Riccardo Cassin, the mountaineering pioneer who first climbed Mt. McKinley’s Cassin Ridge  died at his home in Italy late last week. He was 100 years old.

At age 52, he came to Alaska set to climb the South Face of Denali. He had recruited several other Italian climbers to be part of his climbing team. After successfully climbing the mountain, the climbing team was flown by Don Sheldon to Anchorage to be treated for severe frostbite. His 1961 climb of Denali’s southern ridge was just ONE of his many memorable first ascents.

Cassin, at the end of his life, had more than 100 first ascents to his name and over 25 hundred climbs. Many of his climbing routes over the years, are still used by climbers as benchmarks to measure skill.

Cassin’s sun goggles used in the Denali climb now hang in the Sheldon Community Arts Hanger along with a plaque that commemorates Cassin and his climbing party.