Johnny Dawes is very influential in British climbing, particularly in the 1980s and particularly in the Peak District and North Wales. Alongside contemporaries such as Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon he helped take over the mantel from the likes of Ron Fawcett and pushed the standards in trad climbing to new levels, culminating in his ascent of Indian Face on Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (Cloggy).
Whilst Johnny's trad climbing was cutting edge he did not embrace sport climbing in the way that many did in the early 90s, though he did still climb up to 8b+, a very respectable level for the time.
[1] Interview with Niall Grimes and Nick Dixon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU
[2] Features in 80's Birth of Extreme
[3] Interview for the film Stone Monkey, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q
46 recorded ascents.
Year | Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | Downhill Racer Direct | 7A+ (Boulder) | ✓ | 1982 |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116578176465735/116579446465608 |
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1983 | Monopoly | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 1983 |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116578176465735/116580406465512 |
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1984 | Adam Smith's Invisible Hand | E6 (Lead) | ✓ | 1984 |
The Salmon | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 1984 | |
Ulysses' Bow | E6 (Solo Onsight) | April 1984 | ||
1985 | The Meltdown | 9a (Lead Did not finish) | 1985 | |
Johnny put in some excellent links (estimated to be in the 8c/+ range) way back in the day, when 9a would have been the hardest climbing in the world. |
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A Fist Full of Crystals | E6 (Solo Onsight) | 1985 | ||
References[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone https://www.thebmc.co.uk/Download.aspx?id=139 |
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Offspring | E5 (Lead) | ✓ | 24th April 1985 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.150023826454503/150024366454449 |
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Perplexity | E6 (Lead) | ✓ | 9th July 1985 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.150023826454503/150024903121062 |
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Dawes of Perception | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 23rd October 1985 | |
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117799383010281&set=a.117799293010290 |
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1986 | Come to Mother | E7 (Lead Onsight) | ✓ | 1986 |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995939790625 |
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Slab and Crack | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 1986 | |
Beau Geste | E7 (Lead Flash) | 1986 | ||
References[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone https://www.thebmc.co.uk/Download.aspx?id=139 [2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31629.msg649897.html#msg649897 |
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Piece Of Mind | E6 (Solo Did not finish) | 1986 | ||
Johnny fell of the last move on the onsight but remarkably walked away unscathed! |
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Art Nouveau | E6 (Solo Onsight) | 1986 | ||
Gaia | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | March 1986 | |
An impressive effort after minimal top rope practice. |
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Coeur de Lion | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 12th March 1986 | |
Originally given E6! https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997203123832 https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997303123822 |
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Conan the Librarian | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 21st July 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802133010006&set=a.117799293010290 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802409676645&set=a.117799293010290 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802443009975&set=a.117799293010290 |
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The Medium | 8a (Lead) | ✓ | 24th July 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802186343334&set=a.117799293010290 |
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Janus | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 27th July 1986 | |
Johnny initially graded it E7 7a because he thought the groove looked like two 7s. |
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End of the Affair | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 7th September 1986 | |
The Quarryman | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 10th September 1986 | |
Johnny climbed the first 2 pitches on the 10th september and the second two pitches on the 11th september. He alter climbed the route in a single push. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLyF8zcP674 https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995749790644 |
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The Fire Escape | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 22nd September 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995929790626 |
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The Hollow Man | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 2nd October 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149996006457285 |
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Indian Face | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 4th October 1986 | |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMX4NAw0NSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNb5_PYRhQA https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149996096457276 |
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Windows of Perception | E6 (Lead) | ✓ | 24th October 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117799339676952&set=a.117799293010290 |
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1987 | Rupert Road | E6 (Lead Onsight) | ✓ | 29th April 1987 |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997903123762 |
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Llanberies | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 5th May 1987 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997963123756 |
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Clap Please | E7 (Lead) | 8th May 1987 | ||
Johnny thought E6 6c. |
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1988 | Hardback Thesaurus | E8 (Lead Ground up) | ✓ | 15th May 1988 |
1989 | ||||
1990 | The Very Big and the Very Small | 8b+ (Lead) | ✓ | 1990 |
1991 | Tabou Zizi | 8b (Lead) | Before 1st January 1991 | |
Pre-1991. [1] [1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192 |
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1992 | ||||
1993 | ||||
1994 | Jumpin' on a Beetle | E6 (Solo) | ✓ | 1994 |
The Angle's Share | 7C (Boulder) | ✓ | 19th June 1994 | |
Originally climbed without pads at E8. https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.115413049915581/115414339915452 |
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1995 | Face Mecca | E9 (Lead) | 1995 | |
Avoiding the Traitors | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 1995 | |
The Salmon | E7 (Lead Repeat) | 1995 | ||
Reclimbed after the loss of an important pebble. |
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1996 | ||||
1997 | ||||
1998 | ||||
1999 | ||||
2000 | ||||
2001 | ||||
2002 | ||||
2003 | Zen Boy | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | September 2003 |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.143839010406318/143839717072914 |
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Drummond Base | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 23rd October 2003 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.143839010406318/143839717072914 |
