Climbers

Paul Nunn:

With Joe Brown he was the dominant influence upon British rock climbing and mountaineering for over two decades, setting new standards between 1951 and the early 1970s. [7]

Pat Ament:

I loved Don. I never saw him be mean-spirited, though I did know he drank and had his frustrations. He was especially intolerant of people who overrated themselves or simply did not know what they were talking about. I respected that quality in him, although he could have tempered his opinions, certainly, at times. I don't think I ever saw him get wrankled with someone who didn't deserve it.

He was incredibly funny, incredibly brilliant, not - in my opinion - a tragic figure. I saw greatness. I mean, think of all he achieved, the successes run through memory, glimpses of deep winter with Haston on the Eiger Direct, or on various mountains of the Himalaya, such as Annapurna.

He was like Joe [Brown] in that, coming from a rock climbing background, it was astonishing he could switch to mountaineering as though it were nothing. In younger years, he and Joe were in their element and climbed so beautifully, so boldly, with such limited gear they mostly invented as they went along. Sure, like all of us, he had his challenges and his imperfections, had some personal trials. He wasn't about to be pushed around.

Not so many will deserve a wonderful biography by a wonderful author. I climbed with Don in Eldorado in 1966, when Royal brought him to America. He ran out one difficult pitch on sight, nothing to it.... We hit it off. After his visit to Yosemite, where he walked up the Crack of Doom with Pratt, followed the difficult off-width on Crack of Despair, and showed that, even out of shape, he could climb with the best of them, Don returned to see me in Colorado. He gave me the small gift of some British coins that were of no use in America. I still have those, still cherish them and his memory. Some 18 years later, when I was guest speaker at the Buxton conference, I was sitting at a mirror backstage, and he suddenly was standing behind me. He took me for a shandy, and we talked and laughed. He was, by the way, one of the stars of that conference, dressing up like a woman.

He could have fun. Life is short. Few, at least in the climbing world (but perhaps in any world) will - at the end - be able to say they did as much with their time and accomplished as much as Don Whillans. [2]

Bernard Tamworth:

I went to the Dolomites with Don in July 1985. We climbed a pinnacle near Lecco called 'Il sigaro' which was a grade 5.8 on UIAA scale - about HVS. This was a 4 pitch climb with an abseil off the top. The crux was 10 feet from the summit - a sloping ledge with a bulge pushing you onto your left foot. Don lead this part and overcame the obstacle with a bit of puffing and panting. It was a honour to be the last person to climb with Don. We spent over 2 weeks together in the Dolomites, travelling down on motor bikes. unlike some of the stories, I found Don easy to get on with as long as you were upfront with him and gave him no bulls**t!!! I think I was the only person to ever owe money to Don. He lent me 100 french francs for petrol on the way back, but unfortunately he died before I could pay him back!! [1]

References

[1] Bernard Tamworth, comment on Don Whillains' Last Climb

[2] https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4384744478304277&set=a.230171883761578

[3] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/948094701923372

[4] With Chris Bonnington on the Central Pillar of Freney https://www.instagram.com/p/CO5502uDiQU/

[5] With Joe Brown https://www.instagram.com/p/B_a_U0Rjqgs/

[6] Interview with Ken Wilson 1972, Mountain Issue 20, page 24 https://climbing-history.org/file/eaff6c84-b054-0d0c-220a-a00119bdff3a/whillans%20wilson%20interview.html

[7] Obituary by Paul Nunn in Mountain Issue 105, page 16 /library/11126/mountain-105

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 71, page 50

References

[1] Features in Am Limit (German) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgjwhkE67to

[2] Interview in On The Edge 118, page 40

[3] https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RyHgKL5QS3eThUoWPOrZ8?

[4] Interview with Magnus Midtbø 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSepsUJKdHs

References

[1] https://www.climbing.com/people/allison-vest-poem-female-climbers/

References

[1] Soul Revolution

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK7GsUGqT7I

Medji Schalack is a competition climber from Chambery in France.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd4C6haxPDY

References

[1] Becoming a Climbing Champion, EpicTV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-zacvJbNiw

Jon Fullwood is a climber with a long history of access, conservation and development work in the UK. In particular in the Peak District where he has added many new routes and boulder problems.

References

[1] Access All Areas, an interview with Sam Pratt, April 2024. Summit Issue 113, page 35.

Karen Magog is a strong British female sport and trad climber. She has onsighted or flashed over 100 E5s and over 20 E6s as well as headpointing up to E8 with her ascent of Bleed in Hell at Bowderstone Crags. On sport she has climbed up to 8b+ with her ascent of Mundo Feliz at Villanueva Del Rosario. [1]

References

[1] https://climbonline.co.uk/2020/05/02/climbing-is-my-passion-by-karin-magog/

[2] Interview with.Tanya Meredith (2026) https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/behind_the_scenes_karin_magog-16979