Speaker Series - Dave Mahre, Mountaineer

In 1955 he accompanied Marcel Schuster, Mike McGuire, and Gene Prater, all from central Washington, on the second ascent of Liberty Ridge, one of the most sought-after ice climbs on the north side of Mt. Rainier. In 1959 he made the first ascent of the north face of Little Tahoma, which had, for many years, been considered a dangerous route for climbers because of rockfall from above and the poor-quality rock on the route itself, making solid protection against falls very difficult. In 1963 he and three others made the first complete, officially authorized ascent of Willis Wall. Arguably, this was his finest climb. In 1982, at 54 years old, Mahre attempted to climb the north face of Mt. Everest, pioneering a new route in the process. The attempt was unsuccessful, but two years later, at the age of 57, Mahre returned to Mt. Everest as a support climber.