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2004 | ||||
2005 | ||||
2006 | ||||
2007 | ||||
2008 | ||||
2009 | ||||
2010 | ||||
2011 | ||||
2012 | ||||
2013 | ||||
2014 | ||||
2015 | ||||
2016 | ||||
2017 | ||||
2018 | Inuit | 8b+ (Lead) | 10th November 2018 | |
Second go! |
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2019 | ||||
2020 | ||||
2021 | The Salmon | E7 (Lead Repeat) | 2021 | |
2022 |
Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Meltdown | 9a (Lead Did not finish) | 1985 | ||
Johnny put in some excellent links (estimated to be in the 8c/+ range) way back in the day, when 9a would have been the hardest climbing in the world. |
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The Very Big and the Very Small | 8b+ (Lead) | ✓ | 1990 | |
Inuit | 8b+ (Lead) | 10th November 2018 | ||
Second go! |
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Tabou Zizi | 8b (Lead) | Before 1st January 1991 | ||
Pre-1991. [1] [1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192 |
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The Medium | 8a (Lead) | ✓ | 24th July 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802186343334&set=a.117799293010290 |
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La Abuela Carmen | 8a (Lead) | |||
After redpointing it Johnny lowered off and then climbed it no handed on top rope! |
Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Angle's Share | 7C (Boulder) | ✓ | 19th June 1994 | |
Originally climbed without pads at E8. https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.115413049915581/115414339915452 |
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Downhill Racer Direct | 7A+ (Boulder) | ✓ | 1982 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116578176465735/116579446465608 |
Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|---|
Indian Face | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 4th October 1986 | |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMX4NAw0NSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNb5_PYRhQA https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149996096457276 |
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Face Mecca | E9 (Lead) | 1995 | ||
Slab and Crack | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 1986 | |
Gaia | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | March 1986 | |
An impressive effort after minimal top rope practice. |
||||
Coeur de Lion | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 12th March 1986 | |
Originally given E6! https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997203123832 https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997303123822 |
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End of the Affair | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 7th September 1986 | |
The Quarryman | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 10th September 1986 | |
Johnny climbed the first 2 pitches on the 10th september and the second two pitches on the 11th september. He alter climbed the route in a single push. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLyF8zcP674 https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995749790644 |
||||
The Hollow Man | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 2nd October 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149996006457285 |
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Hardback Thesaurus | E8 (Lead Ground up) | ✓ | 15th May 1988 | |
Drummond Base | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 23rd October 2003 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.143839010406318/143839717072914 |
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Monopoly | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 1983 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116578176465735/116580406465512 |
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The Salmon | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 1984 | |
Dawes of Perception | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 23rd October 1985 | |
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117799383010281&set=a.117799293010290 |
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Come to Mother | E7 (Lead Onsight) | ✓ | 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995939790625 |
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Conan the Librarian | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 21st July 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802133010006&set=a.117799293010290 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802409676645&set=a.117799293010290 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802443009975&set=a.117799293010290 |
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Janus | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 27th July 1986 | E7 |
Johnny initially graded it E7 7a because he thought the groove looked like two 7s. |
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The Fire Escape | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 22nd September 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995929790626 |
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Llanberies | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 5th May 1987 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997963123756 |
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Avoiding the Traitors | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 1995 | |
Zen Boy | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | September 2003 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.143839010406318/143839717072914 |
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Beau Geste | E7 (Lead Flash) | 1986 | ||
References[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone https://www.thebmc.co.uk/Download.aspx?id=139 [2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31629.msg649897.html#msg649897 |
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Clap Please | E7 (Lead) | 8th May 1987 | ||
Johnny thought E6 6c. |
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The Salmon | E7 (Lead Repeat) | 1995 | ||
Reclimbed after the loss of an important pebble. |
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The Salmon | E7 (Lead Repeat) | 2021 | ||
Teenage Menopause | E7 (Lead) | |||
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116371059819780/116373369819549 |
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Unfamiliar | E7 (Lead Did not finish) | |||
Johnny tried the line ground up for a long time. |
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The Tesseract | E7 (Lead Did not finish) | |||
Johnny tried the route in 80's Birth of Extreme. |
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Adam Smith's Invisible Hand | E6 (Lead) | ✓ | 1984 | |
Perplexity | E6 (Lead) | ✓ | 9th July 1985 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.150023826454503/150024903121062 |
||||
Windows of Perception | E6 (Lead) | ✓ | 24th October 1986 | |
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117799339676952&set=a.117799293010290 |
||||
Rupert Road | E6 (Lead Onsight) | ✓ | 29th April 1987 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997903123762 |
||||
Jumpin' on a Beetle | E6 (Solo) | ✓ | 1994 | |
Ulysses' Bow | E6 (Solo Onsight) | April 1984 | ||
A Fist Full of Crystals | E6 (Solo Onsight) | 1985 | ||
References[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone https://www.thebmc.co.uk/Download.aspx?id=139 |
||||
Art Nouveau | E6 (Solo Onsight) | 1986 | ||
Piece Of Mind | E6 (Solo Did not finish) | 1986 | ||
Johnny fell of the last move on the onsight but remarkably walked away unscathed! |
||||
Offspring | E5 (Lead) | ✓ | 24th April 1985 | |
https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.150023826454503/150024366454449 |
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Rimsky Korsakov | E5 (Lead Unknown) | ✓ |
Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|