A History of Climbing in the Sawtooths and environs with Ray Brooks

The BCA thanks our sponsors Idaho First Bank and The Commons Climbing Gym for bringing Ray Brooks to Boise.

Ray grew up in the Wood River Valley, and after receiving an afternoon of instruction on roped climbing in 1969, eagerly embraced the sport. From 1970 to 1981 he was involved in achieving a bunch of new climbing routes in the Sawtooths (including an AAJ published description of his route Pachydermial Pleasantries on Elephant's Perch in 1977) and even some first ascents of remote pinnacles.

Tom Lopez, author of Idaho: A Climbing Guide, calls Ray a “climbing force in the Sawtooths in the 1970s” who has “contributed outstanding articles on his climbing experience in the Sawtooths.”

Lopez continues, “Ray ran an outdoor shop in Moscow (ID) from 1973-1983 and, during those years, he climbed a number of new routes on Lightning Dome on the South Fork Clearwater River and at a rarely-visited area near Manning bridge, 13 miles upstream from Riggins.” [Ray] notes: ‘There were various other Idaho climbing adventures during those years, including 3 new, boltless routes on Slickrock near McCall.’”

Ray enjoyed a long climbing career, finally retiring after 50 years of roped climbing in 2020. Although the pace of his climbing had slowed after 1990, he kept visiting the Sawtooths and was part of a 2007 first ascent party on a remote pinnacle above Baron Lakes. In 2010 Ray started climbing more and more difficult routes at The City of Rocks. His old friend, climbing legend Jim Donini, would visit & climb with Ray and his wife Dorita every summer for a week.