Johnny Dawes


Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Date of birth: 9th May 1964
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 7C
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8b+
Hardest Trad (Worked): E9
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7
Hardest Trad (Flash): E7
Social Media

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.

References

[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

Quick Info

Nationality: GB
Date of birth: 9th May 1964
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 7C
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8b+
Hardest Trad (Worked): E9
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7
Hardest Trad (Flash): E7
Social Media

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.

References

[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


Podcasts


Pics + Vids

Added at 16:01 on 19 January 2021
Added at 17:01 on 19 January 2021
Added at 08:09 on 11 September 2022
Added at 19:03 on 22 March 2023
The Tesseract (E7)
Added at 20:07 on 25 July 2021
La Abuela Carmen (8a)
Added at 09:01 on 21 January 2023
Inuit (8b+)
View this post on Instagram

Added at 12:02 on 10 February 2021
Inuit (8b+)
Added at 09:01 on 21 January 2023
Gaia (E8, FA)
Added at 10:03 on 08 March 2023
The Meltdown (9a)
Added at 16:01 on 19 January 2021
The Quarryman (E8, FA)
Added at 17:01 on 19 January 2021
Dawes of Perception (E7, FA)
Added at 08:04 on 11 April 2021
The Medium (8a, FA)
Added at 08:04 on 19 April 2021
Conan the Librarian (E7, FA)
Added at 08:04 on 19 April 2021
Conan the Librarian (E7, FA)
Added at 09:04 on 19 April 2021
Conan the Librarian (E7, FA)
Added at 09:04 on 19 April 2021
Windows of Perception (E6, FA)
Added at 09:04 on 11 April 2021
The Salmon (E7)
Added at 13:09 on 16 September 2021
Indian Face (E9, FA)
Added at 17:01 on 24 January 2021
Indian Face (E9, FA)
Added at 17:01 on 24 January 2021
Indian Face (E9, FA)
Added at 17:01 on 24 January 2021
Indian Face (E9, FA)
Added at 17:01 on 24 January 2021
Indian Face (E9, FA)
Added at 17:01 on 24 January 2021
Indian Face (E9, FA)
Added at 16:01 on 19 January 2021
Indian Face (E9, FA)
Added at 17:01 on 19 January 2021
Avoiding the Traitors (E7, FA)
View this post on Instagram

Added at 11:12 on 26 December 2022

Ascents

46 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 FA Ascent Date
1982 Downhill Racer Direct 7A+ (Boulder) 1982

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116578176465735/116579446465608

1983 Monopoly E7 (Lead) 1983

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116578176465735/116580406465512

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2b4P6-IcY

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

Offspring E5 (Lead) 24th April 1985

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.150023826454503/150024366454449

Perplexity E6 (Lead) 9th July 1985

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.150023826454503/150024903121062

Dawes of Perception E7 (Lead) 23rd October 1985

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117799383010281&set=a.117799293010290

1986 Come to Mother E7 (Lead Onsight) 1986

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995939790625

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

Piece Of Mind E6 (Solo Did not finish) 1986

Johnny fell of the last move on the onsight but remarkably walked away unscathed!

Art Nouveau E6 (Solo Onsight) 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

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

The Medium 8a (Lead) 24th July 1986

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802186343334&set=a.117799293010290

Janus E7 (Lead) 27th July 1986

Johnny initially graded it E7 7a because he thought the groove looked like two 7s.

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 Fire Escape E7 (Lead) 22nd September 1986

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995929790626

The Hollow Man E8 (Lead) 2nd October 1986

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149996006457285

Indian Face E9 (Lead) 4th October 1986

I went for the crux, the motion startling me like a car unexpectedly in gear in a crowded parking lot. I swarm through the roundness of the bulge to a crank on a brittle spike for a cluster of three crystals on the right; each finger crucial and separate like the keys for a piano chord. I change feet three times to rest my lower legs, each time having to jump my foot out to put the other in. The finger-holds are too poor to hang on should the toes catch on each other. All those foot-changing mistakes on easy moves by runners come to mind. There is no resting. I must go and climb for the top. I swarm up towards the sunlight, gasping for air. A brittle hold stays under mistreatment and then I really blow it. Fearful of a smear on now-non-sticky boots I use an edge and move up, a fall fatal, but the automaton stabs back through, wobbling, but giving its all and I grasp a large sidepull and tube upward. The ropes dangle uselessly from my waist. Arthur Birtwistle on Diagonal, I grasp incuts and the tight movement swerves to a glide as gravity swings skyward ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMX4NAw0NSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNb5_PYRhQA

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149996096457276

Windows of Perception E6 (Lead) 24th October 1986

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117799339676952&set=a.117799293010290

1987 Rupert Road E6 (Lead Onsight) 29th April 1987

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997903123762

Llanberies E7 (Lead) 5th May 1987

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997963123756

Clap Please E7 (Lead) 8th May 1987

Johnny thought E6 6c.

