John Dunne

Instagram.com | johndunneclimbing.com

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a
Hardest Trad (Worked): E10
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

Contributors: remus

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a
Hardest Trad (Worked): E10
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

Contributors: remus

Lists


Pics + Vids

End of the Affair (E8)
Added at 19:12 on 24 December 2023
The New Statesman (E8, FA)
Added at 18:02 on 27 February 2021
Total Eclipse (9a, FA)
Added at 22:02 on 06 February 2022
Oedipus! Ring Your Mother (E4)
Added at 15:08 on 30 August 2022
Wellington Crack (E4)
Added at 15:08 on 30 August 2022
The New Statesman (E8, FA)
Added at 15:08 on 30 August 2022
Strawberries (E7)
Added at 17:08 on 30 August 2022

Ascents

25 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown. Use the other tabs to view these ascents.
Year Climb Grade Style Ascent Date
1985 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.

Marrow Bone Jelly E7 Solo | onsight 1985
1986
1987 The New Statesman E8 Lead | worked Oct 1987
1988 Oedipus! Ring Your Mother E4 Solo | repeat 1988
Austrian Oak 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Totally Free 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Magnetic Fields 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Predator 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
The Groove 8a+ Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Well Dunne Finish 8b Lead | worked 1st May 1988
First ascent.
1989 Careless Torque 8A Boulder | worked 1989
Second ascent.

References

[1] Email exchange, September 2023

[2] On The Edge, issue 114

Cry Freedom 8c Lead | worked Aug 1989

References

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192

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.

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.115413049915581/115413303248889

1990
1991
1992
1993 Militia 8a+ Lead | worked 1993
First ascent.
1994 Divided Years E9 Lead | worked Sep 1994
First ascent.
1995 Total Eclipse 9a Lead | worked 1995
First ascent.
1996 The Big Issue E9 Lead | worked May 1996
First ascent.
1997 Gribin Wall Climb E9 Lead | worked Between 24th May 1997 and 1st Sep 2016
Third ascent.
Loaded E8 Lead | worked Jun 1997
First ascent.
1998 Widdop Wall E10 Lead | worked 1998
First ascent.
Carmen Picasso E8 Lead | worked 1998
First ascent.
1999
2000 Breathless E9 Lead | worked Jun 2000
First ascent.
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

Austrian Oak 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Totally Free 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.
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

Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Widdop Wall E10 Lead | worked 1998
First ascent.
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.

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.115413049915581/115413303248889

Divided Years E9 Lead | worked Sep 1994 E10
First ascent.
The Big Issue E9 Lead | worked May 1996
First ascent.
Breathless E9 Lead | worked Jun 2000 E10
First ascent.
Gribin Wall Climb E9 Lead | worked Between 24th May 1997 and 1st Sep 2016
Third ascent.
The New Statesman E8 Lead | worked Oct 1987
Loaded E8 Lead | worked Jun 1997
First ascent.
Carmen Picasso E8 Lead | worked 1998 E9
First ascent.
Tolerance E8 Lead | worked E7
First ascent.
End of the Affair E8 Lead | worked
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.

Marrow Bone Jelly E7 Solo | onsight 1985
Oedipus! Ring Your Mother E4 Solo | repeat 1988
Wellington Crack E4 Solo | repeat

Late 80s?

Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade