Fred Beckey, 90 years old, climbing in JTree

So rad!

Awesome story and photos, Richard. Thanks so much for sharing. They inspire wonderful memories for me.

Fred is my hero.

I ran into him twice last year: in the Bugaboos and at Washington Pass. Always a pleasure to see that he is still out there enjoying himself.

Upon returning to the base to pick up our stuff, Fred discovered that while he was climbing, a little girl camped at the nearest site with her family (her dad must have told her about Fred) wrote Fred an inspirational card! Fred was stoked, and walked with his head up as high as he could back to camp, with the card in one hand and his classy mountaineer coiled rope in the other.

Erik Harz wrote:Upon returning to the base to pick up our stuff, Fred discovered that while he was climbing, a little girl camped at the nearest site with her family (her dad must have told her about Fred) wrote Fred an inspirational card! Fred was stoked, and walked with his head up as high as he could back to camp, with the card in one hand and his classy mountaineer coiled rope in the other.

Agreed, this has put a smile on my face all day. Super cool and inspiring!!!

He's got to be the coolest climber ever. Who could be cooler than Fred Becky?

how many napkins were used?

This is just awesome. Also, I think this may be the first MP post I've ever seen that didn't devolve into a flame war by the end of the first page! Apparently there's exactly ONE thing all of us can agree on.

I'd love to talk to that guy! Thanks for sharing, that was great!

Awesome and inspiring story. Thanks for the post and pics!

Awesome post!

Awesome post!

Pretty damn cool

Mr. Beckey must be fairly active. One of my mentors had the pleasure of climbing (Mt. Lemmon, AZ)with him 12/27or28/012. Great post, thanks for the pics.

Fred.....you're an inspiration and my hero. I hope to have a climbing career that spans seven decades.

awesome!

Well some days at the crag I think I'm the old guy, but then I see some shots of Fred still out there and that is so inspiring, probably more than a twenty something doing the latest V whatever. He has rewritten the book on what is possible.

This shows that there can be (a few) old and bold climbers...carry on upwards only upwards- no traversing!!

Way to keep after it Fred! A true inspiration and climbing hero. Great photos!