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

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

1995 Face Mecca E9 (Lead) 1995
Avoiding the Traitors E7 (Lead) 1995

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl1gyH2Drnd/

The Salmon E7 (Lead Repeat) 1995

Reclimbed after the loss of an important pebble.

1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003 Zen Boy E7 (Lead) September 2003

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.143839010406318/143839717072914

Drummond Base E8 (Lead) 23rd October 2003

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.143839010406318/143839717072914

2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 Inuit 8b+ (Lead) 10th November 2018

Second go!

https://youtu.be/S_SmgaASssw?t=813

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqAZqOZlLbF/

2019
2020
2021 The Salmon E7 (Lead Repeat) 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyGwXaPl3As

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2b4P6-IcY

The Very Big and the Very Small 8b+ (Lead) 1990
Inuit 8b+ (Lead) 10th November 2018

Second go!

https://youtu.be/S_SmgaASssw?t=813

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqAZqOZlLbF/

Tabou Zizi 8b (Lead) Before 1st January 1991

Pre-1991. [1]

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 192

The Medium 8a (Lead) 24th July 1986

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117802186343334&set=a.117799293010290

La Abuela Carmen 8a (Lead)

After redpointing it Johnny lowered off and then climbed it no handed on top rope!

https://youtu.be/S_SmgaASssw?t=616

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

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

I went for the crux, the motion startling me like a car unexpectedly in gear in a crowded parking lot. I swarm through the roundness of the bulge to a crank on a brittle spike for a cluster of three crystals on the right; each finger crucial and separate like the keys for a piano chord. I change feet three times to rest my lower legs, each time having to jump my foot out to put the other in. The finger-holds are too poor to hang on should the toes catch on each other. All those foot-changing mistakes on easy moves by runners come to mind. There is no resting. I must go and climb for the top. I swarm up towards the sunlight, gasping for air. A brittle hold stays under mistreatment and then I really blow it. Fearful of a smear on now-non-sticky boots I use an edge and move up, a fall fatal, but the automaton stabs back through, wobbling, but giving its all and I grasp a large sidepull and tube upward. The ropes dangle uselessly from my waist. Arthur Birtwistle on Diagonal, I grasp incuts and the tight movement swerves to a glide as gravity swings skyward ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMX4NAw0NSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNb5_PYRhQA

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149996096457276

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

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

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

Monopoly E7 (Lead) 1983

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116578176465735/116580406465512

The Salmon E7 (Lead) 1984
Dawes of Perception E7 (Lead) 23rd October 1985

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=117799383010281&set=a.117799293010290

Come to Mother E7 (Lead Onsight) 1986

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995939790625

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

Janus E7 (Lead) 27th July 1986 E7

Johnny initially graded it E7 7a because he thought the groove looked like two 7s.

The Fire Escape E7 (Lead) 22nd September 1986

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149995929790626

Llanberies E7 (Lead) 5th May 1987

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.149995619790657/149997963123756

Avoiding the Traitors E7 (Lead) 1995

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl1gyH2Drnd/

Zen Boy E7 (Lead) September 2003

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.143839010406318/143839717072914

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

Clap Please E7 (Lead) 8th May 1987

Johnny thought E6 6c.

The Salmon E7 (Lead Repeat) 1995

Reclimbed after the loss of an important pebble.

The Salmon E7 (Lead Repeat) 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyGwXaPl3As

Teenage Menopause E7 (Lead)

https://www.facebook.com/rockarchivist/photos/a.116371059819780/116373369819549

Unfamiliar E7 (Lead Did not finish)

Johnny tried the line ground up for a long time.

The Tesseract E7 (Lead Did not finish)

Johnny tried the route in 80's Birth of Extreme.

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

Rimsky Korsakov E5 (Lead Unknown)
Climb Grade FA Ascent Date Suggested Grade