Harrison “H” Hilbert was the first director of the Idaho State University Outdoor Program. He was an active Idaho climber for many years and was part of the first Winter ascent of Castle Peak discussed on Pages 22-23 of the book. He was responsible for bringing British mountaineer and ice climber Bill March to Idaho. Read more about Hilbert at this … Continue reading
Bill March was a British mountaineer and ice climber who, along with Rick Albano, is credited with the first Winter ascents of Leatherman Peak and White Cap Peak in 1975. He came to Idaho at the request of his friend Harrison “H” Hilbert and was associated with the Idaho State University Outdoor Program in the 1970s. The American Alpine Club has a … Continue reading
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
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
Back in the 1970s when I started to climb, it seemed as though every climber was associated with some sort of climbing club. Some of these clubs were organized with large memberships and others were amorphous amalgamations of small groups of climbers who came up with a club name when they signed a register, but after a climb or several … Continue reading
Lou Florence served in Africa and Italy in WWII. He moved to Boise with his family in 1972. He and his son Frank started Sawtooth Mountaineering, Boise’s first dedicated climbing and Nordic ski shop. An avid hiker and scrambler himself, Lou used Sawtooth Mountaineering as a venue through which to promote outdoor recreation. Throughout the 1970s, the shop offered introductory rock … Continue reading