197:
excellent quality. Precedence was given to climbing quality over appearance and appearance over historical significance. In order to judge the historical significance and continuing popularity, routes were limited for the most part to those first ascended before 1970. A lower limit on the length of the route, at 500 feet, was also established. Steck and Roper had personally ascended or attempted most of the selected routes.
27:
200:
The list of fifty climbs has served as a challenge to climbers, providing them with a "tick list" of challenging routes that span a wide section of western North
America. Author Steve Roper has emphasized that the climbs were chosen from a list of about 120 climbs he and Steck considered classic, and
163:
in the United States and in Great
Britain by the now-defunct Diadem Books. This was followed by a paperback printing by Random House in 1981. Two subsequent editions (with the same content) were published by Sierra Club Books in 1982 and 1996. Between 1979 and 1999 it sold nearly thirty thousand
205:
50 classics'. Nevertheless, the book brought great popularity to many of the routes it featured, and prospective climbers pursuing one of the "fifty classics" often found crowds on the more accessible climbs and unexpected company on the more remote routes, earning them the nickname "Fifty
Crowded
196:
To choose the list of climbs, the coauthors solicited opinions from a number of leading climbers of the era, narrowing a list of more than 100 climbs according to three basic criteria: that the peak or route appear striking from afar, have a noteworthy climbing history, and offer climbing of
221:
The fifty climbs included in the book are listed below, along with their grades as given in the first edition, which may differ from those found in a modern guidebook due to changes in climbing standards or route conditions.
181:
for speculation and meditation. While reading, one is tempted to meditate: the challenge of the alpine adventure is always there; the dreams of the various pioneers sometimes filter through the narrative."
147:. It is considered a classic piece of climbing literature, known to many climbers as simply "The Book", and has served as an inspiration for more recent climbing books, such as Mark Kroese's
349:
Notable Ascent: Dave Nettle and Geoff
Creighton 1990 via Thunderbird Variation which tackles all the major portions of the route, minus the horizontal ridge traverse at the beginning
209:
No one person has yet climbed all fifty routes. This has been attributed to the difficulty of some of the
Alaskan and Canadian routes (the Hummingbird Ridge of
177:
wrote: "Roper and Steck have presented a profile of what could be considered the Great
American Dream climbs with a writing style that provides much
151:. Though much of the book's contents are now out of date, it is still recognized as a definitive text which goes beyond the traditional guidebook.
1409:
1494:
1002:
823:
1218:
1044:
913:
807:
754:
1081:
1322:
1297:
1265:
122:
1339:
236:
1499:
1203:
937:
665:
966:
670:
1092:
1213:
1190:
1459:
1152:
1141:
1120:
932:
839:
690:
324:
1474:
1077:
1033:
982:
855:
734:
961:
169:
714:
479:
1413:
1446:
1287:
1167:
1068:
1021:
640:
270:
36:
186:
8:
1390:
534:
439:
352:
136:
1318:
1293:
1261:
310:
248:
232:
160:
117:
1129:
977:
703:
493:
375:
1361:
908:
902:
861:
802:
699:
604:
304:
286:
1015:
991:
1185:
620:
572:
505:
473:
451:
419:
815:: Albert Ellingwood led Eleanor Davis, Stephen Hart, and Marion Warner in 1925
260:
1488:
1147:
1137:
1115:
1101:
1057:
1053:
997:
928:
723:
679:
645:
586:
558:
461:
389:
26:
1223:
1199:
1195:
1175:
1157:
1133:
1125:
1097:
1073:
1049:
1029:
1007:
987:
971:
942:
918:
894:
870:
866:
844:
834:
828:
818:
812:
787:
773:
765:
759:
739:
719:
695:
675:
650:
634:
626:
612:
594:
580:
566:
539:
523:
515:
501:
487:
469:
447:
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411:
403:
397:
383:
360:
346:
332:
318:
300:
278:
264:
256:
242:
1253:
1249:
1227:
1207:
1179:
1161:
1105:
1011:
898:
749:
729:
709:
685:
616:
598:
527:
455:
415:
338:
282:
210:
174:
144:
140:
52:
48:
1087:
1063:
946:
922:
850:
779:
743:
509:
189:'s 1995 Literary Award for the book and for their other works such as
1109:
1039:
905:, Raffi Bedayn, and John Dyer in 1936. Closed to climbing since 1970.
