Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
3989 Climbers
7773 Climbs
20477 Ascents
Featured
Ron Fawcett
Ron Fawcett was at the top of the UK climbing scene in the mid 70s and early 80s and one of the first professional climbers in the UK. He took up the mantel from climbers such as Pete Livesey and helped cement the E5 and E6 grade in the UK. He also put up some of the early hard sport routes in the UK with lines such as Sardine, Body Machine and The Prow at Raven Tor.
Ron famously climbed 100 extremes (i.e. routes graded E1 or harder on the British Trad grading scale) in a day in 1986 starting at Froggatt then going on to Stanage, Burbage and finishing at Curbar. This feat is even more impressive when you consider that Ron was not just picking the easiest routes available: Downhill Racer (E4), Heartless Hare (E5) and Ulysses or Bust (E5) feature among the hard routes that he climbed. See [3] for a full list.
References
[1] Rock Athlete, by Sid Perou https://youtu.be/tdRfqD125-g?t=1522
[2] Interview with Andy Pollitt https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/andy_pollitt+big_ron_fawcett-9483.
[3] Ticklist of Ron's 100 extremes in a day https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=548
[4] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/282305001835682
Ron Fawcett was at the top of the UK climbing scene in the mid 70s and early 80s and one of the first professional climbers in the UK. He took up the mantel from climbers such as Pete Livesey and helped cement the E5 and E6 grade in the UK. He also put up some of the early hard sport routes in the UK with lines such as Sardine, Body Machine and The Prow at Raven Tor.
Ron famously climbed 100 extremes (i.e. routes graded E1 or harder on the British Trad grading scale) in a day in 1986 starting at Froggatt then going on to Stanage, Burbage and finishing at Curbar. This feat is even more impressive when you consider that Ron was not just picking the easiest routes available: Downhill Racer (E4), Heartless Hare (E5) and Ulysses or Bust (E5) feature among the hard routes that he climbed. See [3] for a full list.
References
[1] Rock Athlete, by Sid Perou https://youtu.be/tdRfqD125-g?t=1522
[2] Interview with Andy Pollitt https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/andy_pollitt+big_ron_fawcett-9483.
[3] Ticklist of Ron's 100 extremes in a day https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=548
[4] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/282305001835682
Pics + Vids
Featuring 9906 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Keiichiro Korenaga on Nexus 8C+
Barbara Zangerl on Le Voyage E10
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You may also be interested in the Mountain Heritage Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving the rich history of climbing and mountaineering. Their collection includes many unique and valuable items, from rare guidebooks through to the boots worn by Doug Scott on the 1977 Ogre expedition.
Explore
Fancy a look around? You can browse by climber or by climbs, or you can check out some lists. For example
- All sport ascents of 9b or above
- British women who have climbed 7C or above
- British men who have climbed 8c or above
Podcasts
Featuring 3890 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Rachael Crewesmith on The Mountain People Podcast (2022)
- Hans Florine on Ageless Athlete (2024)
- Mélissa Le Nevé on Lattice Training (2024)
- Kathy Karlo on The Ground Up Podcast (2026)
Library
Featuring 14922 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Interview with Morus Sanderson (2023) Film
- Alpine Journal 2006 211-224 Croston Harrer (2006) Journal
- Snowdon South (1960) Guidebook
Recent updates
A pioneer of hard bouldering in Fontainebleau, throughout the 1980s and '90s, Godoffe established dozens of the forest's classic modern testpieces.
In 1984, his ascent of C'Était Demain (8A) set a new level for bouldering in Europe. Coming just a year after L'Abbé Résina (7C), the climb was a significant step up in difficulty. Essentially comprising just two hard moves, it is still regarded as a hard 8A and may have only been flashed once, by Dave Graham.
In the early '00s, Godoffe pioneered the art of indoor routesetting. His books on the subject are essential reading for those in the trade.
Godoffe:
Success in climbing is just the tip of the iceberg. The most important thing for me is how to deal with such an important passion and also the rest of life. I am lucky to have had 5 children, and none of them never ever climbed, so at home at least I'm just a human trying to surf on the waves of life. This is a way harder than the most difficult boulder I ever climbed. [1]
References
[1] Interview in The Project Magazine, 2017 https://www.theprojectmagazine.com/features/2017/5/13/jacky-godoffe-interview
[2] Bleau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIreNKro7QU
[3] http://www.grimporama.com/francais/bleau/itw/bl_jg-interview.htm
A pioneer of hard bouldering in Fontainebleau, throughout the 1980s and '90s, Godoffe has established dozens of the forest's classic modern testpieces.
In 1984, his ascent of C'Était Demain (8A) set a new level for bouldering in Europe. Coming just a year after L'Abbé Résina (7C), the climb was a significant step up in difficulty. Essentially comprising just two hard moves, it is still regarded as a hard 8A and may have only been flashed once, by Dave Graham.
In the early '00s, Godoffe pioneered the art of indoor routesetting. His books on the subject are essential reading for those in the trade.
Godoffe:
Success in climbing is just the tip of the iceberg. The most important thing for me is how to deal with such an important passion and also the rest of life. I am lucky to have had 5 children, and none of them never ever climbed, so at home at least I'm just a human trying to surf on the waves of life. This is a way harder than the most difficult boulder I ever climbed. [1]
References
[1] Interview in The Project Magazine, 2017 https://www.theprojectmagazine.com/features/2017/5/13/jacky-godoffe-interview
[2] Bleau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIreNKro7QU
[3] http://www.grimporama.com/francais/bleau/itw/bl_jg-interview.htm
Memorably captured in the film Hard XS. [2]
You know you can't try too hard. You can't push too hard, you can't pull too hard. You just have to let it all sort of gently happen. You start trying to control it and you're nowehere.
References
[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/nine_moments_in_the_making_of_hardxs-757
I've never been so stressed seconding something. It should be easy, you're on a top rope.
With Martin Perry. Memorably captured in the film Hard XS. [2]
You know you can't try too hard. You can't push too hard, you can't pull too hard. You just have to let it all sort of gently happen. You start trying to control it and you're nowehere.
References
[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/nine_moments_in_the_making_of_hardxs-757
With Martin Perry. Memorably captured in the film Hard XS. [2]
You know you can't try too hard. You can't push too hard, you can't pull too hard. You just have to let it all sort of gently happen. You start trying to control and you're nowehere.
References
[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/nine_moments_in_the_making_of_hardxs-757