John Dunne

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Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8c+
Hardest Sport (Onsight): 7c+
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
170 contributions since 9th February 2022.
TdG
106 contributions since 12th August 2025.

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8c+
Hardest Sport (Onsight): 7c+
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
170 contributions since 9th February 2022.
TdG
106 contributions since 12th August 2025.

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Ascents

50 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown.
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Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Total Eclipse 8c+ Lead | worked 11th Sep 1995
First ascent.
Third ascent.

References

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192
Totally Free 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Austrian Oak 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Magnetic Fields 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Predator 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.
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?si=g1nTc1J3-LANqdIy&t=321

References

[1] Mountain Issue 132 (1990), page 15 /library/11324/mountain-132

References

[1] Mountain Issue 132 (1990), page 15 /library/11324/mountain-132
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Second ascent.

References

[1] Email exchange, September 2023

[2] On The Edge, issue 114
Cindy Crawford 7C Solo | worked 2000 E8
First ascent.
Three More Reps 7B+ Boulder | worked 1987
First ascent.
Super Set 7B+ Boulder | worked 1987
First ascent.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
First ascent. Around 15 sessions. Third go.

John top roped the route within 40 minutes on his first visit, finding it similar in difficulty to Austrian Oak. He then spent another 12-15 sessions on the route. Believing the flake would not hold a fall, he was rescued on two lead attempts. All gear was placed on lead, with the rope to the runner in Brooks Crack dropped at the half way point to save weight. (2)

He graded the route HXS 7a, with others touting a grade of E10.

There was scepticism from some at the time that John had actually climbed the route, suggesting that the photographs were staged; 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?t=1448

[2] ‘Peak Rock’ p.276

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?t=2324
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?si=3a0hFWT-Xbwoopyd&t=1993
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/3D0Mp0RrQRA?t=921
First ascent.

References

[1] Climber July 1997, page 5
Third ascent.

Reported as the second ascent [1], unclear whether this was a typo and Neil Gresham actually made the second or third ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 71, page 73
Widdop Wall E9 Lead | worked 1998
First ascent.
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
Countdown to Disaster E8 Lead | worked 1986
First ascent.
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
Requiem E8 Lead | worked 1989
Second ascent.
Reservoir Dogs E8 Lead | worked 1995
Second ascent.
First ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 67, page 8

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
Carmen Picasso E8 Lead | worked 1998 E9
First ascent.
Second ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 92, page 11

[2] One the Edge Issue 91, page 11

John suggested a grade of HXS
End of the Affair E8 Lead | worked
Tolerance E8 Lead | worked E7
First ascent.

References

[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone

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.

First repeat after loss of a pebble
Second ascent.

John was straight in for a repeat after seeing the route written up the Stoney new routes book.

References

[1] Mountain Issue 109, page 19 /library/11131/mountain-109
Snap Decision E7 Lead | worked Jun 1986
First ascent.
Over the Top E7 Lead | worked 15th Jan 1989
First ascent.
Mean Streak E6 Solo | onsight Between 1st Jan 1985 and 31st Dec 1986
Life Assurance E6 Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Eternal E6 Lead | worked 1995
First ascent.
First ascent.

References

[1] Hard Grit (1998)
First ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 88, page 79
First free ascent.

John's last significant new route.

Aged 14

References

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