Rick White (1946 – 26 November 2004) was an Australian

rock climber Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...

, best known for discovering and developing the rock climbing destination of

Frog Buttress Frog Buttress is a cliff on the north-west side of Mount French, in the Moogerah Peaks National Park near the town of Boonah in Queensland, Australia. It became famous when local rock climbers Rick White and Chris Meadows discovered it in 1 ...

near

Boonah Boonah is a rural town and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Boonah had a population of 2,484 people. Geography The town is positioned near the Fassifern Valley, McPherson Range and Main Range ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. As climbing equipment was extremely hard to purchase in Australia around this time, Rick White founded

Mountain Designs Mountain Designs is an outdoor clothing and equipment business based in Australia. They sell hiking, rockclimbing and general outdoor and recreational equipment. The company stocks a variety of international and local brands, as well as their ow ...

as a way to import gear from the United States. White was the first person to solo

Ball's Pyramid Ball's Pyramid is an erosional remnant of a shield volcano and caldera lying southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean. It is high, while measuring in length and only across, making it the tallest volcanic stack in the world. Bal ...

, and did so with a time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Rick White's mountaineering ascents included: * 1973 - First Australian ascent of El Capitan, Yosemite, USA. * 1974/5 - North face of Fitzroy, Patagonia with Rob Staszewski. * 1979 - Andes, Patagonia with Greg Child, Paul Edwards, Ken Joyce. * 1982 - Shivling, India with Greg Child, George Bettemburg (FR), Doug Scott (UK). * 1985 - Mustagh Ata with Steve McDowell. In his later years, White developed a muscular disease that prevented him from climbing. With a lasting passion for the sport, he remained active in the climbing scene for many years, mentoring a number of young competitive climbers including Cass Crane, Peter Crane, Thomas Farrell and Libby Hall. He died in

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

Hospital in the United Kingdom from cancer; his ashes were scattered from the top of the first route he did at Frog Buttress, 'Corner of Eden'."Chockstone"
Retrieved 29 January 2011

References

External links

Rick White Foundation
Australian company founders Australian rock climbers Australian mountain climbers 1946 births 2004 deaths Sportspeople from Queensland {{Australia-sport-bio-stub