The Original & Legendary DIRT BAG, Fred Beckey Has Died At 94 | The First Ascent Master Led An Unconventional Lifestyle

Fred Beckey, Hitch hiking, Original Dirt Bag Climber. Image: Patagonia Ad/ Poster

Fred Beckey pioneered the dirt bag lifestyle, he was never married or had kids, he never formed a company like his contemporaries such as Yvon Chouinard(Patagonia). He did not seek fame or notoriety, he just wanted to climb and did so for 70 years.

Beckey is known in the climbing world as the world record holder of the most first ascents for climbing and mountaineering routes. He led an unconventional life focused on the pursuit of climbing.

“Hailed as one of the most prolific, influential climbers of all time, Fred Beckey’s adventures began in Washington’s North Cascade range with his brother Helmy in the 1930s. In 1942, the Beckey brothers cemented their place in climbing lore when the teenagers survived an incredible second ascent of Mount Waddington––considered the most difficult climb in North America at the time. ” Image: DirtBag Documentary Kickstarter Campain

His climbing feats have been well document over the years, as he has written some of the most definitive guidebooks about climbing and mountaineering. His personal life and stories from climbing partners, however, are surrounded in myth.

Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey (14 January 1923 – 30 October 2017) was born in Germany, immigrated with his family to Seattle in 1925. He found a love for the outdoors and learned basic climbing skills from the Boy Scouts and late the Mountaineers Club.