John Dunne
Quick Info ˅
| Nationality: | GB |
| Hardest Sport (Worked): | 9a |
| Hardest Trad (Worked): | E10 |
| Social Media |
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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.
Pics + Vids
The New Statesman (E8, FA)
Total Eclipse (9a, FA)
Ascents
17 recorded ascents.
| Year | Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The New Statesman | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Oct 1987 (approx) |
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https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/933538446712331 |
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| 1988 | The Groove | 8a+ (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) |
| Austrian Oak | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| Predator | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| Magnetic Fields | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| Totally Free | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| 1989 | Cry Freedom | 8c (Lead) | 01 Aug 1989 (approx) | |
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[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192 |
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| Parthian Shot (Pre 2011 Break) | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 19 Sep 1989 | |
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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 |
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| 1990 | ||||
| 1991 | ||||
| 1992 | ||||
| 1993 | ||||
| 1994 | Divided Years | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Sep 1994 (approx) |
| 1995 | Total Eclipse | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1995 (approx) |
| 1996 | The Big Issue | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 May 1996 (approx) |
| 1997 | Loaded | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jun 1997 (approx) |
| 1998 | Carmen Picasso | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1998 (approx) |
| Well Dunne Finish | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1998 (approx) | |
| Widdop Wall | E10 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1998 (approx) | |
| 1999 | ||||
| 2000 | Breathless | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jun 2000 (approx) |
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Eclipse | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1995 (approx) | |
| Cry Freedom | 8c (Lead) | 01 Aug 1989 (approx) | ||
|
[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192 |
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| Totally Free | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| Predator | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| Austrian Oak | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| Magnetic Fields | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| Well Dunne Finish | 8b (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1998 (approx) | |
| The Groove | 8a+ (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1988 (approx) | |
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widdop Wall | E10 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1998 (approx) | |
| Parthian Shot (Pre 2011 Break) | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 19 Sep 1989 | |
|
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 |
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| Divided Years | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Sep 1994 (approx) | |
| The Big Issue | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 May 1996 (approx) | |
| Breathless | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jun 2000 (approx) | E10 |
| Gribin Wall Climb | E9 (Lead) | |||
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Third ascent. |
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| The New Statesman | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Oct 1987 (approx) | |
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https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/933538446712331 |
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| Loaded | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jun 1997 (approx) | |
| Carmen Picasso | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 01 Jan 1998 (approx) | E9 |
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
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