John Dunne

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Quick Info

Nationality: GB
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: remus (32 contributions since 09 Feb 2022)
Added on 14th November 2020. Last updated on 12th October 2024.

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
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: remus (32 contributions since 09 Feb 2022)
Added on 14th November 2020. Last updated on 12th October 2024.

Lists


Pics + Vids

Wellington Crack (E4)
Added at 11:07 on 15 July 2024
Divided Years (E9, FA)
Added at 08:07 on 15 July 2024
End of the Affair (E8)
Added at 19:12 on 24 December 2023
Breach of the Peace (8a, FA)
Added at 08:07 on 15 July 2024
Parthian Shot (Pre 2011 Break) (E9, FA)
Added at 08:07 on 15 July 2024
The New Statesman (E8, FA)
Added at 08:07 on 15 July 2024
The Big Issue (E9, FA)
Added at 12:07 on 15 July 2024
Gerty Berwick (E9)
Added at 12:07 on 15 July 2024
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

29 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 Date
1980 Wellington Crack E4 Solo | repeat 1980s
1981
1982
1983
1984
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
Totally Free 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Predator 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Magnetic Fields 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Austrian Oak 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
The Groove 8a+ Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Breach of the Peace 8a Lead | worked 1988
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.

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

1990 Gerty Berwick E9 Top Rope | did not finish 1990s
1991
1992
1993 Militia 8a+ Lead | worked 1993
First ascent.
1994 Divided Years E9 Lead | worked Sep 1994
1995 Eternal E6 Lead | worked 1995
First ascent.
Total Eclipse 9a Lead | worked 1995
First ascent.
1996 The Big Issue E9 Lead | worked May 1996
First ascent.

References

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

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 E9 Lead | worked 1998
First ascent.
Carmen Picasso E8 Lead | worked 1998
First ascent.
1999
2000 Cindy Crawford 7C Solo | worked 2000
First ascent.
Breathless E9 Lead | worked 26th Jun 2000
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

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

Totally Free 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Predator 8b Lead | worked 1988
First ascent.
Magnetic Fields 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
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
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
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
Eternal E6 Lead | worked 1995
First ascent.
Wellington Crack E4 Solo | repeat 1980s
Oedipus! Ring Your Mother E4 Solo | repeat 1988
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade