Number in series 70; Year of publication 1986 - Fell and Rock ...

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A SHORT HISTORY OFLAKELAND CLIMBINGPART II (1935-1959)JohnWilkinsonAn Earlier ReviewThe 50th anniversary of the first ascent of the Napes Needle in 1886 byHaskett Smith was commemorated by the publication of the Lakeland numberof the Fell and Rock Journal (Vol XI, Nos. 30 and 31, 1936 and 1937), whichcontained a major contribution by H.M.Kelly and T.H.Doughty entitled 'AShort History of Lakeland Climbing'. The development of rock climbing in theLakes was surveyed from the earliest recorded climb, a descent of Broad Standon Scafell by the poet Samuel Coleridge in 1802, until the end of 1934. Theyshowed how the sport of rock climbing, where ascents were made purely for theenjoyment of climbing and not merely as a means of getting to the top ofsomething for a view, began with Haskett Smith's explorations of 1882 and wasfirmly established by his ascent of the Needle in 1886. In a masterly expositionthey showed how the early climbers, who initially demanded the security ofdeep clefts in the hills, were, as the gullies ran out, gradually driven first into thenarrower chimneys and cracks, and finally forced out on to the ridges and openfaces. They also demonstrated how the rising standard of climbing paralleledthe introduction of new techniques and equipment. This fascinating tale wastold largely in terms of the climbers and routes they made mainly on the wellestablishedmajor crags; Scafell, Pillar, Gable, Dow and Gimmer, althoughminor (and today highly unfashionable) crags such as Elliptical Crag inMosedale, Black Crag in Wind Gap, Green Gable and Boat Howe werementioned. However, lacking the gift of clairvoyance, Kelly and Doughty werenot able to appreciate the impact which was to be made on Lakeland climbingby some ascents on other 'minor' crags during this period, and which wereomitted from their account. I refer in particular to early ascents in White Ghyll(The Chimney and two Slab Routes), Deer Bield (Deer Bield Crack), CastleRock of Triermain (The Direct Route, and Scoop and Crack), Raven CragLangdale (The Original Route), Pavey Ark (Stoat's Crack, and Crescent Wall),Black Crag in Borrowdale (Troutdale Pinnacle), and various routes on GreyCrag and Eagle Crag in Birkness Combe. Kelly and Doughty were not to knowof course that, purely in terms of popularity, the low-lying crags of Borrowdale,Langdale and the Eastern Fells were destined to surpass the old establishedcrags on Gable, Pillar, Dow, and even the majestic Scafell. Kelly and Doughtydrew up a chronological list of first ascents, and it is amazing to see how manyroutes were omitted. In addition to the routes on the 'minor' crags mentionedit Eliminate A on Dow Crag. Chris Boningion
40 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIMBING - PART IIabove, other important routes also went unrecorded; The Crack, Joas andAsterisk on Gimmer, Sinister Slabs on Bowfell, Eliminate 'A' on Dow, andmany others. These omissions are quite inexplicable, as some of them constituteimportant milestones in the development of the sport of rock climbing in theLakes. The list ended in 1934 with two brilliant routes by that meteor of theclimbing world, F.G.Balcombe; Buttonhook on Kern Knotts, which waspossibly the most technically hard climb at that time, and Engineer's Slab onGable Crag, an uncompromising steep face lacking in belays, a route whichwent unrepeated for around twenty years. No mention was made of Balcombe'sequally important Direct Finish to Central Buttress on Scafell however.Thus Kelly and Doughty left the history of Lakeland climbing at a timewhen, to quote the prophetic words of C.F.Holland in the 1936 Scafell guide,'the future is bright with the possibility of great developments, a time whenthere is no danger of the call of Ichabod, a time when we may feel that the best isyet to come'. Kelly and Doughty ended their masterly review with the hope that'if the Fell and Rock Club decides to celebrate the centenary of the first ascent ofthe Needle by another special number of the Journal, there seems no reason whythe historian chosen to record the doings of those intervening years should nothave at least as rich and varied a story to relate as that which we have tried totell'.The rate of exploration in the Lakes has increased almost exponentially since1934 with the result that whilst Kelly and Doughty could encompass the firstone hundred and fifty years of climbing in a relatively short review, justice canonly be done to the following half-century by splitting the history into threesections.The 1930's: The Great Aid Debate Commences.By the end of 1934, the foundations of modern rock climbing had alreadybeen laid. The hard-won technique of the gritstone-trained climbers Botterill,Herford, Kelly, Frankland, Piggott, Linnell and A.T.Hargreaves had resultedin a great advance in standards, and the renaissance of Welsh climbing,particularly the early development of Clogwyn du'r Arddu, had a pronouncedeffect on Lakeland climbing by encouraging the exploration of crags which hadpreviously been declared unclimbable. The opening up of the East Buttress ofScafell was a direct result. The use of a piton to accomplish a difficult ascent(Overhanging Wall on Scafell, 1933), an event which was regarded withdisfavour by many climbers at that time, triggered-off a debate on the use of aidwhich has continued unabated ever since. That superb climber Maurice Linnellmust have had reservations about planting the piton when he threw out achallenge in the Rucksack Club Journal of 1934: 'those who prefer to climb theplace unaided are cordially invited to remove the piton and do so'. Generationsof climbers did not appear to have either the inclination or ability to take up thisJin
