the first E9-graded traditional rock route in Britain, The guidebook described it as "A pitch of such appalling difficulty as to be almost beyond the realms of human comprehension". In a 2011 interview, Dawes said: "As you set off it's best to consider yourself already dead. You just do it".

In 1993, Dawes was a member of an expedition funded by the Mount Everest Foundation to attempt the first ascent of The Shark's Fin on Meru Peak in Gangotri Himalaya, India; a dropped boot led to a forced descent from 6,000 meters to avoid frostbite. An autobiographical account of his climbing, Full of Myself, was published in 2011.

Style

Dawes had a uniquely dynamic technique, leaping between very small holds, and also for his levels of balance and foot-control that enable him to climb extreme-grade routes without using his hands. as well as the 2015 climbing series, No Handed Climbing, and other "no-hands", and "no-feet" videos.

His unorthodox climbing style, coupled with his reputation for a keen intellect and an artistic or bohemian bent, His approach also made it difficult to secure commercial sponsorship, with Dawes saying in a 2019 interview, "I wasn’t supported by the climbing industry because I didn't fit the commercial template".

Legacy

Dawes is widely considered a legend of British rock climbing, In 2012, The Guardian called Dawes a "defining figure" and wrote that: "His climbs were rated among the very hardest in the world, test pieces of both balance and nerve, some with a reputation for terrible danger". Some of his routes are still so intimidating that they are rarely repeated, and several feature in climbing films focused on Dawes (e.g. 80s Birth of Extreme) and his routes (e.g. Hard Grit, Quarrymen). into a wealthy family, whose parents were part of the 1960s British motor racing scene. His education at the Uppingham School was a difficult one, with Dawes suffering from periods of depression and bullying.

  • 1984: The Salmon (E7 6c), Bamford Edge. First ascent. Reclimbed by Dawes as Smoked Salmon at E8 7b in 1995, after it lost a crucial pebble.
  • 1984: The Braille Trail (E7 6c), Burbage South Edge. First ascent.
  • 1986: End of the Affair (E8 6c), Curbar Edge. First ascent. Dawes' hardest gritstone route, and the end of a period of focus by Dawes on gritstone. and its notorious Groove pitch features in the 1986 climbing film, Stone Monkey. Dawes soon added the Fire Escape alternative finish (E7 6c).
  • 1986: Conan the Librarian (E7 6b), Gogarth North Stack. First ascent, with Bob Dury.
  • 1986: Come to Mother (E7 6a), Gogarth South Stack. First ascent with Paul Pritchard. The route has now fallen down.
  • 1986: The Hollow Man (E8 6b), Gogarth North Stack. First ascent with Andy Pollit.
  • 1987: The Scoop (E7 6b), Strone Ulladale, Harris. First ascent with Paul Pritchard of 8 pitches of Doug Scott's 1969 grade-A5 aid climbing route; partly shown in the 1988 film, The 80s: Birth of Extreme.
  • 1988: Hardback Thesaurus (E7/8 6c), Gogarth North Stack. First ascent and first onsight of an E7; is shown in the 1988 film, The 80s: Birth of Extreme.
  • 1990: The Very Big & the Very Small , Rainbow Slab Area, Dinorwic quarry, Llanberis. First ascent. Only 3-bolts, hardest slate route at time; rarely repeated; Dawes believes grade is 8c.
  • 1994: Angel's Share (E8 7a) or , Black Rocks. First ascent. Gritstone slab at E8 7a without bouldering pads, or a boulder with pads.
  • 1995: Face Mecca (E9 6c), Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, Snowdonia. Second ascent. FFA Nick Dixon in 1989.
  • 2003: Drummond Base (E8 6c), Curbar Edge. First ascent.

Bibliography

  • Peak Rock – The History, The Routes, The Climbers, (Phil Kelly, Graham Hoey, Giles Barker), 2013. .
  • Full of Myself (Johnny Dawes), 2011. .

Filmography

  • Best Forgotten Art (1996) A history of crack climbing in Britain, directed by Johnny Dawes
  • Documentary on The Quarryman (E8 7a):
  • Documentary on The Indian Face (E9 6c):
  • Documentary on the hardest gritstone routes in Peak District:
  • Documentary on leading UK climbers:
  • Documentary on Dawes, Ben Moon and Jerry Moffatt:
  • Documentary on Dawes' technique:

See also

  • History of rock climbing
  • List of first ascents (sport climbing)
  • Dave MacLeod, Scottish traditional climber
  • Sonnie Trotter, Canadian traditional climber
  • Rock climbing in the Peak District

Notes

References

  • Johnny Dawes, rock climber: 'You've got to mess about', The Guardian (video interview, 2012)
  • Johnny Dawes, Old website of Johnny Dawes (archived, 2013)
  • Johnny Dawes (1983–2003), ClimbandMore.com (archived, 2019)
  • Johnny Dawes Filmography, MNTN Film Database (January 2022)
  • Johnny Dawes, Frictioneering