The Freebird Times - Issue 3

COVER STORY
Dawson and
Margaret on their
way up Mera Peak,
Nepal 2013.
only one expedition had been before and only one
mountain climbed. “Seven of us were dropped
off by a ski-plane and picked up three weeks later.
In that period we’d climbed 16 peaks for the first
time.” Another personal highlight was a long,
complicated Alpine route, the Peuterey Integral
done with, a long time friend and fellow member of
the Everest expedition, Robbie Fenlon.
Dawson is a great believer in looking forward. “Really,
it’s whatever you plan to do next that’s important,” he
says. Now in his 61st year, he will be going to the Alps
this year with another Everest expedition member,
67 year-old Frank Nugent. It’s a special climb of the
Eiger to mark the 160th anniversary of its first ascent,
which was led by an Irishman from County Wicklow,
Charles Barrington. The 2018 team includes two of
his great grand nephews, young climbers Joshua and
Mathew Barrington.
“I think one of the fantastic things about
mountaineering is that even though you get a bit older,
a bit weaker and a bit more unsteady you can always
pick challenges to have a new adventure,” Dawson says.
“The whole trick is to pick something which is difficult,
so you get a sense of achievement, but not too difficult;
there’s a fine line between easy and impossible. And that
to me is at the heart of what mountaineering is. There
always has to be an uncertainty about the outcome to
give it that edge of excitement.”
Earlier this year Dawson stepped down as the lead
partner in his architectural practice to become a
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
consultant, which gives him more time to go into
the mountains. “ I’m looking forward to the next
10 years of a bit less architecture and a bit more
mountains and travelling. But I still see myself as
working in conservation for some years to come.”
Typically modest about his lifetime commitment
of “giving back” to the sport and to his community,
Dawson still has strong connections with Northern
Ireland’s Tollymore National Outdoor Centre, which
introduced him to rock climbing 45 years ago. He is also
the chairman of Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland,
an organisation established to improve access to the
countryside. He and Margaret continue to be involved
with the Irish Nepalese Education Trust, a charity that
had its origins in the Irish Everest Expedition.
Dawson is a great believer in the benefits of the
outdoors. “Everybody benefits from being able
to get outdoors, to take exercise and enjoy the
countryside, to appreciate nature,” he says. “ You
don’t need to be climbing mountains to get out,
there’s lots of good low level and medium level
walks and treks. And I think electric bikes are a
fantastic invention in terms of getting people out
cycling, they take a lot of the sting out initially,
at least. “There are huge opportunities and huge
rewards from getting outdoors and it doesn’t have to
be at the extreme level. There is so much potential
at whatever level you want. People find that once
they get a bit of fitness they want to see new places
and start to meet other people – and before they
know it they’re doing treks across Europe!”
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