874:
543:
32:
889:
363:: Mike Graber, Alan Long, Andy Embick, and George Schunk in 1977.
1360:
Allen Steck, John Martin Meek (interviewer) (December 3, 1995).
292:
1475:"AAC Publications - Hummingbird Ridge's Thunderbird Variation"
400:: John Turner, David Isles, Dick Sykes, and Dave Craft in 1958
164:
copies, a considerable achievement for a climbing guide book.
1315:
Fifty
Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Tick List
762:: Richard Emerson, Don Decker, and Leigh Ortenburger in 1953
436:: Don Claunch, Mike Sherrick, and Harvey Firestone in 1955
653:: Steve Marts, Fred Stanley, and Don McPherson in 1965
974:: Morgan Harris, Ken Adam, and Kenneth Davis in 1936
569:: Ome Daiber, Arnie Campbell, and Jim Borrow in 1935
345:, The original route is unrepeated since its 1965
1285:
790:: William Plummer and William Buckingham in 1959
1486:
1340:"Fifty Classic Climbs of North America (review)"
1248:
1182:, Dick Long, John Evans, and Chuck Wilts in 1963
213:has never been repeated by the original route).
1407:
949:, George Hurley, and Huntley Ingalls in 1962
601:, Jack Schwabland, and Bill Granston in 1945
159:The first edition was published in 1979, by
1337:
1312:
1281:
1279:
1277:
25:
831:: Ray Northcutt and Harvey Carter in 1956
490:: Hans Wittich and Otto Stegmaier in 1931
881:
551:
530:, Bob Craig, and Cliff Schmidtke in 1946
1388:
1274:
225:
1487:
1226:: Steve Thompson, Gordon Webster, and
546:, Sandy Bill, and Jim McCarthy in 1968
386:: A. M. Bartleet and Val Fynn in 1909
20:Fifty Classic Climbs of North America
1258:Fifty Classic Climbs of North America
637:: Don Claunch and John Rupley in 1956
201:are simply '50 classic climbs', not '
132:Fifty Classic Climbs of North America
1260:. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
847:: unknown climber in the early 1960s
776:: Harry Daley and Jim Yensan in 1962
1036:, Bob Swift, and Jack Davis in 1955
331:5.9 A2 with “severe snow and ice”,
13:
1472:
31:Cover of first paperback edition.
14:
1511:
1495:Climbing and mountaineering books
1363:Allen Steck: Fifty Classic Climbs
368:
216:
1410:"60 British Classics in 36 Days"
1292:. Globe Pequot. pp. 97–99.
682:and Harrison Butterworth in 1938
476:and eight other climbers in 1925
1466:
742:: Dick Pownall Ray Garner, and
1427:
1401:
1382:
1370:
1353:
1331:
1306:
1242:
1:
1235:
954:
726:and Kenneth Henderson in 1936
185:Roper and Steck received the
7:
1379:, "Introduction", pp. ix-xi
925:and Huntley Ingalls in 1961
795:
10:
1516:
1412:. Climbing. Archived from
1317:. The Mountaineers Books.
1286:Jonathan Waterman (2002).
658:
154:
116:
108:
100:
90:
82:
74:
66:
58:
44:
24:
959:
886:
800:
663:
556:
35:on the East Buttress of
1477:. American Alpine Club.
