The first story of mine Idaho Magazine published was about Fred Beckey, Pete Schoening, and Jack Schwabland's Idaho adventures. In 1949 they went into the Sawtooth Range to finish “some business” with two peaks that had repulsed their climbing attempts the previous summer. They also had a shopping list of other unclimbed peaks in the Sawtooths. Their “Idaho adventure” may well be the most exciting epic in Idaho’s climbing history.
Fred Beckey passed away at age 94 in 2017, after becoming a “living legend” in climbing circles as the man who had done the most first ascents and new routes in North America. Pete Schoening is most famous for saving 5 of his team-mates when they fell on K-2 during a 1953 expedition. Pete was also part of the group that made the first ascent of Gasherbrum I in 1958, the only 8,000 meter peak first climbed by Americans. Jack Schwabland was a highly respected climber who took part in many first ascents in the Northwest.
Idaho magazine did not save a digital copy of the 2012 issue my story is in & I have given up on trying to get the story and others published in book form. I am most gratefull to Tom Lopez, author of Idaho: A Climbing Guide, for publishing my story on his website. My story includes Jack Schwabland's account of their adventure, published in the 1950 AAJ, with my photos & stories of following their adventure, sometimes by accident & later on purpose between 1971 & 2011.
Enjoy!
Here's the link. Click on the photos to enlarge them. https://www.idahoaclimbingguide.com/fred-pete-and-jacks-big-sawtooth-adventure-by-ray-brooks/
