By Lindsay Peyton

…”I only scratched the surface”

Fred Beckey – rock climbing legend

The climbing world lost one of its heroes last month. 

Fred Beckey died on Oct. 30, at age 94, in Seattle at the home of his close friend Megan Bond. 

Born in Germany on Jan. 14, 1923, he called Seattle home for many years – and was an alumnus of West Seattle High School. Beckey is considered as one of most accomplished climbers that ever lived. 

He started reaching for great heights at a young age, before the sport had gained its current popularity, and he never stopped. He became an authority on climbing – writing a number of guidebooks on the subject. 

“Mountains, for some reason, have a certain kind of appeal to me,” Beckey said in a video for “The New York Times.” “That’s what got me interested in climbing. It’s partially the scenery. There’s probably a spiritual affiliation. It’s not religious, but it’s spiritual. I feel something. I identify with the mountains.” 

He added that he was drawn to the adventure of climbing – especially when he was not completely certain that he would make it to the top. 

“If you make it or don’t make it, I think you learn something about yourself – and something about nature,” he said. 

Megan Bond met Beckey more than a dozen years ago. “I would consider him my best friend,” she said. “He was very inspiring, always planning the next move, always preparing for something. There was always a reason to move forward.”

In 2012, Beckey formally asked Bond to write his biography – and she has spent the past few years researching about his climbs and fellow climbers. 

“The interviews have taken place all over the world – from Germany to Tibet,” she said. “With me, he shared everything. He just opened up his whole life.”

Through his stories, Bond discovered a complex character. 

“He was a wild man in his 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s,” Bond said. “When he was in his late 70s, he began to settle down -- but he was never tamed. He was eccentric in many ways, but he was also meticulous, thorough, deeply researched. And like all of us, deeply flawed.”

She said that Beckey had a following – and that “whatever he did was embellished” in many of the stories his fans told.

In the early days of climbing, Bond said Beckey had great mentors like Lloyd Anderson. 

“They saw early on that this kid was worth watching – and having along with them, Bond said. “He ended up exceeding their expectations. It was something inside of him that propelled him. He wrote the book in many ways.”

Mike Fields had the pleasure of climbing with Beckey. 

About 10 years ago, he met the legendary climber, when Beckey was looking for someone to accompany him on an adventure in British Columbia. “He was looking for a partner for what sounded like an unusual trip,” Fields said. When the adventure ended up not going as planned, they diverted to California to climb in the Sierras. They spent a week on the road. 

Beckey was 84 at the time – and Fields said he was in impressive shape. “The years had slowed him some – but for someone his age, it was almost inconceivable,” Fields said. “He was an interesting character with a good sense of humor,” Fields said. “He was a good guy to be around.”

They climbed together a few more times – and Fields occasionally ran into Beckey on routes. “He was always focused on what was next, what the next trip was, planning and plotting,” Fields said. “He had such a love to keep going – and that’s pretty amazing.”