1347:American Alpine Journal
986:III 5.5 A3 or 5.10 A2,
373:
307:and five others in 1961
230:
170:American Alpine Journal
139:and history written by
1500:1979 non-fiction books
1391:"Fifty Crowded Climbs"
827:III 5.7 (now 5.10 R),
824:Northcutt-Carter Route
167:Reviewing the book in
1056:, Mike Sherrick, and
1022:Middle Cathedral Rock
893:, III 5.7 A2 or 5.9,
882:Utah & New Mexico
755:Direct South Buttress
649:V 5.9 A3 or 5.13a/b,
641:Liberty Bell Mountain
552:The Pacific Northwest
285:, Henry Meybohm, and
149:Fifty Favorite Climbs
37:Middle Cathedral Rock
16:1979 non-fiction book
1377:Fifty Classic Climbs
1338:Fred Beckey (1980).
1313:Mark Kroese (2001).
1289:The Quotable Climber
226:Alaska and the Yukon
187:American Alpine Club
1408:Dougald MacDonald.
1080:, Wayne Merry, and
1048:VI 5.9 A3 or 5.12,
1028:IV 5.9 A1 or 5.10,
1003:Steck-Salathe Route
990:: Anton Nelson and
970:III 5.6 A1 or 5.9,
865:V 5.7 A4 or 5.12a,
619:, Steve Marts, and
21:
967:Royal Arches Route
609:Northeast Buttress
538:V 5.8 A2 or 5.10,
535:Lotus Flower Tower
440:Mount Edith Cavell
410:V 5.8 A2 or 5.10,
404:South Howser Tower
353:Middle Triple Peak
191:The Best of Ascent
137:climbing guidebook
19:
1454:Missing or empty
1435:Climbing Magazine
1219:Traveler Buttress
1160:: Wally Reed and
914:Kor-Ingalls Route
808:Ellingwood Ledges
715:Direct Exum Ridge
343:Hummingbird Ridge
249:Mount Fairweather
233:Mount Saint Elias
161:Sierra Club Books
128:
127:
101:Publication place
86:Sierra Club Books
1507:
1479:
1478:
1470:
1464:
1463:
1457:
1452:
1450:
1442:
1441:(January). 1991.
1431:
1425:
1424:
1422:
1421:
1405:
1399:
1398:
1386:
1380:
1374:
1368:
1367:
1357:
1351:
1350:
1344:
1335:
1329:
1328:
1310:
1304:
1303:
1283:
1272:
1271:
1246:
1130:Robert Underhill
978:Lost Arrow Spire
962:The Royal Arches
704:Robert Underhill
494:Mount Waddington
376:Mount Sir Donald
325:Mount Huntington
92:Publication date
29:
22:
18:
1515:
1514:
1510:
1509:
1508:
1506:
1505:
1504:
1485:
1484:
1483:
1482:
1473:Nettle, David.
1471:
1467:
1455:
1453:
1444:
1443:
1433:
1432:
1428:
1419:
1417:
1406:
1402:
1387:
1383:
1375:
1371:
1359:
1358:
1354:
1342:
1336:
1332:
1325:
1311:
1307:
1300:
1284:
1275:
1268:
1247:
1243:
1238:
1233:
1082:George Whitmore
957:
952:
909:Castleton Tower
903:Bestor Robinson
884:
879:
803:Crestone Needle
798:
793:
700:Fritiof Fryxell
661:
656:
605:Slesse Mountain
554:
549:
380:Northwest Arete
371:
366:
305:Riccardo Cassin
287:Heinrich Harrer
228:
219:
157:
109:Media type
93:
51:
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1513:
1503:
1502:
1497:
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1465:
1426:
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1369:
1352:
1330:
1323:
1305:
1298:
1273:
1266:
1240:
1239:
1237:
1234:
1232:
1231:
1211:
1186:Charlotte Dome
1183:
1172:Southeast Face
1165:
1145:
1113:
1085:
1078:Warren Harding
1061:
1045:Northwest Face
1037:
1034:Warren Harding
1019:
995:
975:
958:
956:
953:
951:
950:
938:Finger of Fate
926:
906:
885:
883:
880:
878:
877:
848:
832:
816:
799:
797:
794:
792:
791:
777:
770:Northeast Face
763:
747:
727:
707:
683:
671:Durrance Route
662:
660:
657:
655:
654:
638:
624:
621:Eric Bjornstad
602:
584:
573:Forbidden Peak
570:
555:
553:
550:
548:
547:
531:
513:
506:Fritz Wiessner
491:
477:
466:Japanese Route
459:
452:Yvon Chouinard
437:
430:Wishbone Arete
423:
420:Yvon Chouinard
401:
387:
372:
370:
369:Western Canada
367:
365:
364:
350:
336:
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308:
290:
268:
246:
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217:Fifty Classics
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1498:
1496:
1493:
1492:
1490:
1476:
1469:
1461:
1448:
1440:
1436:
1430:
1416:on 2008-12-01
1415:
1411:
1404:
1396:
1392:
1389:George Bell.
