Johnny Dawes

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References

[1] https://youtu.be/S_SmgaASssw?t=813

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/BqAZqOZlLbF/

References

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

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

References

[1] https://youtu.be/S_SmgaASssw?t=616

Straight up the centre of the slab, Dawes reckoned the climbing would be worth 8A. Climbed without pads – after top-roping but with no falls – and graded E8 7a.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/5416X0ID1zU?t=676

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 ...

References

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

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

[3] Photos from the first ascent by Jonathan Reti. Jonathan was the only person at the crag that day with a camera. Later pictures of Johnny in white vest were not of the actual ascent. https://www.flickr.com/photos/30814373@N02/albums/72157712866661618/

That top crux was difficult for him and his method was pretty snatchy, which is why I moved out of the fall line in case he fluffed it. Shockingly bold.

[4] Mountain Issue 112, page 17 /library/11111/mountain-112

[5] Clogwyn Du’r Arddu Climber’s Club guidebook by Nick Dixon

Fearsome, snappy, technical and sustained - scared myself to death. E9, 6c. Good grade, great route, the best experience for years. [1]

References

[1] Dixon, N. (2004). Clogwyn Dur Arddu: Climbers' Club Guide to Wales, page 187. United Kingdom: Climbers' Club.

An impressive effort after minimal top rope practice.

References

[1] Mountain Issue 109, page 19 /library/11131/mountain-109

Originally given E6!

Johnny attempted the route ground up in 1984 taking two sketchy falls from high on the route – saved from injury by one of his two belayers jumping off a small cliff below the route to take in slack. After a restorative beer, he set off for another go.

In 1986, sensing that someone else might do it first, he top roped the line before leading it on a sweaty late summer evening.

For god's sake, are you a foothold or not?! [2][3]

Johnny climbed the first 2 pitches on the 10th september and the second two pitches on the 11th september. He later climbed the route in a single push.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLyF8zcP674

[2] Llanberis Slate. United Kingdom: Ground Up, 2011.

[3] Mountain Issue 112, page 18 /library/11111/mountain-112

Probably the first to top-rope the slab, but relied on a crumbly foothold, so passed on the lead.

References

[1] Correspondence, October 2025

References

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

Originally climbed with side-runners, then again with a low peg runner.

Johnny dossed below the crag for three days trying the route.

References

[1] Mountain Issue 103, page 18 /library/11124/mountain-103

Without the skyhooks.

On an onsight attempt, Dawes was unaware that Redhead had used a long sling on the bolt above the Rainbow at 80ft, as well as two pre-placed rurps – none of which were left in situ. Unable to retreat, Dawes dyno-clipped the bolt.

References

[1] Mountain Issue 107, page 11 /library/11129/mountain-107

References

[1] Mountain Issue 107, page 10 /library/11129/mountain-107

References

[1] Mountain Issue 107, page 11 /library/11129/mountain-107

References

[1] Mountain Issue 109, page 19 /library/11131/mountain-109

References

[1] Mountain Issue 112, page 18 /library/11111/mountain-112

References

[1] Mountain Issue 109, page 19 /library/11131/mountain-109

References

[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone

[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31629.msg649897.html#msg649897

[3] On The Edge Issue 107, page 48

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

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/dbpage.php?id=391050

References

[1] Mountain Issue 112, page 18 /library/11111/mountain-112

Johnny thought E6 6c.

Climbing the arête à cheval

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl1gyH2Drnd/

Reclimbed after the loss of an important pebble.

I did it on a whim really. We got to the top of the Quarryman groove and I thought what can we do? I’ve done all the existing lines before so I thought I would just go for the traverse line. I got across and suddenly found myself bridging on poor smears, hanging on an edge and having to dyne (sic). At one point I had to sort of layback on the cheek of my face so I could swap hands on a hold. It was very tricky. [1]

Neil Dyer:

It was desperate, we couldn’t really do the moves on the crux. Fair enough we had a sneaky beer on the belay which always takes your edge off, bt still; it was so hard and then run-out after the hard bit was outrageous. Johnny clipped the Fire Escape bolts and then that was it, all the way to the Blockhead belay!”

References

[1] Slate Historical Section

References

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

Johnny had previously climbed it on top rope with one hand, though potentially not in a oner? [1]

References

[1] Comments on this post https://www.instagram.com/p/DFilTFBNN5g/

In EBs

Climbed just after his onsight solo first ascent of Silk.

He had previously attempted to top rope the easier lower part of the route on a school trip, but the top section – the crux – was climbed on sight.

After repeated falls from the crux at 7m

Iwan Arfon Jones:

On the first ascent day Johnny had problems sorting out the bolt placement for the crux, so he clipped a loop positioned at the same height on the ab rope. It seemed like a fair solution. [1]

References

[1] Llanberis Slate. United Kingdom: Ground Up, 2011.

[2] Mountain Issue 107, page 11 /library/11129/mountain-107

References

[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone

Simon Nadin aided the route, tieing off the lightning conductors, then brought Jerry Moffatt and Johnny Dawes up on a top rope.

Johnny had previously top-roped the route in 1991 with a couple of rests on pitch 3, accompanied by Noel Craine.

Dawes onsighted Ulysses straight after

After a fall onto spotters and rucksacks

References

[1] Mountain Issue 107, page 10 /library/11129/mountain-107

References

[1] Mountain Issue 107, page 11 /library/11129/mountain-107

One-handed solo ascent. The top section turned out to be the crux and was climbed onsight.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/NfhZFGQv7Ew?t=51