Fred Beckey

Certainly in the climbing world.

Oh, they might have done it because Fred Becky always had these secret, who's also a climber from the Northwest, always had these secret climbs he never wanted to tell people about.

So these people out in the Cascades would get ticked off at him, you know, that he would never tell them.

So I think they were trying to do a hoax based on him, that if he saw that photograph, maybe he would try to go.

... resonate with you?

I mean, just his dedicate-- I mean, it's the same thing with, like, Walter Bonatti or, like, I brought up Fred Beckey.

Like, Fred Beckey to me is, like, the only outdoor a- modern outdoor athlete that I, like, actually, like, think he's kind of like a hero.

I don't know who he is.

He's just a fucking climber.

There's a movie about him called "Dirtbag." It's like...

Yeah, but you sh- Yeah, you should watch it.

Uh, it's like, uh, he-- Like, there's just these figures and, and I think they're all romanticized, right? The reality of, of, of Fred Beckey is complicated, but there's certain people that absolutely, like, dedicate themselves to an idea or to a philosophy and absolutely shun...

[gentle music] Few people have heard of Herb and Jan Conn.

They were never as prolific as someone like Fred Becky, but their commitment to the sport was every bit as influential.

In the years following World War II, the Conns dropped out of mainstream society, moved into their car, and started establishing bold first ascents across the country.

In a way, they were the original van-lifers.