Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
4188 Climbers
8108 Climbs
21585 Ascents
Featured
Joe Brown
Born in 1930, Joe Brown was one of the pivotal figures in post-war climbing in the UK. In the 1950s and 60s, and alongside contemporaries such as Don Whillans, he pushed the standard of rock climbing in the UK to new levels with the first ascents of classic routes such as Cemetery Gates (E1), Great Slab (E3) and The Great Crack (E3). Joe's routes frequently ventured into territory that was previously considered off-limits, often tackling bold and uncompromising features with minimal protection.
Brown was also an accomplished alpinist, establishing some of the more challenging routes of the day.
In 1955, Brown, along with George Band made the first ascent of Kangchenjunga (8586m), the third highest mountain in the world. This was the highest summit reached by a Briton at the time; Brown’s route took in an overhanging crack in the final wall and was probably the hardest climbing done at super-high altitude until the Mt. Everest South West Face expedition in 1975. [1]
An epic attempt on The Mustagh Tower followed in 1956, with treacherous snow conditions forcing retreat just short of the main summit.
In 1975, Brown led an expedition to Trango Tower, which was curtailed by Martin Boysen’s harrowing knee-jamming episode. The team returned the following year to make the first ascent, setting a new bench mark for continuously hard rock climbing at high altitude.
Other expeditions included Alaska, Ethiopia, Guyana, Iran, Morocco, the Pamirs, the Peruvian Andes and other Himalayan objectives, including two attempts on Everest.
In the 1960s, Brown was the star of several BBC outside broadcasts, most memorably The Old Man of Hoy.
It is sometimes suggested that Brown invented jamming. Though he refuted this as 'baloney' [4], he certainly employed the technique to great effect on many of his new routes.
His technical mastery is recounted by Jim Perrin:
With all the other greats of my time, I could understand how they climbed: fitness, physique, supple gymnasticism or sheer application. With Brown, there was something else at work. He was quite short, not heavily built, his muscles corded rather than developed, his movement smooth and deliberate. When I climbed with him, sometimes I would watch the way he made a move, copy it when I came to that point, and his way, that he had seen instantly, would be the least obvious and most immediately right. He was climbing's supreme craftsman, unerringly aware of the medium. [3]
References
[1] An extended biography written by Ollie Burrows is available here https://www.theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/joe-brown-biography including a list of many of Joe's first ascents.
[3] Obituary on UKClimbing written by Jim Perrin.
[4] Interview with Johnny Dawes, Best Forgotten Art, 1996.
Born in 1930, Joe Brown was one of the pivotal figures in post-war climbing in the UK. In the 1950s and 60s, and alongside contemporaries such as Don Whillans, he pushed the standard of rock climbing in the UK to new levels with the first ascents of classic routes such as Cemetery Gates (E1), Great Slab (E3) and The Great Crack (E3). Joe's routes frequently ventured into territory that was previously considered off-limits, often tackling bold and uncompromising features with minimal protection.
Brown was also an accomplished alpinist, establishing some of the more challenging routes of the day.
In 1955, Brown, along with George Band made the first ascent of Kangchenjunga (8586m), the third highest mountain in the world. This was the highest summit reached by a Briton at the time; Brown’s route took in an overhanging crack in the final wall and was probably the hardest climbing done at super-high altitude until the Mt. Everest South West Face expedition in 1975. [1]
An epic attempt on The Mustagh Tower followed in 1956, with treacherous snow conditions forcing retreat just short of the main summit.
In 1975, Brown led an expedition to Trango Tower, which was curtailed by Martin Boysen’s harrowing knee-jamming episode. The team returned the following year to make the first ascent, setting a new bench mark for continuously hard rock climbing at high altitude.
Other expeditions included Alaska, Ethiopia, Guyana, Iran, Morocco, the Pamirs, the Peruvian Andes and other Himalayan objectives, including two attempts on Everest.
In the 1960s, Brown was the star of several BBC outside broadcasts, most memorably The Old Man of Hoy.
It is sometimes suggested that Brown invented jamming. Though he refuted this as 'baloney' [4], he certainly employed the technique to great effect on many of his new routes.
His technical mastery is recounted by Jim Perrin:
With all the other greats of my time, I could understand how they climbed: fitness, physique, supple gymnasticism or sheer application. With Brown, there was something else at work. He was quite short, not heavily built, his muscles corded rather than developed, his movement smooth and deliberate. When I climbed with him, sometimes I would watch the way he made a move, copy it when I came to that point, and his way, that he had seen instantly, would be the least obvious and most immediately right. He was climbing's supreme craftsman, unerringly aware of the medium. [3]
References
[1] An extended biography written by Ollie Burrows is available here https://www.theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/joe-brown-biography including a list of many of Joe's first ascents.
[3] Obituary on UKClimbing written by Jim Perrin.
[4] Interview with Johnny Dawes, Best Forgotten Art, 1996.
