A seldom few are both blessed and cursed with a single-minded drive and desire. They are overcome with an obsession, passion, and insatiable hunger for the only thing that truly matters to them. For Bob Dylan, it was music. For Stanley Kubrick, it was cinema. For Fred Beckey, it was the mountains.

 

The man and legend

Fred Beckey is not a dirtbag. Fred Beckey is the Dirtbag. For 70 years, he has traveled the world in search of new ascents as well as unexplored mountains. His is a life spent married to the mountains, and at 93, the love is burning as strong as ever.

From the Cascades to the Bugaboos, the Sierras to the Alaska Range, the wilderness of North America has been his home. Fred Beckey transformed terra incognita into the playground of mountaineers and climbers. His routes adorn mountains across the country and the globe. However, ask him if he’s satisfied with his accomplishments and he’ll tell you,

Never. No. I just scratched the surface.

 

The documentary

For the past decade, Dave O’Leske has been working to give this American hero the recognition he truly deserves with the upcoming film, Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey.

David, together with his award winning team, are showcasing the life of the original rebel dirtbag who started it all. Packed with interviews with climbing legends like Yvon Chouinard, Conrad Anker, Ed Viesturs, Colin Haley, Royal Robbins, and Reinhold Messner, the film will certainly entertain.

Watch the extended trailer, and stay tuned for our upcoming interview with the film’s director Dave O’Leske.



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