The long-awaited revision of Fred Beckey’s comprehensive and indispensable climbing guide is here at last. The first volume in the classic Cascade Alpine Guide series, Columbia River to Stevens Pass features expert information on more than 300 climbing and high routes, including Mount Rainier. Here you’ll find geographical, historical, and geological overviews of the majestic North Cascades region, plus important tips on safety and backcountry usage and enough technical and grade information to make clear exactly what type of route you are embarking upon. The new, third edition is thoroughly revised and updated with new maps and photos, plus all the most recent resource materials. Without a doubt, this exhaustive resource should be a staple in every serious mountaineer’s collection.
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[Beckey's] encyclopedic, three-volume guidebook, Cascade Alpine Guide, is mandatory reading for anyone aspiring to [these] summits. -- Backpacker
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Fred Becky has been know in producing the most comprehensive mountaineering guide books for the Northwest. This particular book covers all peaks from the Columbia River (south) to Stevens Pass (north) and from Yakima (east) to Seattle (west). Within this area, routes for over three hundred peaks are described by Becky. This Becky guide also has an excellent introduction that includes Cascade Weather, Special Dangers, Geographic Aspects, and Winter Travel and Climbing to name a few. You will be given enough technical and grade information to fully understand exactly what type situation you are getting into. Please note that although easy peaks are listed, this is not a beginners "how to" guide
Each peak is listed with the exact height and the first ascent history. Since most every peak have more than one way to the summit, this guide explains each alternate route. While most of the routes are classic mountaineering, there are many technical climbing routes detailed. Almost every peak is photographed and accompanied with some other type of drawing to give the reader more detailed instruction. With over 300 pages, this one of the most comprehensive guide books for this particular region.
For example, on popular peaks such as Mt. Rainier, a 9 page history and geological study is given along with backpacking and climbing regulations. 15 pages of route description along with 16 b/w photographs of the Mt. Rainier gives the reader excellent beta that will necessary on summit day.
After reading through the guide, the reader gets an idea how enduring Fred Becky has been over the years. About the author states, " His intimate knowledge of the topography has been gained through many years of personal experience, including the ascent of hundreds of peaks - many of them first ascents - in all parts of the range". Well worth the price tag, this book will pay for itself weekend after weekend. Hell, you may even end up quitting your job and bagging peaks! full time.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Brad Allen
Format:Paperback
There was a time when this was the only book for finding routes in the Cascades (to Stevens Pass) but times have changed. This is still the most comprehensive guide to climbs and has the best descriptions for the oddball, out-of-the-way, and esoteric climbs but there are much better guidebooks for the more popular climbs and routes. Fred Beckey's book has become the reference to check after you find your hike in another guidebook. It will give you detail that might not be in the other one, it will show alternative routes, and will frequently have nearby routes not in your other guidebook.
But buyer beware: This is not really the book for new or novice climbers. Fred Beckey is notorious for rating climbs easier than they are. He also has grand details on some things (check out his route for Mt. Garfield) yet will have comments like "just go up the spur to obvious ledge" on a mountain covered with spurs, ledges, and loose rock. I use Beckey extensively but it is my reference for climb information, not my guidebook.
This book belongs in every climber's library but it should not be the first guidebook you buy for Washington (which I would recommend as Jeff Smoots Climbing Washington's Mountains).
But buyer beware: This is not really the book for new or novice climbers. Fred Beckey is notorious for rating climbs easier than they are. He also has grand details on some things (check out his route for Mt. Garfield) yet will have comments like "just go up the spur to obvious ledge" on a mountain covered with spurs, ledges, and loose rock. I use Beckey extensively but it is my reference for climb information, not my guidebook.
This book belongs in every climber's library but it should not be the first guidebook you buy for Washington (which I would recommend as Jeff Smoots Climbing Washington's Mountains).
By K. Reid
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was not really paying attention when I ordered this-has some neat trip report and beta, but these areas have probably eroded down since this book was written
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