Pics + Vids
Featuring 10486 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Shauna Coxsey on Forever More SDS 8A+
Katie Lamb on Hide and Sick 8B+
Thorben Bloem on The Big Island 8C
Steve McClure on Nightmayer E8
Adam Ondra on Imothep (assis) ~ 9A+ project
Aidan Roberts on Gaston LeGume 8B+
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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 4260 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Sean Bailey on The Enormocast (2019)
- Kenny Suh on The Testpiece Podcast (2025)
- Brian Nugent on Sickos Social Club (2025)
- Steph Abegg on The Ground Up Podcast (2026)
Library
Featuring 16099 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- The Hills Have Allies (2016) Film
- Alpine Journal 1890 Vol 15 222-226 Alpine Notes (1890) Journal
- Snowdon South (1970) Guidebook
Recent updates
From the editorial notes in the Climbers' Club journal (1904)
BOTTERIL'S CLIMB.—Some climbers who made an attempt on 'Botteril's Climb,' Scawfell, most strongly advise that it be left alone. It is impossible to belay or assist the leader in any way. If, however, anyone wishes to try it with a rope from above (and preferably from below as well to prevent a swing out on the face), this may be done by letting 100 ft. down from a grass platform at the top of the great slab, and a little below the pinnacle on the 'Keswick Brothers' Climb.' [1]
References
[1] Climbers' Club 1904 Vol.6 No.23 (1904) /library/7446/climbers-club-1904-vol.6-no.23-journal
References
[1] Climbers' Club 1904 Vol.6 No.23 (1904) /library/7446/climbers-club-1904-vol.6-no.23-journal
THE accident of Boxing Day, 1903, has deprived the Climbers' Club, not only of a promising recruit, but of a man of rare character. Alexander Goodall was one of those who insensibly and unobtrusively win the esteem and affection of all who have the privilege of associating with them. Young as he was, he had already left his impress on the community in which he lived, and the spontaneous tributes of regret and respect which came from the pulpits of St. John's and Crosthwaite churches may be taken as the expression of the feelings of Keswick.
On the 26th December last Mr. Goodall made the ascent of Scawfell Pinnacle, by the Slingsby Chimney, in company with Mr. F. Botterill, of Leeds. It may be remembered that at Whitsuntide, 1903, Mr. Botterill did two pioneer climbs, one of first class severity, on Scawfell, besides leading up Savage Gully.
Having completed the climb, the two walked to the Scawfell Cairn to watch the sunset, and then returned, intending to descend by the easy Deep Ghyll.
Deep Ghyll is a vast chasm which cuts deeply into the Scawfell Crags on the west side of the Pinnacle. It is broken by two well defined, imposing pitches, and at the top it bifurcates. The bed of the western branch is somewhat concave in shape. The east branch was full of snow lying at a steep angle. Some distance down there was a patch of bare scree.
Mr. Goodall, who was evidently unused to snow and ice work, took the ice-axe and attempted to glissade down the steep snow-slope at the head of the gully. He appears to have lost his footing and come to a momentary halt in a sitting posture at the patch of scree. Here he lost his grasp of the axe, and, being unable to regain his footing, slid downwards and fell over the rocks into Lord's Rake, being killed instantly in his fall.
Mr. Botterill was now in a terrible position. He had no axe, darkness was coming on apace, and his nerves must have been terribly shaken. He first endeavoured to find the exit of Lord's Rake, but, failing to do this, he returned to Deep Ghyll. He then kicked steps down to the scree patch, where he was fortunate enough to find the ice-axe which Mr. Goodall had driven deeply in. Then, with great caution, he succeeded in cutting his way down to Lord's Rake. The total descent occupied three hours. It was a fine feat of skill and coolness under trying circumstances.
The folly of glissading in such places as Deep Ghyll, where a slip must involve the risk of disastrous consequences, cannot be too strongly condemned. To quote from a well-known authority on snowcraft*:—'The delights of a glissade must not be indulged in without careful reference to two things—first, the condition of the slope; and next, the state of the ground below it. It is never safe to glissade down any slope where the progress cannot be very quickly arrested. Where cracks are seen on the surface, or where rocks jut up through the snow, a glissade is not safe, and on an icy slope is mere foolhardiness; for here the traveller can neither control his pace nor arrest his descent, . . . Glissading down a gully, however good the condition of the snow, is seldom prudent.'
Mr. Dent in the Badminton Mountaineering*.
References
[1] Climbers' Club 1904 Vol.6 No.23 (1904) /library/7446/climbers-club-1904-vol.6-no.23-journal
References
[1] Climbers' Club 1904 Vol.6 No.23 (1904) /library/7446/climbers-club-1904-vol.6-no.23-journal
References
[1] Climbers' Club 1904 Vol.6 No.23 (1904) /library/7446/climbers-club-1904-vol.6-no.23-journal