John Dunne

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Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a
Hardest Trad (Worked): E9
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7

John Dunne is a British climber who established many hard, high quality sport and trad routes in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s. In particular routes like Austrian Oak and Magnetic Fields at Malham Cove were some of the hardest in the UK at the time.

John also put up many excellent trad routes. For example The New Statesman at Ilkley included very difficult climbing in a dangerous position and was one of the hardest routes on gritstone when it was put up.

John's climbing attracted a degree of controversy with some not believing his claimed ascents, though these doubts now appear to be unfounded.

References

[1] Interview with Adrian Berry March 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20061022044419/http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=466

[2] John Dunne - The Big Issue 1996 film by Sid Perou

Contributors
40 contributions since 9th February 2022.

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a
Hardest Trad (Worked): E9
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7

John Dunne is a British climber who established many hard, high quality sport and trad routes in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s. In particular routes like Austrian Oak and Magnetic Fields at Malham Cove were some of the hardest in the UK at the time.

John also put up many excellent trad routes. For example The New Statesman at Ilkley included very difficult climbing in a dangerous position and was one of the hardest routes on gritstone when it was put up.

John's climbing attracted a degree of controversy with some not believing his claimed ascents, though these doubts now appear to be unfounded.

References

[1] Interview with Adrian Berry March 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20061022044419/http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=466

[2] John Dunne - The Big Issue 1996 film by Sid Perou

Contributors
40 contributions since 9th February 2022.

Lists

Library

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

33 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown. Use the other tabs to view these ascents.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Total Eclipse 9a Lead | worked 1995
First ascent.
Cry Freedom 8c Lead | worked Aug 1989

References

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192
Predator 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Magnetic Fields 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Totally Free 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Austrian Oak 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Well Dunne Finish 8b Lead | worked 1st May 1988
First ascent.
The Groove 8a+ Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Militia 8a+ Lead | worked 1993
First ascent.
Breach of the Peace 8a Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?si=g1nTc1J3-LANqdIy&t=321
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Careless Torque 8A Boulder | worked 1989
Second ascent.

References

[1] Email exchange, September 2023

[2] On The Edge, issue 114
Cindy Crawford 7C Solo | worked 2000 E8
First ascent.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Parthian Shot (Pre 2011 Break) E9 Lead | worked 19th Sep 1989
First ascent.

There was a lot of skepticism at the time that John had actually climbed the route but this has subsequently turned out to be baseless.

References

[1] John repeating the route on top rope for John Dunne - The Big Issue around 1996 https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?si=O0-K0PQ0XcHj-U7e&t=1448
Divided Years E9 Lead | worked Sep 1994 E10
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?si=3a0hFWT-Xbwoopyd&t=1993
The Big Issue E9 Lead | worked May 1996
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?t=921
Widdop Wall E9 Lead | worked 1998
First ascent.
Breathless E9 Lead | worked 26th Jun 2000 E10
First ascent.

I've never had to put so much effort into a route before - regularly slogging up to the crag and then having to go to work was so tiring. I tried bivvying below the crag but I was too knackered in the morning. [1]

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 100, page 10
Gerty Berwick E9 Top Rope | did not finish 1990s

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?t=2324
Gribin Wall Climb E9 Lead | worked Between 24th May 1997 and 1st Sep 2016
Third ascent.
Countdown to Disaster E8 Lead | worked 1986
First ascent.
The New Statesman E8 Lead | worked Oct 1987
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?si=ctJ66ts-BZoeifUs&t=832

[2] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/933538446712331
Loaded E8 Lead | worked Jun 1997
First ascent.
Carmen Picasso E8 Lead | worked 1998 E9
First ascent.
Tolerance E8 Lead | worked E7
First ascent.
The Quarryman E8 Lead | worked Before 1st Jan 1998

John climbed the top two pitches only, incorrectly believing the lower pitches two have been significantly affected by rockfall.

Neil Gresham:

John had been misled by a 'grapevine rumour' that the bottom two pitches had been destroyed by rockfalls. I informed him that they still existed in perfectly climbable form (apart from the second bolt on pitch one, which fortunately has a good nut slot right next to it). [1]

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 71, page 15
Impact Day E8 Lead | worked Jul 1999 E8
Second ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 92, page 11

[2] One the Edge Issue 91, page 11
End of the Affair E8 Lead | worked
Marrow Bone Jelly E7 Solo | onsight 1985

References

[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone
Strawberries E7 Lead | yo-yo 1985

I fell of the crux onsight putting the gear in in 1985 lowered off and did it after 3 attempts, yo yo style. I then returned a week later leading the route and putting all the gear in in one push. This was the first time all the gear had been put in on lead and the route done in this fashion.
Eternal E6 Lead | worked 1995
First ascent.
Outspan E6 Lead | worked 1999
First ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 88, page 79
Wellington Crack E4 Solo | repeat 1980s

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?t=188
Oedipus! Ring Your Mother E4 Solo | repeat 1988
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade