Neil McAvoy 1933 – 2012

Neil McAvoy of Kellogg, Idaho was an active technical climber and guide in the 1960s and 1970s. He was also member of the Spokane Mountaineers and an early contributor to the book. His exploits on the Selkirk Range’s Lions Head’s two summits are briefly recounted on Page 38 of the book and are set out below in more detail. The … Continue reading

Chimney Rock Off-Belay Magazine 1972

Off Belay Magazine was THE climbing magazine of its day. The following article had an extensive discussion of Chimney Rock [Off-Belay Dec. 1972 Vol. No 6.]. Ron Klimkow (1936-2012), the author, was a professor in the Music Department at the University of Idaho and an accomplished climber. … Continue reading

Off Belay Magazine —The Sawtooth Issue 1975

Off Belay Magazine was THE climbing magazine of its day. The following articles contained the most extensive discussion of the Sawtooth Range yet published in 1975. Special thanks to Ray Brooks for providing the scans. (Click on the scans to enlarge) … Continue reading

The Early Climbing History at Table Rock by Bob Boyles

For those who live in the vicinity of Boise, Table Rock is an unmistakable landmark rising up on the Northeast Side of town. The climbing history of its rock walls, which are graced by seemingly random bolt placements and the occasional chalk mark, is slowly disappearing as time passes and excavators mine the Northeast Corner for building materials. Table Rock, … Continue reading

The Early Climbing History of the Black Cliffs by Bob Boyles

During the Summer of 1972, three of my friends and I took a basic rock climbing class at Table Rock from Frank Florence, a rock climbing instructor who had just opened a shop (Sawtooth Mountaineering) on Fairview Avenue. Frank and his father Lou moved to Boise from New York City in pursuit of a new life out West where the … Continue reading