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

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John Wilkinson 53are now Hard Very Severe (Deer Bield Crack 4c, Kneewrecker Chimney 5a,Perhaps Not 5a, Gimmer Girdle 5a, Grooves Superdirect 5b), with KiplingGroove 5a, as the hardest climb: Do Not, the second hardest climb in the list, isnow graded El 5b. Do Not would appear to be the first El in the Lakes, sinceHarlot Face (1949), which was an Extreme in the 1969 edition of the EasternFells guide, has now been downgraded to HVS in the 1979 edition. It is clear,however, that by the end of the 1940's there were a number of routes on theborderline of HVS/E1, with pitches of 5a and 5b.It is, perhaps, an overgeneralization to suggest that increased climbingstandards were solely due to improvements in equipment and technique.Training and attitude of mind were also of great importance, and there havealways been a few exceptional climbers around to whom lack of protection orthe use of rudimentary equipment made little or no difference to their highstandard of performance. Indeed, from the earliest days of the sport whenHaskett Smith set a precedent with his solo first ascent of the Needle, there havealways been a few bold individuals who were prepared to solo some of thehardest climbs of the day, although there is no record of a solo first ascent of ahard route during this period, and even today such solo ascents are uncommon.Ronnie Jackson on his fleeting trips to the Lakes in the late 1930's was soloing,in nails, routes such as Eliminate 'B', Great Central Route, and Black Wall, allcurrently graded HVS: and in the mid 1940's Joe Griffin began a programme ofsoloing hard routes which has continued virtually uninterrupted for (so far)forty years. Also many climbs were led virtually without protection, and to allintents and purposes constituted solo ascents: for example Ken Heaton'srunnerless lead of the first pitch of Do Not.Of the eleven hard (HVS and El) climbs put up during this period, of whichsix were in Langdale and were climbed in 1948 and 1949, nine were climbed byeither Birkett or Dolphin, the honours being almost equally shared.The 1950's — A Climbing ExplosionThe austerity of the war years was fast becoming an unpleasant memory, andlarge numbers of people were taking to the hills at weekends and holidaysmainly as a result of a more affluent and car-owning society. There were moreclimbers than ever before, and more of them were climbing hard routes. Whilstthe exploration of the 1940's was mainly in the hands of four men, well over adozen participated in the discovery of new routes in the following decade.Perhaps the most surprising feature of the 1950's was that whole areas of theLakes were still neglected and even several of the major crags received scantattention. Whilst Langdale, Borrowdale, the Eastern Fells and Scafell were allextensively explored, in Buttermere and Newlands, the scene of such franticactivity in the 1940's, there appeared little enthusiasm for new routes afterPeascod's departure for Australia: Dow was left severely alone, and it was the223
54 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIMBING - PART IIend of the decade before new climbs were to appear on Pillar and Gable. Thisneglect is quite inexplicable in view of the extensive developments which wereto take place later.The early years of the decade were essentially those of Arthur Dolphin, and itwas in Langdale that the real action began. Having got the manuscript of theLangdale Guide off to the printers, Dolphin swiftly girdled Pavey Ark, HVS,then, in 1951, changed into a higher gear and solidly confirmed the new gradeof climbing, which was subsequently named Extremely Severe. It is interestingto note that at the time Dolphin was consolidating the new standard in theLakes, Joe Brown was doing precisely the same in Wales. After a determinedsiege, Deer Bield Buttress, El, became the first of Dolphin's climbs in the newhard grade and the first route of consequence on that superb, steep little cragsince A.T.Hargreaves led the magnificent Deer Bield Crack over twenty yearsearlier. Having made the break-through, equally difficult routes followed;Rubicon Groove, El, another well-named climb, the first on Bowfell for almosta decade, and, the following year, the classic Sword of Damocles, El, of whichDolphin led the crux and Peter Greenwood the remainder. Dolphin'sexploratory interests were wide ranging and hard routes were put up in WhiteGhyll, where a flimsy holly guarded the entrance to a steep groove, ShiveringTimber, VS; on Deer Bield, with Peter Greenwood, a companion crack to thefamous Deer Bield Crack was climbed to its left (Dunmail Cracks, HVS); in theEatern Fells, a visit to the repulsive Iron Crag produced the terrifying looseFerrous Buttress, VS; and on Esk Buttress, the great groove line crossed byBirkett's Great Central Climb yielded the splendid Trespasser Groove, HVS.However, apart from Langdale, it was on Scafell that Dolphin made his greatestcontribution. Having been asked to write the new Scafell guide, he set about itin the traditional fashion by trying to forestall others and make easy work ofguide writing by climbing as many unclimbed lines as he could find. There wasa big gap between Morning Wall and Gremlin's Groove on the imposing leftwing of the East Buttress, and it was here, in May 1952, that Dolphin made twoof his greatest contributions to Lakeland climbing, the ascents of Pegasus, HVS,and Hell's Groove, HVS. On the second pitch of Pegasus, a long diagonal lineparallel to Morning Wall, Dolphin arranged a long sling from a piton to enablea delicate move into a groove to be made, thereby enabling a generation ofleaders to enjoy the route: almost thirty years later, aid was dispensed with. Tothe left of Pegasus, a short overhanging crack barred the way to a huge corner.Peter Greenwood, a short, tough gritstone climber and a frequent companion ofDolphin on new routes, was the first to solve this awkward problem, leaving thebig corner to Dolphin; the superb Hell's Groove. These splendid climbs,together with his crop of new hard routes in Langdale, were sadly his lastcontribution to Lakeland climbing, as he was killed in July 1953 whilstdescending solo from the Dent du Geant. Having raised the standard ofclimbing in the Lakes there is no doubt that Dolphin, then in his prime, wouldCommunist Convert, Raven Crag, Thirlmere. John Hartley Collection 221
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 and 34: H.M.Kelly and J.H. Doughty1923 Toph
Page 35: 40 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIM
Page 40 and 41: John Wilkinson 47men: Birkett, Peas
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
Page 85 and 86: 112 THE NORTH-EAST SPUR OF THE DROI
Page 87 and 88: ROCK CLIMBING IN NORTHERN ITALYAl C
Page 89 and 90: AI Churcher 119Sergent and Caporal,
Page 91 and 92: 13 MILES FROM THE EQUATORRay Cassid
Page 93 and 94: 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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