Page 1 and 2: 100 YEARS OFROCK CLIMBINGIN THELAKE
Page 6: EDITOR'S NOTESGeoff CramIn June 188
Page 9 and 10: 4 THE FIRST ASCENT OF NAPES NEEDLET
Page 11 and 12: 6 THE FIRST ASCENT OF NAPES NEEDLEb
Page 13 and 14: 10 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIM
Page 29 and 30: H.M.Kelly and J.H.Doughty 33for the
Page 31 and 32: H.M.Kelly and J.H.Doughty1892 Moss
Page 33: H.M.Kelly and J.H. Doughty1923 Toph
Page 40 and 41: John Wilkinson 47men: Birkett, Peas
Page 44 and 45: John Wilkinson 53are now Hard Very
Page 46 and 47: John Wilkinson 57have radically tra
Page 51 and 52: John Wilkinson 6 5being made by the
Page 53 and 54: John Wilkinson6SWith the opening up
Page 59 and 60: Pete Whillance 73good routes on Low
Page 67 and 68: A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIMBIN
Page 69 and 70: A SHORT HISTORYOF LAKELAND CLIMBING
Page 71 and 72: Ron Kenyon and AlMurray 89climbed b
Page 73 and 74: Ron Kenyon and Al Murray 91spotligh
Page 77 and 78: Ron Kenyon and Al Murray 97In the E
Page 79 and 80: 102 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLI
Page 81 and 82: 106 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLI
Page 83 and 84: 110 THE NORTH-EAST SPUR OF THE DROI
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112 THE NORTH-EAST SPUR OF THE DROI
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ROCK CLIMBING IN NORTHERN ITALYAl C
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AI Churcher 119Sergent and Caporal,
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13 MILES FROM THE EQUATORRay Cassid
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Ray Cassidy 123and I suddenly found
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W. Heaton Cooper 127One element see
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June Parker 131show a new route bei
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136 THE ABRAHAM COLLECTIONwas a for
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140 THE WASDALE CLIMBING BOOKClimbi
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SCAFELL CENTRAL BUTTRESSG.S.SansomR
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G.S.Sansom 145bulge, above-mentione
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MORE OF C.B.Bill BirkettWhen the ed
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150 MOREOFC.B.ground, rather overha
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152 CLIMBING IN THE MIDDLE AGEStemp
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THE MAN WHO BROKE THE NEEDLEGraham
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G. Sutton 157tooth....'Ron's voice
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G. Sutton 159view; they must have b
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Ed Grindley 161A couple of hours la
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164 THE MODERN ICARUS!This was now
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166 THE MODERN ICARUS!Aware that I'
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Angela Soper 169whispered happily,
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172 THE WELL-OILED MACHINE - TWELVE
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174 THE WELL-OILED MACHINE - TWELVE
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A. Harry Griffin 111the same mould
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A. Harry Griffin 179merged together
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182 WAY OUT WESTone of them picked
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184 WAY OUT WESTseverity it was of
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186 WAY OUT WESTwho made me a pair
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SCOTLANDThe Fell and Rock members c
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Jim Sutcliffe 193June Parker report
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NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESAlan Murray & P
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198 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESIvor the Bo
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200 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESBLEAK HOW C
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202 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESJoker Man.
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204 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESPrivate Eye
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206 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTES6a. Climb t
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208 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESBURNT CRAG
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210 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESYEW CRAGAut
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212 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESSilverstone
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214 IN MEMORIAMGladys died peaceful
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CLUB OFFICERS AND MEETS 225Libraria
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Number in series 70; Year of publication 1986 - Fell and Rock ...

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