Dave Birkett

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8b
Hardest Trad (Worked): E10
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E8

A prolific force in the Lake District in the UK, establishing many hard and bold trad lines throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Contributors: remus

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8b
Hardest Trad (Worked): E10
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E8

A prolific force in the Lake District in the UK, establishing many hard and bold trad lines throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Contributors: remus

Lists

Podcasts

Pics + Vids

Welcome to the Cruel World (E9, FA)
Added at 19:12 on 24 December 2023
© Mark Glaister
Caution (E8, FA)
Added at 21:12 on 24 December 2023
© Mark Glaister
I Got Horribly Sober (8b, FA)
Added at 19:03 on 04 March 2024
© Bill Birkett
Stefan Grossman SDS (8A, FA)
Added at 17:04 on 15 April 2024
© Dave Birkett
Missing (E7)
Added at 12:05 on 07 May 2023
Return of the King (E9, FA)
Added at 12:05 on 07 May 2023
Return of the King (E9, FA)
Added at 12:05 on 07 May 2023
Talbot Horizon (E9, FA)
View this post on Instagram

Added at 15:04 on 15 April 2021
Skye Wall (E7, FA)
Added at 12:05 on 07 May 2023

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
1991 Unrighteous Doctors 7c+ Lead | worked 1991
First ascent.
1992 If 6 was 9 E9 Lead | worked 1992
First ascent.
Hellish E8 Lead | worked 14th Jul 1992
First ascent.
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000 Stefan Grossman SDS 8A Boulder | worked 2000
First ascent.

Withe special permission from the farmer as the boulder was foot and mouth banned at the time. [1]

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 107, page 14.
Throw Another Sheep on the Fire E7 Lead | worked 24th Mar 2000
First ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 108, page 11.
Talbot Horizon E9 Lead | worked 27th Jul 2000
First ascent.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNsRi1XDU5z/
2001 I Got Horribly Sober 8b Lead | worked 2001
First ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge issue 110, page 11
2002 Welcome to the Cruel World E9 Lead | worked 2002
First ascent.
2003 Fear of Failure E8 Lead | onsight 2003

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2003/09/birkett_on-sights_e8_in_lakes-8983
2004 Breathless E9 Lead | worked 2004
Second ascent.
2005 Nowt Burra Flee'in Thing E8 Lead | worked May 2005
First ascent.
Divided Years E9 Lead | worked Aug 2005
Second ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2005/08/birkett_repeats_divided_years-19542
2006 Return of the King E9 Lead | worked 2006
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz3f4J569xQ

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VTkaE0cnW8
Missing E7 Lead | worked Before 1st Oct 2006

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltUNBEtudyg
2007 Skye Wall E7 Lead | worked 2007
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeVzZDbg3eY
Hasty Sin Oot Ert Hoonds? E9 Lead | worked 20th Jul 2007
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2007/07/new_dave_birkett_e9_-_the_real_mccoy-38671
2008 My Piano E8 Lead | onsight 22nd May 2008
2009
2010 The Walk of Life E9 Lead | worked 2010
Third ascent.

When everything settles down as regards the grade and the hype that surrounds it, it will be heralded as a modern extreme classic of the 21st Century.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/05/birkett_repeats_the_walk_of_life_-_full_story-53538
Once Upon a Time in the Southwest E9 Lead | worked Nov 2010
First ascent.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/11/birkett_strikes_again_in_the_southwest-58697
2011
2012
2013 Psykovsky's Sequins E9 Lead | worked 8th Aug 2013

Dave suggested E8 after finding (and testing!) a filed down slider to protect the route.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/08/birkett_repeats_cooksons_route_and_rescues_sheep-68270
2014 To Hell and Back E10 Lead | worked 2014

Date is a bit of a guess based on this interview with Natalie Berry from UKC https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/dave_birkett_the_weekend_warrior-8532
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
I Got Horribly Sober 8b Lead | worked 2001
First ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge issue 110, page 11
Unrighteous Doctors 7c+ Lead | worked 1991
First ascent.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Stefan Grossman SDS 8A Boulder | worked 2000
First ascent.

Withe special permission from the farmer as the boulder was foot and mouth banned at the time. [1]

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 107, page 14.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
To Hell and Back E10 Lead | worked 2014

Date is a bit of a guess based on this interview with Natalie Berry from UKC https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/dave_birkett_the_weekend_warrior-8532
Die by the Drop E10 Lead | worked

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/dave_birkett_the_weekend_warrior-8532
If 6 was 9 E9 Lead | worked 1992
First ascent.
Talbot Horizon E9 Lead | worked 27th Jul 2000
First ascent.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNsRi1XDU5z/
Welcome to the Cruel World E9 Lead | worked 2002
First ascent.
Return of the King E9 Lead | worked 2006 E9
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz3f4J569xQ

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VTkaE0cnW8
Hasty Sin Oot Ert Hoonds? E9 Lead | worked 20th Jul 2007
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2007/07/new_dave_birkett_e9_-_the_real_mccoy-38671
Once Upon a Time in the Southwest E9 Lead | worked Nov 2010
First ascent.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/11/birkett_strikes_again_in_the_southwest-58697
Breathless E9 Lead | worked 2004
Second ascent.
Divided Years E9 Lead | worked Aug 2005
Second ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2005/08/birkett_repeats_divided_years-19542
The Walk of Life E9 Lead | worked 2010 E9
Third ascent.

When everything settles down as regards the grade and the hype that surrounds it, it will be heralded as a modern extreme classic of the 21st Century.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/05/birkett_repeats_the_walk_of_life_-_full_story-53538
Psykovsky's Sequins E9 Lead | worked 8th Aug 2013 E8

Dave suggested E8 after finding (and testing!) a filed down slider to protect the route.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/08/birkett_repeats_cooksons_route_and_rescues_sheep-68270
Hellish E8 Lead | worked 14th Jul 1992
First ascent.
Nowt Burra Flee'in Thing E8 Lead | worked May 2005
First ascent.
Caution E8 Lead | worked
First ascent.
Impact Day E8 Lead | worked
First ascent.
Fear of Failure E8 Lead | onsight 2003

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2003/09/birkett_on-sights_e8_in_lakes-8983
My Piano E8 Lead | onsight 22nd May 2008
Throw Another Sheep on the Fire E7 Lead | worked 24th Mar 2000
First ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 108, page 11.
Skye Wall E7 Lead | worked 2007
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeVzZDbg3eY
Peppered Boursin E7 Lead | worked
First ascent.
Missing E7 Lead | worked Before 1st Oct 2006

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltUNBEtudyg
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade