# Dave Rearick

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{{Short description|American rock climber and mathematician (1932–2024)}}
'''David F. Rearick''' (August 5, 1932 – August 21, 2024) was an American [rock climber](/source/rock_climber) and mathematician. A pioneer of Yosemite's golden age of climbing, Rearick – frequently climbing with [Bob Kamps](/source/Bob_Kamps) – was instrumental in shifting the focus from [aid climbing](/source/aid_climbing) to [free climbing](/source/free_climbing) in the 1950s.

Rearick and [Royal Robbins](/source/Royal_Robbins) climbed the ''Vampire'' at [Tahquitz Rock](/source/Tahquitz_Rock) in [California](/source/California) in 1959; though some aid was used (not eliminated until 1973), the route required [5.10](/source/Grade_(climbing)) climbing, exceptionally difficult for the times. A year later the team of Robbins and Rearick established Yosemite's first 5.10 climb: the ''East Chimney'' of Rixon's Pinnacle.

In August 1960, Kamps and Rearick made the first ascent of the ''Diamond'', the massive headwall on the east face of {{convert|14,255|ft|m|adj=on}} [Longs Peak](/source/Longs_Peak), in [Colorado](/source/Colorado). Their ascent was reported in newspapers across America.

Rearick received a PhD in mathematics from [Caltech](/source/Caltech), defending his thesis during the spring of 1960. He became a mathematics professor at the [University of Colorado](/source/University_of_Colorado_at_Boulder) at [Boulder](/source/Boulder%2C_Colorado), retiring in the 1990s.

Rearick died on August 21, 2024, at the age of 92.<ref>{{cite web |title=David Rearick |url=https://www.greenwoodmyersfuneral.com/obituaries/david-rearick |website=Greenwood & Myers Mortuary |access-date=24 September 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
*[List of climbers](/source/List_of_climbers)

==References==
{{reflist}}
* Ament, Pat (2002). "Wizards of Rock: A History of Free Climbing in America", Wilderness Press

==External links==
* [http://www128.pair.com/r3d4k7/Rearick.html  Brief Profile]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rearick, Dave}}
Category:1932 births
Category:2024 deaths
Category:American rock climbers

{{US-climbing-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dave Rearick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Rearick) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Rearick?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.