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dingus
Mar 10, 2004, 3:55 PM
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dmt
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wallwombat
Mar 10, 2004, 9:14 PM
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Beckey is an absolute inspiration. When I first read about him about ten years ago, I couldn't believe it. If most climbers climbed a fraction of the new routes that he has, they would die happy. To think he is still at it at 83 or whatever is mind-blowing.
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hexitup
Mar 10, 2004, 9:20 PM
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Fred Beckey is officially the greatest human being alive. Period.
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ipsofacto
Mar 10, 2004, 9:24 PM
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23456789
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ammon
Mar 10, 2004, 9:28 PM
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Registered: Feb 27, 2004
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HA!!! Yeah.... Dingus, I think he does still have that backpack. Anybody interested in going down to Mexico and climbing the Pam Am wall with Fred? Please email or PM me. He wants to do it in the next couple of weeks. Cheers, Ammon
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maculated
Mar 10, 2004, 9:48 PM
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Registered: Dec 23, 2001
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Oh man . . . now I'm going to have to post my 20 page paper about the classic climbers of the 50's-70's being poets. Those folk GOT it.
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climbbaja
Mar 12, 2004, 6:46 PM
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See also a concurrent thread: http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=54274
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jello
Mar 12, 2004, 7:00 PM
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Check it out on Ammons site! 8) http://www.rocknrun.net/beckey.html
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crushingfinger
Mar 12, 2004, 8:05 PM
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Registered: Dec 30, 2003
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I climbed with Fred in 2002 in the Wind Rivers. What a great TRIP. I loved spending time with him. I wish that I could have spent more time with him. He's always got some thing funny to say. Long live the King. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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jgill
Mar 13, 2004, 5:22 AM
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I first met Fred in the early 1960s in the Tetons, and we did a little bouldering. As usual, he and Yvon were plotting some diabolical new climb they wouldn't tell anyone about! He is definitely a national treasure. How many climbers who are still at it now climbed before 1950? Well, if my memory serves, Fred was climbing before 1940! As I get older I wonder how they keep up the drive. Bob Kamps is another old-timer (well, he's about 5 years older than me) who just keeps going and going. My hat is off these guys - as Oscar Eckenstein once said (about certain British soldiers in Kashmir in 1892) ,"May their shadows never diminish!". 8)
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sonofspork
Mar 13, 2004, 7:19 AM
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Registered: Sep 3, 2001
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My dad and I were up on Tahquitz last october and ran into Mr. Beckey. He was climbing Fingertrip 5.7 with some younger guy. It was the same day those two people ripped from the face in a fatal accident. A day to remember - a cool thing to meet Fred and another thing that makes you remember how fragile we are.
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rockitjeff
Apr 7, 2004, 2:00 AM
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Registered: Jul 13, 2002
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Fred is my role model. My biggest life goal is to totter up 5.8's and 5.9's when I am 83. Living out of a van. Talking smack with a bunch of you who will also be in your 80's and living in a van Bob Kamps is my hero but no way I'll be pulling as hard as him, ever. Not now, not never. And you know what's really sick? People like Mike Waugh and Mike Lechlinski (and Tony Yaniro and Steve Hong, and this rc.com'r Curt Shannon and and and and ) will all be pulling 5.12's in their 70's. Just wait and see....
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bishopclimber
Apr 7, 2004, 5:23 AM
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Registered: Sep 15, 2003
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let's not forget about TM. he's still out there crankin'
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changlama
Apr 30, 2004, 2:26 AM
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Registered: Apr 17, 2004
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If anyone is interested in hearing Fred, I understand that he's doing a slide show at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival this year, at the end of May.
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deleted
Deleted
May 7, 2004, 3:37 AM
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fred is also one of the most well-traveled, prolific climbers going. i'm almost convinced there's three or four of him. here's an exchange heard time and again at hundreds of climbing areas throughout north america ... climber 1: "what did you climb today?" climber 2: "the [i:23cfa48df4]beckey route[/i:23cfa48df4]."
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bsignorelli
May 7, 2004, 3:52 AM
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Registered: Feb 1, 2003
Posts: 415
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How would one find out if Beckey had put up a route in Arkansas? It would be neat to know that this small corner of the climbing world had a nifty piece of history. Bryan
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schoolofrock
May 8, 2004, 4:58 PM
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Registered: Oct 31, 2003
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I was blessed to attend a slideshow and meet Fred Beckey about a month or so ago. Now, the important thing to realize is that Lynn Hill preceded him the week before. Which by the way was amazing. But to listen to the knowledge of Mr. Becky was the ultimate experience. His knowledge of the North Cascades area and the Canadian Rockies were unbelieveable and I only wish that everyone could understand how lucky they were that night to see and learn from the rock master.
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