Rainy Pass to Fraser River (Cascade Alpine Guide; Climbing and High Routes) [Paperback]

Fred Beckey (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cascade Alpine Guide; Climbing and High Routes | Publication Date: January 2009

The godfather of North Cascades climbing updates the third of his seminal guides to this wild range. Hikers, scramblers, serious climbers and Northwest rescue organizations, alike have relied on Fred Beckey's Cascade Alpine Guides for decades to lead them through this wild mountain range. In addition to their comprehensiveness, the books provide a rare combination of aerial photos with route overlays, three dimensional illustrated maps, and climbing topos.

The section of the North Cascades covered in this volume is roughly a pie-shaped area bounded by Hwy 97 and the Columbia River to the east, Lake Chelan to the west and Hwy 20 to the north. Except for glaciers and some year-round snow fields, it's mostly dry, lonesome, open country, with beautiful granite spires jutting to the sky.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Fred Beckey is thought to have made more first summits than any American climber, ever, and the Cascades have been his primary playground. The octogenerian is also an accomplished author, having penned "The Challenge of the North Cascades" and "Mount McKinley: North America's Icy Crown," in addition to the three-volume Cascade Alpine Guides and others.

Product Details

• Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 3 edition (January 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594851360
• ISBN-13: 978-1594851360
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #745,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cascade Mountaineering Bible, December 24, 2009

By 

S. Dennis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rainy Pass to Fraser River (Cascade Alpine Guide; Climbing and High Routes) (Paperback)

This is the hiking bible of the Cascades--it is for the mountaineer/avid hiker who wants to step it up a notch. Beckey always offers an in-depth historic perspective of each hike in the book (which is sometimes longer than the trail description). Harder technical routes have detailed directions, but the easier routes are sometimes lacking in detail (it would be obvious if you were Beckey). Although, I've found the lack of direction is sometimes nice for you are able to discover the hike on your own. I've also found that if there is a lack of direction, it usually doesn't matter what you do, you'll get to the top without much added danger.

If you're a hard-core hiker looking for a challenge, this book is for you. If you plan on getting this book to JUST climb the direct route of Mt Baker or the Disappointment Cleaver route of Rainier, the Becky series would be overkill. His series really lets you explore every peak there is, not just the big 'classics'

This book is not for the beginner. If you're not interested in mountaineering, alpine, or rock climbing, but still want to get outdoors, I HIGHLY Recommend the Foghorn Outdoors Wahington Hiking book instead of the "Beckey Bible". That is the best book, in my eyes, for Washington Dayhikes (plus many longer hikes too).

Basically, if you call yourself a mountaineer in Washington, this book needs to be on your shelf.

4.0 out of 5 stars Third Edition - Only Minor Additions, June 7, 2009

By 

Daniel Weld (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rainy Pass to Fraser River (Cascade Alpine Guide; Climbing and High Routes) (Paperback)

First of all, this is the "bible" - a comprehensive listing of routes, history and geology to the North Cascades and it is indispensable. The "red book" concentrates on the northernmost section, that above rt 20 (N Cascades Highway). In some form, this is a must-have for peak baggers in the area.

However, if you already have the 2nd edition, you might not wish to automatically upgrade as I did. In contrast to the change from 1st edition to 2nd, when the book gained about 30% new material, I couldn't find any changes between the 2nd and third. Previously confusing passages still remained. Much of the approach information was still out of date. Clearly, there -is- some new material, since the book is now 15 pages longer, but this is less than a 4% increase.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for those who want to hike through this mountain range between the United States and Canada, April 5, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rainy Pass to Fraser River (Cascade Alpine Guide; Climbing and High Routes) (Paperback)

Going through the Cascade Alpine mountains can be the adventure of a lifetime. "Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes 3: Rainy Pass to Fraser River" is the second edition of this trusted manual, covering the trip from the Rainy Pass to the Fraser River. With over one hundred black and white photographs, and a good deal of maps both topographical and traditional, "Cascade Alpine Guide" is a must for those who want to hike through this mountain range between the United States and Canada.