1385:
1378:
1373:
1365:
1364:
1356:
1348:
1341:
1334:
1326:
1324:0-89886-728-2
1320:
1316:
1309:
1301:
1299:1-58574-542-1
1295:
1291:
1290:
1282:
1280:
1278:
1269:
1267:0-87156-292-8
1263:
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1241:
1229:
1225:
1221:
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1201:
1197:
1193:
1192:
1187:
1184:
1181:
1177:
1173:
1169:
1168:Clyde Minaret
1166:
1163:
1159:
1155:
1154:
1149:
1148:Fairview Dome
1146:
1143:
1139:
1138:Jules Eichorn
1135:
1131:
1127:
1123:
1122:
1117:
1116:Mount Whitney
1114:
1111:
1107:
1103:
1102:Royal Robbins
1099:
1095:
1094:
1089:
1086:
1083:
1079:
1075:
1071:
1070:
1065:
1062:
1059:
1058:Jerry Gallwas
1055:
1054:Royal Robbins
1051:
1047:
1046:
1041:
1038:
1035:
1031:
1027:
1026:East Buttress
1023:
1020:
1017:
1013:
1009:
1005:
1004:
999:
998:Sentinel Rock
996:
993:
989:
985:
984:
983:Spire Chimney
979:
976:
973:
969:
968:
963:
960:
948:
944:
941:, IV 5.8 A3,
940:
939:
934:
930:
929:Fisher Towers
927:
924:
920:
916:
915:
910:
907:
904:
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764:
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748:
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736:
731:
728:
725:
724:Jack Durrance
721:
717:
716:
711:
708:
705:
701:
697:
693:
692:
687:
684:
681:
680:Jack Durrance
677:
673:
672:
667:
666:Devil’s Tower
664:
652:
648:
647:
646:Liberty Crack
642:
639:
636:
632:
628:
625:
622:
618:
614:
610:
606:
603:
600:
596:
592:
591:Price Glacier
588:
587:Mount Shuksan
585:
582:
578:
574:
571:
568:
564:
563:Liberty Ridge
560:
559:Mount Rainier
557:
545:
541:
537:
536:
532:
529:
525:
521:
517:
514:
511:
507:
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499:
495:
492:
489:
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481:
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471:
467:
463:
462:Mount Alberta
460:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
438:
435:
431:
427:
424:
421:
417:
413:
409:
408:West Buttress
405:
402:
399:
395:
391:
390:Bugaboo Spire
388:
385:
381:
377:
374:
362:
358:
357:East Buttress
354:
351:
348:
344:
340:
337:
334:
330:
326:
323:
320:
316:
312:
311:Moose’s Tooth
309:
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288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
269:
266:
262:
258:
254:
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247:
244:
240:
239:
238:Abruzzi Ridge
234:
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188:
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123:0-87156-292-8
121:
119:
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107:
104:United States
103:
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89:
85:
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77:
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69:
65:
61:
57:
54:
50:
47:
43:
38:
34:
28:
23:
1468:
1456:|title=
1447:cite journal
