John Allen
Quick Info ˅
| Nationality: | GB |
| Date of birth: | 16th November 1958 |
| Date of death: | 18th May 2020 |
| Hardest Boulder (Worked): | 7C |
| Hardest Trad (Worked): | E7 |
| Hardest Trad (Onsight): | E5 |
John was a prolific and gifted climber who established a host of hard, classic routes on his local gritstone crags in the peak district.
Lines that had been eyed up by many fell to this prodigious young talent. He climbed Old Friends when he was just 14 and continued adding quality new first ascents from there, such as Hairless Heart, White Wand, Profit of Doom and London Wall which were climbed within a 2 week period at age 16!
While later climbers pushed the numbers up John added a plethora of high quality lines such as West Side Story at Burbage West.
References
[1] Obituary on UKClimbing.com by Graham Hoey, 27th May 2020 https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/the_day_the_music_died_-_remembering_john_allen-12803
Podcasts
Pics + Vids
Shirley's Shining Temple (7C, FA)
Edge Lane (E5)
Ascents
24 recorded ascents.
| Year | Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Old Friends | E4 | Lead | worked | 1973 |
|
First ascent.
|
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| 1974 | ||||
| 1975 | White Wand | E5 | Lead | worked | 1975 |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Moon Crack | E5 | Lead | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Hairless Heart | E5 | Lead | worked | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Great Wall | E4 | Lead | worked | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| The Knock | E4 | Solo | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Profit of Doom | E4 | Lead | worked | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Suspense | E2 | Lead | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| London Wall | E5 | Lead | worked | Jul 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
References[1] On The Edge Issue 107, page 47. |
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| 1976 | Pebble Mill | E5 | Lead | worked | 1976 |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Strapadictomy | E5 | Lead | worked | 1976 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Moon Walk | E4 | Lead | 1976 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Not to be Taken Away | 6C | Boulder | worked | 1976 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| 1977 | ||||
| 1978 | ||||
| 1979 | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| 1981 | ||||
| 1982 | ||||
| 1983 | Wall of Sound | E6 | Lead | worked | 1983 |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Pacific Ocean Wall Direct | E7 | Lead | worked | 15th Jun 1983 | |
|
First ascent.
With side runners. |
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| 1984 | Shirley's Shining Temple | 7C | Boulder | worked | 1984 |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| 1985 | Lost World | E6 | Lead | worked | 1985 |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| The Jackalope | 7A | Boulder | worked | 1985 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| 1986 | Indian Summer | E6 | Lead | worked | 1986 |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| 1987 | Chip Show Brawl | 7A+ | Boulder | worked | 1987 |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|
| Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirley's Shining Temple | 7C | Boulder | worked | 1984 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| West Side Story | 7B+ | Boulder | worked | ||
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Chip Show Brawl | 7A+ | Boulder | worked | 1987 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| The Sphinx | 7A+ | Boulder | worked | ||
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| The Jackalope | 7A | Boulder | worked | 1985 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Not to be Taken Away | 6C | Boulder | worked | 1976 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Ocean Wall Direct | E7 | Lead | worked | 15th Jun 1983 | |
|
First ascent.
With side runners. |
||||
| Wall of Sound | E6 | Lead | worked | 1983 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Lost World | E6 | Lead | worked | 1985 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Indian Summer | E6 | Lead | worked | 1986 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| White Wand | E5 | Lead | worked | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Moon Crack | E5 | Lead | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Hairless Heart | E5 | Lead | worked | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| London Wall | E5 | Lead | worked | Jul 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
References[1] On The Edge Issue 107, page 47. |
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| Pebble Mill | E5 | Lead | worked | 1976 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Strapadictomy | E5 | Lead | worked | 1976 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Edge Lane | E5 | Lead | onsight | ||
| Old Friends | E4 | Lead | worked | 1973 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Great Wall | E4 | Lead | worked | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| The Knock | E4 | Solo | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Profit of Doom | E4 | Lead | worked | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Moon Walk | E4 | Lead | 1976 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| Suspense | E2 | Lead | 1975 | |
|
First ascent.
|
||||
| The Dangler | E2 | Lead | worked | ||
|
Age 12! |
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| Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|