| From | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 |
| Date of death | 22nd May 2007 |
| Gender | Male |
Leicestershire climber and guidebook author, founder of Cordee.
Iain McKenzie:
A number of people have contacted me at the wall asking if the rumours were true. It is with great regret that I must report they are true, Ken Vickers died on Tuesday.
I personally only knew Ken through my contact with the Midlands BMC and I had the upmost respect and admiration for the man. He was somewhat of an inspiration and flew the flag for Climbing in Leicestershire and further a field for many years with most of his activity taking place in the 1960’s.
It was Ken’s pressure at a BMC meeting some 18 months ago that lead to me staring to look into the prospect of producing a Leicestershire Guide Book and from the meeting with some 30+ people on Monday night, I can only say he was right, there is interest in a new guide book.
I am sure we will have many opportunities in the coming days, months and years to remember Ken, if on the end of a rope cleaning one of his routes or stood trembling on one of his classics like Sailaway in the Brand or Virago at Craig Buddon, remembering him for all that he meant to us, a community of climbers in Leicestershire.
It cannot be overstated or captured in words alone. But for the moment, the finest tribute we can give is to continue to do the work he loved so much and inspired us to do in the writing of the Leicestershire Guide Book and dedicate the book to Ken to make sure his enthusiasm and dedication to local climbing is remembered and not forgotten.
Richard Robinson, director of Cordee said, "It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Ken Vickers earlier this week."
"Ken was an active Leicestershire climber and was a member of several local and national guidebook committees."
"It was Ken’s involvement with climbing guidebook production which is perhaps his most enduring legacy and he should be remembered as one of the main reasons why climbing guidebooks are available today."
"He also lives on through Cordee – the Leicester based book distributor which he founded over 30 years ago. We knew Ken locally through the Bowline Climbing Club and he was helping with a forthcoming new edition of his guidebook Leicestershire Climbs in conjunction with the BMC."
"Ken leaves a family he can be proud of and our thoughts are with them, in particular June and his two sons James and Simon."
Ken was the guiding light for the early Leicestershire Climbing Activists and leaves a legacy which will continues to inspire. [1]
[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ken_vickers-244169