Legendary Mountaineer Fred Beckey to Speak at Evergreen

To buy tickets, please contact The Outdoor Program TOP@evergreen.edu 360-867-6526

Gone are the days of rappelling off The Evergreen State College clock tower, but mountaineering has been a tradition at the college since Everest pioneer Willi Unsoeld served among its founding faculty members.

On Wednesday, February 11, The Outdoor Program at Evergreen presents legendary Northwest climber, Fred Beckey, now 92, who has made hundreds of first ascents in the Cascades and across the nation, and has written several definitive texts on climbing. Beckey will speak in the Evergreen Constantino Recreation Center (CRC) at 7:30pm. Tickets are $5 with student ID and $10 for the general public. Parking is $1 on campus after 7pm.

The Outdoor Program (TOP) has undergone several iterations since Unsoeld ran it in the 1970s. TOP is currently geared toward educating students in climbing basics, but also in kayaking, backpacking and other outdoor activities. Beckey is the first national speaker to come to Evergreen sponsored by The Outdoor Program in over a decade.

The Olympia Mountaineers, the Warehouse Rock Gym and Mountaineers Meetup groups have been instrumental in spreading word of the event as far as Seattle and Portland.

While Beckey is unlikely to revive the clock tower rappelling tradition during his visit, Evergreen is currently installing 40 foot outdoor climbing wall near the CRC.