Phil Davidson

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Date of death: 15th February 2021
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 7c+
Hardest Sport (Onsight): 7c
Hardest Trad (Worked): E8
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7
Notable Partnerships
Mike Owen

Pex Hill resident and prolific North Wales activist in the 70s and 80s.

Phil sadly passed away from cancer on 15th February 2021.

Obituary by Mike Owen.

Urban legend (round Pex Hill at the time [early 1980s]) had it that after pulling through the crux of Right Wall, he called across to the photographer and asked him if he had enough shots, or did he need him to down climb it and do it the crux again! [1]

As somebody from Warrington he was an inspiration and legend. Never forgot the time I saw him turn up at Pex on his motorbike. Then reverse soloed Dateline in his leather jacket with his helmet hanging for in his arms. I could swear he was wearing trainers. [2]

Though our favourite stomping grounds often overlapped I only met Phil a handful of times. The first time, appropriately, was at Pex. The quarry was empty and I was committed about two thirds the way up Hart's Arete. Phil appears and I ask if the top is ok. "Aye" Phil mutters, and walks off. Of course, the top of Hart's is the only place at Pex where the top slopes. Next time we met he'd forgotten his earlier sandbagging of me and accused me of playing the same trick on him in the Peak (I don't know who had, but it wasn't me). He was the ultimate competitor, though one that I know had many deeply loyal friends. [Andy Popp, 3]

Phil used to claim to Joe [Healey] he didn’t train. Joe told me about calling round for him to go climbing one day. His mum answered, said he was training with weights in his bedroom, told Joe he was always training! [4]

References

[1] UKClimbing logbook

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rocktalk/phil_davidson_rip-731360?v=1#x9407295

[3] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rocktalk/phil_davidson_rip-731360?v=1#x9407396

[4] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31125.msg629980.html#msg629980

[5] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31125.msg629981.html#msg629981

Contributors
17 contributions since 17th February 2021.

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Date of death: 15th February 2021
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 7c+
Hardest Sport (Onsight): 7c
Hardest Trad (Worked): E8
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E7
Notable Partnerships
Mike Owen

Pex Hill resident and prolific North Wales activist in the 70s and 80s.

Phil sadly passed away from cancer on 15th February 2021.

Obituary by Mike Owen.

Urban legend (round Pex Hill at the time [early 1980s]) had it that after pulling through the crux of Right Wall, he called across to the photographer and asked him if he had enough shots, or did he need him to down climb it and do it the crux again! [1]

As somebody from Warrington he was an inspiration and legend. Never forgot the time I saw him turn up at Pex on his motorbike. Then reverse soloed Dateline in his leather jacket with his helmet hanging for in his arms. I could swear he was wearing trainers. [2]

Though our favourite stomping grounds often overlapped I only met Phil a handful of times. The first time, appropriately, was at Pex. The quarry was empty and I was committed about two thirds the way up Hart's Arete. Phil appears and I ask if the top is ok. "Aye" Phil mutters, and walks off. Of course, the top of Hart's is the only place at Pex where the top slopes. Next time we met he'd forgotten his earlier sandbagging of me and accused me of playing the same trick on him in the Peak (I don't know who had, but it wasn't me). He was the ultimate competitor, though one that I know had many deeply loyal friends. [Andy Popp, 3]

Phil used to claim to Joe [Healey] he didn’t train. Joe told me about calling round for him to go climbing one day. His mum answered, said he was training with weights in his bedroom, told Joe he was always training! [4]

References

[1] UKClimbing logbook

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rocktalk/phil_davidson_rip-731360?v=1#x9407295

[3] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rocktalk/phil_davidson_rip-731360?v=1#x9407396

[4] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31125.msg629980.html#msg629980

[5] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31125.msg629981.html#msg629981

Contributors
17 contributions since 17th February 2021.

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

20 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown. Use the other tabs to view these ascents.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Tequila Mockingbird 7c+ Lead | worked 1984

In front of a young and impressionable Ben Moon.
Hitchhike the Plane 7c+ Lead | worked

An early repeat.
Obscene Gesture 7c Lead | onsight 1984
Indecent Exposure 7c Lead | onsight

The first onsight of the route [1].

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 40
Chasin' the Trane 7c Lead | worked

An early repeat at the start of the 1980s.
Sardine 7b+ Lead | onsight 15th Aug 1982

An early repeat.

This was done on-sight. Ron [Fawcett] was filmed doing this route and it was aired on TV the day before. As soon as the programme had finished the phone rang and Mike [Owen] knew that it would be Phil before he picked the phone up, asking him to go to Raven's Tor the day after! Mike held his ropes and actually got dragged up it, as he hadn't been climbing for two weeks. [1]

[1] Email conversation with Elaine Owen, 29th November 2021.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Monoblock 8A Boulder | worked 1985
Second ascent.

A week or so after the first ascent.

I did repeat Monoblock numerous times over the years but now look at it in complete disbelief; the route is rarely climbed and has had just three ascenionists [as of ~2007]. [3]

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rocktalk/pex_hill_question-205344?v=1#x3001358

[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,8692.msg653394.html#msg653394

[3] Cheshire and Merseyside Sandstone 2012, The BMC
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
My Piano E8 Lead | worked 1st Nov 2017
The Bells! The Bells! E7 Lead | did not finish 1982

Attempted second ascent.

Backed off from peg due to wind...and possible death. [1]

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/gogarth_north_stack_and_main_cliff-598/the_bells_the_bells-4312
Death Wish E7 Lead | onsight 19th Sep 1982
Second ascent.

One of the first E7 onsights in the UK and exactly two years after the first ascent.

Phil did this on-sight exactly two years after the first ascent. It was the same day that Gommy [Pete Gomersall] put up The Great White. There was no peg to clip as the route to the right, Stairway to Heaven, didn't exist. Gommy held his ropes. I even have a black and white photo of Phil on that ascent. [1]

References

[1] Email conversation with Elaine Owen, 29th November 2021.
Linden E6 Solo | onsight 1982

Nah don't agree with being pumpy or desperate!! Soloed this onsight in 1982 no big cigar but it hadn't even been led then!! [1]

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/curbar_edge-21/linden-11110
The Cad E6 Lead | onsight 2nd May 1982
Cave Route Right Hand (Pre 2018) E6 Lead | onsight

Early 1980s.
A Midsummer Night's Dream E6 Lead | worked

First ascent of all three pitches in one day.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=115864769870409&set=a.115862679870618
Lord of the Flies E6 Lead | onsight

Third ascent. [1]

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 39
Black Magic E5 Solo 1977
First ascent.
Right Wall E5 Lead | onsight 1977

Fourth ascent, aged just 17! [1]

[1] The Power of Climbing (1991) by David Jones, page 39
Right Wall E5 Solo | repeat 20th Aug 1982

This solo ascent was a repeat. Phil first onsighted the route in 1977 giving the route it's fourth ascent.
Black Magic E5 Solo | worked 1985
Cockblock E5 Solo | worked
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade