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

John Wilkinson 47men: Birkett, Peascod, Dolphin and Beetham. Beetham's largely solo effortscontinued to yield routes on a large scale in Borrowdale, albeit of a relatively lowstandard, which had the effect of attracting other harder climbers on to thenewly-gardened expanses of rock. This was also the time when H.M.Kellybegan the process of up-dating the Rock Climbing Guides to the English LakeDistrict, published by the Fell and Rock Climbing Club.* The previous fourvolumeSecond Series had begun with Pillar in 1935, and ended with DowCrag, Langdale and Outlying Climbs, a composite volume published in 1938.The proliferation of new routes, particularly in Borrowdale, Buttermere, theEastern Fells and Langdale now necessitated separate guides for each of theseareas, with the result that the Third Series of F.R.C.C. guides was expanded toeight volumes. In the course of guide-book writing operations, the writersinvariably become so familiar with their areas that new routes are discovered,and it is no surprise to find the writers' names pre-eminent in the list of firstascents. Jim Birkett, who climbed all over the Lakes, was a notable exception tothis rule, not being a member of the F.R.C.C, but Peascod (Buttermere),Beetham (Borrowdale), Drasdo (Eastern Fells), and Dolphin (Langdale andScafell) all wrote guides to the areas where they themselves had made a greatcontribution. The format of the Third Series of guides was identical to thatinvented by Kelly for the earlier series, and climbs were listed in order ofincreasing difficulty (the sub-division of the grades did not take place until theFourth Series in 1967, and the technical grading of pitches in 1979). So the onlyway in which it was possible to ascertain the difficulty of a route was to look atits position in the graded list, not always too reliable a method when the VScategory was open-ended.When guide books were not forthcoming at short and regular intervals, muchinformation required by the young hard climber had to be gleaned from varioushut books and logs located in certain pubs, or by word of mouth, a situationsomewhat different from today when many guide supplements and climbingjournals are readily available.In Buttermere, Peascod's energies were unabated and many excellent climbswere recorded: Buckstone Howe, that steep chunk of slaty rock overlookingHonister Pass, was opened up by the ascent of the pleasant Honister Wall, S,and the more testing Sinister Grooves, VS, Groove II, VS, and the Girdle, VS,culminating in 1949 with the splendid Cleopatra, VS. On the other side of thehill, the ascent of Dale Head Pillar, MVS, opened up yet another new crag inNewlands, a valley well endowed with small crags, which were beinginvestigated by G.Rushworth ably assisted by Peascod.In Borrowdale too, exploration proceeded steadily. Some forty new routeswere discovered, mainly by Beetham. Several proved to be excellent,particularly Monolith Crack, MVS, and Shepherd's Gully, MVS, both onShepherd's Crag. However, the greatest contribution in the area was made by'F.R.C.C. Guides: 1st series 1922-26 (Red Guides); 2nd series 11)5-!8; )rd series 1949-10. Kelly called the 49-59edition 2nd series {his second).217 Bob Wightman on F Route, Gimmer Crag. Phizackka Collection