Mountaineering History

Mountaineering History

Today mountaineers often think of mountaineering history in terms of first ascents. No doubt, this emphasis on first ascents originates from our innate desire for immortality and fame. Yet, in the past, the idea of a "first ascent" paled in importance to other motivations. Native Americans, explorers, trappers, prospectors, and settlers were the first humans to visit the summits of many Idaho peaks. Since these early "mountaineers" were motivated by utilitarian goals, they left little documentation recording their ascents. Thus, the true beginnings of Idaho mountaineering are, for the most part, undocumented. For example, Native Americans traversed the Clearwater and Salmon River Mountains extensively as part of their everyday lives. Their trails crossed many summits listed in this guide, but we know next to nothing of their adventures. Other Native American tribes used summits in the Beaverhead Mountains for vision quests. We know of their pilgrimages only by the small stone piles, remnants of their quests, found on a few remote peaks. Likewise, Lewis and Clark were sent across the Beaverhead, Bitterroot, and Clearwater Ranges in 1805 by a government anxious to understand the Louisiana Purchase. Although they wrote extensively of their travels, they left no accounts of ascents of Idaho peaks. Motivated by economics, trappers followed Lewis and Clark into the mountains and prospectors afflicted with gold fever relentlessly crossed and recrossed mountains and ridges all over the state. They marked their claims, often high up on a mountainside, but left nothing on the summits that they no doubt crossed.

It was not until the twentieth century that Idahoans had enough time on their hands to climb as a recreational pursuit. As exploits in the Alps and Himalayas were published, local climbers began to emulate the great climbers by forging new routes up Idaho’s peaks. Since at least the beginning of the 1900s, each generation has produced groups of dedicated climbers who have made first ascents throughout the state. While these ascents were undoubtedly important to these climbers, few recorded their exploits and we know little of their accomplishments. Occasionally, we earn a glimpse into their lives when we discover an old, overlooked register buried at the bottom of a summit cairn. Therefore, when this book credits someone with a first ascent of a peak with a Class 1, 2, or 3 route to its summit, it is likely that someone else made an earlier ascent of the peak.

Idaho’s mountaineering history is filled with unfortunate, but unavoidable gaps. Contributions by climbers are welcomed.

The following link will take you to contributions made by Ray Brooks and included information on Sawtooth climbs, Slick Rock and Mount Borah.

RAY BROOKS IDAHO CLIMBING JOURNAL

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