1438:
1434:
1429:
1418:. Retrieved
1414:the original
1403:
1394:
1384:
1376:
1372:
1362:
1355:
1346:
1333:
1314:
1308:
1288:
1257:
1250:Roper, Steve
1244:
1217:
1214:Lover's Leap
1200:Galen Rowell
1189:
1171:
1156:III-IV 5.9,
1151:
1134:Norman Clyde
1119:
1096:VI 5.10 A3,
1093:Salathé Wall
1091:
1072:VI 5.11 A3,
1067:
1043:
1025:
1016:John Salathé
1001:
992:John Salathé
981:
965:
936:
912:
888:
871:Dave Rearick
860:
854:
838:
835:Petit Grepon
822:
819:Hallett Peak
806:
783:
769:
753:
733:
713:
689:
674:II 5.6-5.7,
669:
644:
630:
627:Mount Stuart
608:
590:
576:
562:
533:
519:
516:Devils Thumb
497:
483:
480:Mount Temple
465:
443:
429:
426:Mount Robson
407:
393:
379:
356:
342:
328:
314:
297:Cassin Ridge
296:
274:
271:Mount Hunter
265:Terris Moore
252:
237:
220:
208:
202:
199:
195:
190:
184:
178:
168:
166:
158:
148:
131:
130:
129:
1254:Allen Steck
1228:Steve Roper
1208:Fred Beckey
1204:Chris Jones
1180:Allen Steck
1162:Chuck Pratt
1142:Glen Dawson
1106:Chuck Pratt
1012:Allen Steck
899:Dave Brower
856:The Diamond
758:IV 5.7 A3,
750:Mount Moran
730:Grand Teton
710:Grand Teton
691:North Ridge
686:Grand Teton
631:North Ridge
617:Fred Beckey
599:Fred Beckey
528:Fred Beckey
456:Fred Beckey
416:Fred Beckey
359:VI 5.9 A3,
339:Mount Logan
283:Fred Beckey
261:Allen Carpé
253:Carpé Ridge
211:Mount Logan
175:Fred Beckey
145:Allen Steck
141:Steve Roper
78:Non-fiction
53:Allen Steck
49:Steve Roper
1489:Categories
1420:2008-12-25
1349:: 663–665.
1236:References
1191:South Face
1153:North Face
1088:El Capitan
1069:Nose Route
1064:El Capitan
1006:V 5.9 A3,
955:California
947:Layton Kor
923:Layton Kor
851:Longs Peak
840:South Face
784:East Ridge
780:Wolfs Head
744:Art Gilkey
735:North Face
611:V 5.9 A2,
577:West Ridge
520:East Ridge
510:Bill House
498:South Face
484:East Ridge
444:North Face
394:East Ridge
315:West Ridge
275:West Ridge
179:Lebensraum
135:is a 1979
1194:III 5.7,
1124:III 5.7,
1121:East Face
1110:Tom Frost
1040:Half Dome
933:The Titan
917:III 5.9,
875:Bob Kamps
843:III 5.8,
811:III 5.7,
718:III 5.6,
633:III 5.9,
544:Tom Frost
474:Maki YĹ«kĹŤ
396:III 5.7,
382:III 5.2,
329:West Face
206:Climbs".
83:Publisher
33:Dick Long
1256:(1979).
1222:II 5.9,
1174:IV 5.8,
890:Shiprock
796:Colorado
786:II 5.5,
772:IV 5.8,
738:IV 5.8,
694:IV 5.7,
579:II 5.6,
522:IV 5.6,
486:IV 5.7,
446:IV 5.7,
70:Climbing
59:Language
1230:in 1966
1210:in 1970
1164:in 1958
1144:in 1931
1112:in 1961
1084:in 1958
1060:in 1957
1018:in 1950
994:in 1947
766:Pingora
746:in 1949
706:in 1931
659:Wyoming
623:in 1963
512:in 1936
500:V 5.7,
468:V 5.6,
458:in 1961
432:V 5.6,
422:in 1961
321:in 1964
289:in 1954
267:in 1931
155:History
67:Subject
62:English
1395:Ascent
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335:: 1966
293:Denali
245:: 1897
45:Author
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112:Print
75:Genre
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