has got my vote. Jim has been very active lately granted it's Vantage ( no spray please) but who do you think put that new guide book together.

[goatboy]

Kearney clearly has my vote. The criteria mentioned by Oregon AAC include pioneering spirit, style, LNT, and something about "mongo see mountain, mongo climb mountain."

 

Like Fred, Kearney is a noted NW local and pioneering mountaineer. He has done mnay first ascents in the range, and continues to do so.

 

Like Fred, Alan is a guidebook author.

 

Like Fred, Alan is a strong (some would say stronger) proponent of LNT and wilderness ethics. His slideshows and guidebook illustrates this point.

 

Like Fred, Alan "sees mountain, climbs mountain."

 

He has also pioneered routes and exploration in Patagonia, the Coast Range, Alaska, and other places.

 

I appreciate the contributions of the other folks mentioned, and believe they should possibly receive this award another year -- but none of them deserve receiving it BEFORE Kearney does.

 

Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts.

 

GB

[geordie]

My vote is for Dallas Kloke. He's put up all sorts of routes in the North Cascades and continues to climb hard in his 60s. Every time I see him he's dragging along some 20 something whippersnapper who's trying to keep up. He's also been the driving force behind the development of Mt. Erie. Dallas is also the author of a winter climbing guide and the Mount Erie guide.

[MtnHigh]

Who was awarded it in the first year? Fred?

Karl, you obviously missed Wayne's slide show on his '03 South Pickets traverse that was held at the pub on Mult Bl. Take one guess who received the first FB award at that climbing chin-dig.

[cj001f]

Karl, you obviously missed Wayne's slide show on his '03 South Pickets traverse that was held at the pub on Mult Bl. Take one guess who received the first FB award at that climbing chin-dig.

Guess I'd had too much to drink by that point! I do vaguely remember something like that now that you mention it.

[Szyjakowski]

doorish

[JoshK]

goatboy spells it out good...kearney.

[Lowell_Skoog]

I looked at the award criteria and, frankly, found the discussion pretty incoherent. I guess the award is intended to recognize the most "Fred-like" climber. Since Fred has pretty unusual qualities, maybe I shouldn't be surprised that the Oregon section members had a hard time defining them. The "Mongo" stuff would be embarrassment to me if I was on the award panel. It undercuts the seriousness of what you're doing and suggests that you don't really know what the award is about. Basically, the "Mongo" clause means you can bestow the award to whoever you like "just because."

 

Another thing that struck me was that some of the criteria may be a projection of today's politically correct ethics, not necessarily a description of Fred. And some of the criteria may be contradictory. For example, is the publishing of 1000+ pages of guidebooks "leaving no trace" when you consider the impact it has on the Cascades? Is competitiveness consistent with good style? Does pioneering apply only to the creation of new routes, or are there other ways that one can be a pioneer in climbing? Focusing just on new routes sells Fred short, since his biggest impact on the climbing world has been his writing.

 

Having said all that, I think the names suggested so far are generally good ones. I second Burdo, Doorish, Kearney, Kloke and Serl. It's probably premature to award something like this to Colin. Some other names come to mind:

 

Wolf Bauer

Alex Bertulis

Stimson Bullitt

Ed Cooper

Dan Davis

Joe Firey

Andy Fitz

Dee Molenaar

Jim Nelson

John Roper

Pete Shoening

Pat Timson

[icegirl]

I'd second Jim Nelson and Stim Bullitt (and most of the others, for that matter, but those two came to mind quite easily )... thanks for the input Lowell, FWIW, I'd have to agree.

[layton]

PETE DOORISH

PETE DOORISH

PETE DOORISH!!!!!

[mvs]

I totally agree. while(1) { printf("P. Doorish\n"); }

[lancegranite]

I nominate...Fred Beckey.

Nobody comes close, so just give dad the award every year!

The guy is like Harry Truman, A true northwest legend.

[JoshK]

I'm curious why this "award" is being handed out by the OR branch considering almost all the activity is in WA or BC in terms of interesting climbing in the PNW?

[DPS]

I totally agree. while(1) { printf("P. Doorish\n"); }

 

I think you need a vacation, you are starting to take your work home with you

[bigwalling]

Funny thing, I'm in yosemite and my buddy Ammon's cell rings. He's laughing and telling Fred he can't hear him that well. Well when he gets off the phone, he tells me it was Fred asking for beta on Lucky Streaks (I think) and saying that he wanted to come down and climb it. I asked him why he could'nt hear him well. He told me fred was at some party picking up girls.

[texplorer]

I couldn't look up the link posted to the AAC but frankly who cares. By the time your that accomplished, seasoned and well known do you really need an award to recognize you? I mean I like hearing stories about Fred and all but he is one of a kind. Our society is so anxious to make heroes and "legends" of of our sports, government, and hobbies.

 

There are many great climbers in the NW that have been climbing for years and done many impressive things. Do we really think they need more recognition? If they are worthy enough to match up with the likes of Mr. Beckey then they should be well known enough already.

 

I think a more appropriate award would be for each year's greatest accomplishments in the NW. I would go to see and hear people talk about that and I think that an awards event like that would inspire and motivate the next generation.

[larrythellama]

well said tex

[pope]

I attended a Cascades history class taught by Fred at Green River College. He is a walking, talking encylopedia of local history and geography, as well as refreshingly modest. Only 20 minutes of the last lecture were devoted to mountaineering and Fred didn't mention even one of his important ascents.

 

Last week while approaching a peak in the N. Cascades, my friend and I were discussing Fred's accomplishments and impact on all who love mountaineering. Before Fred expires, we think it would be awesome if he were awarded an honorary doctorate for his contributions to the local history and its literature. We have ideas on how to pursue this but would welcome any suggestions/comments you would share.